Sharon M. Gum, CPA, is an accounting firm based in Waterloo, IL, that serves businesses throughout Southern Illinois. The practice specializes in business setup and advisory services, tax preparation, payroll, and bookkeeping.

Their goal was to build a strong digital brand and achieve prominent local visibility for their services. Their goal was also to rank prominently in the Google Maps 3-pack for their primary services across their town (Waterloo, IL) and local service area (Monroe County, IL)

They were targeting high-value search terms like “certified public accountant,” “tax preparation,” and “bookkeeping service.” Not having a website was prohibiting them from reaching their goals, along with an unoptimized GBP listing and Facebook business page with the incorrect business name.

When Sharon M. Gum, CPA, first approached New Adventure Web Design & Digital Marketing, her online presence was virtually non-existent. She faced several critical challenges that prevented her from attracting new local clients:

• No Website: The business did not have a professional website, which is a foundational element for establishing digital authority and providing a professional brand image.
• Neglected Google Business Profile: The client’s Google Business Profile (GBP) was unclaimed and completely unoptimized. It lacked crucial details, and contained no photos, no description, no posts, no services listed, no business hours, no Q&A’s, incorrect main business category and missing additional relevant business categories.
• Low Visibility on Google Maps: The unoptimized GBP resulted in low ranking visibility and poor coverage in Google Maps across their local market. The business was not appearing in the Google Maps 3-pack for their primary services.
• No Google Review Strategy: With no existing reviews on their GBP and no system for acquiring them, the business was missing out on a critical trust signal for both Google and potential customers.
• Outdated Social Media: The existing Facebook business page had an outdated name, minimal usage, and no cohesive strategy for promotion.

To address these challenges, we developed a comprehensive, multi-faceted digital marketing strategy focused on building a new website, a robust digital foundation, maximizing local search visibility on Google Maps, and establishing brand authority. Our core solutions included:

• Locally Optimized Website Design: We designed and built a new, locally optimized website to serve as the client’s primary digital hub. The site was meticulously structured to rank for high-value local keywords and services, featuring dedicated service and location pages to capture targeted traffic.
• Keyword Research & Analysis: Conducted extensive keyword research to identify high-value search terms and integrate them effectively.
• Semantic Topical Maps: To establish the client’s website as an authoritative source in their niche, we employed semantic topical maps. This strategy involved structuring the website around key topics and subtopics that were relevant to the client’s services. By creating a clear and logical architecture, we ensured that search engines could easily understand the site’s content and relevance, boosting its ability to rank for a broader range of keywords. Our goal was to establish niche relevancy via topical blog posts and articles published on the website. This helps the client gain topical authority for their niche in their local market.
• Website Silo and Navigation: Ensures a streamlined and smooth visitor experience and also the logical ordering of topics and subtopics for better crawling and indexing.
• Google Maps Marketing Campaign: The primary objective was to maximize the visibility and performance of the Google Business Profile in the Google Maps “3-Pack” results across their local area; in and around the city where the business is located. This also includes the county. Gain local, targeted user traffic to the website from Google Maps search results.
• Competitor Analysis: We identified and analyzed the top ranking local competitors in the Google Maps 3-Pack in the client’s market and reverse engineered the ranking strategies being used, and why Google is showing them. This helps us determine where the bar is being set in the market for the client’s niche. This competitor audit provided a roadmap that allowed us to position our client more effectively in local search rankings. By understanding the strengths and weaknesses of these top competitors, we formulated a strategy that would surpass their efforts and position our client as a dominant player in their service area.
• Baseline Google Business Profile Rankings Report: Ran several GeoGrids reports to see how well the Google Maps ranking coverage was for the business across their market for their main service keywords. This helped us determine what their current situation was versus that of their local competitors, and identify strengths and weaknesses. This also allowed us to set goals and targets for improvement.
• Digital Brand Footprint: We focused on establishing a strong, consistent digital presence for the business across hundreds of local and national business listings, directories, and social media platforms.
• Establish local Google Map signals & map links.
• Create authoritative back-links to the website.
• Google Review Outreach Campaign: We created a system to help the client consistently acquire positive Google reviews from happy clients, bolstering their online reputation and building trust with potential customers.
• Consistent Content & Updates: Our strategy included a plan for ongoing content creation, weekly GBP posts, and regular social media updates to keep all profiles active, engaging, and fresh.
• Immediate Impact: Our strategy was designed to deliver immediate results. From the day of the new website’s launch, we aimed to see significant impacts in local keyword rankings. This was achieved through a combination of technical optimizations, strategic content creation, and focused efforts on leveraging the power of the Google Business Profile in local search results.

