SEO & AI Case Study
Sure Wood Tree Service
Tree Service, Removal & Trimming — Cedar Rapids, IA
Campaign Period: Oct 2025 — Jun 2026 (9 months)
+700%
Search Impressions
1,360 → 10,877/mo
+219%
Organic Clicks
32 → 102/mo
↑11.6
Position Improvement
26.1 → 14.5 avg
15
#1 Rankings
68 keywords on Page 1
⚡
The Challenge
Sure Wood Tree Service was struggling to compete online in the Cedar Rapids tree service market. With just 32 monthly clicks and an average search position of 26.1, they were buried deep in search results. Most potential customers searching for tree removal, trimming, and arborist services in the area were finding competitors instead — costing Sure Wood valuable leads and jobs.
🎯
Our Approach
- Complete on-page SEO overhaul across all service pages
- Strategic content creation targeting tree service keywords for the Cedar Rapids area
- Google Business Profile optimization for local map pack visibility
- Service-specific landing pages (removal, trimming, stump grinding, emergency services)
- Technical SEO improvements for site health and indexing
- AI search optimization for ChatGPT and AI-powered discovery
🏆
The Results
- Average position moved from page 3 to page 1–2 (26.1 → 14.5)
- Monthly impressions grew from 1,360 to 10,877 (+700%)
- Organic clicks increased from 32 to 102/month (+219%)
- 15 keywords ranking #1 — 68 keywords on page 1
Google Search Performance
Impressions
Clicks
Data source: Google Search Console · Oct 2025 – Jun 2026
Average Search Position ↑ Improved 11.6 positions
Lower number = higher ranking. Green zone = Page 1.
Keyword Ranking Results
Before vs. current campaign results
15
#1 Rankings
68
Page 1
| Keyword | Before | Current | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🏆 #1 Rankings | |||
| sure wood tree service 👑 | 1.3 | 1.1 | +0.2 |
| best tree service companies near me 👑 | — | 1.0 | NEW |
| lawn and tree service near me 👑 | — | 1.0 | NEW |
| sherwood tree removal 👑 | — | 1.5 | NEW |
| 24 hour tree removal 👑 | — | 1.0 | NEW |
| 24 hour tree service 👑 | — | 1.0 | NEW |
| and tree service 👑 | — | 1.0 | NEW |
| arborist 👑 | 2.8 | 1.4 | +1.4 |
| arborist tree surgeon 👑 | — | 1.0 | NEW |
| ash trees are being removed when they show 👑 | — | 1.0 | NEW |
| average cost to trim a large tree 👑 | — | 1.0 | NEW |
| best arborist near me 👑 | — | 1.0 | NEW |
| best rated tree removal service near me 👑 | — | 1.0 | NEW |
| best tree removal 👑 | 1.0 | 1.0 | +0.0 |
| 📈 Major Page 1 Improvements | |||
| best tree service near me | 11.0 | 3.5 | +7.5 |
| tree removal cedar rapids | 12.2 | 8.0 | +4.2 |
| cedar rapids tree planting | 11.0 | 7.3 | +3.7 |
| 🆕 New Page 1 Keywords | |||
| stump removal cedar rapids | — | 8.8 | NEW |
| stump grinding | — | 4.5 | NEW |
| tree removal service near me | — | 6.2 | NEW |
| tree service | — | 5.7 | NEW |
| tree service near me | — | 5.7 | NEW |
| best tree removal service near me | — | 2.0 | NEW |
| best tree service companies near me | — | 1.0 | NEW |
| lawn and tree service near me | — | 1.0 | NEW |
👑 = #1 position · NEW = keyword not ranking before campaign · Positions are Google Search Console averages.
AI Search Optimization
AI Search Engine Visibility
Consumers increasingly use AI-powered search tools like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Perplexity, and Claude to find local businesses. We optimized this business's digital presence so AI models accurately recommend them when users search for related services.
35.4%
AI Mention Rate
Brand appearing in over 1 in 3 AI responses
17
Brand Mentions
Across 48 total prompt runs
8
Prompts Tested
High-intent local service queries
AI Search Prompt Results
| Prompt | Brand Mentioned | Count | AI Engine |
|---|---|---|---|
| "cedar rapids tree removal" | ✗ No | 0 | claude, openai |
| "surewood tree service" | ✓ Yes | 6 | claude, openai |
| "tree removal" | ✗ No | 0 | claude, openai |
| "tree removal service" | ✗ No | 0 | claude, openai |
| "emergency tree removal" | ✓ Yes | 1 | claude, openai |
| "tree removal near me" | ✓ Yes | 1 | claude, openai |
| "tree planting service" | ✓ Yes | 1 | claude, openai |
| "tree trimming" | ✓ Yes | 2 | claude, openai |
AI engines tested: Claude, OpenAI · Results show whether the brand was recommended in AI-generated responses to these prompts.
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