SEO Case Study: 2.7X Inbound Leads in 8 Months for a B2B Product Design Agency in San Francisco
In February 2025, a San Francisco based B2B product design agency partnered with Goforaeo because their work quality was strong, but inbound leads were not steady. Referrals came in waves, paid ads were expensive, and Google was not bringing enough decision ready companies.
This SEO Case Study explains what we changed month by month, how we improved rankings and conversions, and how inbound leads grew to 2.7X by the end of the 8 month window.
Project snapshot: dates, timeframe, location
The work was planned in weekly sprints so every month had a clear output, not just “ongoing SEO.”
Location: San Francisco, California
Timeframe: February 5, 2025 to September 30, 2025
Industry: B2B product design, industrial design, UX UI, prototyping
Primary outcome: inbound leads increased by 2.7X within the timeframe
About the agency: what they do and who hires them
This agency helps B2B companies design and ship products. Their services include product strategy, industrial design, UX UI, prototyping, design for manufacturing support, and design systems.
Their best clients were funded startups and mid market teams that needed a design partner who could move fast and work with engineers.
Why SEO worked well for this offer
Most buyers search before they reach out. They compare portfolios, check process, and look for proof that an agency can handle complexity.
If the agency does not show up for searches like “B2B product design agency San Francisco” or “industrial design firm for startups,” they miss buyers who are already in vendor selection mode.
Starting point: what was happening before February 2025
Before February 5, 2025, the website looked good visually, but it was not built to capture search demand. Many pages were portfolio heavy and keyword light, and the service pages were too short.
The agency also had a contact form, but it did not guide visitors well. People landed, browsed a bit, and left without taking action.
Baseline metrics: February 2025
We cleaned tracking first so we could trust the numbers. Then we recorded the baseline.
Inbound leads (all channels): 18
Inbound leads from organic search: 7
Discovery calls booked from inbound: 6
Organic sessions: 1,920
Top 10 keyword rankings: 9
Average time on service pages: 52 seconds
Homepage to contact page click rate: 1.1%
The main problems we found
- Service pages were thin and did not match how buyers search
- Portfolio pages were not searchable, and case studies had weak structure
- Internal linking was inconsistent, so Google did not see clear priority pages
- Titles and meta descriptions were generic, lowering click through rate
- The site did not show enough “how we work” proof for B2B decision makers
- The lead capture flow was not friendly, especially on mobile
What we focused on instead: a simple direction
We did not chase random traffic. We focused on qualified traffic and better conversion.
The direction was based on three simple ideas:
- Build pages for high intent services and industries
- Turn case studies into search friendly proof pages
- Make it easier and safer for visitors to contact the agency
Strategy overview: the system we used and why it made sense
We used a practical approach that works well for service businesses that sell high value projects.
Foundation first: fix the site so Google can read it cleanly
If crawling and indexing are messy, content takes longer to rank. We removed friction early.
Demand capture next: create pages that match buying intent
We built and upgraded service pages around what buyers actually type into Google.
Proof and trust: strengthen case studies and process content
Design agencies win on credibility. We improved proof content so visitors trust faster.
Conversion: improve the lead path from landing page to inquiry
Small changes in CTAs, forms, and page flow made a big difference over time.
Month by month results and work completed
Below is the full 8 month timeline with metrics and the main work shipped each month. Numbers are shown as totals per month to keep reporting clear.
Month 1: February 2025 (February 5 to February 28)
We started by building measurement you can trust, then mapped demand and fixed obvious technical issues.
Work completed in February:
- GA4 conversions set up: contact form submit, calendar booking click, email click, phone click
- Google Search Console cleanup: indexing checks, sitemap update, coverage issues review
- Full site audit: duplicate titles, missing metas, broken internal links, thin pages
- Keyword research focused on high intent: product design agency, industrial design, UX UI, prototype design, design partner
- Competitor review for San Francisco and Bay Area agencies: page structure, content depth, backlink patterns
February results:
- Inbound leads: 18
- Organic inbound leads: 7
- Discovery calls booked: 6
- Organic sessions: 1,920
- Top 10 keyword rankings: 9
Month 2: March 2025 (March 1 to March 31)
March was about structure. We made the website easier to understand for both Google and buyers.
