With Revenues Doubling Monthly, ClearLead is Clearly in Growth Mode

By Nicole Zaro Stahl, Hacienda Network Staff Writer

Search Engine Marketing Specialists Provide Clients with Performance-Based Internet Sales Solution

As corporate websites morph from static information repositories to efficient, productive sales channels, the need for mechanisms to drive and measure site traffic has exploded. Consumers have embraced online buying, with most of them relying on search engines to do research before making a purchase decision. According to Jupiter Media Matrix, more than 55 percent of all Internet purchases begin with a search engine. As a result, Search Engine Marketing (SEM) - using search engines to gain visibility, boost traffic, and, ultimately, increase sales-has become one of the hottest buzzwords in the area of customer acquisition, and new Hacienda tenant ClearLead Inc. is rapidly emerging as a leader in the field.

One of the basic challenges of SEM is the dynamic nature of the Internet: search engines constantly refine their algorithms, users change habits, market trends are seasonal, and new competitors can affect the environment, explains Ajith Chimata, ClearLead co-founder, chairman, and CTO. The company's expertise in Internet technology and infrastructure has produced tools that can respond to and manage these changes so clients continue to get the best cost and value from their SEM efforts.

Companies can spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on Organic Search or Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Pay-per-Click (PPC) advertising associated with search keywords without getting measurable results, Chimata continues. "Our technology analyzes the back-end data and identifies which keywords work best for any given web site. And now we have a new business model so instead of high monthly service fees our customers pay only for performance, which is defined as a customer initiated phone call of one minute or more, or a completed website contact form."

"No one else in this industry is operating on the performance model," he adds. "Other SEM providers focus on driving clicks. We focus on driving customers to the site." ClearLead's optimization technology is also facilitating new offerings like targeted press release services and reputation management, "a big thing right now," Chimata points out.

ClearLead's proprietary technology and proven approach have put it on a path of robust growth. Founded in 2003 in Fremont, the company moved into new offices at 4309 Hacienda Drive this spring to take advantage of the central location and the Tri-Valley's educated labor force.

"We are self-funded, cash positive, and our revenues are doubling every month," Chimata remarks. Changing the business model last year has given it "a big boost," enough so the company, which now has a headcount of approximately 50, is planning to add IT and sales/account management personnel-which may require it to seek extra space. In the meantime, Chimata notes that the hefty growth spurt "is a good problem to have."

Photo: ClearLead president and CEO Ajith Chimata brings a new strategy to Search Engine Marketing.

Also in this issue...