From Invisible to #2 in New Markets

The Problem

A service business based in one Ohio city wanted to expand across the state. They were strong in their home market - well-known, well-ranked, plenty of referrals. But in new cities, they were invisible.

They tried running ads targeting new cities, but the cost per lead was astronomical. Prospects in unfamiliar markets didn't know them, didn't trust them, and had plenty of local options. They needed organic visibility, but their single-location website wasn't ranking anywhere outside their home city.

The Strategy

Generic location pages don't work anymore. Google recognizes thin content that just swaps city names. To rank in new markets, you need genuinely local content.

We developed a location page strategy built around real local signals:

• Local problem framing: Each page addressed challenges specific to that city - regulations, local conditions, or market characteristics unique to the area
• Service area specificity: Detailed information about which neighborhoods, suburbs, and surrounding areas they served from that location
• Local trust signals: Partnerships, community involvement, or projects they'd completed in that specific market
• City-specific FAQs: Questions that someone in that city would actually ask, not generic service questions

The Execution

Over three months, we built out location-specific pages for 12 target markets. Each page was:

• 1,500+ words: Substantial content, not thin doorway pages
• Uniquely written: No template swapping - each page addressed that city's specific situation
• Locally researched: We researched each market to understand what made it different
• Internally linked: Connected to service pages and the main site structure, not orphaned

The business also started building real local presence in each market - Google Business Profile listings, local directory citations, and actual service in those areas.

The Results

Within six months, the transformation was dramatic:

• Overall organic traffic increased 2,582% year-over-year
• Achieved #2 ranking for their primary service keyword in their largest target market
• Each location page started generating its own leads within 90 days
• Cost per lead from organic search was 1/8th the cost of paid ads in new markets
• The location pages eventually outranked some established local competitors

Expansion was no longer limited by ad budget - they had a sustainable, compounding source of leads in every market they entered.