SEO Strategy: Driving 135% Organic Traffic Growth and MQLs

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what i did
I conducted keyword research and optimized digital channels to include relevant terms to increase the amount and quality of inbound web traffic.
GOAL

Increase Website Traffic

Martech

SEMRush, Yoast SEO, GA4, BrightLocal, GMB, Google Search Console, Answer the Public, Uber Suggest, Keyword Planning Tool

reporting

CEO and Manager

scope

SEO

Case study

Maximizing Organic Traffic: An SEO Success Story for a Local Business

Overview

This SEO campaign focused on drastically improving the online visibility of a local hair salon. The main goal was to dominate local search results—both on the main Google search page and within the Google Business Profile (GBP), formerly Google My Business (GMB). We used a straightforward strategy focusing on improving the salon's website and building its authority online.

Objectives
  • On-Site Optimization: Make the hair salon's website faster, easier to use, and clearly communicate its services to both users and Google.
  • Building Backlinks: Increase the website's authority by getting quality links from other reputable websites.
  • Local Ranking Domination: Achieve a First Page ranking on Google Search and the First Page of the Google Business Profile (Map Pack) for important, high-value local keywords.

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    Campaign Details

    Duration: 6 Months (Example duration)Focus Area: Local search results (e.g., "hair salon near me," "best balayage [city name]," "men's haircut [city name]").Strategy:

    1. On-Site Fixes: Optimized the website for speed, especially on mobile phones.
    1. Made sure the business Name, Address, and Phone Number (NAP) were consistent on every page.
    2. Wrote clear, descriptive content for all services (e.g., pricing, detailed descriptions of hair treatments).
    3. Optimized images with descriptive file names and alt text.
    4. Google Business Profile (GBP) Optimization:
      • Ensured the profile was 100% complete and accurate (photos, services, hours, description).
      • Set a strategy for getting and responding to customer reviews consistently.
      • Posted regular updates and offers through the GBP Posts feature.
    5. Backlink Building:
      • Reached out to local directories, community blogs, and small business organizations to get quality links back to the salon's website.
      • Ensured consistency of the salon's NAP information across all these listings (citations).

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    Performance Highlights
    • The organic keywords ranking performance is improving.
    • Search visibility is +0.14% MoM, which is an 8% increase.
    • Organic sales conversions increased by 117% MoM to 78 in total.
    • Organic traffic performance is up 135% MoM.
    • Total backlinks count: 40

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    Challenges and Opportunities

    Challenges:

    • Competition: The local area had many established hair salons with older websites and strong existing backlink profiles.
    • Time: Backlink building takes time; results are not instant, requiring patience and consistent effort.
    • Client Input: Regularly obtaining fresh photos, service updates, and encouraging customers to leave reviews required constant communication with the salon owner.

    Opportunities:

    • Video Content: Utilize YouTube and the GBP to feature short, high-quality videos of services (e.g., hair tutorials, before/after).
    • Service Pages: Further expand and optimize individual service pages to target highly specific long-tail keywords (e.g., "keratin treatment for thin hair [city name]").
    • Local Partnerships: Partner with more non-competing local businesses (e.g., clothing boutiques, spas) for cross-promotion and shared backlinks.

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    Future Recommendations
  • Maintain GBP Momentum: Continue to post weekly updates and proactively ask for and respond to every customer review to keep the profile fresh and highly ranked.
  • Expand Content: Create a blog focusing on local hair trends, products, and tips to capture more "informational" search traffic.
  • Speed Audit: Conduct another website speed audit to ensure the site remains fast as new photos and content are added.
  • Monitor Backlinks: Regularly check the website's backlinks to ensure they are still high quality and disavow any spammy or irrelevant links that could damage authority.

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    Conclusion

    This campaign was a clear success, demonstrating the power of a focused, three-pillar SEO strategy (On-Site, Backlinks, and Local Optimization). By making the salon's website high-quality and reliable, building its online authority through links, and optimizing its Google Business Profile, we transformed the salon's online presence. The result was a definitive move to the first page of Google, which translated directly into a measurable and significant increase in real-world customer inquiries and business for the hair salon.

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    Lead retrieval
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    Virtual booths

    approach
    Targeted Organic Outreach: To reach the desired audience, social media platforms were leveraged for targeted organic outreach. Strategic content and engagement techniques were employed to generate interest and drive traffic to the event.

    Collaboration with Sales Department: Close collaboration with the sales department was established to define a compelling value proposition for the event. By aligning marketing and sales efforts, the messaging was refined to effectively communicate the unique benefits of attending the event.

    Enhancing User Experience: Insights gathered from previous events were shared with the operations department to improve the user experience. This step aimed to address any pain points and enhance attendee satisfaction, ultimately contributing to higher sales and positive word-of-mouth referrals.

    Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Search engine optimization techniques were implemented to improve the event's visibility in search engine rankings. This involved optimizing relevant keywords, meta tags, and content structure to increase organic traffic and attract interested prospects.

    Personalized Email Campaigns: To engage potential attendees and nurture leads, personalized email campaigns were deployed. Tailored messaging, relevant content, and personalized offers were utilized to create a sense of exclusivity and encourage registrations.
    Results
    Shortened Sales Cycles: Through the integrated marketing efforts, sales cycles were reduced by an impressive 35%. This optimization allowed for quicker conversions, enabling a more efficient use of resources and generating faster ticket sales.

    Increased Sales: The implemented marketing strategies resulted in a significant increase in sales, with a growth rate of 110%.
    The combination of targeted outreach, refined value proposition, and personalized email campaigns successfully captured the interest and trust of the target audience.
    Steady and Efficient Sales Cadence: The integrated marketing approach fostered a more steady and efficient sales cadence. By aligning marketing and sales efforts, prospects were consistently engaged, resulting in improved conversion rates and a more predictable sales stream.

    Since then, the landing page traffic experienced remarkable growth, achieving a 110% increase in sales and an 85% rise in program attendance within two weeks. This case study demonstrates the power of a well-executed integrated marketing approach in achieving business objectives.
    Takeaways
    To fellow entrepreneurs or product professionals: consider cultivating a culture of experimentation - it is never too soon to test and validate your assumptions. Feel free to see my comprehensive hypothesis testing and validation study.

    Consider adopting a vertical growth model - I focused too much on what else we could do in the first years instead of amplifying what we did best.
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    Lastly, beware of "technical/management debt" - short-term decisions are normal but often come with long-term impacts. So consider setting aside a day to tighten up loose ends.
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