Case study: how a healthcare supplier grew conversion value 98% with search, SEO and analytics
Updated: Nov 3
First published 11th October 2024. Updated 26th October 2026.
The client
The client is one of Australia's leading suppliers of medical and healthcare products, with a large share of its sales online. In early 2024 the business engaged smL to grow digital revenue while bringing acquisition costs under control.
The problem
A fragmented digital presence. Paid search, SEO and customer data were managed separately, so strong traffic was not converting as well as it should
Rising acquisition costs. Paid media inefficiencies were eroding return on ad spend
Underused organic search. Technical issues were limiting the site's ability to rank for high-intent searches
Little re-engagement. Customer data was not being used to bring buyers back
What we did
Paid search. We expanded coverage into high-intent, non-branded searches across the healthcare category, so growth came from new customers rather than people already looking for the brand. Bidding was moved to conversion-based strategies, ad copy was tested continuously around product certifications and quality and audiences were segmented for remarketing.
Technical and on-page SEO. An audit addressed site speed, mobile usability and crawlability. Page titles, content and internal linking were rebuilt around the questions buyers actually search and outreach to relevant healthcare publishers improved the site's authority.
Customer data and lifecycle. Ahead of a new website launch, we designed customer segments based on behaviour and purchase history and set up cart abandonment and post-purchase journeys to encourage repeat orders.
Results
+98% total conversion value
+33% weekly revenue from guest and registered customers
+27% conversion rate from organic search
-14% cost per acquisition in paid search
+91% new users and +95% engaged sessions
Click-through rate fell by design as spend moved from branded to broader, higher-value searches. Cost per click rose 8% as we invested in more valuable terms, while cost per acquisition fell.
Why it worked
No single channel drove the result. Paid search found new demand, SEO converted it more efficiently and customer data set up repeat revenue. Planning the three as one system, against revenue rather than channel metrics, is what moved the number.
