Citation Labs Rebrands to Reach Enterprise Teams (And Lead) in an Epoch-Shaping AI Shift
With AI reshaping their market, Citation Labs needed clarity on their ICPs and usable sales assets. Practical Revenue helped align their GTM, build six case studies, and relaunch the website in three weeks—giving reps proof to sell with and securing a new client.
Results Snapshot
- ICP + GTM clarity set distinct market position
- 6 case studies equipped sales with specifics
- Proof replaced improvisation, built buyer trust
- Website live in 3 weeks for Brighton SEO
- Thought leadership closed a net-new client
The Challenge: An Outdated Website Undercut Sales
Citation Labs had credibility in their market and a track record of results. None of that showed up in their sales assets.
They were selling in spite of a decade-old website, improvising “proof” that forced every rep to reinvent the wheel on the fly. Strict contracts blocked client logos and testimonials, leaving reps without assets that sales teams could use.
AI pressure made the gap worse. Buyer criteria were shifting overnight, competitors were repositioning, and Citation Labs risked blending into the noise as just another outreach shop.
Leadership knew the stakes: keep improvising and lose deals, or force clarity before the next industry conference.
They had two months to align on ICPs, rebuild proof, and relaunch the site. Failing to shift by January would stall momentum and let competitors control the narrative for the year.
Our Solution: Interview-Driven Sales Enablement Workshops
We forced clarity through a series of interview-driven sprints that grounded their positioning in customer truth and produced sales assets fast enough to meet their deadline.
- Customer Interview Sprint: We interviewed the ten best clients to understand their pain points, goals, and view of the service—capturing the real language they used.
- Positioning Sprint: We workshopped the unique service the team provided and identified three specific ICPs, the service they needed, and how to reach them best.
- Sales Enablement Sprint: We created new web copy and design in Figma for the entire website, along with six new case studies to support sales.
Our work provided the team with a strong foundation for selling, while aligning team members with the people they served and the impact they had.
Our Process: Building an Unshakeable Sales Foundation
Most firms take three to four months just to reposition.
In that same time, we redefined Citation Labs’ ICPs, built their GTM, produced six case studies, and designed the sales assets they needed to hit Q1 with momentum.
- Ran Positioning + Customer Interviews in Parallel: Ran weekly workshops with leadership while interviewing top clients, grounding every decision in real buyer language instead of assumptions.
- Defined 3 ICPs: Locked positioning, messaging, and connected services, so reps had clear lanes and a shared foundation.
- Created Six Unbranded Case Studies: Developed from interviews, packed with metrics sharp enough to carry credibility under NDA restrictions.
- Designed the Thought Leadership Strategy: Articles tied directly to service evolution and revenue conversations, ensuring content pulled its weight in sales.
- Crafted Website Copy + Design: Developed new web copy and site structure aligned to the refined positioning, ensuring the messaging carried directly into the market.
The Roadblocks: Developer Delays and NDA Restrictions
By the end of January, the new website copy was finished. The client successfully launched three pages, including the homepage. But the rest of the site remained unpublished.
During that time, some of the market language shifted, so parts of the copy needed updates before going live. The team was busy with other priorities. Progress slowed.
In July, they mentioned they were attending Brighton SEO. We suggested using that conference as the finish line and positioned the remaining work as a sprint.
Even though Practical Revenue doesn’t normally handle websites, we volunteered to take over implementation so the site would be ready in time. We managed both copy and design updates, handled QA, and provided weekly progress updates.
Within 3 weeks, the full site was live.
The second roadblock was NDA restrictions. These blocked the use of logos or branded testimonials in case studies.
To keep the assets credible in sales conversations, we built unbranded case studies that included detailed metrics and outcomes from client interviews. These gave the sales team validation they could use in calls and proposals.
Together, the website relaunch and the unbranded case studies removed two major risks: going into the conference without updated positioning and entering sales conversations without credible proof.
The Results: Closing Deals with a New Approach and Assets
Citation Labs now has a website and sales enablement assets they can use in deals.
Outreach, calls, and follow-up no longer depend on improvised stories. Instead, the team has concrete case studies with one-sheeters and thought leadership to provide consistent narratives around impact. This increases credibility and builds trust faster in sales conversations.
Internally, the work created alignment that went beyond expectations.
Customer research shared at an all-hands gave the team clarity on their ICPs, real client pain points, and how services are described in the market. That insight fueled enthusiasm and a stronger connection to the company’s direction.
The early impact is already visible. Most recently, a thought leadership article produced during the project led to a net-new client.
More importantly, the sales team can now compete as a distinct brand rather than being bucketed as another competitor, a shift that protects both deals and long-term positioning.
Key Results
- Organization aligned on ICPs and GTM by the start of Q1.
- Sales team armed with six case studies and supporting one-pagers.
- Reps now sell with consistent proof instead of improvised stories.
- Website relaunched in three weeks, ready before BrightonSEO conference.
- Thought leadership delivered a net-new client and ongoing social momentum.
Since working with Practical Revenue, I’ve noticed our team can better sum up what we do. He’s been an ally, coach, and supporter throughout the process.
Repositioning is a big change. It’s challenging. You need multiple internal stakeholders on board. But if you show up on call ready to talk, think, recall, and refine, the team will help you clarify your ICP and the value you deliver.
What Wasn't Working:
- Dated layout distracted buyers
- Copy did not reflect current services
- No case studies
- Tried to do too many things at once
Home Page - Before
What We Fixed:
- Clear unique value proposition
- Copy based on customer language
- Highlights expertise and differentiators
- Proof heavy to build trust
Home Page - After
What Wasn't Working:
- Dated layout distracted buyers
- Too many various CTAs
- No clear way to book calls
Contact Page - Before
What We Fixed:
- Easy to book time with team
- No distractions from CTA
- Proof to build trust
- FAQs provide call clarity
Contact Page - After
What’s Next?
Practical Revenue continues to support Citation Labs with thought leadership and sales enablement creation. We’re guiding their sales process, helping the team implement their go-to-market strategy, and aligning content directly to the services they sell.
The partnership also extends to their broader ecosystem. We’ve updated the ZipSprout website through an interview-driven approach, rewriting every page with a sales enablement lens so each service page speaks directly to ICPs.
This work is laying the foundation for a unified partner ecosystem across Citation Labs, ZipSprout, and a new business line.
The Client
Citation Labs is a leading link-building agency that helps enterprise teams increase visibility and drive revenue through large-scale campaigns.
Their work supports some of the most competitive search environments online, targeting product and revenue-driving pages across industries.
Industry: SEO/Digital Marketing
Size: 50 employees
Location: Louisville, KY
