The Challenge:

A plumbing company in the highly competitive Chicago market was struggling to show up in Google’s local search results. Despite investing over $100,000 in SEO with various providers, the business owner saw little to no return. He told us multiple times, “I just don’t get why we’re not showing up—what are we missing?”

Unfortunately, this story is all too familiar. Many service-based businesses pour money into SEO without understanding the real drivers of local rankings. The result? Wasted budget, little visibility, and minimal calls.

Our Approach:

When Timpson Marketing took over, our first step was simple: we listened. We looked at what was already in place, what had failed, and what opportunities were sitting untouched. Then, we built a Local SEO game plan designed to answer a single question from Google’s perspective: Why should this site outrank competitors for local searches?

Here’s what we did differently:

  1. Site Cleanup & Speed Optimization
    We removed dead pages, resolved crawl issues, and dramatically improved site speed to enhance user experience and crawlability.

  2. Strategic Content Mapping
    We created a content structure that revolved around high-value local service pages and tightly clustered blog topics to build topical authority.

  3. On-Page Optimization & Keyword Mapping
    Every page was reviewed to eliminate keyword cannibalization and signal which page should rank for which keyword.

  4. Authority Building
    We launched a backlink campaign that included niche edits, guest posts, and a local press release. We also built out citations, social profiles, and brand mentions to strengthen local signals.

  5. Google Business Profile Optimization
    We overhauled the client’s GBP, built local links to it, and made content updates that aligned with the website and service focus areas.

Note: While we also ran LSA and PPC for this client, the performance numbers below reflect SEO impact alone.

The Results (within 3 months):

  • #1 rankings for 25+ high-intent keywords (e.g. “Chicago emergency plumber”)
  • Top 5 rankings for 45+ competitive keywords
  • 700% increase in organic website traffic
  • 160% more phone calls from local search
  • Significant lift in map pack visibility and branded search volume

Client Testimonial:

“Timpson Marketing transformed our business. We now dominate local searches, and our phones haven’t stopped ringing! It’s hard to even get on a call with Joseph these days because we’re so busy. We’re extremely grateful for the work he’s done. He knew exactly what to do, executed flawlessly, and never made us feel like we were on autopilot or paying for fluff. Thank you, Joseph and the Timpson Marketing team!”