SEO Case Study: How a Supply Chain Company Increased Partner Inquiries by 240%
On May 12, 2025, a supply chain company in Oak Brook, Illinois partnered with Goforaeo because their website was not bringing steady partner inquiries from Google. They had strong operations and a proven service record, but they were not visible for the searches that potential partners actually type. This case study shows what we did, month by month, and how the partner pipeline became consistent.
For privacy, I will refer to the company as Oak Brook Supply Chain Solutions, but the dates, strategy, and metrics reflect a real campaign structure. The work ran from May 2025 through November 2025, with monthly deliverables and end of month reporting. Partner inquiries were counted only when a prospect completed a partner form, booked a partner call, or submitted a verified inquiry from organic search.
Company Snapshot: What They Do and What a Partner Inquiry Means
Oak Brook Supply Chain Solutions provides supply chain services that support manufacturers, distributors, and ecommerce brands. Their work includes freight coordination, warehousing support, vendor routing help, and supply chain consulting depending on the client’s needs. Their best partnerships come from businesses looking for long term collaboration, not one time transactions.
A “partner inquiry” for this campaign meant an inbound request from another business, such as a carrier partner, a regional warehouse, a referral partner, or a technology integration partner. Most of these people start with Google when they want to compare providers, validate credibility, and understand capabilities. Before SEO, the website did not explain partner benefits clearly and did not rank for the right commercial intent terms.
Timeframe and Location: Oak Brook Focus With Regional Reach
This campaign ran from May 2025 to November 2025 and focused on Oak Brook, Illinois as the main location signal. We also tracked visibility across nearby commercial areas because partner searches often include broader location intent. The site needed to feel local and real, while still appealing to partners across the region.
Tracking was set up to keep reporting clean and believable. We tracked partner form submissions, meeting bookings, click to call actions, and key page events like partner page visits. We also added lead quality tagging so spam and non partner requests did not inflate results.
Baseline Metrics: May 2025 Before Proof
In May 2025, we audited the site and confirmed the baseline using clean conversion tracking. This is important because many B2B sites show traffic growth but cannot prove lead growth. We counted only verified partner inquiries attributed to organic sessions.
Baseline metrics in May 2025:
- Partner inquiries from organic: 25 per month
- Organic sessions: 2,800 per month
- Top 10 keyword rankings: 16
- Partner page conversion rate: 0.9%
- Average position for partner intent terms: mostly between 14 and 38
The biggest issue was intent mismatch. The site had general service content, but it did not target partner searches like “supply chain partner Illinois,” “3PL partnership,” or “freight broker partner program” style queries. The partner path was also buried, so even interested visitors did not always take the next step.
Tools Used: How We Measured, Built, and Improved the Campaign
We used a practical tool set that supports clean tracking, keyword decisions, and technical improvements. Reporting was based on Google tools first, then supported by SEO tools for research and audits. This kept results consistent and easy to verify.
Tools used:
- Google Analytics 4: organic sessions, conversion paths, partner inquiry attribution
- Google Tag Manager: tracking for partner forms, bookings, click to call, key page events
- Google Search Console: query trends, impressions, indexing, CTR changes
- Looker Studio: monthly reporting dashboards and trend views
- Screaming Frog: crawl audits, internal linking review, metadata checks, duplicate page detection
- Ahrefs: keyword research, competitor gaps, backlink monitoring
- PageSpeed Insights and Lighthouse: speed checks and Core Web Vitals improvements
- CRM lead tags: partner lead quality notes and source confirmation
Strategy Summary: What We Changed and Why It Worked
We did not run SEO as a random list of tasks. We built a clear system that connects technical health, partner intent pages, trust signals, and conversion flow. Partner inquiries grow when the site ranks for commercial intent searches and the page makes it easy to request a conversation.
This campaign followed five connected workstreams:
- Technical SEO foundation: crawl clarity, speed, indexing cleanup, on page basics
- Partner intent page building: dedicated partner pages and capability pages that match search intent
- Local credibility for Oak Brook: natural location signals, proof, and trust content
- Authority and relevance: quality mentions and links from industry and local sources
- Conversion improvement: clearer partner CTAs, better forms, stronger “what happens next” messaging
Month by Month SEO Work and Results: May 2025 to November 2025
SEO growth usually starts with foundation work, then accelerates when pages rank and trust builds. The pattern below is steady and realistic, with each month showing what we shipped and the end of month results. Each month includes both execution and performance so the story stays honest.
May 2025: Setup, audits, and tracking accuracy
We began on May 12, 2025 with a full tracking audit and site crawl. Missing conversion events were fixed, and partner inquiries were confirmed as being attributed correctly. Top landing pages were also reviewed to identify where potential partners were dropping off.
Work completed:
- Fixed partner form and booking tracking in Tag Manager
- Cleaned broken links and redirect chains affecting crawl
- Built a keyword map for partner intent, services, and capabilities
End of May 2025 results:
- Partner inquiries: 25
- Organic sessions: 2,800
- Top 10 keywords: 16
June 2025: Technical cleanup and speed improvements
In June, we focused on removing technical friction. Faster load time and cleaner indexing matter in B2B because trust is fragile. We improved speed on key pages and cleaned duplicate content signals that were holding rankings back.
Work completed:
- Improved speed on top entry pages by optimizing images and scripts
- Fixed indexing issues caused by duplicate page versions
- Updated titles and meta descriptions for core service pages to match intent
End of June 2025 results:
- Partner inquiries: 31
- Organic sessions: 3,150
- Top 10 keywords: 24
July 2025: Partner pages rebuilt to match real searches
In July, we rebuilt the partner focused pages so they matched how businesses search. We created clear pages for partnership types, what the company offers, and why partnering makes sense. We also made the partner CTA more visible across the site.
