How I Boosted a Geothermal Drilling Contractor’s Organic Traffic by 107.58% in One Year

As a freelance SEO consultant with more than a decade of experience, I’ve helped businesses across various industries unlock their online potential. One of my proudest achievements is the work I did with a geothermal drilling contractor based in Hull, serving Yorkshire and the wider UK. In just 12 months, I increased their organic traffic by an impressive 107.58%. In this blog post, I’ll walk you through exactly how I did it, explaining the process in a way that’s easy to understand for business owners who know a bit about SEO but aren’t experts. If you’re looking to grow your online presence, this case study will show you what’s possible with the right strategy.

The Starting Point: A Solid Website with Untapped Potential

When I began working with the drilling contractor, their website was in good shape. It had a professional design, clear service pages, and a robust blogging section that showcased their expertise in geothermal drilling and site investigation. However, their organic traffic—visitors coming from search engines like Google without paid ads—wasn’t reflecting their potential. Despite their strong presence in Hull and growing demand for geothermal services across Yorkshire and the UK, they weren’t attracting the clicks they deserved.

After a thorough audit, I identified several key issues:

• The website wasn’t fully optimised for the specific keywords their potential clients were searching for.

• Technical problems, like slow loading times and broken links, were hurting the user experience and Google’s perception of the site.

• The blogging section, while informative, lacked the right keywords and internal linking structure to maximise SEO impact.

• The projects section, which highlighted past work, wasn’t optimised for keywords or internal links to guide visitors to service pages.

• Their Google Business Profile wasn’t fully optimised, limiting their visibility in local searches around Hull and Yorkshire.

• Their Paid efforts were pointing to keywords that can be easily covered by my SEO strategy.

The contractor had a strong brand and a clear audience, so I knew that with targeted SEO improvements, we could drive significant growth. Here’s how I made it happen.

Step 1: Keyword Research to Connect with the Right Audience

I started with keyword research, which involves understanding what terms people type into Google when looking for services like those offered by the drilling contractor. For a business owner, think of it as learning the exact questions your customers are asking so you can answer them clearly.

Using tools like Ahrefs and Google Keyword Planner, I identified a range of keywords, from broad terms like “geothermal drilling UK” to more specific ones like “ground source heat pump installation Yorkshire.” I focused on search volume (how many people search for a term each month) and competition (how hard it is to rank for that term). My goal was to find keywords that were relevant, had decent search volume, and were achievable for a business like this.

I targeted a mix of “short-tail” keywords (like “geothermal contractors”) and “long-tail” keywords (like “geothermal drilling for ground source heat pumps in Hull”). Long-tail keywords are often easier to rank for and attract visitors who are ready to take action, like requesting a quote. This research shaped my approach to optimising their content and Google Business Profile.

Step 2: On-Page SEO to Fine-Tune the Website

Next, I focused on on-page SEO, which involves optimising individual pages to make them more appealing to both Google and visitors. Think of it like polishing your shopfront to make it inviting and easy to navigate.

Here’s what I did:

• Optimised titles and meta descriptions: I updated every page with unique titles and meta descriptions that included our target keywords. For example, their geothermal drilling page now had a title like “Geothermal Drilling Services UK | Expert Contractors.”

• Fixed technical issues: Slow loading times were an issue, so I compressed images and streamlined code. I also fixed broken links and ensured the site was fully mobile-friendly, as many clients search from their phones on job sites.

• Enhanced the projects section: The projects section showcased past work, but it wasn’t optimised for SEO. I added relevant keywords, like “geothermal drilling Yorkshire,” to project descriptions and created internal links to service pages, guiding visitors to explore more of the site.

• Improved internal linking: I completely recreated the internal linking structure across the site, ensuring that blog posts, project pages, and service pages were connected logically. This helped Google understand the site’s structure and kept visitors engaged longer.

These changes made the website faster, more user-friendly, and easier for Google to crawl, setting the stage for better rankings.

