Case Study: How I Helped a Local Business on Squarespace Generate 180+ Monthly Leads
When I first started working with this New Jersey–based service provider, their business was running purely on word-of-mouth referrals. They had no meaningful online presence, no visibility in search, and no digital system for attracting customers.
Within 5–6 months, that changed completely. Their Squarespace website turned into a lead-generating machine, delivering up to 45 qualified leads per week. What once was a small local team of six people grew into a thriving company of more than thirty — powered by consistent inbound leads from Google.
This is the story of how I made it happen.
The Challenge: A Business Hidden in Plain Sight
The brand had a great offline reputation, but online, they were invisible. Their challenges included:
- Deep niche with narrow keywords: Industry keywords were limited, but the customer pain points were broad.
- Low audience volume: Core keywords didn’t attract enough searches to drive growth.
- Technical issues: The Squarespace site had a poor structure that blocked scalability.
- Zero authority: As a fresh site, Google didn’t trust it yet.
- Weak credibility signals: No schema, no reviews, no local trust markers.
In short, they had expertise, but no visibility.
My Strategy: From Invisible to Discoverable
I designed a strategy that leaned into local SEO fundamentals and pain point–driven content. The plan was simple but powerful:
Fix the Foundation
- Improved site structure for clarity and crawlability.
- Implemented a clean, logical navigation system.
Target Customer Pain Points
- Instead of just chasing narrow “water softener” keywords, I created content around customer pain points (hard water, replacement costs, installation challenges).
- Designed a content funnel: pain → education → solution → service.
Local SEO Enhancements
- Added LocalBusiness schema to help Google understand the business.
- Optimized service area pages to capture location-based searches.
Authority Building
- Built a few foundational backlinks.
- Collaborated with local news outlets to boost credibility and community trust.
Conversion-First Approach
- Designed service pages to guide visitors toward inquiries.
- Clear CTAs, trust-building elements, and service-specific FAQs.
Execution: Step by Step
Here’s how we rolled it out:
| Timeline | Actions Taken | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Month 1–2 | Fixed website structure, navigation, and technical errors. Implemented LocalBusiness schema. | Foundation, technical SEO, trust signals |
| Month 3 | Published content targeting customer pain points (installation cost, hard water issues, solutions). | Content strategy & keyword targeting |
| Month 4 | Optimized service pages, added FAQs, strengthened calls-to-action. Set up Google Business Profile. | On-page SEO & local presence |
| Month 5 | Expanded content clusters around services, improved interlinking, built foundational backlinks. | Content depth & authority building |
| Month 6 | Collaborated with local news sites, built more location relevance, re-optimized top-performing pages. | Local authority & conversions |
Keyword Rankings & Indexing Wins 🚀
One of the clearest signs of progress was the explosion in keyword visibility.
- Indexed Keywords: From almost zero to 1,200+ keywords indexed in just 3 months.
- Page One Rankings: Grew to 50+ keywords ranking on page one.
- Top Positions: Multiple high-intent service terms broke into the Top 10 and Top 3, including:
| Keyword | Volume | Position Change | Traffic Gain |
|---|---|---|---|
| water softener installation cost | 2.9K | 21 → 8 (+13) | +115 visitors |
| cost of water softener installation | 1.3K | 37 → 8 (+29) | +48 visitors |
| water softener cost installed | 800 | 19 → 10 (+9) | +20 visitors |
| top rated water softeners | 1.1K | 26 → 15 (+11) | +13 visitors |
| how much does a water softener cost | 1.4K | 57 → 14 (+43) | +12 visitors |
This wasn’t just ranking for the brand — it was ranking for exact questions and problems real customers were searching for.
The Results: Traffic & Leads
The numbers speak for themselves:
| Metric | Before | After (5–6 Months) |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly Organic Traffic | 0–50 visitors | ~1,000 visitors |
| Indexed Keywords | < 50 | 1,200+ |
| Page One Keywords | 0 | 50+ |
| Weekly Leads | 0–5 | Up to 45 qualified leads |
| Monthly Leads | ~20 | 180+ |
With steady organic growth, the site transformed into a consistent inbound lead channel.
Client Impact & Transformation
The client went from relying on word-of-mouth to building a team of 30 people supported by online leads. He told me that before SEO, growth felt impossible — he didn’t know how to reach new customers beyond referrals.
Now, instead of waiting for calls to trickle in, he has a steady pipeline of qualified leads finding him directly through Google.
Takeaways for Local Business Owners
This project highlights a few important lessons:
- Even deep niches have opportunity: Pain point–focused content connects better than generic service terms.
- Fix structure before scaling: A clean site structure and schema are non-negotiable.
- Trust signals matter: Backlinks, local news features, and proper local SEO build credibility fast.
- Consistency compounds: Publishing, optimizing, and iterating every month stacks growth.
- SEO = Stability: Unlike ads, organic traffic creates long-term reliability.
Final Note
This project turned a hidden local service provider into a lead-generating machine, scaling from almost no online presence to 45 paying leads per week.
👉 If your local business feels invisible online, I’d love to help you achieve the same. Let’s connect and start building your success story.
