Case Study : How Effective Keyword Research Increased Website Traffic and Sales for a Small Business

Background

Business: Bella Bakes – a small, family-owned bakery in Austin, Texas.
Challenge: Despite having a visually appealing website and strong customer reviews, Bella Bakes struggled with low online visibility. The bakery’s website generated only ~300 monthly visitors, and most orders came through word of mouth. Their goal was to increase organic traffic, attract more local customers, and boost online cake orders.

Strategy

1. Initial Audit

An SEO audit revealed:

• The site was ranking for only a handful of generic keywords (e.g., “cakes”), which were highly competitive.
• Meta tags and headers lacked local relevance.
• Blog content was minimal and not optimized for search intent.

2. Keyword Research

The team conducted in-depth keyword research using tools like SEMrush, Google Keyword Planner, and Google Trends. They focused on:

• Local keywords: “custom birthday cakes Austin,” “wedding cakes Austin TX”
• Long-tail keywords: “best gluten-free cupcakes in Austin,” “where to buy baby shower cakes in Austin”
• Buyer intent keywords: “order custom cakes online Austin”

These keywords had lower competition and high search intent, aligning perfectly with Bella Bakes’ offerings.

3. On-Page Optimization

• Optimized title tags and meta descriptions with targeted local keywords.
• Added keyword-rich H1 and H2 headers across service and product pages.
• Created location-specific landing pages (e.g., Wedding Cakes in Austin).

4. Content Creation

A blog strategy was implemented around customer search queries, including topics such as:

• “Top 5 Birthday Cake Trends in Austin”
• “How to Choose the Perfect Wedding Cake Design”
• “Gluten-Free Cake Options: A Guide for Austin Foodies”

5. Technical SEO & Local SEO

• Improved website speed and mobile responsiveness.
• Claimed and optimized Google Business Profile with keywords in business descriptions.
• Collected reviews with keyword-rich language from satisfied customers.

Results (After 6 Months)

Website Traffic:

• Monthly organic visitors increased from 300 to 2,700 (+800%).
• 70% of traffic came from the newly targeted long-tail and local keywords.

Keyword Rankings:

• Ranked #1 for “custom birthday cakes Austin” within 4 months.
• Top 3 ranking for 12 other high-intent keywords.

Sales Impact:

• Online cake orders increased by 120%.
• Wedding cake inquiries doubled, becoming the largest revenue driver.
• Overall revenue grew by 45% year-over-year.

Key Takeaways

Local SEO is powerful for small businesses – optimizing Google Business Profile and collecting reviews boosted both online and offline foot traffic.

Effective keyword research uncovers hidden opportunities – by targeting local and long-tail keywords, Bella Bakes captured a highly relevant audience.

Search intent matters more than volume – focusing on “order cakes online Austin” delivered higher conversions than chasing broad keywords like “cakes.”