Work completed in March:
- Rebuilt service page layout with clear sections: outcomes, process, deliverables, timeline, FAQs
- Improved titles and meta descriptions for the top 12 pages to boost click through rate
- Created internal linking plan: homepage to core services, services to case studies, case studies to contact
- Added “Industries we design for” block with real categories the agency served
- Fixed mobile issues on contact page: spacing, CTA visibility, form usability
March results:
- Inbound leads: 21
- Organic inbound leads: 9
- Discovery calls booked: 7
- Organic sessions: 2,140
- Top 10 keyword rankings: 12
Month 3: April 2025 (April 1 to April 30)
April focused on building pages that capture demand, not just showing a portfolio.
Work completed in April:
- Published 2 upgraded core service pages:
- B2B product design and strategy
- Industrial design and prototyping
- B2B product design and strategy
- Added clear “What you get” deliverables lists and example outputs
- Added FAQ sections based on real buyer questions: cost range, timeline, NDAs, process steps
- Built a lightweight “Process” page that explains how projects run from discovery to handoff
- Improved image alt text and page copy so portfolio work supports search, not only visuals
April results:
- Inbound leads: 26
- Organic inbound leads: 12
- Discovery calls booked: 9
- Organic sessions: 2,520
- Top 10 keyword rankings: 16
Month 4: May 2025 (May 1 to May 31)
May was the proof month. We improved case studies so they act like sales pages, not just galleries.
Work completed in May:
- Rewrote 3 top case studies with a consistent structure:
- problem
- constraints
- process
- solution
- measurable impact
- problem
- Added clear role and scope details, so B2B buyers know what the agency actually did
- Added CTAs inside case studies: “Talk to our team” and “See similar work”
- Created 2 industry focused pages based on client history:
- SaaS product design partner
- Hardware and IoT product design
- SaaS product design partner
- Started basic outreach for relevant backlinks from design and startup resources
May results:
- Inbound leads: 30
- Organic inbound leads: 15
- Discovery calls booked: 11
- Organic sessions: 2,980
- Top 10 keyword rankings: 21
Month 5: June 2025 (June 1 to June 30)
June was about local relevance and higher intent queries. We also improved conversion on the pages that were already getting traffic.
Work completed in June:
- Built a location focused page written naturally:
- Product design agency in San Francisco
- Product design agency in San Francisco
- Improved Google Business Profile details and service listings
- Added local proof points: SF based team, Bay Area client examples, meeting options
- Updated internal linking so the location page supports service pages and vice versa
- Conversion improvements:
- shorter contact form
- clearer CTA text
- added “response time” note near form
- added a simple qualifying question to reduce low fit inquiries
- shorter contact form
June results:
- Inbound leads: 35
- Organic inbound leads: 19
- Discovery calls booked: 14
- Organic sessions: 3,430
- Top 10 keyword rankings: 27
Month 6: July 2025 (July 1 to July 31)
July focused on expanding topic coverage without publishing fluff. We used Search Console data to decide what to write and what to improve.
Work completed in July:
- Search Console query mining: found high impression queries where the agency was ranking around positions 11 to 20
- Updated page intros and headings to match those queries more closely
- Published 2 supporting content pieces that feed service pages:
- product design timeline for B2B teams
- prototype to manufacturing handoff checklist
- product design timeline for B2B teams
- Added internal links from these guides to service pages and contact page
- Improved page speed basics: compressed heavy images, reduced script load on key pages
July results:
- Inbound leads: 39
- Organic inbound leads: 23
- Discovery calls booked: 16
- Organic sessions: 3,860
- Top 10 keyword rankings: 33
Month 7: August 2025 (August 1 to August 31)
August was an authority month. We strengthened trust and earned more relevant mentions, which helped rankings stick.
Work completed in August:
- Built a comparison style page that captured real searches:
- product design agency vs in house design team
- product design agency vs in house design team
- Added a “security and NDA friendly process” section for enterprise style buyers
- Continued outreach: startup communities, local tech directories, design roundups
- Improved portfolio category pages with text summaries and clear project tags
- Conversion upgrades:
- added a second option for visitors not ready to book a call: “Request a portfolio pack”
- added a short “What happens next” section on contact page
- added a second option for visitors not ready to book a call: “Request a portfolio pack”
August results:
- Inbound leads: 43
- Organic inbound leads: 26
- Discovery calls booked: 18
- Organic sessions: 4,220
- Top 10 keyword rankings: 39
Month 8: September 2025 (September 1 to September 30)
September was the month the system matured. We improved what was close to winning, and the lead numbers showed it.