Step 3: Optimising the Blogging Section for Maximum Impact

The drilling contractor already had a strong blogging section, which was a great foundation. However, the posts weren’t fully optimised for SEO, and the internal linking was disorganised. I saw an opportunity to enhance this content to drive more traffic.

I audited their existing blog posts and added appropriate keywords to titles, headings, and body text. For example, I optimised posts to target terms like “ground source heat pump installation” and “geothermal drilling Hull.” I also recreated the internal links within each post, connecting them to relevant service pages and other blog posts to create a seamless user journey.

I worked with the contractor to publish new, high-quality blog posts that addressed their audience’s pain points. Some of the posts we created included:

• “Why Ground Source Heat Pumps Are Making Hydrogen Look Inefficient”

• “The UK Gas Boiler Ban in 2025: What It Means for Your Home”

• “The UK Incentive for Ground Source Heat Pumps (GSHPs)”

Each post was written in a clear, jargon-free style that appealed to homeowners, developers, and businesses. By optimising these posts for keywords and linking them to service pages, I ensured they attracted more visitors and guided them toward taking action, like requesting a quote.

Step 4: Supercharging the Google Business Profile

Since the drilling contractor is based in Hull but serves Yorkshire and the wider UK, local SEO was a priority. A key part of this was optimising their Google Business Profile, which is critical for appearing in local searches and Google’s “map pack” (the map and business listings at the top of search results).

I overhauled their profile by:

• Updating contact details, service descriptions, and photos to reflect their geothermal drilling expertise.

• Adding location-specific keywords, like “geothermal drilling Hull” and “ground source heat pumps Yorkshire.”

• Posting regular updates about new projects, blog posts, and industry news to keep the profile active.

• Encouraging satisfied clients to leave Google reviews, which boosted their credibility and visibility.

These efforts made the contractor more discoverable to local clients in Hull and Yorkshire, while also supporting their broader UK reach. The Google Business Profile became a powerful tool for driving traffic and enquiries.

The Results: A 107.58% Surge in Organic Traffic

After 12 months of focused effort, the results were remarkable:

• Organic traffic skyrocketed by 107.58%, with thousands of new visitors each month.

• The site ranked on the first page of Google for key terms like “geothermal drilling UK” and “ground source heat pump installation Yorkshire.”

• Enquiries from the website doubled, with many clients mentioning the blog posts as their reason for reaching out.

• The optimised Google Business Profile drove a surge in local searches, particularly in Hull and Yorkshire.

• The improved user experience (faster load times, better navigation) reduced bounce rates, meaning visitors stayed longer and explored more pages.

These results took time—SEO is a long-term investment—but the steady growth in traffic and leads proved the strategy was working. The contractor’s website is now a lead-generating powerhouse that reflects their expertise and reach.

How I Can Help Your Business Grow

If you’re a small or medium-sized business owner, you might be wondering how to achieve similar results. The strategies I used for the drilling contractor—keyword research, on-page SEO, content optimisation, internal linking, and Google Business Profile enhancements—can work for almost any business. The key is a tailored, consistent approach.

That’s where I come in. At JJ SEO, I specialise in SEO for SMEs, helping businesses like yours grow their online presence without overwhelming you with technical jargon. Whether you’re in renewable energy, construction, or another industry, I can craft an SEO strategy that delivers measurable results.

Final Thoughts

Boosting the geothermal drilling contractor’s organic traffic by 107.58% was an incredibly rewarding experience. By optimising their website, enhancing their blogging section, recreating internal links, and supercharging their Google Business Profile, I turned their site into a magnet for clients across Hull, Yorkshire, and the UK. The process showed me, once again, how powerful SEO can be when done right.

If you’re ready to grow your business’s online presence, I’d love to help. Get in touch via my Contact page services page to discuss how we can drive more traffic and leads to your website. SEO doesn’t have to be complicated—with the right partner, it’s a game-changer.