From one van to four: A local SEO strategy that delivered big
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Local SEO that drove real-world growth:
Junk Taxi
The project overview
- Client: Junk Taxi
- Location: West Wickham, Bromley & surrounding South East London areas
- Service Focus: Rubbish removal and waste clearance
- Project Type: Local lead generation through SEO, CRO, and PPC
- Duration: Ongoing – performance tracked quarterly
Client goals: Investing in a proper SEO strategy
We are well-versed in the importance of tweaking rather than slashing digital marketing efforts during a downturn. We started Junk Taxi back in 2018, only a few years before the pandemic struck. Like most start-ups, we were trying to manage our marketing efforts alongside the demands of running a new business.
Junk Taxi came to us with a simple, clear brief: to dominate local search and improve quality leads. As a small but growing service, they sought to dominate local searches in West Wickham, Bromley, and surrounding areas — replacing ad spend with strong organic visibility.
The challenge of standing out in a local market through organic growth
With many established competitors offering rubbish removal services in the area, we needed to:
- Help Junk Taxi compete against bigger, more established players
- Increase local awareness without over-relying on PPC
- Optimise for both immediate conversions and long-term visibility
We also had to ensure that any strategy we implemented could grow with the business, not just deliver quick wins. Moreover, when the COVID-19 pandemic emerged in 2020, we were aware that it was an uncertain time for small businesses, and we knew people would become more selective and cautious with their spending.
Our long-term SEO strategy is to
generate more enquiries
We wanted Junk Taxi’s website to generate more enquiries within their coverage area. With our in-house SEO team, we developed an SEO strategy that effectively reached their target audience, allowing their quality service to take centre stage.
Hyper-local SEO that targets searchers nearby
We optimised the website for core keywords like “rubbish removal Bromley” and “waste clearance West Wickham.” We:
- Built and optimised location-specific service pages
- Enhanced metadata to match local search intent
- Added trust signals like customer reviews and licensing details
- Built relevant backlinks to strengthen domain authority
Website redesign and strategic content marketing
We completely overhauled the Junk Taxi website, ensuring it was mobile-friendly, easy to navigate, and visually impactful. We commissioned professional photography to help build trust and elevate the overall look and feel.
Monthly blog posts were developed to showcase the client’s expertise and enhance long-tail keyword rankings, ultimately driving more organic traffic over time.
Flexible Google Ads support until SEO took over
We introduced a paid search campaign that could supplement organic lead generation when needed. To keep lead costs under control, we set strict cost-per-enquiry thresholds, ensuring profitability.
Initially, we supported SEO with a tightly managed PPC campaign. As organic rankings improved and local leads increased, we strategically phased out Google Ads, helping reduce ad spend without sacrificing results.
Conversion-rate optimisation that turned clicks into calls
- We didn’t just drive traffic — we made sure it converted through:
- Improved mobile performance for quick phone actions
- Simplified forms and improved CTA placement
- Added live chat and click-to-call options for instant engagement
The results (Ongoing since 2018- measured quarterly)
- The new website launched in April 2021, and the results were immediate and impressive:
- Enquiries skyrocketed from around 10 forms per month to over 200 form submissions each month.
- This 20x increase in leads allowed the business to reduce its reliance on Google Ads significantly.
- SEO leads now cost just one-sixth of what Google Ads leads used to cost.
- Junk Taxi scaled their operations — from 1 van to 4 vans on the road
- Business expansion: now offering skip hire as a direct result of SEO growth
What our client has to say
We know our strategy is already working for us. One of our largest customers, a property maintenance company, discovered us through a local search. He has used us three times a week for most of this year, making him one of our favourite regulars!
Despite the downturn initiated by COVID and its aftermath, the changes we made to our SEO efforts have not only helped our business navigate it, but we are also in the best-performing position we have ever been in. Most importantly, it has given the team complete confidence that we will emerge from the economic downturn that faces us all. We now know that we just need to keep analysing our efforts, tweaking as necessary, and committing budget where we can to the areas that will bring us the most reward.
Want to scale your local service business?
Get found by the right people — consistently. Contact us at hello@makemelocal.com or call 0800 772 0022 to schedule an appointment.
Why did this strategy work, and what is the plan going forward?
The long-term goal is to continually refine and improve our SEO efforts so that eventually, most of our enquiries will come in organically through our website’s SEO. Our reliance on Google Ads will decrease.
- We created a flexible digital marketing foundation that:
- Built long-term value through local SEO
- Grew alongside the business, supporting expansion into new services
- Delivered quick returns with CRO and paid support
The focus on organic visibility meant that Junk Taxi could invest confidently in their fleet and plan for future growth, with SEO now their most valuable marketing asset.
Turn organic traffic into reliable leads
Start building a long-term SEO strategy that delivers consistent results. Talk to us at hello@makemelocal.com, call 0800 772 0022, or complete our contact form to book a free consultation.
