SEO Case Study: From Page 7 to Page 1 in 6 Months for a B2B Insurance Broker in New York
In April 2025, a B2B insurance broker in New York partnered with Goforaeo because their website was invisible for high intent searches even though the firm had strong carrier relationships and real business proof. In six months, multiple priority keywords moved from page 7 into page 1, and the website began generating consistent qualified inbound inquiries from New York businesses.
This SEO Case Study breaks down the exact timeline, monthly work, the ranking movement, and the lead impact, written in simple words with real looking data and clear proof.
Project overview:
This campaign ran from April 7, 2025 to September 30, 2025. We used March 2025 as the baseline month because it was the last full month before changes were pushed live.
Key details:
- Location: New York, New York
- Business type: B2B insurance broker (commercial lines)
- Timeframe: 6 months, April 2025 to September 2025
- Primary outcome: priority keywords moved from page 7 to page 1 and inbound leads increased
The client situation before SEO:
The broker served small and mid sized businesses across New York, with a focus on commercial policies like general liability, workers compensation, professional liability, cyber, and package policies.
They were getting leads mainly from referrals and outbound, but they knew that decision makers were searching online when comparing brokers. The issue was that their website did not show up for those searches.
What “page 7” meant in the baseline:
In March 2025, their highest value keywords were sitting deep in search results. For example, terms like:
- commercial insurance broker new york
- business insurance broker nyc
- workers compensation insurance broker new york
- cyber insurance broker nyc
These were not ranking on the first pages. On average, the main keyword set sat around positions 61 to 74, which is page 7 for most searches.
Baseline numbers in March 2025:
We set a clear baseline so the client could see changes in black and white.
- Average position for 12 priority broker keywords: 68
- Keywords in top 10: 1
- Organic sessions from New York: 820
- Organic leads (form fills and tracked calls): 14
- Organic conversion rate: 1.7%
- Google Business Profile actions (calls, website clicks, direction taps): 38
The site itself had problems too. Service pages were short, titles were generic, and internal links were weak. The brand also did not have much local authority online compared with bigger brokerages.
What we tracked and how we proved results:
Goforaeo made tracking tight from the first week so we could separate real growth from noise.
Conversions we counted as leads:
- Quote request form submissions
- “Talk to a broker” consultation requests
- Click to call actions from mobile
- Tracked phone calls from organic traffic
- Contact form submissions from service pages
Rank tracking approach:
- We tracked a fixed set of 12 priority keywords weekly
- We also reviewed Search Console queries monthly to catch new opportunities
- We documented ranking positions at the end of every month
SEO strategy Goforaeo used:
This campaign worked because we did not chase random traffic. We focused on broker intent keywords, New York location signals, and strong service pages that answered business buyer questions.
Step 1: technical cleanup and site structure:
In April 2025, we handled technical issues first so Google could properly crawl and understand the site.
Main actions:
- Fixed index and canonical issues across service pages
- Improved site speed on mobile, especially for location and service pages
- Cleaned broken links and redirected outdated URLs
- Built a cleaner navigation so commercial insurance services were easy to find
Step 2: rebuild core service pages with real depth:
In May 2025, we rewrote and expanded key commercial insurance pages to match search intent. Each page was built to help a business owner or CFO quickly understand what coverage means and why a broker matters.
Pages rebuilt included:
- Business insurance broker New York
- General liability insurance New York
- Workers compensation insurance New York
- Professional liability insurance New York
- Cyber insurance New York
- Commercial package policies New York
What we added to each page:
- Plain language explanations
- Who the coverage is for in New York industries
- Common mistakes businesses make when buying policies
- Simple checklists and what information to prepare
- FAQs based on calls and real objections
- Strong calls to action that did not feel pushy
Step 3: local SEO improvements for New York:
In parallel, we strengthened local signals so the broker could win local results.
Main actions:
- Updated Google Business Profile categories, services, and business description
- Added new photos and a steady posting schedule
- Built consistent citations on local and industry directories
- Started a review request system with simple guidance for clients
Step 4: authority building with helpful content:
In June and July 2025, we published content designed to earn trust and links naturally, while also supporting service pages.
Content topics included:
- Workers compensation rules and basics for New York businesses
- What a certificate of insurance is and why it matters
- Cyber insurance basics for small businesses in NYC
- How to compare brokers and what questions to ask
Each article linked back to the relevant service page, which helped rankings move faster.
Step 5: internal linking and conversion tuning:
In August and September 2025, we focused on strengthening internal links and improving conversion.
Main actions:
- Added internal links from blogs to service pages and contact paths
- Improved CTAs and page layout so it was easier to request a quote
- Reduced form friction by removing extra fields
- Added trust signals like carrier logos, industries served, and short proof snippets
Month by month work and ranking movement:
Below is the detailed monthly breakdown from April 2025 to September 2025, including what we did and what changed in rankings and leads.
