SEO Case Study: How an Event Planner Increased Booking Inquiries by 230%
On May 6, 2025, a Nashville based event planner partnered with Goforaeo because their work was beautiful, but booking inquiries from Google were not steady. They were getting referrals and some brand searches, yet most high intent local searches were going to larger planning companies and venue preferred vendors with stronger online proof.
This case study shares the timeline, monthly work, and the real numbers behind a 230% increase in booking inquiries from SEO, driven mainly by portfolio pages that show real events and local SEO that helped the business show up more often across Nashville.
Location and campaign dates: What this project covered
This campaign focused on local visibility in Nashville and nearby areas, while rebuilding the website so every service had clear proof and a clear path to inquire.
- Location: Nashville, Tennessee, serving nearby areas like Franklin, Brentwood, Hendersonville, and Murfreesboro
- Campaign dates: May 6, 2025 to November 21, 2025
- Timeframe: A little over 6 months, with monthly reporting from GA4, Google Search Console, call tracking, and inquiry tracking inside the client CRM
- Main result: Booking inquiries from organic search and local actions increased by 230%
Company background and what was holding growth back
The client is a full service event planning company that supports weddings, corporate events, and private celebrations. They had strong reviews from past clients and a solid vendor network, but their website was not showing that story clearly. In event planning, trust is everything. People want to see real work before they fill out a form.
The business had content on the site, but it was not organized around how people search in Nashville. There were a few blog posts and a general services page, yet very few pages that showed real events, real venues, and real outcomes.
What the website looked like before we started
Before the campaign, the site had three big issues:
- The portfolio was thin: a single gallery page with mixed photos and little context
- No dedicated pages for event types: weddings, corporate, parties were all bundled together
- No pages tied to Nashville venues or neighborhoods, even though those were common searches
This created a visibility issue and a conversion issue at the same time. Google had fewer reasons to rank the site for specific searches, and users had fewer reasons to trust the planner quickly.
What was missing in local SEO
Local SEO signals were also incomplete, which matters a lot for a service business in one city.
We found issues like:
- Google Business Profile had basic info, but services and photos were not used consistently
- Business details were not fully consistent across listings
- Reviews were good, but the review flow was not consistent month to month
- No strong local mentions from venues, photographers, caterers, or event blogs
Why inquiries were not converting as well on mobile
A large portion of event planning searches happen on phones. On mobile, the inquiry flow had friction.
Common problems:
- The form was long and asked too much too soon
- The phone number was not easy to tap
- There was not enough proof near the form, like short case studies and reviews
- Some pages loaded slowly because images were heavy
Who the SEO work was for: The real searchers we planned around
Most booking inquiries came from three main audience groups. Each group searched differently, so the website needed pages that matched the exact intent.
Couples planning weddings in Nashville
They searched with words like:
- “wedding planner Nashville”
- “full service wedding planning Nashville”
- “Nashville wedding planner pricing”
- “planner for [venue name] wedding”
They needed portfolio proof, venue familiarity, clear packages, and a low stress way to inquire.
Corporate and brand event teams
They searched with words like:
- “corporate event planner Nashville”
- “product launch event planning Nashville”
- “company holiday party planner”
They needed process clarity, logistics confidence, and proof that the planner could handle timelines and vendors.
People planning private celebrations
They searched with words like:
- “birthday party planner Nashville”
- “baby shower planner Nashville”
- “private dinner event planner”
They needed quick inspiration, budget comfort, and simple next steps.
Tracking setup and baseline numbers: How we made results provable
Before building new portfolio pages, we fixed measurement so results could be trusted. For a service business, tracking must connect traffic to inquiries and not just to page views.
We set up clear tracking for inquiry starts and inquiry submits, plus call tracking and Google Business Profile actions. We also added light CRM tagging so the client could mark inquiries as qualified, not qualified, and booked.
What we tracked
- Booking inquiries: contact form submissions, quote requests, and scheduler requests
- Calls: tracked from website click to call and Google Business Profile call actions
- Google Business Profile actions: calls, website clicks, and direction requests
- Search visibility: clicks, impressions, and query trends in Google Search Console
- Lead quality: qualified inquiry notes in the CRM
Baseline period
Baseline period was April 1, 2025 to April 30, 2025.
Baseline results:
- Organic sessions: 2,940
- Booking inquiries from organic and local actions: 30
- Inquiry conversion rate from organic traffic: about 1.02%
- Google Business Profile actions:
- Calls: 41
- Website clicks: 58
- Direction requests: 22
- Calls: 41
The biggest positive sign was this: when someone saw enough proof, they usually inquired. The problem was that most visitors were not seeing enough proof on the pages they landed on.
Strategy overview: Why this SEO approach worked
We did not try to rank the business for every broad event keyword. We focused on Nashville intent searches where people were close to hiring, then built portfolio pages that made it easy to trust the planner.
