Organic traffic growth for a car rental business in the Balearics

Keyword growth
150
%

The number of indexed keywords grew by 900%

Keywords in Top 3
+
0

The site reached over 300 keywords in the Top 3 on national and international searches

Booking increase
+
0
%

A 350% increase in bookings thanks to improved user experience and traffic.

In late 2018, the Gecko Studio team took on responsibility for optimising the SEO of a local business specialising in car rental in a well-known Balearic location — one of Spain's most competitive tourism destinations. The business faced a major challenge: its site's organic traffic had been in continuous decline, which directly impacted bookings and the business's online visibility against its competitors.

The project's main goal was to recover lost organic traffic and, more importantly, attract qualified users — people with real intent to rent a car in the region. To achieve that, we designed a tailored strategy built on our experience with local SEO projects and technical optimisation for tourism sites, areas you can read more about in our SEO strategies for local businesses section.

In this case, competition was fierce, with multiple local companies and large corporations dominating the top positions for key search terms. From day one it was essential to focus on a locally-oriented SEO strategy, as we explain in our guide to geo-targeted SEO.

On top of that, the business's high season (spring-summer) demanded quick, measurable results that could position the site as a relevant option for both national and international tourists. This case is a perfect example of how SEO optimisation can become an engine for growth in highly competitive sectors like Balearic tourism.

2. Challenges identified

Before starting the optimisations, we ran a thorough SEO audit of the Balearic car rental business's website. That let us spot the main problems holding back its performance that we needed to solve to hit the goals. Here are the key challenges we faced:

2.1. Intense competition in the Balearic tourism sector

The Balearic tourism industry is one of Spain's most competitive markets, especially in car rental. Big global platforms and well-established local companies held the top positions in search engines, monopolising main keywords like "car rental in [location]" and "cheap rental cars in [location]". That left the business at a disadvantage compared with its competitors.

To compete in this scenario, we needed a solid local SEO strategy, focused on lower-volume but high-purchase-intent search terms, which would let us capture a more qualified audience. You can find more on how we approach these strategies on our page about local SEO.

2.2. Technical issues on the website

The technical audit revealed multiple shortcomings directly affecting indexation and user experience:

• Slow load speed: the site wasn't optimised for mobile, which is crucial given that over 70% of searches related to tourism and car rental come from mobile devices.
• Inefficient URL structure: many URLs didn't follow a clear hierarchy, making navigation difficult for both users and Google bots.
• Indexation errors: several key pages weren't indexed properly, losing opportunities to appear in search results.

Our experience solving these problems is documented in our section on technical SEO optimisation.

2.3. Outdated, generic content

The site's content wasn't optimised to respond to specific user searches:

• Service descriptions were generic and didn't include relevant keywords like "car rental for tourists" or "best car rental prices in [location]".
• There was no blog or informational resources to attract organic traffic with evergreen content, like tourist guides or tips on driving in the region.
• Destination pages didn't highlight competitive advantages like affordable prices, strategic locations or additional services (for example, car rental with insurance included).

Strategic content can make a huge difference in these cases, as we explain in our guide on SEO-optimised content marketing.

2.4. No quality backlinks

The site had no inbound links from relevant pages, which negatively affected its domain authority. Without a backlink strategy, it was hard to compete with companies that had mentions on travel blogs, tourism directories and specialist media.

To strengthen domain authority, we planned to implement a link building strategy based on tourism site collaborations, as detailed in our section on backlink strategies.

3. Solutions implemented

After identifying the main challenges, we designed and implemented a strategic plan built on advanced local SEO techniques, technical optimisation and content marketing. Each action focused on breaking through the barriers we spotted and positioning the car rental business as a preferred choice for tourists in the Balearic location.

3.1. SEO audit and technical diagnosis

We started with a comprehensive site audit to prioritise critical areas for improvement:

• Technical issues fixed: we solved indexation errors by implementing an optimised sitemap file and fixing misconfigured redirects.
• Load speed optimised: we used tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to identify elements slowing the site down. We implemented improvements like:
  • Reducing image size via optimised web formats.
  • Enabling GZIP compression.
  • Implementing a caching system.
• Mobile device adaptation: we redesigned the site to guarantee a smooth browsing experience, as you can read in our guide on responsive design.

3.2. Content restructuring

The site's content was restructured and enriched to improve its relevance and attract qualified traffic:

1. Main page optimisation:
   • We wrote titles and meta descriptions using local keywords like "cheap car rental in [location]" and "rental cars in [location] for tourists".
   • We included clear sections highlighting benefits like competitive prices, immediate availability and insurance included.
2. Evergreen content creation:
   • We designed a blog with articles like "Tips for driving in [location]" and "Top driving routes to explore the island".
   • This content not only attracts steady visits — it also positions the site as a reference for tourists interested in renting cars.
3. Local landing pages: we created specific pages for key island areas, like "Car rental in [specific city]", with information adapted to each region's user needs.

Find out more about how we develop content strategies in our content marketing section.

