In the bustling cafe scene, a local bakery/coffee shop offered delightful pastries and aromatic coffees but was struggling to draw customers due to low online visibility and fierce competition.

Problem Statement

Despite excellent customer reviews and a prime location, the bakery was facing low foot traffic due to poor local online presence and a lack of visibility in local search results.

Goals and Objectives

The bakery’s main objectives were to increase their local online presence, improve visibility in local search results, specifically in the Google 3-Pack, and thereby drive more foot traffic to their store.

Strategies and Tactics

Our plan involved a combination of Google My Business optimization, local keyword strategy, and local content marketing.

Google My Business Optimization: We ensured the bakery’s GMB listing was fully optimized with accurate information, engaging photos, and regular posts about daily offerings, specialty items, and customer reviews.

Local Keyword Optimization: We conducted comprehensive keyword research to identify popular local search terms related to bakeries and coffee shops. We then optimized the bakery’s website and GMB listing with these keywords.

Local Content Marketing: We established a blog on the bakery’s website to share articles about their baking process, new menu items, and local bakery trends, incorporating local keywords for SEO purposes.

Implementation

Our tailored local SEO strategy was implemented over several months, with ongoing adjustments based on performance data and local search trends.

Results and Metrics

Within six months of implementing the local SEO campaign, the bakery saw significant increases in local online visibility and foot traffic:

• Their Google 3-Pack ranking went from non-existent to consistently appearing for relevant local search terms, including “best bakery in [city]” and “fresh coffee near me”.
• Views of their Google Maps listing rose by an impressive 90%.
• Website traffic from local organic search saw a surge of 85%.
• These improved online metrics corresponded with a 35% increase in foot traffic to the store and a 50% increase in sales.

Conclusion and Learnings

This case study underscores the value of a well-rounded local SEO strategy, including GMB optimization, keyword strategy, and local content marketing, for brick-and-mortar businesses. The local bakery’s boosted online visibility and corresponding increase in foot traffic and sales are a testament to the effectiveness of this approach.

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