Google clicks up 3x.
I made Gearhead Diffs easier for Google to rank, then set the strategy for a library of in-depth guides, written by their director. A year on, the site gets three times the clicks from Google search.
3x
clicks from Google search
Six times as visible on Google.
- 3xclicks from Google searchSearch Console, Sep 2025 vs Sep 2026
- 6xappearances in Google searchSearch Console, Sep 2025 vs Sep 2026
- +53%enquiries and sales from Google search visitorsGA4, Oct to Dec 2025 vs Jul to Sep 2026
Impressions in Google Search, Jul 2025 to Sep 2026.
The short version
- The problem
- Gearhead Diffs builds, repairs and sells differentials from a workshop in Christchurch and ships parts NZ-wide. Most people found the site by searching its name, key pages sat just off page one, and nothing answered the questions diff owners ask.
- What I did
- I improved the pages Google already knew about and turned the vehicle filters into landing pages. Then I set the strategy for a library of in-depth guides, which Gearhead's director wrote with my optimisation recommendations. I also set up tracking for every form and phone tap.
- The result
- A year on, the site gets three times the clicks from Google search and shows up six times as often. Enquiries and sales from Google search visitors are up 53%.
Want more people finding you on Google?
Book a free 20-minute call and I'll tell you where I'd start, even if it's not with me.
How I did it
Nov 2025 to Apr 2026
Get the existing pages ranking first
Before writing anything new, I improved the pages Google already knew about. Rankings moved within months, before a single guide went live.
- On-page improvements to the homepage and core service pages
- Each vehicle filter turned into a landing page that can rank on its own
- Searches for diff rebuilds, repairs and specialists up four places on average
Aug to Oct 2025 vs Feb to Apr 2026
- Homepage from position 11.6 to 6.9, page two to page one
- Exchange diffs from position 12.4 to 8.8
- Vehicle pages from 19 Google clicks to 144
- Service searches from position 14.4 to 10.3
Apr 2026 onwards
Plan the guides, then sharpen them
I set the content strategy and optimised each guide, and Gearhead's director wrote them. 36 have gone live since April 2026, built for the long game, and they're already working.
- Long-form answers and tools like the diff ratio calculator give other sites a reason to link back
- Guides meet people while they're still researching, like helical vs clutch LSD
- From July to September 2026, the guides brought in 978 Google clicks, more than the homepage
- Apr 2026: first guides live
Unpaid clicks from Google Search only. Ad clicks aren't included.
Nov 2025 onwards
Turn the traffic into work
More traffic only matters if it turns into enquiries. Every form and phone tap is tracked, and the pages people land on keep getting better.
What changed
- Tracking every form and phone tap counted in GA4
- Product pages reworked so buyers can enquire or buy with less friction
- Search visitors key events up from 53 to 81 a quarter
- Form enquiries up 60% a month across the site
- Phone taps twice as many as before
Three things that made the difference.
Fix what Google already knows first
Better rankings on existing pages came before any new content, and cost far less to get.
Content is a long game worth playing
Guides earn links, build trust and catch people while they're still researching. That keeps compounding.
Count enquiries, not just traffic
Traffic is the start, not the goal. Tracking every form and call shows what the extra visitors are actually worth.
More case studies
Want more people finding you on Google?
Book a free 20-minute call. I'll tell you where I'd start, even if it's not with me.