The plan had five parts and we followed them in order so each month had clear output and clean measurement.
- Fix technical issues and page speed: so the site was fast and easy to crawl
- Rebuild the portfolio into real pages: so each event type and style had a dedicated page
- Build local relevance in Nashville: so Google had more confidence to rank the planner locally
- Increase trust signals: so visitors felt comfortable submitting an inquiry
- Remove inquiry friction: so mobile visitors could contact the team easily
Phase 1: Technical and site foundation fixes
In May 2025, we started with a crawl, index review, and performance check. Portfolio photos are important, but heavy images can slow the site and reduce conversions.
We fixed foundation issues first so the new portfolio pages could rank and convert.
What changed on the foundation:
- Compressed images and improved lazy loading for galleries
- Cleaned duplicate metadata and improved page titles across key pages
- Fixed broken internal links and improved navigation clarity
- Ensured key pages were indexable and removed thin pages from indexing where needed
- Improved mobile performance on pages that drove inquiries
Phase 2: Keyword mapping and a portfolio page plan built from real intent
In late May and early June 2025, we mapped keywords to page types. For event planning, a service page alone is not enough. Searchers want to see proof that matches their event style and their city.
We grouped keywords into clusters like:
- Wedding planning in Nashville
- Corporate event planning Nashville
- Party planning Nashville
- Venue related intent: planner for specific venues and areas
- Style and service intent: full service planning, month of coordination, design and styling
How we chose what to build first:
- We prioritized event types that were highest value and most searched: weddings and corporate
- We prioritized venue and style searches that were already showing impressions in Search Console
- We built pages that could naturally lead to inquiries, not just browsing
Phase 3: Portfolio pages that lead to inquiries, not just likes
From June to October 2025, we published and expanded portfolio pages every month. These were not just photo galleries. Each page was built like a simple case story, with a clear format that people could scan quickly.
Each portfolio page included:
- Event type and location in Nashville
- A short story: what the client wanted and how the planner delivered
- A small list of planning services included
- Highlights: timeline management, vendor coordination, design details
- Photo blocks with captions that explained decisions
- A simple call to action to inquire
We also created “collection” pages that grouped similar work, like:
- Outdoor weddings
- Rooftop receptions
- Modern corporate events
- Intimate dinners and private parties
These pages helped SEO because they gave Google clear topical depth. They helped conversion because visitors could quickly find a style that matched their taste.
Phase 4: Local SEO improvements for Nashville
Local SEO made the business easier to find for Nashville searches and map results. We strengthened local signals in a consistent way.
Local SEO actions included:
- Google Business Profile improvements: services, descriptions, photos, and regular posts
- NAP consistency cleanup across major directories
- Citation building in strong local and niche directories
- Review system: consistent review requests and more detailed replies
- Local mentions: outreach to venues and vendor partners for portfolio features and credits
We also made sure the website clearly showed Nashville relevance without overdoing it. Local SEO works best when it is simple and honest.
Phase 5: Conversion improvements in the inquiry path
In August 2025, traffic was improving, but inquiry growth was not rising at the same speed. That usually points to friction on the page.
We reviewed the inquiry experience on mobile and improved the flow.
Small changes that had a big effect:
- Reduced form fields and simplified the first contact step
- Added click to call buttons and a clear “availability check” CTA
- Added proof near the form: review snippets and portfolio links
- Improved page speed on top landing pages
- Added internal links from high engagement portfolio pages to the inquiry page
Monthly execution and performance data
Below is the month by month view from May 2025 to November 2025. Each month includes what we shipped and the outcomes from organic search and local actions. All numbers are organic and local intent focused, tracked in GA4, Google Business Profile insights, call tracking, and CRM inquiry logs.
May 2025: Fix tracking and remove technical blockers
May was foundation work so future growth could be measured correctly and portfolio pages could load fast.
May results:
- Organic sessions: 3,120
- Booking inquiries: 34
Work shipped:
- Tracking cleanup for inquiry submit and click to call
- Image compression and gallery speed fixes
- Crawl cleanup, duplicate metadata fixes started
- Navigation improvements so portfolio content was easier to find
June 2025: Build the first portfolio structure and core service pages
June was about creating real page structure, not a single gallery.
June results:
- Organic sessions: 3,740
- Booking inquiries: 41
Work shipped:
- Wedding planning page rebuilt with clearer sections and CTAs
- Corporate events page created with process and proof
- First portfolio case pages published: 6
- Google Business Profile services updated and photo refresh started
July 2025: Expand venue and event type portfolio pages
This month we leaned into “show me you can do my kind of event” intent.
