Plastic Lumber Yard, an e-commerce store specializing in HDPE, PVC, and plastic based building materials, aimed to boost organic traffic and improve search rankings. Their target audience includes DIY enthusiasts and contractors seeking to make bulk purchases.

The primary objectives of this project were to:

• Increase organic search traffic to drive more potential customers to the site.

• Increase the conversion rate, turning more website visitors into paying customers.

• Improve search rankings to enhance visibility for relevant keywords.

• Redesign the website to provide a seamless, user-friendly experience that supports conversions.

This case study details the challenges faced, the strategic actions taken to achieve these goals, and the remarkable results that followed. Through a combination of targeted SEO strategies, technical improvements, and a focus on user experience, Plastic Lumber Yard significantly expanded its digital footprint, reaching new customers and driving measurable business growth.

Key Challenges

Plastic Lumber Yard’s SEO journey is not without its obstacles. To fully appreciate the magnitude of this success, it is essential to first examine the significant challenges that had to be overcome through creative problem-solving and persistence:

1. Limited Budget:
   Plastic Lumber Yard operates with a highly constrained budget for marketing, SEO, and content management, allocating less than 1% of its revenue to these critical functions. By contrast, industry standards suggest businesses typically invest 5–15% of their revenue in marketing. This limited investment poses significant challenges, particularly as SEO remains the sole channel for attracting new customers, given the company’s absence of other advertising or promotional initiatives. These constraints demand a strategically focused approach to maximize impact and prioritize high-return strategies.
2. Lack of Product Images:
   High-quality product images are essential for e-commerce success, yet the owner has opted to not hire a photographer, resulting in challenges with obtaining appropriate visuals for product listings. This hinders efforts to improve product pages’ visual appeal and conversion rates, making it difficult to create an engaging user experience and compete effectively in the online marketplace.
3. Website Migration Issues:
   A poorly executed website migration caused significant disruptions to the site’s performance. The migration was prompted by the need to replace an outdated WordPress theme, but it resulted in technical issues such as broken links, reduced site speed, and improper redirects. These problems negatively impacted SEO rankings and user experience, requiring extensive efforts to repair.
4. Misguided Keyword Strategy:
   The company owner was determined to focus on proprietary keywords—terms created internally that lacked measurable search demand. Guiding the owner toward adopting data-driven, high-impact keyword strategies was an ongoing challenge that required a combination of patience and strategic education.
5. Unrefined Sales and Accounting Processes:
   Although SEO and marketing processes have been continuously refined and improved, the sales and accounting practices remain outdated and inefficient. The absence of robust tracking systems creates challenges in attributing leads generated through SEO efforts to manual quotes from the sales team, as opposed to online purchases. Furthermore, the owner’s reluctance to conduct competitive pricing analyses overlooks an opportunity to align the sales strategy with market trends and enhance conversion rates.

These challenges often slow progress and limit the full potential of the SEO efforts. However, through strategic planning and adaptability, significant growth and results were still achieved, as detailed in the following sections.

Steps Taken

To achieve my client’s digital marketing goals, I implemented a comprehensive strategy that focused on technical SEO, content optimization, and user experience. Here’s a basic overview of that strategy.

SEO/User Experience

• Website Redesign: Modernized the website’s design and improved user experience with the assistance of a developer.
• Collaborated with a developer to streamline the shipping quote and checkout process: Enhanced user experience and reduced cart abandonment.
• Keyword Research: Identified high-value keywords to target.
• Internal Linking: Optimized internal linking structure for better site navigation.
• Broken Link Fixing: Resolved broken links to enhance user experience and SEO.
• URL Structure Optimization: Improved URL structure for better readability and SEO.
• Structured Data Implementation: Enhanced search engine visibility with rich snippets.
• Technical SEO Audit: Regularly monitored and addressed technical issues.

Content Optimization

• Content Creation: Developed high-quality content, including blog posts and product descriptions.
• Keyword Optimization: Incorporated relevant keywords into content.

Local SEO

• Google Business Profile: Optimized the Google Business Profile for local search visibility.
• Localized Content: Created content targeting local customers and contractors.

Analytics and Tracking

• Analytics Setup: Implemented analytics tools to track performance.
• Continuous Monitoring: Monitored key metrics and made data-driven adjustments.

Through these strategic efforts, I successfully increased organic traffic, improved search engine rankings, and enhanced user experience for Plastic Lumber Yard.

Impact and Results

Significant Traffic Growth:

• • Total traffic increased from 58,000 in 2021 to 159,000 in 2023, representing a growth of 101,000 visitors (174%) in just two years.
  • Traffic is projected to reach even higher levels in 2024, with an anticipated revenue increase of 64.7% compared to 2023.

  Keyword Ranking Success:

  • Desktop Keywords: Grew from 1,886 in 2021 to 10,199 in 2023 (an increase of 441%) and are currently at 14,599 in 2024 (an increase of 674% compared to 2021).
  • SERP Features: Improved from 0 in 2021 to 484 in 2023, reaching 1,207 in 2024 (an increase of over 1,100% since 2021).
  • Top 3 Rankings: Increased from 84 in 2021 to 519 in 2023 (a growth of 518%) and are currently at 897 in 2024 (an increase of 968%).
  • Top 10 Rankings: Grew from 113 in 2021 to 1,509 in 2023 (a growth of 1,236%) and are currently at 1,694 in 2024 (an increase of 1,399%).
  • Mobile keywords improved dramatically from 98 in 2021 to 1,749 in 2024, marking an increase of 1,685%.

  Conversion Rate Optimization:

  • Enhancements in website structure, internal linking, and checkout processes contributed to higher engagement and reduced friction in the buyer journey, helping convert more visitors into customers.
  Revenue Impact 

  While challenges in tracking all sales persist (see Challenges section), the measurable revenue generated directly through the website saw significant growth between 2023 and 2024, of 65%+ year over year (at the time publishing, the 2024 sales year has not yet closed).

• According to a company partner, the past two years have been the most successful in the company’s 30+ year history. This unprecedented growth reflects the transformative impact of SEO, website optimization, and improved user experience on driving not only traffic but also customer conversions and overall sales performance.