Fully optimized the Google Business Profile to improve local search presence and local visibility.

This included updating critical business information, adding additional relevant categories, crafting a keyword-rich description, adding website links, add service area locations/zip codes, adding high-quality images, adding services with descriptions, adding products, adding Q&A’s, add opening date, adding social media links, responding to reviews, posting regularly, and much more.

These efforts improved their presence in local search results, driving more qualified traffic and leads.

We focused on building a strong social media presence for the client. We set up and optimized profiles on key social media platforms, including YouTube, Facebook, and Pinterest. This multi-platform approach helped to create a cohesive online presence, supporting the client’s digital marketing efforts and increasing brand visibility.

• YouTube Channel Setup: We launched a new YouTube channel, complete with a custom-designed profile picture, cover photo, and watermark. We crafted a detailed business description, integrated clickable links to other platforms, and meticulously optimized all information with accurate keywords to maximize visibility and brand consistency.
• YouTube video creation featuring the business & local video optimization: Add keyword + brand name to the video title, Add NAP info to video description, Add optimized content to video description, Add website URL to video description, Add website URL to targeted pages related to the video topic, Add GBP listing CID URL to video description, Add links to business listings/social accounts/branded profiles/press links to video description, Geo-tag the video to the business location.
• Facebook Business Page: Optimized the existing Facebook business page. Changed the business name on the page and wrote a new bio and an about me. We added website links and business hours. We elaborated more about the company and made sure to use all the keywords and all the info there. Changed the profile and cover pictures.
• Create a branded “Social Fortress” consisting of other top branded social properties & profiles: We created an interlinked fortress of branded social profiles and web 2.0’s around the client’s brand and website. Each is fully interlinked (where possible) and optimized for brand keywords and niche relevance. Plus, pictures, logos, unique descriptions, and content where appropriate. This ensures maximum impact from each brand account – they’re all working together! By creating natural social profiles, we built a strong interwoven network that brings more impact to the client’s brand, helping to improve indexing, provide additional ranking opportunities, build trust online, and strengthen their Knowledge Graph.
• Social “Power-Up” & Social Interlinking Hubs: We slowly drip high authority links to the entire social fortress using our unique tiered link process. This process ensures natural link velocity and has been extensively tested and refined for the fastest, yet safest Google SERP boosts. These are seen as implied links by Google, which help to build a diverse backlink profile.

Google ranks strong brands. By focusing on brand authority and link acquisition, we mirrored the successful practices of competitors to bolster the client’s online prominence. Our strategy for building a comprehensive, robust digital brand for the client’s business included:

• Syndicated Digital Press Releases: Syndication across 400+ news sites nationwide and Google News. We published high-quality articles on top-tier news websites to create additional brand prominence. These articles were a combination of advertorials for the client’s services, owner profile features, and notable brand announcements. These articles allowed us to acquire powerful brand links from authority news sites like AP News, Digital Journal, Google News and more. The press releases include a company bio, NAP info, client’s, a photo, and embedded YouTube Video or Google Map of the business location.
• Branded Business listings & Citations: 110 Primary USA Business Listings + 6 GPS Listings. Includes NAP, images, website links, social links, descriptions. Consistent and correct business information that builds trust with users and Google. These listings help establish a strong brand foundation for the client’s business.
• Niche Specific Business Listings & Citations: Niche-relevant industry business listings and directory sites. Includes NAP, images, website links, social links, descriptions.
• Top USA Data Aggregator Listings: Neustar Localeze, Data Axle, Foursquare. These profiles syndicate accurate business data out across the web to hundreds of business listings sites that source data from them.
• Brand Authority Profiles & Links: aka “Foundation links”. Brand mentions and unstructured NAP citations on Web 2.0 sites for local rankings, fully optimized for local search.
• Set-up optimized business listings on the YP Network: YP, Superpages, DexKnows.
• Submit business info to the GPS Network: TomTom, Waze. Here, Uber, Navmii.
• Bing Places Listing Set-up.
• Apple Maps Listing Set-up.
• Yelp Business Listing Set-up & Optimize.
• Alignable Business Listing Set-up & Optimize.
• Nextdoor Business Listing Set-Up & Optimize.
• Local Community Outreach: Submit client’s business information to the City of Waterloo for inclusion in their online business directory. Fully optimized branded profiles includes NAP information, logo and website link.
• Premium Guest Posts & Niche Placements: Blog outreach and link placement.
• Infographic Link Building: 35+ infographic link submissions to rich media sites.
• Citation “Power-Up” & Citation Interlinking Hubs: We create citation hubs that interlink the top business listings and profiles in a hub and spokes method. Once we’ve created a series of hubs, we push general private network links to each hub to really juice them up. This way, we safely push link equity to the website and power up connected citations. We slow drip our links for 10 days to each of the selected citation hubs. We want to ensure safe, effective property boosting for every domain.

