From overcoming digital roadblocks to dominating local search, Northern Fence’s journey with WebCitz transformed their online presence into a reliable engine for growth. Strategic web, SEO, and paid search improvements helped them outpace competitors and secure long-term business success.
The Challenge
When Northern Fence joined WebCitz in 2016, they weren’t just looking for a website; they were looking for an exit strategy from a bad partnership. The challenges included:
- Asset Hostage Recovery: The previous agency had restricted access to the client’s domain and digital properties. We had to navigate the technical and administrative hurdles to return control to the rightful owner.
- Fragmented Communication: The client needed to move away from unreliable email systems into a professional, scalable environment (Google Workspace).
- Hyper-Local Competition: The Fox Cities fence market is highly competitive. To win, Northern Fence needed to rank not just for “fences,” but for specific services across dozens of individual cities and townships.
- Evolution of Paid Search: As Google moved from standard text ads to automated “black box” systems like Performance Max, the client needed an expert to manage the transition without losing ROI.
The WebCitz Solution
We implemented a multi-year growth roadmap that transformed Northern Fence from a local installer into a digital powerhouse:
- The Rescue & Rebuild (2016): We successfully migrated their domain, set up Google Workspace for professional communication, and launched a custom, high-performance WordPress site. This gave them a secure, mobile-friendly foundation they finally owned outright.
- Localized SEO Strategy: We built out a sophisticated “City Landing Page” architecture. By creating dedicated pages for project galleries in Appleton, Neenah, Menasha, and beyond, we proved to both Google and local homeowners that Northern Fence was the local expert.
- Authority Building via HARO: We didn’t use “black hat” links. Instead, we connected their veteran fence installers with journalists and authors via HARO (Help A Reporter Out), earning high-authority backlinks by sharing genuine industry expertise.
- Advanced Google Ads & PMax: We managed their Paid Search for years. When Google introduced Performance Max (PMax), we pivoted their strategy to leverage machine learning, which significantly improved conversion rates by finding high-intent customers across Search, YouTube, and Display.
- Full-Funnel Retargeting: We kept Northern Fence top-of-mind for homeowners who were “just browsing.” Starting with AdRoll and later moving to direct Google/Facebook retargeting, we ensured that once a user saw a Northern Fence gallery, they continued to see the brand until they were ready for a quote.
The Result
For seven years, WebCitz served as the outsourced marketing department for Northern Fence. Our SEO and Ads efforts turned the website into a consistent lead-generation machine that supported the business through its most successful years. The relationship concluded on a high note in late 2023, as the owner retired and transitioned the business to his children.
