W.M. Stone Logistics
W.M. Stone has moved freight through the port of Norfolk since 1907, but online they were invisible, ranking for zero keywords while shippers researched competitors and never found them. I rebuilt their site and SEO foundation from the ground up. They went from 0 to 108 organic ranking keywords and now pull a steady stream of enterprise inbound leads, more than 65 qualified inquiries in the last 12 months.
Results: 0 to 108 organic ranking keywords on Google since launch, plus 65+ qualified inbound leads in the last 12 months.
- Client
- W.M. Stone & Company
- Industry
- Logistics & Supply Chain
- Launched
- November 2023
- Team
- 3 developers
W.M. Stone Logistics: 0 to 108 organic ranking keywords on Google since launch, plus 65+ qualified inbound leads in the last 12 months.
The numbers that mattered most to W.M. Stone & Company, sourced from Search Console, Semrush, and analytics.
Organic ranking keywords on Google since launch
Year over year growth in search impressions
Qualified inbound leads in the last 12 months
Where they were stuck.
W.M. Stone has navigated international trade since 1907, but their digital presence did not reflect a century of expertise. Their old site ranked for zero keywords on Google and sent no organic traffic, and it gave prospects no real way to evaluate their customs brokerage, freight forwarding, or warehousing services online. In this business, shippers research providers long before they ever pick up the phone. If you are not showing up in that research, you are not on the shortlist, and W.M. Stone was losing enterprise relationships they never even knew were in play.
What we built.
I rebuilt W.M. Stone's web presence from the ground up, pairing a modern site that honors their 1907 heritage with a service page architecture engineered to rank. Every service line, from customs brokerage and ocean freight to drayage, FTZ, duty drawback, and transloading, got its own page with clean structure, schema markup, and copy written around what shippers actually search for. Their team can publish updates without an engineer, and the site connects to their internal systems so clients get real time shipment visibility. The result is a site that finally works as a sales tool instead of a brochure.
The data behind the rankings.
Took the site from zero ranking keywords to 108 organic positions on Google, including 8 top-3 rankings for high-intent terms (project cargo solutions, logistics compliance consulting, inland transportation, automated tracking) and 15 in the top 10. Search impressions grew 104% year-over-year (38.6K vs 18.9K), with US-specific impressions up 243%. The service-page architecture, structured data, and intent-matched content drove a steady pipeline of 65+ qualified inbound leads in the past 12 months, including inquiries from Newell Brands, Quaker Houghton, Fujikoki America, Associated Wholesale Grocers, and Priority1.
Keyword Growth
W.M. Stone & Company • Semrush organic positions
Top Keyword Wins
Currently ranking on Google • Source: Semrush
| Keyword | Position | Monthly Volume |
|---|---|---|
| automated tracking | #2 | 30 |
| logistics compliance consulting | #3 | 70 |
| greenhouse logistics | #3 | 40 |
| project cargo solutions | #4 | 90 |
| customs broker norfolk va | #4 | 30 |
| machinery logistics | #7 | 90 |
| domestic transportation | #8 | 170 |
| inland freight services | #8 | 50 |
| ftz compliance | #10 | 30 |
| transloading warehouse | #12 | 140 |
| transloading and warehousing services | #13 | 210 |
| renewable energy logistics | #18 | 170 |
Top non-brand commercial keywords. Pulled directly from Semrush, verifiable in Google search.
How we built it.
The technical decisions that shaped the work.
Frontend
Built with modern HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript for a responsive, accessible website. Webflow CMS provides flexible content management capabilities while maintaining high performance standards.
Content Management
Webflow CMS integration allows non-technical staff to easily update service offerings, news, and resources. Custom collections manage complex logistics data and service information.
Integrations
API and EDI integrations connect the website with W.M. Stone's internal systems for real-time shipment tracking, quote generation, and document management.
Performance
Optimized for fast loading times with lazy loading, CDN distribution, and efficient asset management. Mobile-first design ensures excellent performance on all devices.
Key features.
Every capability built into the project.
Tools & Technologies
7 technologies powering the build, end to end.
“The new website has transformed how we connect with clients in the digital age. It perfectly balances our century-old reputation with modern functionality, making it easier for customers to access our services and track their shipments.”
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