Local SEO case study: what changed when structure came first

This case study is from my own site. I wasn’t missing content. I was missing structure — and that was suppressing both visibility and lead flow.

The problem:

  • Important pages were buried
  • Internal links didn’t guide users or Google
  • Traffic arrived without a clear next step
  • The homepage was doing too much work

What I changed

I treated the site like a visibility system, not a collection of pages.

  • Promoted pillar pages so the most important pages were obvious
  • Rebuilt internal linking so each page led to one logical next step
  • Reduced decision friction by giving each page one job

No redesign. No new blog posts. Just cleaner architecture and clearer pathways.

What happened next (30 days)

  • Traffic doubled without adding content or ads
  • Engagement increased through better navigation flow
  • The Local SEO page saw a 584% increase in views
  • Direct and referral traffic rose, indicating stronger brand demand

Screenshots and the full breakdown live on the results page.

The takeaway

Most local websites don’t need more content. They need structure that makes it easy for Google to understand the business — and easy for a buyer to act.

If you’re wondering whether your visibility is capped by structure, the next step is diagnosis.

See what’s limiting your visibility

The Local Visibility Diagnostic shows which pages should be elevated, where Google gets confused, and where potential leads drop off — based on your market and your current setup.

Get the Local Visibility Diagnostic — $295

Delivered asynchronously (Loom + written summary). No sales call required.