The Operator's Background

We previously covered how we increased website traffic, call volume and site performance for Derrel's Mini Storage.

This time, however, we want to focus on a metric we didn't cover previously, the operator's blog performance. In a one-year time frame, we greatly increased the number of people visiting Derrel's blogs and we wanted to cover how we did that.

As a refresher, Derrel’s Mini Storage operates 60 properties throughout Central California and has future plans to expand. On average, Derrel’s properties span 12 acres, with newer properties spanning 20 – 30 acres, with as many as 2,200 storage spaces. 

California’s size and population make it a competitive market, but Derrel’s larger-than-average properties help set it apart from its competitors. 

The Derrel’s name is well known in the markets it operates in, but its web presence had been a thorn in its side. In addition to improving the company’s online metrics, we also wanted to boost their presence by introducing a content strategy that would help solidify them as local experts in the areas they operate. 

The Operator’s Goal

Their 60 years of business in Central California has made them an institution to the residents in their markets, but as a constant innovator, Derrel’s wants to ensure that they continue their legacy in the online space.

Derrel's came to us with the ultimate goal of improving their online presence, and one of the ways we did that was through a specific, localized approach to blog content.

Tenant Inc.’s Approach

We took a hyper-local approach to Derrel’s blog. We understood that self storage customers often live in the town they rent a storage space in so they’re often searching using city-specific keywords when looking for a property to rent from. 

An example for a search term a customer in one of Derrel’s markets would likely search for would be: “self storage near Fresno.”  

Taking this approach helped guide our revamp of their blog. The blogs we created were so specifically relevant to Derrel’s customers that we helped their website rank high on Google searches for valuable keywords. 

The Operator’s Results

Organic Traffic Statistics

Derrel’s blog was receiving 32 monthly visitors in April 2020. After a year of incorporating a localized content strategy focusing on cities they operated in, the Derrel’s team saw their monthly blog traffic increase by 2,131%. 

Keyword Metrics

We use keywords as one indicator of the success or failure of a content campaign. When blogs pick up traffic and start to rank well for relevant keywords, that tells us that our efforts are working.

In November 2020, Derrel’s blog had zero ranking keywords in the top 10 of search listings. In total, there were only 18 ranking keywords. 

After revamping their blog to center on hyperlocal topics, we brought the number of top 10 keyword rankings to 11. Of those 11 keywords, 5 of them ranked in the top 3. After a year of working together, Derrel’s total ranking keywords grew to 423.