Work completed in September:
- Refreshed top landing pages using GSC data: better titles, clearer first paragraphs, improved FAQs
- Added 2 more case studies using the same proof structure from May
- Strengthened internal links to the highest converting pages
- Improved CTA placement on mobile across key pages
- Created a simple “Engagement models” section:
- fixed scope project
- monthly design support
- sprint based delivery
- fixed scope project
September results:
- Inbound leads: 49
- Organic inbound leads: 30
- Discovery calls booked: 21
- Organic sessions: 4,780
- Top 10 keyword rankings: 46
Before vs after proof: what changed in 8 months
Here is the clean comparison between the starting month and the final month.
Inbound leads:
- February 2025: 18
- September 2025: 49
- Increase: 2.7X inbound leads
Organic inbound leads:
- February 2025: 7
- September 2025: 30
- Increase: over 4X from organic search
Discovery calls booked:
- February 2025: 6
- September 2025: 21
- Increase: 3.5X booked calls
Visibility:
- Top 10 keyword rankings:
- February 2025: 9
- September 2025: 46
- February 2025: 9
Traffic quality signals:
- Average time on service pages improved from 52 seconds to 1 minute 38 seconds
- Homepage to contact page click rate improved from 1.1% to 2.9%
Why this worked: the simple explanation
The agency already had great work. The website just did not explain it in a way that search engines and B2B buyers could quickly understand.
Once we built pages around real intent, improved internal linking, and made case studies easier to trust, rankings grew. When we cleaned the contact flow and added clear CTAs, the new traffic turned into inquiries.
The biggest wins that made the difference
- Service pages that answer buyer questions in plain words
- Case studies written like proof, not like a gallery
- Strong internal linking that shows Google what matters most
- Local relevance added naturally for San Francisco searches
- Easier lead capture on mobile and clearer “what happens next”
What we did on content: details that felt real to buyers
Design buyers care about process, risk, and outcomes. We improved content to match that.
Changes we made across core pages:
- Added real deliverables lists: wireframes, prototypes, UI kits, CAD support, handoff docs
- Added timeline examples: discovery week, concept sprint, prototyping phase, refinement
- Added collaboration details: tools used with clients, meeting rhythm, handoff approach
- Added fit filters: who the agency is best for, and who they are not best for
Tools used: what Goforaeo relied on during the project
We used a practical tool stack that helped us measure, research, and improve conversion.
SEO and tracking tools:
- Google Analytics 4: inbound tracking, landing page performance, conversion paths
- Google Search Console: queries, indexing, CTR, page level wins and losses
- Ahrefs: keyword research, competitor gaps, backlink opportunities
- Screaming Frog: crawl audits, internal linking checks, duplicate issues
- Looker Studio: monthly reporting dashboard
Conversion and UX tools:
- Hotjar: scroll depth, click behavior, form friction insights
- PageSpeed Insights: speed checks and mobile improvements
Workflow tools:
- Google Docs: content briefs, outlines, approvals
- Trello or Asana style board: sprint planning, task tracking, deadlines
- Calendly: booking flow tracking and CTA testing
What other B2B agencies can learn from this
If your agency depends too much on referrals, SEO can create a more stable pipeline. But it works best when you combine rankings with proof and conversion improvements.
Steps that mattered most here:
- Build 2 to 4 strong service pages first, not 20 weak blogs
- Turn case studies into structured proof with outcomes and scope
- Add internal links like a map: service to proof to contact
- Improve the contact flow, especially on mobile
- Use Search Console every month to guide updates based on real queries
Closing note
This San Francisco B2B product design agency partnered with Goforaeo in February 2025 to make organic leads more consistent and less dependent on luck. Over 8 months, the website became clearer, more searchable, and more persuasive, and inbound leads grew to 2.7X by September 2025.