Dessert Shop · DuPage County · Website Design + Local SEO
Local SEO Case Study: A Dessert Shop Grew Non-Brand Google Clicks From 65 to 153
This local SEO case study follows a dessert shop. It compares the same 100 summer days: May 16 to August 23 in 2025 and 2026. Non-brand Google clicks rose from 65 to 153. Source: Google Search Console for the shop website.
153
non-brand Google clicks
May 16 to Aug 23, 2026. Was 65 on the same dates in 2025.
174
non-brand first-page impressions a day
Same 100 days. Was 22 a day a year earlier.
47
of 49 local-results grid points at #1
July 1, 2026, for its main product plus its town. Top three at all 49.
9.2
Google clicks a day after the August 2026 rebuild
28-day check: August 17 to September 13. Was 8.1 on the same dates a year earlier.
Numbers current through
Non-brand clicks come from US searches that do not use the shop name.
On July 1, 2026, a 49-point grid scan checked the shop in the Google local results. It ranked #1 at 47 of 49 points for its main product plus its town, and in the top three at all 49.
By Derek B., founder of A2Z MKTG Published
See Website DesignAt a glance
- Who
- A dessert shop in downtown Naperville, IL, open since 1994. It sits on Chicago Avenue in DuPage County
- What we did
- Website Design, twice, plus the local SEO underneath it: page structure, local business schema, sitemap, Google Business Profile
- Time frame
- Working together since spring 2025. First site live August 24, 2025. Second site live August 2026
- What we measured
- Google Search Console clicks and impressions on the same 100 summer days a year apart, plus a 49-point local-results grid scan
01 The Problem
The Old Site Ranked for the Wrong Words, in the Wrong Countries
In summer 2025, its top non-brand search was the shop's main product on its own. It averaged position 48.8, on page five. It earned one click in 100 days.
This downtown dessert shop has been open since 1994. It is known for one main product, and it sells ice cream too. People who searched for it by name found it. Almost nobody else did.
From May 16 to August 23, 2025, a search for that main product alone put the site in 2,141 US search results. On average, it sat at position 48.8. It earned one click.
The old pages were generic, so they matched generic searches from anywhere. In May and June 2025, 40% of the shop's Google impressions came from outside the United States.
02 What We Did
Two Website Builds and the Local SEO Under Them, With Dates
A new site in 2025, local SEO under it, then a second rebuild in 2026 with no search loss.
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The work begins
Our Search Console data starts May 5, 2025. The new build started May 20.
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New site goes live
The page addresses changed that day. The old generic pages dropped out of Google within two weeks.
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Monthly reporting begins
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Sitemap submitted, catering pages indexed
The event-catering pages take their first Google impressions that day: 108, against 10 the day before.
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Second site goes live, built with custom code
Moved from a hosted site builder to custom code. Same page addresses, every form rebuilt.
03 The Results
Non-Brand Clicks Went From 65 to 153 on the Same 100 Summer Days
US searches, May 16 to August 23, 2025 against 2026. Non-brand first-page impressions went from 22 to 174 a day.
Figure 1
Clicks from non-brand searches
Figure 2
Non-brand first-page impressions a day
Figure 3
Rank in the Google local results at 49 points around the shop
- 47 points ranked #1
- 2 points ranked 2 to 3
Figure 4
Google clicks a day, by month, through two launches
Google clicks a day (all searches, brand included)
- Aug 2025: New site goes live on August 24. Clicks dip each winter for an ice cream shop.
- Aug 2026: Second site goes live. No search loss against the same dates a year earlier (Figure 6).
- September 2026 covers the 1st to the 13th.
Values, clicks a day: May 2025 11.8, Jun 12.6, Jul 13.9, Aug 10.3, Sep 8.0, Oct 7.8, Nov 6.8, Dec 4.6, Jan 2026 6.4, Feb 6.5, Mar 8.7, Apr 11.5, May 20.3, Jun 13.9, Jul 15.6, Aug 11.4, Sep 8.8.
The first-page footprint stepped up within two months of launch. Clicks dip each winter for an Illinois ice cream shop. They passed the old summer peak the next spring.
For US searches from June 1 to August 23, Google clicks were up 13% and impressions up 75% over the same dates a year earlier.
04 What It Ranks For
The Search Footprint Moved From Global and Vague to Local and Specific
The old top term was the shop's main product on its own, at position 48.8. A year later, a near-me search for the shop's category led at 8.1. A broader near-me search sat at 7.0, and the category plus the town at 9.1.
Figure 5
How deep the top search terms sat: average Google position, shorter is better
The country mix moved too. In May and June 2025, 40% of Google impressions came from outside the United States. Over May 16 to August 23, 2026 it was 96% United States.
The old broad pages ranked at positions 48 to 75 for searches from around the world. They stopped ranking when the new pages replaced them.
05 The Rebuild
We Rebuilt the Site a Second Time and Google Search Did Not Drop
The 28-day check covers August 17 to September 13, 2026. The site got 9.2 clicks and 345 impressions a day. It got 8.1 and 260 on the same dates a year earlier.
Figure 6
The platform-move check, year over year
9.2
Google clicks a day on the new site
Was 8.1 on the same dates a year earlier.
345
Google impressions a day on the new site
Was 260 on the same dates a year earlier.
Owners want a website redesign without losing traffic. Changing page addresses without redirects can put that traffic at risk. Redirects send visitors from an old page address to its new one.
