An “SEO Consultancy Service” can contain many different varieties and types of services which we at Leverage tailor according to the needs of the client.
In the following success story we will cover a very wide project that meant not only to assist the client with doing SEO for their sites, but de-facto acting as a Head of SEO for the company, creating strategies, budgets, plans and building the team from the bottom up.
The success lies with the way the department was left once we finished our job.
Background
The client mentioned is a regulated iGaming company, well known with years of visibility and traffic in tier 1 markets.
Previously, the company had focused mostly on creating a winning product and an innovative look-and-feel that was quite new in the industry, back when all online casinos had the same user experience feeling.
However, while their product was top notch and branding was done well, SEO was always a minor worry and mostly cast aside and done on a minimum effort.
Management changes led to a new approach in which SEO was more desired as an acquisition channel, and Leverage was hired for the job.
The Situation
The SEO team contained 3 full time employees, which we can describe as junior to mid-level experienced SEOs, and 1 consultant, a very knowledgeable and very experienced SEO, excelling mostly on Technical SEO. While the latter was as experienced and knowledgeable as can be, he was not tasked in leading the team, but consulting as an expert.
The team had no KPIs to be measured by, no visibility of their results and nobody who could mentor them and lead them in the right direction.
There was no proper definition of roles and responsibilities and more of a “everyone does everything” kind of approach.
While their hearts were definitely in the right place, without proper definitions of Roles and Responsibilities, results were ok to say the most, but far from the potential of such a big brand and such authoritative site.
On top of that, the SEO team was isolated both physically (they were situated in a different location than most of the company) and mentally – while other departments knew they existed, they weren’t always taken into account and “SEO Needs” were often neglected.
Our Task
The task we’ve been given had the following objectives:
- Create SEO strategies, plans and budgets to meet wider business goals
- Bring SEO department to company’s attention, take part in management meetings, connect to decision makers and stakeholders, and basically: make sure SEO is part of the conversation
- Assess the current team members
- Build the team to meet the strategy
- Hire a Head of SEO to take over permanently
Getting to Work
Once an agreement was struck and even prior to the beginning of work, we have started receiving access to company data and tools so we can assess the situation. Having access to Google Search Console and Google Analytics, as well as some other dashboards, allowed us to see what SEO efforts have been done and what is lacking.
When we officially started working with the client, the work has been divided to 3:
- Working closely with the Director of Marketing to agree on goals and direction for the SEO department, as part of the bigger company vision
- Introductions and meetings with major stakeholders in the company, starting to create relationships with relevant managers, and creating routines between the SEO department and other relevant departments (e.g. Content, Country managers, etc.)
- Working with the current team: regular team and one-to-one meetings to assess the work and the employees, understand their needs, wishes, strengths and weaknesses, and begin creating a blueprint for how the SEO team should look like
One major point to note: this all happened during the beginning of COVID times and when the whole world just started working remotely, which proved to be a challenge by itself. It took us more than a year until we could finally actually meet some of the people we’ve been working with!
Implementation
Quickly enough we were able to build strategies, plans, budgets and goals for the SEO department.
Good relationships were struck and gradually people in different areas of the company remembered that they need to take SEO into account when making certain decisions.
We were part of the conversation, appearing in routine marketing meetings.
As we always believe in the importance of understanding what’s the end result of your work, we have created reports with the company’s BI team to start having visibility over SEO results.
And most importantly: we started structuring the SEO department. Each team member received their own responsibilities. They knew exactly what they were working on.
KPIs were set. Weekly reports were made, and with them came analysis, understanding and a sense of purpose to the hard work and hours they were putting in.
As with any change, we had some who chose to leave, and we recruited others instead.
Lastly, we interviewed and eventually recruited a Head of SEO who took over full time.
We remained with the team as outside consultants for a period of time afterwards, until we have reached the end of our agreement.
Results
| Before | After | |
| SEO Strategies and Budgets | Didn’t exist | Approved yearly and checked regularly |
| SEO as Part of the Company | An isolated and sometimes overlooked department | Being taken into account and has a say in business decisions |
| SEO Team | 3 team members + 1 consultant, no KPIs or any success measurements | Head of SEO 6 team members with clear R&Rs, KPIs and routines +1 consultant |
Conclusion
Building an SEO department for a client is not just about improving rankings or increasing traffic; it’s about creating a sustainable ecosystem where SEO becomes an integral part of the company’s operations and strategy. At Leverage, our approach to this project was rooted in empowering the existing team, fostering collaboration across departments, and laying the groundwork for long-term success.
By establishing clear strategies, defining roles, setting measurable KPIs, and integrating SEO into the company culture, we transformed a previously overlooked department into a fully functional and influential team. The results speak for themselves: from isolated beginnings, the SEO department now operates as a core contributor to the company’s growth and decision-making processes.
This success story highlights that a well-structured, collaborative approach, combined with a vision for sustainability, is key to unlocking the potential of any SEO team. As we handed over the reins to a capable Head of SEO, the foundation we built ensured the company could continue thriving independently—proving that real success lies in leaving a legacy of growth and self-sufficiency.
