Restoring Leads After a Sharp DeclineRestoring Leads After a Sharp Decline

Summary

• A Cobalt Digital Marketing client experienced a significant drop in call volume.
• We investigated the issue and implemented a strategy to recover.
• A recovery in call volume has since held steady for this client.

Background

The client involved, from here on referred to as Company A, had been receiving our services for just under two years when this project began. Company A is a beauty and wellness company offering light, in-office procedures in South Texas. The majority of Company A’s clientele are well-off adults looking to improve their appearance or lose weight. This company is highly reliant on phone call leads which allow for more direct contact with clients.

At the time of this project, Company A was receiving regular on-website content and social media posting from our team.

Situation

This project was triggered in the summer of 2024. At that time, we received a call from Company A reporting a significant drop in phone calls from potential clients. This issue was critical to address for two key reasons: Company A’s overall reliance on phone leads, and the general importance of phone calls as an indicator of overall business health and brand recognition. The company’s team was unaware of what had triggered the drop in call volume, and there were concerns that the decrease might be permanent.

This issue came with a few key questions:

• What was the reason for the drop?
• What had been driving the phone calls before?
• What changed as a driving force behind the drop in calls?
• What could be done to recover in a manageable timeframe?
• How would performance be measured?
• Was there a way to make the recovery sustainable?

Methodology

Our team relied on a variety of data collection methods to carry out this project. In particular, we utilized data regarding:

• Impressions – The number of times a site is viewed in search results on Google
• Visitors – The number of users that arrived on the site and their source
• Visitor Behavior – User behavior including clicks and time-on-site

Unfortunately, Company A had not been maintaining robust documentation of calls received.

We analyzed the data gathered to identify trends that might provide a clue as to the loss in calls. Given the limited data available, we knew that we would need to infer the cause of the decrease and confirm with testing.

Analysis and Findings

During our data analysis, we discovered a peak in website traffic on April 23, 2024, with a steady decline extending over the following four months. Traffic bottomed out toward the end of July. You can see these trends in Figure 1.

Fig. 1: Analytics Peak and Decline, 3/24 to 8/24

Initially, we theorized that an algorithm change from Google may have significantly impacted the site. Three days prior to the April peak, a core update was completed. Core updates from Google can have far-reaching impacts on site performance for all clients.

To confirm or disprove our theory, we performed a deep site audit, producing the following results:

• Running a Page Index Analysis – This analyzes what website pages are visible on Google. We discovered that several pages that had once received search engine traffic had since disappeared.
• Running a Rankings Report – This analyzes how a site performs on search engines. We found that ranking had steadily decreased over the period from April to July.
• Performing an Analytics Review – We reviewed on-site analytics to confirm the decrease in traffic, as shown in Figure 2.

Fig. 2: Site Traffic Decline, 3/24 through 8/24

Once we discovered the missing pages, we began the search to determine what had caused them to disappear. We identified several key issues:

• Technical issues preventing proper site loading
• Unsupported third-party tools significantly altering the site structure
• A glut of old technology and outdated best practices leaving the site uncompetitive and slow, as seen in Figure 3.

Fig. 3: Site Speed Slow, 8/24

Solutions and Implementation

Through our analysis, we were able to identify several key recommendations. After receiving approval from Company A, we moved forward with implementation of the following projects:

• New website build
• Full URL audit
• URL restructuring
• Meta data analysis and updating
• Call tracking implementation
• Lead-volume recording
• Modernization of site tech

Over the course of several months, we analyzed every page on the site, wrote new content for updated services, refreshed outdated metadata information, and restructured the entire website to better facilitate the user journey. 

Our work was based on several productive meetings with Company A during which we established a better understanding of the company’s services and client needs. We then balanced the needs of clients with what would work best for ranking on search engines. Our team utilized a more robust technological framework to build a site that is faster and more effective than before. Before launching the new site, we carefully tested and reviewed the build to ensure there would be no unforeseen negative effects of the refresh. The process was tedious but necessary.

After all of our careful preparation was complete, we launched the site.

Results

It took about two weeks for our work to begin producing visible results. Within a few weeks of launching, we began seeing a dramatic increase in traffic and impressions, as well as stronger ranking results which have continued to hold strong, as you can see in Figure 4.

Fig. 4: Analytics Rebound, 3/24 through 1/25

While the background data needed to confirm the increase is unavailable, the client anecdotally reported a boost in calls, and we are now tracking phone leads, email leads, and lead sources. The data we’ve gathered has shown positive results, explained below:

• A 30% increase in conversions in the second month after launching, after a 380% increase in the first month (spikes are easier to achieve when numbers are low), shown in Figure 5
• An increase in site speed of nearly 300%, shown in Figure 6
• A 500% increase in site traffic, shown in Figure 7
• Stability in results achieved

Fig. 5: Increase in Calls, 3/24 through 1/25

Fig. 6: Improved Site Speed, 1/25

Fig. 7: Increase in Site Traffic, 3/24 through 1/25

Insights and Lessons Learned

• Website frameworks and outdated technology can have a significant impact on website ranking performance and traffic acquisition
• Website URL structure can influence ranking outcomes when they are not implemented properly
• Using data to support changes that align with your target audience improves outcomes
• Traffic acquisition can have a direct impact on client and customer acquisition rates
• Detailed and accurate records, along with comprehensive tracking methodologies, improve the impact of decision-making and can remove the guessing game in marketing (in some cases)
• The increase in traffic seen after our solutions were implemented was more dramatic than expected. In fact, the new sustained traffic outcome is hovering at a new record.

Fig. 7: The Entire Traffic Cycle, 3/24 through 1/25

Recommendations

For businesses in similar situations, we recommend following the response process below:

• Start by asking the right questions.
• Determine where there is reliable data to help you find the answer.
• An educated guess can point you in the right direction when a direct link isn’t possible.