Construction Industry Growth

Client Profile

A prominent Canadian provider of pre-engineered steel and metal building kits aimed to elevate its online presence to capture leads across Canada and expand into the U.S. market. Launched in late 2019, the company’s website sought to drive inquiries for steel building solutions but struggled with low visibility and poor user engagement.

Challenges

When Apex Ranker began working with the client in August 2021, their digital performance was lackluster:

• Monthly organic traffic was limited to ~2.2K visits, primarily from Canada.

• Only ~35 keywords ranked in Google’s top 3 positions, with a total of ~850 keywords ranked overall.

• The website had a low domain authority (DR ~27) with just ~250 referring domains, indicating weak off-page SEO.

• An outdated website design resulted in slow load times, poor mobile responsiveness, and high bounce rates, hindering conversions.

• The client had virtually no visibility in U.S. search results, despite ambitions to expand into this key market.

 The business faced:

• Low Traffic and Keyword Performance: Minimal organic sessions and rankings dominated by low-intent keywords, leading to poor lead generation.

• Outdated Website: A non-mobile-friendly site with sluggish performance, deterring user engagement.

• Weak Search Authority: Limited backlinks and unoptimized content made it difficult to rank for competitive terms.

• No U.S. Presence: Zero traction in U.S. search markets, missing a significant growth opportunity.

Apex Ranker’s Multi-Phase Strategy

Apex Ranker designed a multi-faceted digital strategy, executed in phases, to overhaul the client’s online presence. The approach combined targeted link building, comprehensive SEO, a full website redesign, and strategic PPC campaigns to drive traffic and conversions.

Phase 1: Building Authority Through Link Acquisition

Starting in November 2021, Apex Ranker focused on boosting the client’s domain authority through high-quality link building. Our team identified authoritative websites in the construction and steel building sectors, including trade journals and industry blogs, and secured backlinks through strategic outreach.

Key Actions:

• Curated a list of high-authority domains relevant to the niche.

• Contributed guest articles highlighting the benefits of steel buildings, earning do-follow links from trusted sources.

• Prioritized quality over quantity, ensuring links came from sites with strong traffic and relevance.

Early Impact: Within three months, the client’s keyword rankings surged from ~850 to 2.9K total keywords, with top-3 rankings increasing from 35 to 65. Despite a temporary traffic dip from a May 2022 Google Core Update, the strengthened authority ensured a swift recovery.

Phase 2: Comprehensive SEO Optimization

In Q2 2022, Apex Ranker transitioned to a fully managed SEO campaign, addressing on-page, technical, and content challenges to enhance traffic quality and volume.

On-Page SEO

Apex Ranker revamped the website’s on-page elements to align with high-intent search queries:

• Optimized meta titles, descriptions, and headings for key product and informational pages.

• Enhanced product pages with detailed descriptions (e.g., dimensions, certifications) to meet buyer needs.

• Improved internal linking to guide users from informational content to product pages, boosting engagement and crawlability.

Technical SEO

A detailed audit uncovered critical issues impacting performance:

• Poor Core Web Vitals, slow load times, and lack of mobile responsiveness.

• Apex Ranker implemented fixes, including image compression, code minification, browser caching, and a responsive design framework.

• Added structured data (e.g., product schema) to enhance search snippets and improve click-through rates.

These changes reduced load times, improved mobile usability, and lowered bounce rates, making the site more search-engine-friendly.

Content Strategy

Apex Ranker expanded the site’s content to target a broader range of keywords and user intents:

• Conducted keyword research to identify high-value topics.

• Created new pages for specific products (e.g., “Prefab Garage Kits”) and use cases (e.g., “Steel Purlins Guide”).

• Developed location-specific pages (e.g., “Steel Buildings in Alberta”) to capture local searches.

• Published regular blogs, technical guides, and case studies to position the client as an industry leader.

This content strategy addressed both informational queries (e.g., “benefits of steel buildings”) and commercial terms, driving traffic across the buyer journey.

Phase 3: Conversion-Driven Website Redesign

By mid-2023, Apex Ranker redesigned the website to maximize conversions while maintaining SEO gains:

• Mobile-First Design: Rebuilt the site for full mobile responsiveness, with streamlined navigation and touch-friendly elements.

BEFORE:

AFTER

• Performance Optimization: Used lightweight design elements and optimized images to ensure fast load times on all devices.

• Clear CTAs: Added prominent “Get a Quote” and “Buy Now” buttons above the fold and throughout the user journey.

• Enhanced Product Showcase: Introduced an online catalog (/store/) for easy browsing of steel building kits, complete with specs and pricing.

• Localized Content: Created region-specific pages to target local audiences, such as Alberta-based customers.

Trust signals like testimonials, project galleries, and certifications were integrated to build credibility, transforming the site into a conversion-focused platform.

Phase 4: PPC Campaigns for Rapid Results

In 2024, Apex Ranker launched targeted PPC campaigns to complement organic growth:

• Focused on high-intent keywords (e.g., “buy steel building kit,” “steel garage kit price”) and geolocation terms (e.g., “steel buildings Alberta”).

• Directed traffic to optimized landing pages, including the online store and quote request forms.

• Implemented analytics to track conversions (purchases, form submissions, calls) and refine campaign performance.

These campaigns delivered immediate leads and sales, leveraging the SEO foundation for efficient ad spend and high Quality Scores.

Key Results

From August 2021 to March 2025, Apex Ranker’s strategy transformed the client’s digital presence, delivering:

• Organic Traffic Surge: Monthly visits grew from ~1.2K to ~12.2K, with traffic valued at ~$9.7K/month (up from $3.4K).

• Keyword Dominance: Total keywords ranked increased to 4.4K, with 233 in top 3 positions (up from 35) and 478 in positions 4–10, securing over 700 page-one rankings.

• Backlink Growth: Referring domains rose from ~250 to 2,300+, with ~11.3K total backlinks, boosting Domain Rating from 27 to 56.

• U.S. Market Expansion: U.S. traffic grew to ~5.1K visits/month (69% of total), up 260% from baseline, surpassing Canada (~2.3K visits).

• Top Conversion Pages:

  • Online Store (/store/): Drives direct sales through an e-commerce catalog.

  • Steel Purlins Guide: Ranks for technical queries, funneling readers to quote forms.

  • Steel Garage Kits Page: High-ranking product page generating consistent quote requests.

  • Quonset Huts Guide: Evergreen content capturing early-stage prospects.

  • Alberta Location Page: Top lead generator for local searches, ranking #1 for terms like “Alberta steel building.”

Conclusion

Apex Ranker’s holistic approach—blending link building, SEO, content strategy, website redesign, and PPC—turned a struggling website into a lead-generating powerhouse. The client now ranks prominently for competitive keywords, attracts high-quality traffic, and converts visitors into inquiries and sales across Canada and the U.S. This case study showcases Apex Ranker’s ability to deliver measurable results in a competitive niche. Ready to transform your online presence? Contact Apex Ranker to drive sustainable growth for your business.