ATEC Electrics is a local electrician based on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. Like many small trade businesses, they had strong technical skills, loyal customers and a clear focus on quality work – but they were not yet fully visible online in the suburbs they actually wanted to serve. Our role at Studio Web Design was to build a website and local SEO framework that would turn search traffic into real enquiries.
This case study walks through how we approached the project, why we deliberately focused on local SEO and conversion optimisation rather than design showcases, and how we structured the work so that ATEC Electrics only pays for marketing when leads actually come through.
Understanding the business and the local search opportunity
Getting clear on who ATEC Electrics is
ATEC Electrics is not a generic Sydney-wide provider – they are a Northern Beaches electrician who prioritises fast response, reliable service and long term relationships with local homeowners and businesses.
In our early discovery conversations we focused on questions like:
- Which suburbs are most important for the business to grow in the next 12 to 24 months?
- Which services are most profitable or most in demand – emergency callouts, LED upgrades, switchboard work, air conditioning, shop fit outs and so on?
- What kind of jobs do they want more of, and which ones are lower priority?
- What does a “good lead” actually look like for the owner?
From there, it became clear that the strategy had to be built around locality. When someone in Manly searches for an electrician, they are not just looking for “electrician” – they are looking for “electrician near me” or “electrician Manly” and they expect to see providers who operate within the area.
Framing the project as local lead generation
Because of this, we deliberately framed the project around lead generation rather than design awards. The website needed to look professional and trustworthy, but more importantly it had to:
- Show Google that ATEC Electrics is strongly tied to the Northern Beaches
- Match real search behaviour for local services and suburbs
- Convert visitors into phone calls and enquiry submissions at every touchpoint
That mindset influenced every decision we made – from keyword research and information architecture all the way through to how we structured enquiries and call tracking.
Building a local SEO framework around services and locations
Using Ahrefs data to choose the right services and suburbs
Once we understood the business priorities, we used Ahrefs to map out the search opportunity. We looked at:
- Core service keywords that people actually search for – for example “emergency electrician”, “LED downlight installation”, “switchboard upgrade”
- Local intent phrases combining services and suburbs – for example “electrician manly”, “led lighting northern beaches”
- Search volume and difficulty to identify which terms offered the best chance of ranking and generating enquiries in the short to medium term
From this research we prioritised a mix of services and locations around the Northern Beaches, with particular emphasis on Manly and nearby suburbs where the client already had experience and relationships.
Creating dedicated service pages
Rather than putting every offering on a single generic “Services” page, we created a structured services hub for ATEC Electrics and then built out individual service pages underneath it. In total there were around a dozen service-focused pages, each tailored to a specific need such as:
- LED lighting installations and retrofits
- Switchboard upgrades and safety switches
- Ceiling fan and exhaust fan installations
- Emergency and after hours callouts
- Appliance and hot water connections
- Shop fit outs and commercial electrical work
Each page was written to answer the types of questions that a local homeowner or business owner would ask before picking up the phone – what is involved, how long it takes, safety considerations and why a licensed electrician on the Northern Beaches is critical.
Creating location pages for the Northern Beaches
In parallel, we structured a locations hub that highlights priority suburbs across the Northern Beaches. These pages are designed to show both users and search engines that ATEC Electrics is genuinely local.
Location pages focus on:
- The types of jobs commonly completed in that suburb
- Response times and availability
- Reassurance around licensing, insurance and safety
- Clear options to call or request a quote online
Cross-linking services and locations for stronger relevance
The crucial step was to make sure services and locations talked to each other. Wherever relevant, we:
- Linked from a service page to one or more key locations – for example, emergency electrician content referencing service areas across the Northern Beaches
- Linked from a location page back to specific services that are most popular in that suburb
- Wove suburb names naturally into headings, paragraphs and calls to action without keyword stuffing
This cross-linking means that Google can clearly see “ATEC Electrics + [service] + [suburb]” as a strong, relevant combination – and it also helps users move quickly from “I am in this suburb” to “this is the exact service I need”.
Turning every page into a conversion-focused landing page
Treating service and location pages as standalone entry points
When people search for “electrician near me” they usually land directly on a service or location page, not the homepage. Because of this, we designed each key page to act like its own landing page.
That meant every important page needed to:
- Explain who ATEC Electrics is and why they are trustworthy
- Describe the service or suburb clearly and simply
- Answer common objections – price, response time, safety, quality
- Offer at least one clear next step without forcing users to navigate elsewhere
Multiple calls to action on every page
To capture different preferences, we placed several call to action options on each page, including:
- Phone calls – click-to-call buttons for users who want to talk to someone immediately
- Email enquiries – for people who prefer to contact the team from their inbox
- Website enquiry forms – a simple form to request a quote or ask a question directly on the page
This approach ensures that whether someone is on mobile at work, on a laptop at home or just browsing quietly at night, there is always a low-friction way to get in touch.
Tracking enquiry submissions and understanding what works
One of the challenges with trades is that phone calls can be difficult to track back to specific pages or campaigns. Tools like CallRail and other call tracking platforms can help, but they are still inherently less transparent than form submissions.
