Increasing Visibility for a Steel Distributor
How We Helped PA Steel Build an Online Presence in Less Than a Year
Introduction
Pennsylvania Steel Company (PA Steel) is a steel and metal distributor founded in 1972 that has expanded to multiple locations across the eastern US.
As the company prepared to celebrate its 50-year anniversary in 2022, PA Steel wanted to ensure its virtual presence was as strong as its physical one.
After less than a year of working with Forge Apollo, PA Steel achieved:
- A new, modernized website design to stand out from its competitors
- A 19.87% increase in organic traffic
- An increase in keyword rankings and visibility that set the company ahead of its competitors
- A 12% total increase in social media followers
- An 18.49% increase in website traffic from social media
- Increased engagement and impression rates across social platforms
Keep reading to find out how Forge Apollo helped PA Steel achieve these results.
The Story of Pennsylvania Steel Company
Pennsylvania Steel Company was founded in 1972 to provide steel and aluminum to Philadephia area manufacturers. Over the next 50 years, it expanded its product and service offerings to new locations across the eastern US.
The company’s growth and success are mainly due to its exceptional customer service and product offerings. Going into its 50th anniversary in 2022, the brand wanted to gain more exposure online and match its physical presence with a virtual one.
The Challenge of Being Heard Online
PA Steel is a formidable presence in the metal processing and manufacturing industry throughout the Eastern US. But its competitors had a better foothold in an area that the company lacked experience–the internet.
Many of the company’s competitors were already active online. PA Steel wanted to join the conversation as an industry expert with its website and social media presence.
PA Steel’s website design and copy were outdated and inconsistent with modern best practices. Potential customers weren’t finding the company in search results. The brand wasn’t present on all the relevant social platforms, and existing profiles were inactive. The company also lacked a way to appeal to applicants in its hiring efforts.
So, PA Steel turned to Forge Apollo for a total digital refresh.
Forge Apollo’s Strategy for Success
To improve PA Steel’s online visibility and traffic, Forge Apollo took a three-tier approach:
- Design a new website
- Create better content
- Be present and active on social media
Website Redesign
Forge Apollo redesigned PA Steel’s entire website to modernize the design and improve user experience. The redesign included a new structure, graphics, and rewritten copy.
To help people discover the brand online, we performed strategic keyword research. Forge Apollo optimized the website copy, technical design, and other SEO elements for those keywords.
Consistent Blogging
To help PA Steel stay visible in search results and engage potential customers, Forge Apollo crafted quarterly blogs. Each targeted a strategic topic and keyword.
The blogs aimed to:
- Improve SEO with fresh content
- Attract potential customers in different stages of the buyer’s journey
- Establish industry expertise
Video Content Creation
To build a library of high-quality content for use on the website and social media, Forge completing video production projects for PA Steel including:
- A hero video
- A 50th-anniversary video
- Still images
Social Media
With social media, PA Steel didn’t only want to establish its brand and gain exposure. The company also wanted to glamorize the metal processing and manufacturing industry while providing resources to potential new hires.
So, the Forge Apollo team developed a strategy focused on engaging content and a consistent presence. The plan included:
- Creating an Instagram account
- Fleshing out existing Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter accounts
- Gathering premium photo and video assets to compose high-quality posts
- Collecting, assessing, and auditing existing content for optimization
The Results
In under a year of working with Forge Apollo, PA Steel had a modernized website, more traffic, and a better presence on social media.
Beautiful New Website
PA Steel now has a modernized website design that better guides potential customers through their buyer’s journey toward conversion.
Information is easy to access, so visitors can quickly find what they need and have a positive experience on the site.
19.87% Higher Organic Traffic
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and blogging target organic traffic–aka the people who naturally find your website online without clicking on a paid advertisement.
In the first six months of the website going live, organic traffic rose by 19.87% quarter over quarter. Traffic to the blog specifically increased by 47.63% in that time.
Higher Visibility and Average Ranking
Since working with Forge Apollo, potential customers are more likely to find PA Steel’s website when searching for its products and services.
Since launching its site, PA Steel’s average ranking across all of its strategically targeted keywords rose 18 positions to about 34 (appearing on the 4th page of rankings).
In contrast, its competitors range from 60-80 (appearing on the 7th page and lower).
PA Steel’s visibility (how often users find its website when searching target keywords) rose 5.27% since launching its site, reaching 24.95%. For comparison, its top competitors are only at 3.28% or below.
Increased Social Followers, Engagement, and Traffic
Overall, PA Steel’s social accounts are succeeding in spreading awareness of its brand. The brand’s overall social followers increased by 12% in eight months.
Traffic to PA Steel’s website from its social accounts increased by 18.49% quarter over quarter. More people are clicking from its social accounts to its website due to increased awareness and engaging content.
Success looks different on each platform. Let’s dive into some specific performance metrics for each channel.
- 61.4% follower growth rate since January 2022
- Reached 142% more users quarter over quarter
- Average engagement rate raised from 0% to 12.8% in less than one year
- Best performing post had a 22% engagement rate
- Page visits are up 81.5% compared to previous year
- Page reach is up over 200% compared to previous year
- Average engagement rose 135% quarter over quarter
- Gained 427 followers in one year
- Page views, visitors, and button clicks all rose over 1000% compared to previous year
- Engagement rate increased 40% in less than one year
- 8.2% follower growth over 90 days
- Average engagement rate of 4.9% over 90 days
Increase Your Visibility and Traffic with Forge Apollo
If you want a beautiful new website, increased organic traffic, and more exposure on social media, turn to the digital marketing experts at Forge Apollo. Our team can evaluate your digital efforts to craft the perfect strategy for your success.
Contact us today to book a meeting or get a free website audit to understand the weak spots on your website.
