Small businesses often face unique challenges. With limited resources compared to larger competitors, they struggle to gain visibility online, even if they have a thriving physical presence. However, there is good news: effective search engine optimisation (SEO) can be a small business’s secret weapon.
In this case study, we will explore how we helped a window tinting company rise from obscurity to become a significant player in its local market. Through our efforts, the company has established itself as a respected authority, boasting a bustling blog with numerous top-ranked posts and a strong backlink profile.
The Results Achieved
Here’s a snapshot of what we accomplished:
- 241.689% increase in monthly organic traffic
- Over 100 keywords ranked in the top 10, with 27 of those in the top 3
- Secured valuable link insertions, boosting the domain’s authority and enhancing brand awareness
The company is now generating substantial business through its website, and our work continues to yield positive results.
Why is SEO Crucial for Small Businesses?
Before diving into our client’s journey, let’s highlight why SEO is vital for small business owners today. If you haven’t invested in SEO yet, you’re missing out on significant revenue and brand recognition.
Most customers discover new businesses through search engines like Google, which have become the modern equivalent of the Yellow Pages. According to a 2023 study by BrightLocal, online local searches soared from 90% in 2019 to 98% in 2022. This means that without visibility on search engines, a majority of your target audience may not even know you exist.
If you’re still relying on traditional marketing methods like flyers and TV ads, you’re likely missing out on 98% of potential customers.
The Client: A Window Tinting Company with Over 30 Years of Experience
Our client is a prime example of a successful business that had neglected its online presence—until now. Established for over 30 years in their local area, they felt little need to focus on their website.
However, the COVID-19 pandemic dramatically shifted how businesses operate. The quarantine increased the popularity of online shopping and the use of search engines to find local services. As noted in the BrightLocal study, searches for businesses online increased by a staggering 8% between 2019 and 2022. This highlighted the necessity for a robust online presence for small businesses to thrive.
Our client sought our help in August 2023, aiming to improve their visibility on search engines. They needed assistance with:
- Optimising their website (updating old content and recovering lost keyword rankings)
- Creating insightful blog content
- Generating consistent organic traffic
Launching a Clout Campaign
After an initial consultation, we decided that a Clout campaign was the best approach. This managed SEO service provides a comprehensive strategy rather than standalone products like link outreach or web copy.
Clout clients receive a dedicated campaign manager who determines the best products for their needs. The goal is to combine various Clout services to achieve essential objectives, such as increasing organic traffic, building backlinks, and improving keyword rankings.
This case study covers a 10-month campaign for our client, which included the following products:
- Clout Blogger
- Link Outreach
- Link Insertions
- Web Copy (Optimisation Only)
Campaign Phase 1: The SEO Audit
Every Clout campaign begins with a thorough SEO audit. This process involves analysing the website’s current performance on search engines, helping us to:
- Establish a foundation for our strategy
- Identify and resolve major errors or optimisation issues
- Look for easy-win keywords
An “easy win” keyword is one that the website already ranks for but isn’t in a top position. For example, if a website ranks for a crucial industry keyword (like ‘window tinting’) in position 30, it indicates that the content has been indexed by Google, making it easier to optimise for higher rankings.
Identifying these keywords allows us to generate traffic relatively quickly, as they can start bringing in visitors in just a few weeks.
In our case, we quickly discovered numerous easy-win keywords related to residential and automotive tinting.
Optimising Web Copy
In the first month, we also optimised the client’s existing web content. This was crucial, as their website was not SEO-friendly. Key elements like proper keyword usage, metadata (including title tags and meta descriptions), and the correct use of header tags were missing.
Our expert copywriters went in and refined everything, ensuring top-notch on-page SEO. Google pays close attention to these factors, so it was essential to get them right.
Campaign Phase 2: Content Creation
Another area where the client fell short was in high-quality blog content. While they had a few blog posts, they were sparse and lacked engaging formatting.
Each month of the campaign involved producing two 1,000-word blog posts through Clout Blogger. We aimed to fill their website with top-tier content, ensuring that each post featured:
- High-resolution images: Posts with images attract 94% more views than those without, so we included striking visuals in every blog.
- Relevant keywords: Our team conducted thorough keyword research to target terms that mattered to the client’s audience, considering metrics like search volume and difficulty.
- Scannable subheadings: Breaking up text with subheadings improves readability, making it easier for users and search engines to digest the content.
- Clear calls-to-action (CTAs): Each post concluded with a clear CTA, guiding readers on what to do next, whether it was checking out a service or booking a consultation.
The effort paid off, as the client’s blog now features some of their top-performing pages. Their top three traffic-generating pages are all blogs we created, designed to convert readers into customers.
Campaign Phase 3: Link-Building
Each month also included orders for link outreach and link insertions.
Link outreach involves contacting other website owners, journalists, and bloggers to secure guest posts and brand mentions, thereby building backlinks. Backlinks are crucial for SEO as they act as endorsements for your content. The more reputable sites linking to you, the more credible your content appears.
Our outreach team focused on major websites in the window tinting sector, successfully securing guest posts and brand mentions, all accompanied by valuable backlinks.
Link insertions involve requesting existing content owners to add a backlink to our client’s site within their established posts. This method is efficient and often quicker to yield results since the content is already indexed.
The Results: A 241% Increase in Traffic and More
After 10 months, the client’s SEO performance underwent a remarkable transformation. Their traffic surged from 367 monthly visitors to 1,254—a 241.689% increase.
They now rank in the top 10 for over 100 crucial industry keywords, many of which are in the top 3. The blogs we crafted continue to drive a significant portion of their traffic, effectively linking to essential service pages and converting readers into leads.
Our link-building efforts also significantly enhanced the website’s backlink profile and referring domains, contributing to their excellent search rankings.
All in all, it was a highly successful campaign that elevated the client’s business, particularly in terms of online presence and authority in the window tinting industry.
