My client, MendMe, is a small but thriving business that provides a variety of massage therapy services in Los Angeles. LA is a very saturated market and dominated by upscale franchises. They needed to elevate their online presence to attract new clients and solidify their brand. Even though, they were spending a fair amount on advertising (i.e. Google Ads and social media) their existing digital footprint was limited, hindering organic reach and requiring an audit to reveal what was really going on. Along with a dated website design with and a lack of a cohesive digital strategy presented significant obstacles to growth.
When working with first time clients, I typically conduct an marketing audit. This audit allows me to understand where they’re spending their marketing dollars, where their marketing effort is focused (ex. ads, email, banner ads, etc.), research the competition, and where there are opportunities for success with a focus on quick-easy wins. Some of the easiest wins I typically find are in auditing the various services and subscriptions clients are spending for the sake of marketing. By canceling unnecessary or ineffective services I can help them save money, that’s an easy win!
Here is the typical steps I take when working with small/medium-sized business owners;
> Audit & Assess | Audit their marketing landscape with an eye on time spent (because time is money) and their monthly marketing spend as it compares to their monthly gross income (determine a baseline ROAS)
> Scalable Strategy | Develop a basic marketing strategy based on their current efforts and current goals (ex. MendMe wanted increase bookings, hyper-localized traffic to maximize ad spend and organic traffic)
> Phase One Effort | This effort is prioritized based on achieving the most important business goals (ex. increase bookings and streamline ad traffic to bookings/conversions) while working with the current budget.
> Phase Two Effort | These are prioritized tasks that support the business goals but are typically placed behind phase one goals. In this case, I was able to restructure and optimize their advertising spend in phase one, so they were spending less money per month and seeing a dramatic uptick in traffic and bookings. Phase two efforts were focused on adding high quality SEO-optimized articles to increase organic traffic to the site (*essential free advertising!), and ensuring their site is WCAG ADA compliant (ex. addressing compliance issues has a wonderful side effect of improving ease of use, and further providing valuable SEO).
> Phase Three Effort | Once primary and secondary efforts are complete I slip into maintenance mode. I provide weekly and monthly business intelligence with a clear point of view and potential next steps. They understand that I need to reevaluate existing campaigns and channel content on a bi-monthly and sometimes quarterly basis, this does not include coordinated efforts across social media channels. This also does not include any “net-new” efforts (ex. new campaigns, content production, etc.).
I am going to jump to the end and show you the results in two short months. The combined impact of these strategies delivered significant results; website traffic saw a substantial increase (35% increase in organic traffic in the last 90 days), driven by targeted high-quality SEO-optimized articles and standard SEO practice that improved their rankings and ADA compliance. This, in turn, fueled increased lead generation (i.e. double-digit increase in calls and bookings).
> 189.4% Daily Active and Monthly Active Users (DAU/MAU)
> 29.4% increase in Organic Search, 35.5% increase in Organic Social traffic
> 2.5:1 actual ROAS (+.5), and impressive revenue growth
> 4x increase in search impressions and 10x increase in search clicks with a 20% reduction in search ad spending (PPC)
Beyond the numbers, the brand experienced enhanced visibility and a stronger online presence. A modern and user-friendly website, incorporating ADA-compliant design language for accessibility, now provides a positive user experience. Furthermore, a scaled content strategy, featuring targeted, SEO-optimized articles, was implemented to continually boost organic search ranking and drive long-term growth.
What was the solution? A comprehensive digital transformation strategy was implemented, focusing on content strategy, SEO, SERP optimization, SEM, and UX/UI redesign.
Content Strategy:
The content strategy aimed to position MendMe Massage as a trusted authority with licensed therapists, and quality service. This effort is a direct response to the national and regional franchise competitors and smaller unlicensed massage parlors nearby. A content calendar which worked across web and social media channels, was developed, focusing on topics relevant to their target audience and their business goals. This included high-quality articles covering specific massage techniques, the benefits of massage therapy, self-care advice, and compelling client testimonials. All content was strategically optimized for relevant keywords to maximize organic reach and engagement. (Organic traffic has increased 17.5% in the past 30 days)
SEO (Search Engine Optimization):
To improve organic search visibility, extensive keyword research was conducted to identify high-volume, low-competition opportunities. Website content, meta descriptions, and title tags were optimized accordingly. Laser-focused local SEO strategies were implemented to enhance visibility in local search results, complemented by a strategy to build high-quality backlinks from reputable sources, and concurrently make needed adjustments to achieve WCAG AA rating (ADA compliance).
SERP (Search Engine Results Page) Optimization:
Visibility and click-through rates on search engine results pages were a key focus. The Google My Business profile was meticulously optimized with accurate information, high-quality photos, and client reviews. Schema markup was implemented to provide search engines with richer context for the business. Ongoing monitoring and proactive responses to online reviews further enhanced their online reputation.
SEM Efforts:
Targeted Google Ads campaigns were developed and managed to drive qualified traffic to the website across the entire Google ecosystem including search, maps, display and dynamic ads. These campaigns focused on relevant keywords, broad search terms, and demographics. Conversion tracking was implemented to measure campaign effectiveness, and continuous optimization based on performance data ensured maximum ROI.
UX/UI Overhaul:
The website underwent a complete redesign to improve usability and user experience. The new design features a modern, user-friendly interface with intuitive navigation and mobile responsiveness. Website speed and performance were optimized, and clear calls to action were implemented to drive conversions and a tweaked user experience created an easy navigation and page view that makes it easy for people to engage and book online.
Simple and Consistent Brand Refresh:
They have a wonderfully long and complete list of massage services they offer bordering on a Cheesecake Factory-style menu (aka. very long!). I developed a visual language applied across all of their digital properties and social media profiles for each of these services thus providing an attractive visual service menu system to allow customers to quickly choose which service fits their needs. Additionally, I worked with the client to ensure branding, written content, links, and messaging are current, high-quality, and consistent across Google properties, YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.
Conclusion
By implementing this comprehensive digital marketing strategy, MendMe Massage achieved substantial growth in online visibility, lead generation, and brand awareness. This case study highlights my holistic approach to digital marketing starting with a simple clear strategy that is applied across a brand’s touchpoints throughout web, search, paid, social, and email channel efforts, allowing us to achieve SMART business objectives and delivering measurable results.