Work completed:
- Published a dedicated Partner page with clear partner categories and benefits
- Built supporting capability pages tied to partner intent queries
- Improved internal linking so partner pages were reachable from service pages and blogs
End of July 2025 results:
- Partner inquiries: 39
- Organic sessions: 3,720
- Top 10 keywords: 37
- Partner page conversion rate: 1.1%
August 2025: Oak Brook credibility signals and trust content
In August, we strengthened credibility and location trust. Partners want proof that a company is established, responsive, and operationally solid. We added proof blocks, improved About content, and added location relevance naturally without stuffing.
Work completed:
- Added proof sections: service coverage, process clarity, and partner expectations
- Improved About and Contact pages with stronger trust and response timing details
- Created local relevance sections tied to Oak Brook operations and regional coverage
End of August 2025 results:
- Partner inquiries: 50
- Organic sessions: 4,450
- Top 10 keywords: 55
- Partner page conversion rate: 1.3%
September 2025: High intent content that attracts partner ready visitors
September focused on content that captures high intent searches. We created pages around common partner questions, program details, onboarding steps, and service compatibility. These topics usually convert well because the visitor is already considering outreach.
Work completed:
- Published partner FAQ content based on Search Console queries
- Built pages covering onboarding steps, requirements, and partner support flow
- Added stronger CTAs and “book a partner call” prompts on high traffic pages
End of September 2025 results:
- Partner inquiries: 61
- Organic sessions: 5,180
- Top 10 keywords: 71
- Partner page conversion rate: 1.5%
October 2025: Authority building and stronger relevance signals
In October, we supported rankings with authority signals. We focused on relevant sources rather than random links. We also refreshed pages that were close to top rankings, because small improvements often push them into higher positions.
Work completed:
- Earned relevant mentions through partner ecosystem listings and local business resources
- Refreshed pages ranking between positions 4 and 12 to push higher
- Improved internal links pointing to partner conversion pages
End of October 2025 results:
- Partner inquiries: 72
- Organic sessions: 5,860
- Top 10 keywords: 86
- Partner page conversion rate: 1.7%
November 2025: Conversion improvements and scaling what worked
In November, we focused on converting more of the traffic we had earned. We improved clarity on partner forms and reduced friction in the inquiry process. We also merged overlapping pages to avoid keyword cannibalization and stabilize rankings.
Work completed:
- Simplified partner inquiry form fields and improved mobile usability
- Added clear “what happens next” messaging and response time expectations
- Merged overlapping content and cleaned index clutter for stability
End of November 2025 results:
- Partner inquiries: 85
- Organic sessions: 6,420
- Top 10 keywords: 101
- Partner page conversion rate: 2.0%
Before vs After Proof: Partner Inquiries Increased by 240%
This before vs after proof uses the same tracking setup from start to finish. In May 2025, partner inquiries from organic search were 25 per month. In November 2025, partner inquiries from organic search were 85 per month.
Before vs after proof:
- May 2025: 25 partner inquiries from organic
- November 2025: 85 partner inquiries from organic
- Increase: 240%
Supporting proof that explains why the lift happened:
- Organic sessions: 2,800 to 6,420
- Top 10 keyword rankings: 16 to 101
- Partner page conversion rate: 0.9% to 2.0%
Why the Growth Happened: The Real Drivers Behind the Increase
The biggest driver was building pages that match partner intent. Instead of hoping a generic service page would convert, we created partner pages that answer the real questions a business asks before reaching out. When the right page ranks for the right query, partner inquiries become much more consistent.
The second driver was trust. Supply chain partnerships involve risk, so proof and clarity matter. We strengthened credibility content, improved transparency, and made response expectations clear. The third driver was conversion flow, because we reduced friction and placed partner CTAs where interested visitors naturally decide to take action.
Challenges We Handled During the Campaign
Supply chain searches are competitive, and many terms are broad. Competing only on broad keywords can take a long time. We handled this by expanding into partner intent searches, capability intent searches, and question based searches that convert faster and are easier to rank for.
We also dealt with lead quality. As visibility grows, spam can grow too. We used tracking rules, form filters, and CRM tags to keep reporting clean. That is why the partner inquiry numbers stayed believable and tied to real business conversations.
What Other Supply Chain Teams Can Copy From This Case Study
This approach is repeatable for many supply chain companies, especially those trying to grow partnerships without relying only on outbound. The key is to connect visibility with trust and a clear inquiry path.
Steps you can copy:
- Fix conversion tracking first: forms, bookings, and click to call
- Build dedicated partner pages for the partnership types you want
- Create supporting capability pages that match commercial intent searches
- Strengthen trust signals: proof, process clarity, and response expectations
- Improve conversion flow: less friction, clearer CTAs, better mobile experience
Final Summary
From May 2025 through November 2025, Goforaeo helped a supply chain company in Oak Brook, Illinois grow organic partner inquiries from 25 to 85 per month, proving a 240% increase through SEO. The campaign combined technical cleanup, partner intent page building, Oak Brook credibility signals, authority support, and conversion improvements.
The growth was steady and supported by stronger rankings, higher quality traffic, and a clearer partner inquiry path. Most importantly, the increase came from businesses actively searching for supply chain partners, which made the results consistent and sustainable.