Wildside Wildlife Removal
From Two Keywords to 1,700: Rebuilding a Wildlife Removal Business From the Website Up
Client Overview
Wildside Wildlife Removal provides humane removal of rats, skunks, birds, bats and other wildlife from residential and commercial properties. It is an urgent-need service — when someone has an animal in their attic, they search, they call, and they book the first company that looks credible. The entire business depends on being findable at the exact moment the problem starts.
Wildside joined Merged Media in 2019 with an outdated website, no SEO plan, and a cheap Google Ads program running through a large corporate directory company. Merged Media took over all digital marketing — starting with a brand new website.
The Challenge
The existing setup was not underperforming so much as structurally incapable of performing. The website could not support an SEO program, the ads were not tracking conversions, and the site ranked for nothing at all.
Their goal for the engagement was simple: find people looking to remove wildlife from their property. The problem was that nothing in the existing setup could deliver those people.
The competitive picture made it harder. Competitor research showed the main competition was a large franchise targeting locations right across Canada — a national operator with national resources bidding on the same local searches.
Core Problems
- The website was extremely limited in information and did not convert leads
- Google Ads were not tracking conversions and were not being optimized correctly
- SEO was non-existent — the site ranked for zero keywords at the start of the engagement
- The site was old and outdated, and could not have supported an SEO program
- The main competitor was a large franchise targeting locations across Canada
SEO is not about jumping into a monthly retainer and making small changes. If the foundation cannot support the program, the program does not work.
The Solution
Merged Media treated this as a structural problem rather than a content problem. Before a single keyword was targeted, the site itself had to be capable of ranking — and the architecture had to tell Google exactly what this business does and where it does it.
Start With the Website, Not the Retainer
The first honest assessment was that the campaign would not work on the existing site. It did not offer enough information, it did not convert leads, and it would not have supported an SEO program even if one had been layered on top. A new website came first.
Build the Sitemap Before the Content
The first real deliverable was a sitemap — location pages covering every area Wildside serves, and a dedicated service page for every single service they offer, rather than one page trying to carry all of it.
Build a Topical Map Around “Wildlife Removal”
With services targeting different animals, the keyword and sitemap strategy was designed so every service page — rats, skunks, birds and more — linked back to the main wildlife removal page. Build it that way and Google understands the business far better, which makes ranking for the core topic substantially easier once the monthly work begins.
Scope the Competitor Honestly
Rather than fight a national franchise everywhere it operates, the plan targeted the smaller set of service areas Wildside actually covers. Winnable ground beats visible ground.
Blog Into the Structure, Not Beside It
A blog was created with highly relevant topics linking back to the relevant service pages, because Google rewards topical relevance. Every topic was:
- Highly relevant to the services Wildside actually offers
- Linked back to the matching service page
- Built to reinforce the main wildlife removal topic
- Written to be useful to someone dealing with the problem right now
Results & Impact
Between July 2019 and July 2022:
925% traffic increase — organic users grew from 112 to 1,148, with new users up 976.92% (104 to 1,120).
55% conversion rate increase.
Ranked for 2 keywords in July 2019. As of July 6th 2022, ranking for 1,700 keywords.
What This Means:
Wildside went from effectively invisible to holding organic visibility across the full range of wildlife removal searches in their service areas — against a national franchise. Two keywords to 1,700 over three years is the shape of an SEO program built on structure rather than shortcuts.
Client Testimonial
“I have been working with Merged Media since I started my business 2 and a half years ago. They have helped me with everything from web design to generating many many leads for me through their marketing/advertising services. Wayne, Jason, David and the rest of their team are a great group that I would highly recommend! Thanks Merged Media!”
— Liam Donnell, Wildside Wildlife Removal
Why It Worked
The Website Was the Foundation, Not a Line Item
The original site could not have supported an SEO program. Rebuilding it first is the only reason everything after it landed.
Structure Did the Heavy Lifting
A service page per animal, a location page per area, and internal links pointing back to the main wildlife removal page gave Google a clear model of the business.
Urgent-Need Search Behaviour
Wildlife removal is searched at the moment of the problem. Ranking for the specific animal — not just the category — puts you in front of the person who needs you right now.
Strategy Sized to the Client
Competing with a national franchise everywhere would have been expensive and futile. Competing in the areas Wildside actually serves was winnable.
Compounding, Not Spiking
Keyword growth built steadily from 2019 through 2022 rather than jumping and falling back — the signature of structural SEO rather than short-term tactics.
Key Metrics:
- 925% traffic increase (112 to 1,148 organic users)
- 976.92% increase in new users (104 to 1,120)
- 55% conversion rate increase
- From 2 ranking keywords to 1,700 in three years
Working with Merged Media
Contact Merged Media today to start your journey toward business growth and success:
Wildside Wildlife Removal’s results reflect a simple truth: you cannot optimise your way out of a website that was never built to rank. Fix the foundation, build the topical structure, and the monthly work compounds instead of treading water.
Phone: +1 866-798-7954
Email: info@merged.ca
Services in this case study: website design and local SEO for wildlife removal and home services businesses.