We kept every page address. We rebuilt the homepage and all four forms. We also moved the schema and the sitemap.
Schema is code that describes the pages to search engines. The sitemap is the page list we give them.
Dessert traffic falls every September in Illinois, so we judge the move year over year. On the same dates a year apart, the new site had no search loss: 9.2 clicks a day against 8.1.
Very fast turn around along with great communication! A2Z MKTG did our Website and SEO.
06 The Numbers
Every Number on This Page, in One Table
| Metric | Before (May 16 to Aug 23, 2025) | After (May 16 to Aug 23, 2026) | Change | Source | Definition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-brand Google clicks | 65 | 153 | +135% | Google Search Console, query report, US searches | Clicks from searches that do not use the shop name. |
| Non-brand clicks, strict count | 46 | 114 | +148% | Google Search Console, query report, US searches | Non-brand clicks, with near-me and nearby searches also left out. |
| Non-brand first-page impressions a day | 22 | 174 | +694% | Google Search Console, query by date, US searches | Times a non-brand search showed the site on page one of Google, position 10 or better. |
| Google clicks a day, Jun 1 to Aug 23 | 12.1 | 13.6 | +13% | Google Search Console, daily, US searches | All Google clicks a day, brand searches included. |
| Google impressions a day, Jun 1 to Aug 23 | 250 | 438 | +75% | Google Search Console, daily, US searches | All Google impressions a day, brand searches included. |
| Top non-brand search term and its average position | The main product on its own, at 48.8 | A near-me search for the shop category, at 8.1 | page 5 to page 1 | Google Search Console, query report, US searches | The non-brand search with the most impressions in each window. |
| Share of Google impressions from the United States | 60% (May and June 2025, month by month) | 96% | see section 04 | Google Search Console, country report | The share of all Google impressions that came from the US. |
| Local-results rank for the main product plus the town | Not measured | #1 at 47 of 49 points, top three at 49 of 49 (Jul 1, 2026) | n/a | Local-finder grid scan, 7 by 7, points one mile apart | Where the shop ranks in the Google local results at 49 points across a six-mile square centered on downtown Naperville. Average rank 1.06. |
| Platform-move check: Google clicks a day, 28 days in August and September 2026 | 8.1 (same calendar days, 2025) | 9.2 | no loss | Google Search Console, daily | Google clicks a day from August 17 to September 13, each year. |
| Platform-move check: Google impressions a day in the same 28 days | 260 (same calendar days, 2025) | 345 | no loss | Google Search Console, daily | Google impressions a day from August 17 to September 13, each year. |
Want to know what your own site ranks for, and where?
07 Method
How We Measured It
Sources and definitions
- Google Search Console. Clicks, impressions and average position for the shop website.
- Local-results grid scan. The shop rank in the Google local results at 49 points, one mile apart, on July 1, 2026.
- Non-brand clicks. Clicks from US searches that do not use the shop name. The strict count also leaves out near-me and nearby searches.
- First-page impressions. Times a non-brand search showed the site at position 10 or better, which is page one.
08 What It Means for You
What This Means for a Local Shop Owner
A site that reads as a local business, plus the search work under it, changes what Google shows you for.
We built this site twice. Each build included clear page groups, code to describe the business and a page list for Google. That work is part of our website design service. We also matched the shop's Google Business Profile to the site.
For search work after launch, our local SEO service is part of the Organic Growth plan.
Rank for what people near you type: the old top term here was the shop's main product, at 48.8. A year later, the top term was a near-me search for its category, at 8.1. Local SEO for a shop like this is a Google map pack ranking game first: the profile, the site and the schema have to agree.
We help local shops get found. See our dessert shop marketing and restaurant marketing work in Naperville. For a trades example, see our website design case study for a landscaper.
Website Design
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Basic $700 (website only), Starter $1,500 to $3,500, Standard $3,500 to $5,500, Premium $5,500 to $9,500. Local SEO after launch: the Organic Growth plan, a flat $1,000 a month.
The free marketing audit shows what your site ranks for.
09 Questions
Local SEO Case Study Questions: Website Rebuilds and the Map Pack
Can I redesign my website without losing SEO?
A rebuild does not have to cost you search traffic. This dessert shop moved to a new site built with custom code in August 2026, and we kept every page address. From August 17 to September 13, 2026, it got 9.2 Google clicks and 345 impressions a day. On the same dates a year earlier, it got 8.1 and 260.
How long does it take to rank in the Google map pack?
It depends on the search term. Our first site for this shop went live on August 24, 2025. Within two months, it showed on page one of regular Google results more often. On July 1, 2026, it ranked number 1 at 47 of 49 grid points in the Google local results for its main product plus its town.
How does a dessert shop rank in the Google map pack?
Start with a complete Google Business Profile and a website that says what you sell and where. Link their details with local business schema, code that describes the business to search engines. On July 1, 2026, this shop ranked number 1 at 47 of 49 grid points in the Google local results for its main product plus its town. It was in the top three at all 49.
Does a dessert shop need a website or a Google Business Profile first?
Both, and they have to agree. The profile puts you in the map pack: about 48% of the non-brand impressions for this shop in summer 2026 were near-me searches. The website took 153 clicks from non-brand searches in those 100 days, against 65 a year earlier.
What is a non-brand click?
A non-brand click comes from a search that does not use the business name, such as a near-me search for the shop category. Our dessert shop client went from 65 to 153 non-brand clicks on the same 100 summer days a year apart. We compare the same dates each year because search demand changes with the season.