3.3. Local keyword strategy

We developed a specific approach based on high-purchase-intent keywords:

• We ran keyword analysis using tools like Ahrefs and Google Keyword Planner.
• We prioritised search terms with lower volume but high intent.
• We integrated these keywords into main pages and new blog content.

For more on how we select effective keywords, visit our guide on technical SEO strategies.

3.4. Generating relevant backlinks

A solid link building strategy was key to increasing site authority:

1. Travel blog collaborations: we published guest articles on portals specialising in tourism, linking back to the site's key pages.
2. Local directories and tourist guides: we listed the business in trusted directories related to Balearic tourism.
3. Digital PR: we designed a campaign to appear in articles on "how to get around the Balearics", earning mentions and links in local media.

You can read more about how we work on backlinks on our page on SEO optimisation strategies.

3.5. Ongoing monitoring and optimisation

We ran monthly performance tracking using tools like Google Analytics and Ahrefs:

• Traffic analysis: we monitored organic traffic growth and changes in ranking keywords.
• Real-time adjustments: based on the data, we adapted content and link building strategies to maintain steady growth.

Got a project in mind?
The Gecko Studio team is here to help!

Contact us

4. Results achieved

The combination of technical, content and local SEO strategies not only got past the initial challenges but also drove the Balearic car rental business's performance to historic levels. Here are the most notable results achieved between late 2018 and early 2020, based on Ahrefs data and other analytics tools:

4.1. Organic traffic growth

• Significant organic traffic growth:
  Organic traffic grew by more than 300% compared with the baseline recorded in summer 2018, reaching historic peaks during peak tourism season. This is clearly reflected in the Ahrefs chart, which shows a sustained rise after the improvements were implemented.

• Stability in low seasons:
  Unlike previous years, organic traffic held steady even in months of lower tourist activity, thanks to the evergreen content that kept attracting visitors.

For more on how we achieved these results, you can read our guide on SEO optimisation.

4.2. Visibility on key keywords

• Top 3 Google appearances:
  The site's main pages started ranking in the Top 3 for high-intent keywords.
• Increase in ranking keywords:
  The site went from ranking fewer than 50 keywords in 2018 to more than 500 terms in 2020, significantly expanding its reach in organic search.

Discover how we work on keyword ranking on our technical SEO page.

4.3. Increased online enquiries and bookings

• More qualified enquiries:
  Thanks to the focus on local keywords, the site started receiving more relevant enquiries, from users directly interested in renting cars in the Balearics.
• Higher conversion rate:
  User experience (UX) optimisations and specific landing pages generated a 350% increase in bookings made through the website.

Explore more of our conversion strategies in our section on web design optimisation.

4.4. Improved user experience

• Reduced bounce rate:
  Responsive design and improved load speed cut bounce rate by 25%, delivering a smoother, more engaging browsing experience.
• Longer time on site:
  Users spent more time exploring the content, with a 30% increase in average session duration.

4.5. Domain authority and backlinks

• Higher domain authority:
  Earning quality backlinks helped improve the site's DR (Domain Rating) on Ahrefs, boosting its credibility with search engines.
• New collaborations with relevant sites:
  The link building strategy secured mentions in tourism blogs, local guides and specialist travel media.

5. Key success factors

This project's success came from a combination of tailored strategies, constant analysis and disciplined execution. Here are the key factors that made the difference in recovering and growing organic traffic for this car rental business in the Balearics.

5.1. Focus on local SEO

Implementing a solid local SEO strategy was the fundamental pillar for attracting users with clear intent to rent cars in the region. This approach let us rank the site on specific high-value searches.

Our specialisation in local SEO, described here, let us adapt every action to the market's specifics and local searches.

5.2. Technical optimisation

Fixing technical errors was essential for improving site accessibility for search engines and users. The main improvements included:

• Site load speed optimisation.
• Mobile-first responsive design, crucial given that over 70% of Balearic tourism-related searches come from mobile devices.
• Improved URL structure, making navigation and indexing easier.

You can learn more about these techniques in our guide on technical SEO audits.

5.3. Relevant, strategic content

The content we created not only attracted organic traffic but also engaged the target audience. The keys were:

• Local landing pages: each Balearic location had specific pages optimised for related searches, like "car rental in [location]".
• Evergreen content: blog articles like "Tips for driving in the Balearics" or "The best driving routes for tourists" generated steady visits and reinforced the site's authority as a reliable information source.

See how we design effective content strategies on our content marketing page.

5.4. High-quality link building

The site's authority increased significantly thanks to a targeted link building strategy, which included:

• Collaborations with tourism blogs and local directories.
• Mentions in relevant digital media, strengthening the site's backlink profile.

5.5. Ongoing monitoring and adaptation

Continuous tracking of performance metrics was key for adjusting the strategy in real time. We used tools like Google Analytics and Ahrefs to:

• Identify improvement opportunities.
• Prioritise actions with immediate visibility and traffic impact.

Our monitoring methodology, explained in our SEO optimisation section, let us maintain steady, competitive growth.