• Content Creation and Publishing: Each month we produce 1 new blog post article as part of the content strategy. These posts are optimized for target keywords and focused on addressing user intent, whether it was informational content or service-specific content. The new content consistently improved the site’s performance, Google Business Profile performance, and helped the client rank for more keywords.
• Location Page Creation & Optimization: Each month we create 2 new location pages on the website optimized for visibility on local Google organic searches and Google Maps results. Each location page is tailored to the specific geographic area it serves, with unique custom content optimized for local search queries, including the use of location-based keywords, Google Maps embeds, and localized service descriptions. We closely monitor both the ranking performance and user performance of these pages and make any content adjustments when necessary to maximize performance.
• Build & Optimize Internal Links when publishing new blog post articles.
• Link Building and Backlink Earning: Our link-building strategy focused on acquiring high-quality, niche-relevant links. These backlinks helped build the site’s domain authority and improve its overall performance.
• Quarterly Syndicated Digital Press Releases: These articles were a combination of advertorials for the client’s services, owner profile features, and notable brand announcements. These articles allowed us to acquire powerful brand links from authority news sites like AP News, Digital Journal, Google News and more. The press releases include a company bio, NAP info, client’s, a photo, and embedded YouTube Video or Google Map of the business location.
• GBP Posts & Photos: We create and post regular content updates weekly on their Google Business Profile, to keep the GBP listing active and engaging. This helped improve the visibility of the listings in local search results and increased user interaction with the profiles. We also add new photos each month as needed.
• GBP Q&A: We create fresh updated content on the Q&A section of the GBP, all based on frequently asked questions pertaining to the client’s niche, and of the business itself. We respond to any questions asked by users.
• Google Review Outreach Campaign & Reputation Building: We help the business gain more positive reviews on their Google Business Profile from happy clients. This involves text message and email outreach campaigns to recent clients who have engaged with the business and used their services.
• Google Review Monitoring & Responding: We create professional responses to ALL new Google reviews on behalf of the business owner, ensuring that the client maintained a strong online reputation. We help craft appropriate responses to any negative reviews received. If any reviews are in clear violation of Google’s TOS, we flag those reviews and report them to Google for removal request.
• Social Media Posts: As part of our monthly efforts, our team prepares 2 content posts for the client’s Facebook business page. These social media posts are all focused on our target search terms and allow us to amplify relevant content for the brand. This content is incorporated into our strategy by linking these posts to our GBP listing, previous GBP posts, and location and service pages on the website. We also highlight new customer 5-star reviews the business has received, new career/job openings, community events the business is involved in, sponsorships, activities, new service announcements, etc. We also syndicate these posts out to other social media profiles we’ve set-up for the client, including Blogger, Medium, Tumblr, and Alignable. We also updates the Facebook Cover Photo on a monthly basis.
• Rank Tracking & Google Maps GeoGrids: We set up a rank tracker to monitor keyword positions and track the progress of the campaign. This provides valuable insights into how well specific keywords are performing and allows us to make real-time adjustments to our strategy as needed. Additionally, we use Google Maps Ranking Grids (GeoGrids) to monitor the client’s Google Maps rankings across their service area. This gives us a clear visual representation of where the client is ranking for key search terms in various geographic locations. The geo grids provide us with location-specific data that helps inform our ongoing strategy, ensuring that we are targeting the right areas and improving visibility where it matters most.
• Managed WordPress Website Hosting & Website Support: We provide dedicated WordPress website hosting services to keep the client’s website safe, reliable and fast at all times. This includes SSL certificate installation & management, WordPress Core Updates, WordPress Plugin Updates, WordPress Theme Updates, Website Backups, and ongoing Website Speed Optimization. Ongoing website support is also included in the form of client requested content updates/changes.

This digital marketing case study for Sharon M. Gum, CPA, highlights the effectiveness of a comprehensive strategy that included a new website design, Google Business Profile optimization, and consistent brand building. In less than 12 months, we transformed the client’s local visibility across their service areas, resulting in significant gains in Google Maps rankings, organic traffic, and lead generation. By focusing on both on-page and off-page optimization and sustained monthly efforts, we helped the client become a local leader in their industry, solidifying their presence in local search results and driving long-term success.