A proven system for building genuine connections
Our methodology emerged from years of observing what actually works in digital marketing. Rather than chasing trends, we focus on fundamentals that create lasting value for both organizations and their audiences.
Back to HomeThe principles that guide everything we do
Our methodology rests on core beliefs about how marketing should work. These aren't just nice-sounding values—they shape every decision we make and recommendation we offer.
Audience Understanding First
Before suggesting any tactic, we invest time understanding what your audience actually needs and searches for. Marketing works when it helps people rather than interrupts them. This requires research and patience, but creates strategies that resonate authentically.
Sustainable Over Spectacular
Dramatic overnight success makes compelling stories but rarely lasts. We prioritize steady improvement that compounds over months and years. This approach requires more patience upfront but delivers stability and reduces dependence on any single platform or tactic.
Transparency in Process
You should understand why we recommend specific approaches and what results to expect realistically. Marketing shouldn't feel mysterious or manipulative. Clear communication about both possibilities and limitations builds trust and sets appropriate expectations.
Adaptation to Context
Generic templates ignore the reality that different organizations face unique challenges. While our framework stays consistent, application adapts to your specific industry, audience, and resources. What works for one client might not serve another.
The Tessellate Method: How we approach each engagement
Our framework follows a consistent structure while remaining flexible to your situation. Each phase builds on the previous, creating momentum that accelerates as we progress.
Discovery & Research
We begin by understanding your current position, examining what your audience searches for, and analyzing how competitors approach your market. This research phase reveals opportunities you might not have noticed and validates assumptions before investing resources.
Deliverables include comprehensive audience analysis, keyword research, competitive landscape assessment, and strategic recommendations.
Foundation Building
With research guiding us, we address technical elements that affect how search engines understand your site and how visitors experience it. Foundational work might not produce immediate visible results, but creates the infrastructure that supports all future growth.
Includes technical optimization, site structure improvements, content framework development, and measurement systems setup.
Growth & Optimization
As foundation solidifies, we focus on tactics that drive visible improvement. Content creation, ongoing optimization, and strategic adjustments based on performance data create momentum. This phase requires consistent effort but produces measurable results.
Ongoing activities include content development, performance monitoring, strategic refinement, and regular progress reporting.
How phases interconnect
While we describe these as separate phases, in practice they overlap and inform each other. Research continues throughout the engagement as we learn what resonates. Foundation work never truly finishes—we revisit technical elements as your site grows. Growth efforts become more effective as foundation strengthens. This interconnected approach means early investments compound over time rather than becoming obsolete.
Evidence-based practices, not marketing myths
Our recommendations draw from established research in user behavior, search engine functionality, and content effectiveness. While marketing trends change constantly, certain principles remain reliable.
Search Engine Guidelines
Rather than trying to manipulate rankings through shortcuts, we follow documented guidelines from major search engines about what they value. These guidelines emphasize creating genuinely useful content and ensuring sites function well technically. Our approach aligns with how search engines explicitly state they evaluate quality.
We stay current with algorithm updates and platform changes, adapting strategies as the landscape evolves while maintaining focus on fundamental quality signals that persist across updates.
User Experience Research
Decades of research on how people interact with websites inform our recommendations about site structure, navigation, and content presentation. People scan pages predictably, make decisions based on specific cues, and respond to certain design patterns more reliably than others.
Our designs balance aesthetic appeal with proven usability principles, creating sites that feel contemporary while functioning intuitively for your specific audience.
Industry Standards
We adhere to established standards for accessibility, security, and technical implementation. These aren't arbitrary requirements but practices developed through extensive testing across diverse contexts. Following standards ensures your site works reliably across devices, assistive technologies, and future platform updates.
Regular audits verify continued compliance as standards evolve, preventing technical debt that could undermine your marketing effectiveness.
Where conventional marketing often misses the mark
Traditional marketing agencies aren't inherently wrong, but certain common practices create challenges for organizations seeking sustainable growth. Understanding these limitations helps explain why we take different approaches.