For online enquiries we implemented a simple, reliable tracking approach:
- Each form submission captures the exact URL the user converted on
- We can see which service pages, locations or combinations of the two are generating the most enquiries
- Data flows through to reporting tools so we can attribute leads properly
We also set up Google Analytics and Google Search Console so we can see:
- Which queries are driving impressions and clicks for key services and locations
- How users behave once they land on the website – scroll depth, click patterns and exit points
- Technical or indexing issues that might hold back performance over time
This gives us a feedback loop – we are not guessing which pages work, we are looking at actual behaviour and enquiries.
Complementing the website with a strong Google Business Profile
Local visibility is more than just organic rankings
For trades like ATEC Electrics, the Google Business Profile (GBP) is often the first touchpoint a local customer sees, especially on mobile. Maps listings, star ratings and “call now” buttons can drive just as many enquiries as organic rankings.
As part of the project we:
- Optimised the Google Business Profile with accurate category selections, service descriptions and contact details
- Ensured the profile reinforced ATEC Electrics’ Northern Beaches focus
- Aligned the GBP content with the services and suburbs highlighted on the website
Designing a post-service review process
Local rankings are heavily influenced by reviews – not just how many you have, but how steadily they arrive over time. Rather than send one big review blast and then go quiet, we helped ATEC Electrics put in place a post-service review process that fits into day-to-day operations.
Together with the client we discussed:
- A simple script the electrician can use at the end of a successful job
- How to introduce the review request naturally, without pressure
- Sending a follow-up message with a direct link to the Google Business Profile review form
The goal is a self-perpetuating loop – every week a handful of happy customers leave reviews, which supports local rankings, which leads to more enquiries and more happy customers.
A performance-based model that feels fair for small businesses
Why traditional SEO retainers are often out of reach
In many agencies, a local SEO campaign like this would sit in the $5,000 to $10,000 per month bracket. For a small trade business, that is a serious commitment, especially when they have limited visibility into the process and no guarantees around results.
The reality is that most small businesses will not invest that kind of money if they do not understand SEO deeply. The opportunity is there, but the risk feels too high, so they delay or do nothing.
“If you do not get leads, we do not get paid”
For ATEC Electrics, we took a different approach. We treated the marketing work as part of the website project:
- The client pays for the design and build of the website as usual
- The SEO and local lead generation work is effectively included, with performance-based bonuses tied to results
- If the website does not generate leads, we do not receive those bonuses
This model feels fair to owners because it aligns incentives – if the website and local SEO work, everyone wins. If it does not, they are not locked into a long, expensive retainer.
For us at Studio Web Design, this is supported by a broader set of services in digital marketing and digital strategy consulting, which means we can connect practical implementation with long term strategy rather than selling isolated one-off tasks.
Using data to guide the next phase of growth
Identifying which services and suburbs are rising to the top
Once the website is live and the local SEO foundations are in place, the next step is to let the data run for a while and see what patterns emerge. We are particularly interested in:
- Which service pages generate the highest volume of enquiries
- Which suburbs deliver the best quality leads or repeat work
- Queries in Google Search Console that show demand we have not fully targeted yet
If a particular service and suburb combination consistently drives enquiries – for example, LED upgrades in a specific area – that becomes a signal for further optimisation.
Creating supporting content for high value topics
To support pages that are already performing well, we can:
- Write educational articles that go deeper into a specific service – for example, “How to know when your switchboard needs an upgrade”
- Create suburb-focused content that answers local questions and links back to the main service page
- Internally link new content to the relevant service and location pages to reinforce relevance
This keeps the website growing in a structured way, rather than randomly adding content for the sake of it.
Building domain authority through real local connections
If the data shows that rankings plateau due to limited domain authority, we will look at safe, local ways to earn links, such as:
- Applying for local business awards and industry recognition
- Sponsoring community events, sports clubs or school initiatives
- Partnering with other local businesses where genuine collaboration makes sense
Each of these can lead to links from local websites back to ATEC Electrics, which supports authority and reinforces the business as a trusted local provider.
What this means for other small businesses
A repeatable framework, not just a one-off success
The ATEC Electrics project highlights what is possible when you:
- Start with a clear understanding of the business and its local community
- Use data to choose the right mix of services and suburbs
- Treat every page as a potential landing page, not just the homepage
- Combine a strong Google Business Profile with a steady review process
- Align incentives with a performance-based approach to marketing
For other small businesses – especially trades and local services – the same principles apply. A well structured website, supported by thoughtful local SEO and a fair commercial model, can turn “just having a website” into a reliable flow of enquiries.
If you are looking to apply a similar approach to your own business, our team at Studio Web Design can help with website packages, ongoing digital marketing and strategic consulting that are designed to work together, not in isolation.
Long term, data-led partnership
For ATEC Electrics, this is not a set-and-forget project. We will continue to watch the data, refine key pages, expand content where it makes sense and support local authority building. The intent is simple – keep focusing on the lowest hanging fruit, the activities that generate the best results for the client and ensure the website remains a true lead engine for years to come.