Organic and Local SEO Case Study: Huge challenge, huge success

Until 2024 this was 1 stop Title Loans, now 1 Stop Motor Vehicle Services. We began working with them at the end of 2021, then converted them to in-house management of their Local SEO and websites at the beginning of 2025. We would still be working with them if they provided lending due to the level of competition and complexity.

We replaced an agency who’s strategy was SEO, Content, PPC, Facebook ads, plus the occasional billboard and radio. They were spending a ton! We successfully changed that by a third, plus grew their presence and performance.

Keep in mind there are different levels of experience with SEO strategists, also different objectives at times. Mine is to lead with SEO, and minimize or remove everything else if possible. They were a talented agency, simply had less experiences in SEO which can make a massive difference. If the foundation is off?…

When the business name was 1 Stop Title Loans they offered both services with 13 locations in Phoenix, Az, now 17. To pull up well for both services was a challenge to say the least, however we were up for it and excited.

The title loan service also included registration loans, both in an extremely competitive market with national brand competition. The motor vehicle services was a 3rd party DMV offering most of the same things with the government as their primary competitor.

We considered several strategies, one being to split the square footage of each location to add a new address. We’ve had success with that strategy in the past but more difficult with 13 locations, Google requirements and paperwork. It was a viable path, but the obstacles were significant, thou through research, a smarter strategy emerged that required far less effort on their part.

For both services we focused meticulously on every aspect of SEO – Local, Organic, voice, Ai and technical. We studied their competition thoroughly and nationally.

The SEO foundation was off on their current websites where they targeted each service separately. They had primary locations attached to the lending but also had a duplicate Google Business Profile strategy which seemed to be hurting them.

We combined the services onto one website utilizing the exposure of one to the other, then used the old sites as support. We simplified the site with a focus on mobile, added a Spanish version plus sped it up 4x from their old sites.

We used Yoast SEO plugin with several other technical tweaks. SEO platforms MOZ, Ahrefs and Semrush which have crossover tools but each with a strong point. Screaming Frog was also helpful in many areas of the project.

We focused on each service, product, city and location individually with an overall coverage strategy but sniper focus when needed.

Loan products had to be our primary focus due to the competition and going up against the government would be tough organically. Can you beat a .gov domain? Yes, but only in instances of distance.

I new we would do well based on my initial review of their presence and competition. I told them the new website would be live within 3 weeks and providing results within the first 2 months. They chose to hold off on all other marketing initiatives until then.

8 months in they grew significantly, saved a ton and were eager for more. We suggested a PPC campaign to target motor vehicles services while terms continue to rise in search results. That service was more of a challenge because we lead with the lending product. They also added new products which took time to rise in search. We used PPC strategically in different cities for terms we could, unable to target MVD and DMV due to government. It produced enough to continue until 2023 then stopped because the SEO strategy was well in motion.

The great news, we more than doubled their loan submissions, Increased Google Maps – calls and interaction by 20%-50% and had a 40% increase in organic traffic.

• Organic: Targeted both loans individually with title loans the primary. Utilized very strategic keyword research, content and semantic content placement. Industry backlinks, internal linking, blog content and supporting websites content.
• Local: Thorough and strategic website, Google Maps profile, Google Posts, Social, agrogators, citations and industry citations.
• Voice: Voice keyword research then built into content and supporting content.
• Ai: FAQ keyword, combination and explanatory research phrases then built into content and supporting content.
• Technical: Simple, strategic, proper site structure. Meta data, schema markup, mobile, healthy links and speed.
• Submissions: A primary focus integrated strategically on and off-site.

The strategy was similar as above though we were initially on the fence about the website because Google sees both industries individually. We found a few competitors with similar offerings and felt there was enough dual presence to target both industries equally on the website though leading with loans.

With the actual DMV, we focused on their exact site structure, content and word labels, then either matched, did more or better. We also focused heavily on long tail keywords and questions. This worked out extremely well but the government is thorough so we had to dig for opportunities.

Their largest multi-location competitor was in similar cities, they put all their Organic and Local SEO effort into Phoenix locations versus other cities. We saw this as an opportunity. We focused on each city individually however we had an overall coverage strategy. The goal was not to be 1st but in the top 3 of search in each city, as far away from the location as possible. That’s about the only time we could pull up above the DMV – if we were closer to the searcher. Overall we pulled up extremely well in all cities, even Phoenix. We used multiple search grids to track growth.

Tip: They opened a few new locations during our time. They setup the landline while remodeling and we verified the profile. Then added their intended open date. This helped immensely because they hit the ground running once doors opened. You can find it directly under your Google Business Profile description.

In March of 2024 the law changed so they dropped the lending services and remain 1 Stop Motor Vehicle Services, which simplified their SEO strategy to mostly Local SEO.

Our strategy for the name change didn’t alter statistics as much as we thought it might. We reworked the website and scrubbed the internet. This was a task due to being founded in 2003. There was a lot of clean up to say the least. Not long after their strategy was set and I offered to train them in-house for future management. They were thrilled and saved a ton.

This was because their foundation was set Locally and Organically. Motor vehicle services is not an extremely competitive market. They mostly need to maintain. Completely doable by in-house management. If anything were to change, they can call me again.

There is a competition threshold where you want to have an SEO strategist or agency especially for Organic SEO and Ai SEO, however many markets and businesses don’t because it is completely doable once shown how.

I can see online and have met many business owners that either don’t know what to do with or after Google Maps Profile or don’t want to spend $ for different reasons. I’ve also met many that got burned. Because of this I give experience away for the DIY’ers and created a new business model with 6, 12 or 18 month strategies for most local businesses. Then can take over if they want. No contracts. I still take on highly competitive clients depending on their goals but most of my focus is on helping business owners learn, then run it themselves.

Get in touch if you’d like to discuss strategy, take care.

Overall strategy: I thoroughly analyze your online presence alongside your top competitors using AI and multiple search methods. I identify what competitors are doing well and where they fall short. I study your industry broadly, regionally and beyond. SEO tools and platforms are used to validate findings and uncover additional opportunities. Strategies are then built, implemented and refined over time. Results.