Case Study: Shifting into High Gear: How TDI’s Local SEO Strategy Accelerated Enrollment Across Locations

Challenge

Truck Driver Institute (TDI), a leading CDL training school with 10 locations across the United States, faced significant challenges with its local search visibility. Despite having physical campuses in multiple states, TDI struggled with low organic visibility for location-specific searches, making it difficult to attract prospective students in key markets. This issue was further exacerbated by intense competition from locally focused CDL schools that had established strong footholds in their respective areas. Additionally, TDI identified untapped potential in nearby cities where prospective students were actively searching for CDL training, but the school’s digital presence was not effectively capturing this demand. Addressing these challenges became critical to unlocking new growth opportunities and increasing enrollment across their campuses.

Insights

Our analysis of TDI’s search performance revealed several key insights:

Location-specific searches (e.g., “CDL training near Orlando”) showed high purchase intent but TDI wasn’t ranking effectively for these queries.
The existing location pages lacked comprehensive local content that would signal relevance to Google.
Potential students from smaller surrounding cities were searching for training options but not finding TDI in the results.

Solution

To address TDI’s local search visibility challenges, we implemented a comprehensive local SEO strategy focused on three key areas: on-site SEO, technical SEO, and Google Business Profile (GBP) optimization. For on-site SEO, we expanded TDI’s location-based content by creating 41 dedicated pages on their website, including 10 comprehensive main location pages with campus-specific details, local testimonials, and area-specific benefits, as well as 31 “nearby city” pages targeting prospective students in surrounding areas. We enhanced local content by incorporating unique campus features, local landmarks, driving directions, and job placement statistics while also showcasing testimonials from graduates who successfully found employment.

For technical SEO, we implemented structured data markup for each location to improve search engine understanding and visibility. Additionally, we optimized the internal linking structure to strengthen the authority of location pages, ensuring they were easily discoverable by both users and search engines.

Finally, we fully optimized Google Business Profiles for all 10 locations, ensuring consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone) information across all platforms. We also encouraged location-specific reviews from satisfied graduates, further boosting local credibility and search rankings. Together, these efforts created a robust foundation for improving TDI’s local search visibility and attracting more prospective students.

Results

Over 12 months, we delivered significant improvements across all key metrics:

Organic Traffic Growth: 67,034 sessions, an increase of 76% over the previous 12 months, 56,790 new users, an increase of 85%.
Improved Search Visibility: Average position improved from page 3 (position 27+) to page 1 for target location “CDL + location” keywords.
Conversion Rate Increase: Location pages now convert at 4.2%, above the industry standard of 2%.

Competitive Advantage: TDI now ranks above local competitors for key CDL training terms in 8 of 10 markets