July results:
- Organic sessions: 4,520
- Booking inquiries: 52
Work shipped:
- Portfolio case pages published: 8
- Created portfolio collection pages for weddings and corporate events
- Added internal linking from service pages to matching portfolio pages
- Posted 4 Google Business Profile updates tied to real events
August 2025: Improve inquiry conversion rate and strengthen local signals
August focused on turning more visitors into inquiries.
August results:
- Organic sessions: 5,680
- Booking inquiries: 67
Work shipped:
- Inquiry form simplified and mobile flow improved
- Added trust blocks near CTAs: reviews, awards, vendor logos where relevant
- Built and corrected 25 citations
- Review request system started consistently after events and consult calls
September 2025: Refresh near win pages and target long tail Nashville intent
September focused on searches that showed clear hiring intent.
September results:
- Organic sessions: 6,920
- Booking inquiries: 78
Work shipped:
- Updated pages ranking positions 5 to 15 with clearer sections and stronger proof
- Built long tail pages for specific planning needs: design, coordination, timelines
- Rewrote titles and meta descriptions for pages with high impressions but low clicks
- Added FAQs based on real inquiry questions and Search Console queries
October 2025: Authority building and portfolio proof at scale
October was about credibility. In event planning, authority often comes from venues and vendor partnerships.
October results:
- Organic sessions: 7,960
- Booking inquiries: 92
Work shipped:
- Portfolio case pages published: 10
- Outreach to venues and vendors for backlinks and portfolio features
- Google Business Profile photo updates continued, plus 5 posts
- Added stronger internal links so top portfolio pages supported core service pages
November 2025: Strongest month and clean before vs after proof
By November, the site had enough depth that Google began ranking the planner across multiple intent types. Portfolio pages brought trust, service pages captured high intent, and local SEO supported map visibility.
November results:
- Organic sessions: 8,740
- Booking inquiries: 99
Work shipped:
- Final content refresh based on Search Console query growth
- Internal linking reinforcement across portfolio collections
- Additional local mentions from vendor partners
- Review replies improved with more detail and clearer service descriptions
Before vs after proof: Booking inquiries increased by 230%
Baseline month was April 2025, and booking inquiries from organic and local actions were 30. The comparison period was November 1, 2025 to November 21, 2025, and booking inquiries were 99.
That change from 30 to 99 is a 230% increase in booking inquiries, measured through GA4 conversions, call tracking, Google Business Profile actions, and confirmed inquiry logs in the CRM.
Supporting growth proof:
- Organic sessions increased from 2,940 in April to 8,740 in November
- Google Business Profile calls increased from 41 in April to 96 in November
- Google Business Profile website clicks increased from 58 in April to 142 in November
What drove the growth: The real reasons, not vague advice
The biggest driver was building portfolio pages that matched real intent. People do not just want an event planner, they want proof that the planner can handle their type of event, their style, and their city. The portfolio pages did that job in a clean and scannable way.
The second driver was local SEO consistency. Nashville is competitive, and map visibility matters. Once listings were consistent, Google Business Profile was active, reviews became steady, and local mentions grew, local visibility improved.
The third driver was conversion work. The business already had strong work, but the website was not making it easy to inquire on mobile. Once we simplified the form, improved CTAs, and placed proof near the inquiry point, bookings accelerated.
Tools used by Goforaeo in this campaign
We kept the tool stack practical and used it to guide monthly decisions and reporting.
- GA4: organic sessions, inquiry conversion events, user paths
- Google Search Console: impressions, clicks, CTR changes, query insights
- Google Business Profile: calls, website clicks, direction requests, posts
- Call tracking software: attribution and lead quality notes
- Screaming Frog: technical audits, metadata issues, internal linking checks
- PageSpeed Insights and Lighthouse: performance checks and mobile fixes
- Ahrefs and Semrush: keyword research, competitor gaps, link opportunities
- BrightLocal: citation monitoring and local rank tracking
- Looker Studio: monthly reporting dashboards
- Microsoft Clarity: behavior review on portfolio pages and inquiry flow
What other event planners can take from this
This case study works as a simple model for local service businesses that sell trust.
- Fix measurement first so results are clean
- Turn your portfolio into real pages with stories, not one mixed gallery
- Build pages around event types, styles, and high intent local searches
- Keep Google Business Profile active with photos and real updates
- Build reviews consistently and reply with detail
- Reduce inquiry friction on mobile and place proof near the form
- Use internal linking so portfolio pages support service pages
Closing summary: Where the business stood on November 21, 2025
By November 21, 2025, the Nashville event planner increased booking inquiries from 30 to 99, which is a 230% jump. Organic sessions almost tripled, Google Business Profile actions grew, and the website became much clearer for both Google and real people.
The results came from steady monthly work, strong portfolio pages built around real intent, consistent local SEO across Nashville, better trust signals, and a smoother inquiry experience.