Corero Network Security: B2B SEO for Software & Technology
While the details are sometimes sensitive, the picture painted in the following client success stories is one of quantifiable results.
Corero Network Security Realizes 55 Percent Gain in Year over Year Organic Search Growth
The Challenge
Corero Network Security, based in Marlborough, Massachusetts, is the leader in real-time, high-performance, scalable DDoS defense solutions for ISPs, Hosting Providers, and Online Enterprise.
VP of Marketing Stephanie Weagle initially approached KoMarketing in 2015 for help with increasing the visibility within the highly competitive digital marketplace. The company was looking for a digital marketing agency that could partner with Corero’s in-house marketing team.
Program objectives included:
- Technical review of the website and subsequent recommendations
- Developing a custom SEO program
- Enhancing content marketing with SEO
- Optimizing conversion rates for organic search traffic
Program components included: SEO, Content Marketing, and Online PR.
Program Implementation
Before the program started, KoMarketing recommended Corero migrate its blog, which was hosted on a separate site, to its main website. Once Corero completed the migration, KoMarketing then conducted a technical analysis of the website and blog in order to uncover any issues that would preclude optimal SEO results and/or impede indexing of content in the search engines.
This backend analysis included recommendations for fixing technical issues discovered in the source code and cleaning up canonical issues due to the blog migration.
Create SEO and content marketing strategy
After a thorough analysis of Corero’s competition, industry, and objectives, KoMarketing recommended enhancements to their content marketing strategy – with the blog playing the main role. This strategy included:
- Content optimization – The KoMarketing team went through Corero’s existing content and made recommendations for improving title/meta tags, headlines, and other content from an SEO-keyword perspective.
- Creating new content based on keywords – Before engaging with KoMarketing, the Corero marketing team wrote blog posts based on what they believed customers would find interesting. Because Corero’s goal was to improve their visibility for specific keywords, KoMarketing recommended the marketing team write posts based on keyword opportunities discovered during the assessment.
The KoMarketing team also recommended Corero create additional content for the Resources section of the website, including a glossary, FAQs and other material. This additional content was optimized for search.
- Working with media outlets – As an influential player in a niche industry, Corero already had significant press opportunities. KoMarketing monitored all press mentions and alerted the marketing team if a news item lacked a link back to the Corero website. The Corero PR person would then work with the media outlet to add the link.
In addition, KoMarketing worked with Corero to find other outlets where the company could place articles about mitigating DDoS attacks.
- Tracking ROI – The ultimate goal of the SEO and content marketing program was to improve lead conversion. Working with KoMarketing, Corero developed KPIs and targets to ensure this goal was being met.
Results
SEO programs can take up to a year to see real results because of relatively long content marketing lead times (e.g. content has to be created, optimized and then marketed, links have to be built to the content, etc.). For Corero, year-over-year results were steady – with real gains showing in Q4 of 2016.
- Total Organic Growth – The company began with a modest 9% year-over-year growth in Q1 2016 and then surged to 55% by Q4 2016.
- Blog Traffic Organic Growth – Likewise, year-over-year blog traffic from organic remained at modest levels through 2016 but then really kicked in with Q4 seeing a 164% increase over Q3.
- Lead Conversions – 60% of lead conversions in 2016 were due to organic search.
As a result of this program, Corero hired KoMarketing to oversee its AdWords program for 2017 in addition to continuing the SEO program.
The full case study, which includes graphs and other information, can be downloaded here.
“With other agencies, the tendency is to see a flurry of work initially, and then communication and accountability starts to fall off. Our KoMarketing account team is in contact with us almost daily – it’s like they’re sitting right here in our office. They’re truly an extension of our marketing team.”
– Stephanie Weagle, VP of Marketing, Corero Network Security
“With little digging, you can see that KoMarketing’s team is frequently educating the SEO industry on best practices through articles, blogs and presentations. If you’re considering hiring an agency you want talented people collaborating to bring you the best search results possible – that’s what you’ll get with KoMarketing.”
