Architecture Firm SEO Case Study
From 450 monthly visitors to 3,200 in 8 months
Project Overview
The client is a mid-sized architecture firm specializing in residential and commercial design projects, serving clients across a major metropolitan region.
While their portfolio was strong and visually compelling, their online visibility did not reflect their market expertise. Most new inquiries were coming from referrals, with minimal contribution from organic search.
The primary goal of the SEO project was to increase qualified organic traffic, improve visibility for architecture- and location-based keywords, and generate consistent inbound leads without relying heavily on paid advertising. Our engagement focused on building long-term search visibility by improving technical performance, strengthening topical relevance, and positioning the firm as a trusted authority within the local architecture niche.
From the Client
“Before starting SEO, our website looked good but wasn’t bringing in serious inquiries. We wanted visibility for the kind of projects we actually work on, not just vanity traffic. Our main concern was competing with larger firms while maintaining a professional, credible online presence.”
The Challenge
The website was attracting fewer than 500 organic visitors per month, with most traffic landing on branded searches. Key service pages were not ranking within the top 30 results for high-intent terms like residential architect and commercial architecture firm.
Technical issues such as slow page load times, unoptimized images, and inconsistent internal linking limited crawl efficiency. Additionally, the site lacked structured content targeting local search intent, making it difficult to compete against established firms with stronger domain authority.
The backlink profile was minimal, with fewer than 20 referring domains, and blog content was irregular and unfocused. Overall, the challenge was to improve visibility in a competitive niche while maintaining credibility and design integrity.
The Results
Organic Traffic:
• Increased from ~450 to ~3,200 monthly visitors (+611%)
Keyword Rankings:
• 18 high-intent keywords in top 10
• 6 primary service keywords in top 5 positions
Leads from Organic Traffic:
• Increased from 4–5/month to 22–25/month
Domain Authority:
• Improved from 18 to 31
High-Quality Backlinks:
• 65 new referring domains from industry, local, and design publications
The Solution
We began with a technical SEO audit, resolving performance issues, improving Core Web Vitals, optimizing image delivery, and strengthening site architecture to ensure efficient crawling and indexing.
Next, we implemented a keyword-driven content strategy focused on architecture services, project types, and local intent, supported by optimized service pages and detailed project case studies.
Finally, we executed a targeted link-building campaign through design publications, local business features, and architecture-related blogs to improve authority and referral traffic.
Search Engine Optimization Journey
The SEO journey followed a phased approach over eight months. Early efforts focused on technical fixes and on-page optimization to stabilize rankings. By month three, content improvements and internal linking began producing consistent ranking movement.
As authoritative backlinks were acquired, priority keywords entered top positions, driving qualified traffic. Regular performance tracking allowed for refinement of content and conversion paths, ensuring visitors translated into inquiries. Rather than chasing short-term spikes, the campaign emphasized sustainable growth aligned with the firm’s long sales cycle and high-value projects.
Client Investment & ROI
The client invested $1,000 per month in ongoing SEO services, totaling $8,000 over 8 months. This investment focused on long-term organic visibility, competitive keyword growth, and consistent lead generation for high-value architectural projects.
By the end of the campaign period, organic search became a primary acquisition channel, delivering steady, qualified inquiries from property developers, homeowners, and commercial clients actively searching for architectural services.
ROI Breakdown:
• SEO Investment: $8,000 (8 months)
• Qualified Leads from Organic Traffic: ~160 inquiries
• Projects Closed from Organic Leads: 7
• Average Project Value: ~$3,000
• Revenue Attributed to SEO: ~$21,000
• Estimated ROI: ~2.6x
Key Insight: SEO proved to be a high-leverage growth channel for the firm, delivering compounding returns over time. Unlike paid ads, organic visibility continued to generate qualified leads even after the initial investment period, strengthening long-term market positioning and reducing acquisition costs.
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Note: Due to our company’s strict client data protection policy, we cannot disclose the client’s name, company name, website URL, or country. Thank you for your understanding.
