From a broken digital footprint to sustained local growth
Technical SEO, content strategy and conversion improvements.
A US based and established European car specialist changed hands and inherited a broken digital footprint. We recovered ownership of every asset, rebuilt the site and paid search programme, and grew local organic and map pack visibility across the region. Monthly leads roughly tripled, cost per lead halved, and revenue moved from around $70k a month to peaks above $228k.
Where the engagement started
New ownership had invested in the business, but the digital foundations were not under their control — and the phone was not ringing.
- The website, domain and Google listing were effectively held by past arrangements — none were properly owned or controlled by the new ownership.
- There was zero tracking in place: no analytics, no call tracking and no useful historical Google Ads data.
- Duplicate content on the existing template site was actively hurting SEO.
- Results needed to arrive quickly to justify the investment that had already been made.
Strategy connected to delivery
Audited and secured every digital asset
Recovered ownership of the domain, moved it to reliable hosting, claimed and verified the Google Business Profile under the new ownership, and consolidated logins and credentials. Analytics and call tracking were operational before anything else launched.
Launched a rapid holding site
A conversion-focused one-page site with fresh, unique copy, clear CTAs, a tracked phone number and a simple contact form — launched quickly so real data could flow while the full site was built in the background.
Rebuilt paid search from a standing start
Deep keyword research specific to European makes and the local market, tightly themed campaigns by brand and by service, ad copy focused on genuine differentiation, and conversion tracking through Google Ads, Analytics and CallRail from launch. Qualified calls were defined as 60+ seconds so the numbers meant something.
Rebuilt local SEO
Fully optimised Google Business Profile with fresh photography, consistent NAP across the web, keyword-relevant service listings and a systematic review programme with existing customers.
Delivered a full site with proper service coverage
Individual, optimised pages for each brand serviced and for high-margin work such as performance tuning and ECU remapping. Long-tail blog content targeted genuine buyer questions, with internal links pointing back into commercial pages.
Built off-site authority and ongoing optimisation
Automotive directory placements, local business listings, targeted press coverage and outreach to enthusiast forums and blogs — alongside weekly performance reviews, quality score work and reporting tied to lead sources, requested services and ROI.
Outcomes measured in commercial terms
- Call volume roughly quadrupled, with both organic and paid channels delivering 120+ leads per month each.
- January calls from ads grew from around 15 to 49 qualified calls within the first quarter.
- Local 3-Pack presence on core European car repair searches across the region.
- First-page rankings on hundreds of relevant keywords, including outranking dealership service centres on several commercial terms.
- Enough sustained growth to expand headcount with additional certified mechanics and service staff.
- The same owner later brought us in to run marketing for a second shop.