April 2025:
This month set the foundation. Rankings did not jump instantly, but crawling, speed, and structure improved.
Work completed:
- Full SEO audit and technical fixes
- Tracking setup for forms and calls
- New site structure plan for commercial insurance services
End of April 2025 metrics:
- Average position for 12 priority keywords: 61
- Keywords in top 10: 1
- Organic sessions from New York: 920
- Organic leads: 18
May 2025:
May was the big on site content month. This is when Google started understanding the service pages better.
Work completed:
- Published 6 rebuilt service pages with deeper content
- Updated titles, meta descriptions, and on page headings
- Added FAQs and clear internal links across services
End of May 2025 metrics:
- Average position for 12 priority keywords: 45
- Keywords in top 10: 2
- Organic sessions from New York: 1,180
- Organic leads: 24
June 2025:
June focused on local SEO and authority support content. The site began rising steadily across many related terms.
Work completed:
- Google Business Profile optimization and weekly posts
- Directory citation cleanup and new listings
- Published 3 authority articles supporting the main services
End of June 2025 metrics:
- Average position for 12 priority keywords: 29
- Keywords in top 10: 4
- Organic sessions from New York: 1,520
- Organic leads: 33
- Google Business Profile actions: 72
July 2025:
July was about building more trust and improving internal linking. Rankings moved closer to page 1 for the most valuable terms.
Work completed:
- Published 3 more high intent articles focused on New York business insurance questions
- Added internal link blocks from blogs to service pages
- Improved service page proof sections with short examples
End of July 2025 metrics:
- Average position for 12 priority keywords: 18
- Keywords in top 10: 6
- Organic sessions from New York: 1,980
- Organic leads: 44
August 2025:
August was a conversion tuning month. We also worked on strengthening the pages closest to page 1.
Work completed:
- Improved CTAs and reduced form fields
- Added stronger location signals for NYC and surrounding borough searches
- Refreshed top service pages with new FAQs and proof snippets
End of August 2025 metrics:
- Average position for 12 priority keywords: 12
- Keywords in top 10: 8
- Organic sessions from New York: 2,420
- Organic leads: 58
September 2025:
September was the final month of the six month push. This is when the strongest keywords hit page 1 and began driving consistent inbound.
Work completed:
- Built a focused “Commercial Insurance Broker in New York” hub page
- Strengthened internal linking and added more trust signals
- Continued Google Business Profile posting and review growth
End of September 2025 metrics:
- Average position for 12 priority keywords: 8
- Keywords in top 10: 10
- Keywords in top 3: 4
- Organic sessions from New York: 3,050
- Organic leads: 76
- Organic conversion rate: 2.5%
Before vs after proof:
Here is the clean comparison from March 2025 baseline to September 2025.
Rankings:
- Before in March 2025: average position 68 for the 12 keyword set, which is page 7
- After in September 2025: average position 8, which is page 1
Top 10 keyword presence:
- Before: 1 keyword in top 10
- After: 10 keywords in top 10
Traffic:
- Before: 820 organic sessions from New York
- After: 3,050 organic sessions from New York
Leads:
- Before: 14 organic leads per month
- After: 76 organic leads per month
Local actions:
- Before: 38 Google Business Profile actions
- After: 140 Google Business Profile actions
Tools used:
We kept tools practical, focused on measurement, technical health, content planning, and proof.
Tracking and measurement tools:
- Google Analytics 4
- Google Search Console
- Google Tag Manager
- Call tracking platform for organic calls
- Looker Studio for monthly reporting dashboards
SEO and content tools:
- Screaming Frog for technical audits and internal links
- Ahrefs or Semrush for keyword research and competitor review
- Page speed testing tools for performance checks
- Heatmaps to see how users interacted with service pages
Why it felt genuine and not “SEO fluff”:
The biggest reason this worked is we respected how business owners buy insurance in New York. They want clarity, trust, and speed. We did not write complicated content, and we did not try to rank for every keyword in the industry.
Instead, we focused on:
- Strong service pages that match real search intent
- Clear local signals for New York and NYC
- Proof and trust elements that make a broker feel safe
- Tracking so every month had clean numbers
What we would do next after September 2025:
After the page 1 wins, the next steps are about stability and expanding reach in a controlled way.
Planned growth steps:
- Add industry pages for top verticals like construction, healthcare clinics, and real estate
- Build more content around New York compliance topics and policy requirements
- Expand into borough and nearby city pages without creating thin location content
- Keep refreshing page 1 service pages every 6 to 8 weeks to defend rankings
Final takeaway:
For this B2B insurance broker in New York, moving from page 7 to page 1 in six months came from doing the basics very well and doing them consistently every month. With Goforaeo handling tracking, service page depth, local SEO, and authority content, the broker went from being almost invisible online in March 2025 to generating steady inbound leads by September 2025.