Template-Based Solutions
Many agencies apply the same framework to every client regardless of context. This creates efficiency for the agency but ignores the reality that different industries, audiences, and competitive landscapes require adapted approaches.
Our approach: Custom research for each engagement shapes recommendations specific to your situation.
Short-Term Thinking
Pressure to demonstrate quick wins encourages tactics that produce temporary spikes but don't build lasting capability. This creates dependence on continued spending rather than establishing sustainable momentum.
Our approach: Foundation-first methodology that creates compounding returns over time.
Opaque Processes
When agencies keep their methods mysterious, clients can't evaluate quality or build internal understanding. This information asymmetry serves the agency's interests more than the client's long-term capability.
Our approach: Transparent explanation of why we recommend specific tactics and what results to expect.
Vanity Metrics Focus
Emphasizing impressive-sounding numbers that don't connect to business outcomes creates false confidence. Traffic means little if visitors don't convert. Followers matter less than genuine engagement.
Our approach: Tracking metrics that actually indicate progress toward your organization's goals.
What makes our methodology distinctive
Several elements set our approach apart from typical agency work. These aren't gimmicks but thoughtful choices about how to serve clients more effectively.
Documentation and Knowledge Transfer
We document our reasoning and teach you our thinking process throughout the engagement. This builds your team's capability to make better marketing decisions independently, extending value beyond our direct involvement.
Data-Informed Flexibility
While we have a structured methodology, we adjust tactics based on what your specific data reveals. If something isn't working, we change course rather than persisting with ineffective approaches because they fit our template.
Collaborative Partnership
You know your business and audience better than any outside consultant. We bring marketing expertise, but our best work happens when combining your domain knowledge with our strategic frameworks. This collaborative approach produces better outcomes than either party working alone.
Continuous Improvement Process
Marketing best practices evolve as platforms change and audience behavior shifts. We systematically update our methodology based on new research, platform changes, and lessons from recent projects, ensuring you benefit from our accumulated learning.
How we track progress and define success
Effective measurement requires tracking metrics that actually indicate progress toward your goals. We establish clear frameworks for understanding what's working and where adjustment would serve you better.
What we measure
- Organic search traffic growth and quality
- Keyword rankings for relevant terms
- Conversion rates and lead quality
- Engagement metrics (time on site, pages viewed)
- Brand visibility and recognition indicators
How we report
- Monthly progress summaries in plain language
- Trend analysis showing improvement over time
- Honest assessment of what's working and what isn't
- Recommendations for next steps based on data
- Context explaining why numbers changed
Realistic expectations
Different metrics improve on different timelines. Some indicators like technical health can change quickly. Others like search rankings require months of consistent effort. Understanding these timelines prevents discouragement when progress follows its natural pace. We set clear expectations about what to expect when, helping you recognize success as it develops rather than expecting instant transformation.
Methodology refined through actual practice
Our approach didn't emerge from theoretical frameworks but developed through years of observing what actually produces lasting results. Each engagement teaches us something that refines our methodology for future clients. This continuous learning ensures you benefit from accumulated wisdom rather than receiving generic advice.
What distinguishes thoughtful marketing from typical agency work is emphasis on understanding before acting. Many organizations rush to tactics without clarifying strategy. We invest time in research and planning that might feel slow initially but accelerates everything that follows. This patience pays dividends as your marketing gains momentum that compounds over time.
The marketing landscape changes constantly, but certain fundamentals endure. Our methodology balances staying current with new platforms and techniques while maintaining focus on principles that have proven reliable across multiple algorithm updates and platform shifts. This approach creates stability even as specific tactics evolve.
Experience the difference a thoughtful methodology makes
Understanding our approach helps clarify whether we're the right fit for your organization. Let's have a conversation about how this methodology might apply to your specific situation.
Discuss Your Needs