Hotline Bling: How SEO Helped SaaS Company Text Request Grow by 120%

One of the biggest complaints about the modern digital age is the refusal to answer the phone— in fact, nearly two thirds of Americans regularly dodge phone calls, even from people they know. But Text Request, a SaaS company based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, figured out how to solve that problem. The company wanted to spread their (text) message to companies across the United States. After partnering with Boostability in 2018 to improve their online presence, they experienced over 120% organic growth year over year.

The Start of Something Great

Text Request launched in late 2014 as a customer communication software service, allowing businesses a professional way to directly text their customers, making it easier than ever to reach customers when they need to. It takes out that element of an unknown phone number calling because customers are getting a text right from a company they already know. The model was effective as well as simple, an element that Director of Marketing Kenneth Burke believes is missing from a lot of tech companies. “We work with business to reach their marketing goals. A lot of startups have lots of hype involved, with a mantra of, ‘We’re out to change the world!’ even though their product isn’t really world changing,” said Kenneth. “We cut through that, and say, ‘Okay, here’s a problem, we’re going to solve it, and here’s how we’re going to do it.”

Like most startups, funding was tight in the early days. Burke joined Text Request in January of 2015. He turned to SEO and blogging as two means of increasing the company’s reach while staying within a tight budget. Kenneth’s strategy involved writing blog posts with targeted keywords, but he wanted more.

Let’s Google It

The owner of the company, Brian Elrod, decided to explore working with an SEO firm to make more of a digital impact. When he Googled options for his business, Boostability showed up high in the results, which Kenneth said “is always a good sign.” (And as an SEO company, we definitely agree!) A conversation ensued, and a year later that Text Request signed on with Boostability.

The relationship between Text Request and Boostability was successful from the start thanks to a few key factors. One of those was Text Request’s familiarity with SEO strategy.

“We were familiar with SEO before we got started, which we used as part of our vetting process,” Kenneth explained. “There were a lot of SEO agencies out there and it seemed like anyone who could use a Yoast plugin thought they were an SEO mastermind. But there were a few people who actually knew their stuff and could work together in partnership marketing, rather than just someone you farm work out to. When I was talking to [different SEO firms], I would toss out questions about the latest Google algorithm change to [see if] they were knowledgeable.”

Bang for Your Buck

Boostability proved its worth with its in-depth knowledge of Google’s constantly shifting algorithms, and added to their value by providing Text Request with an audit. Boostability was able to review every part of Text Request’s already-established SEO strategy and then build a tailored campaign around their efforts.

Text Request also knew that quality SEO work takes time. Many SEO firms experience this problem when introducing new clients to search engine optimization.

“So many business owners and managers go into [an SEO campaign] saying, ‘You need to give me an ROI within 30 or 60 days,’ and that’s just not how it works,” Kenneth said. “It’s really a six to nine month process before you’re going to see results.”

And they did. Over the first six months, Text Request experienced an unprecedented increase in organic growth. Text Request has clients in dozens of different industries—home service, staffing, medical, education—and all saw growth. Kenneth reports that their service has helped their clients increase sales by 600% while saving staffing agencies 90% of their time calling people. This has allowed clients to spend more time on other efforts that are more successful and bring in more revenue.

What Can You Do?

When asked about advice for other companies considering working with Boostability, Kenneth says:

“I’m always a big fan of getting started and giving it a shot. In our experience, we tested things out and started small until we started seeing results. Then we boosted things up. So, number one, give them a shot. Number two, if you aren’t familiar with SEO or working with an SEO agency, I recommended doing a little prep work on your end.”

The collaboration between Text Request and Boostability continues. They work together to get more small businesses found on Google and in contact with their customers. Learn more about our white label SEO services and how it can help boost your business!