Frequently Asked Questions
Honest answers to the questions we hear most often.
How long does SEO typically take to show results?
Meaningful organic traffic growth usually starts between months 4 and 6, with substantial gains by month 9-12. Local SEO can show movement in as little as 60 days. Anyone promising faster results is selling something we wouldn't buy.
Do you require long-term contracts?
All our packages start with an initial 90-day commitment so we have time to deliver real results. After that, everything is month-to-month with 30 days notice to cancel.
How is Microsoft Advertising different from Google Ads?
Microsoft Advertising serves paid results on Bing, Yahoo, DuckDuckGo, and the Microsoft Audience Network. Audiences skew higher-income and more B2B, and CPCs are often materially lower. Most of our paid search clients run both platforms.
Who actually does the work on my account?
Senior strategists. We deliberately keep our client roster small so the people you meet in the kickoff are the people doing the work — not junior account managers.
Do you work with clients outside Oregon?
Yes. We're headquartered in Portland but serve clients across the United States. Most communication is via Zoom, Slack, and email.
Can you work with my existing website / agency / in-house team?
Absolutely. We frequently embed alongside in-house marketing teams and complement other agencies. We're happy to scope a partnership that fits your situation.
Do you offer one-off audits?
Yes. Technical SEO audits, paid media account audits, and analytics audits are available as standalone projects starting at $2,500.
What platforms do you specialize in for paid media?
Google Ads, Microsoft Advertising (Bing Ads), Meta (Facebook + Instagram), LinkedIn, and TikTok. We're platform-agnostic about ESPs and CMS — we use what serves the strategy.
How do you report on performance?
Monthly written reports plus an interactive Looker Studio dashboard you can check anytime. The dashboard ties spend → traffic → conversions → revenue in one place.
Do you handle the creative work?
For most channels, yes — we have in-house copywriting, design, and short-form video editing. For larger production work (full video shoots, photography), we partner with trusted local creatives.
Are you a Microsoft Advertising / Google Partner?
We hold active certifications for Google Ads and have deep operational expertise on Microsoft Advertising. We're committed to staying current on every platform we recommend.
Will you sign an NDA?
Yes, of course. We sign mutual NDAs at the start of every prospective engagement.
Do you offer pay-per-result pricing?
No, and we'd be skeptical of any agency that does. Performance-only pricing creates incentives to chase short-term metrics at the expense of long-term brand and asset building.
How does billing work?
Monthly retainers are billed on the 1st via ACH or credit card. Paid media spend is billed directly to your card by the platforms — we never mark it up.
Can I see references?
Yes. We're happy to introduce you to current and former clients who can speak to our work. Just ask during your strategy call.
What happens during the free strategy call?
30 minutes. We review your site, your analytics if you can share access, and your goals. You leave with three concrete recommendations whether you hire us or not.
Do you do social media management?
Yes — both organic content production and paid social campaigns. See the social media services page for details.
How do you handle data privacy and GDPR/CCPA?
We're privacy-first. All data flows are documented, our cookie banner is fully compliant, and we never resell or repurpose client data.
Can you help with email marketing and marketing automation?
Yes. We work with Klaviyo, HubSpot, ActiveCampaign, and Mailchimp depending on your stack and needs.
What size businesses do you typically work with?
Most clients are small-to-midsize businesses spending between $3,000 and $50,000 per month on marketing combined. We've supported both ends — local solo practices and venture-backed scale-ups.