Data-Driven Growth for Organic Cider Brand
I turned a small cider brand's website into their top sales channel—1050% traffic growth, record revenue, and a custom AI dashboard to talk to their data.
Project Snapshot
When I started working with Butford Organics, they were getting fewer than 10 website clicks per day. Within six months, I'd grown that by 1050%, driven record online sales, and built them a custom AI tool to understand their business data. This project showed me what's possible when you combine technical execution with strategic thinking.
The Challenge
Butford Organics makes exceptional organic cider. They're Soil Association certified, win awards, and offer farm tours. But their digital presence was hurting them.
The website was slow, not mobile-friendly, and invisible to search engines. High-value backlinks from The Guardian and The Telegraph were pointing to broken URLs. Content didn't address what customers were actually searching for.
Beyond traffic, they had no way to understand their data. Which products performed best? Which content drove sales? They were making decisions blind.
The Approach
I approached this as a full digital transformation—not just an SEO project. The goal was to build a system they could understand and maintain.
Competitive Analysis & Opportunity Mapping
I analyzed the top cider brands online and found a surprising pattern: even major competitors had confusing layouts, poor mobile experience, and weak content. This was an opportunity. I mapped out keywords, content gaps, and UX improvements that could differentiate Butford.
Website Rebuild in Next.js
I rebuilt the entire site from scratch using Next.js. Mobile-first design, optimized images in WebP format, clear navigation to shop and tour pages. The goal was speed and clarity—make it dead simple to buy cider or book a tour.
Technical SEO Foundation
I fixed every broken URL, preserving the SEO value from those Guardian and Telegraph backlinks. Implemented proper meta tags, structured data, and sitemap. Site speed hit 98/100 across all Core Web Vitals.
Content Strategy & Topical Authority
I identified informational gaps in the cider space and created a content strategy to position Butford as a thought leader. Educational articles about cider-making, organic farming, and food pairings—each optimized for specific keywords and internally linked to product pages.
Local SEO for Tour Bookings
Tours are a key revenue driver. I optimized their Google Business Profile, built consistent citations, and implemented local schema. Map pack visibility improved significantly for 'cider tours' and related terms.
Product Performance Analysis
Using GA4 and sales data, I identified which products drove the most revenue and highest margins. We focused marketing efforts on these winners, improving ROI on every piece of content and every ad pound spent.
Custom RAG Dashboard
I built a custom AI-powered dashboard using RAG (Retrieval Augmented Generation) that lets the owners query their data in plain English. Instead of digging through spreadsheets, they can ask 'What was our best-selling product last month?' and get an instant answer.
The Solution
The solution combined technical excellence with strategic insight—not just more traffic, but better understanding of what drives the business:
Product Pages Ranking
Key product and category pages now rank in the top 10 on Google for commercial intent keywords. These pages drive direct sales.
98/100 Performance Score
The new site loads fast on any device. Core Web Vitals in the green. This improves both user experience and search rankings.
Data-Informed Decisions
With the RAG dashboard, the owners can now explore their data without technical skills. They make faster, more confident decisions.
Content Driving Authority
Every blog post ranks for its target keyword. The internal linking structure powers up product pages. Topical authority compounds over time.
The Impact
The numbers speak for themselves, but the real win is sustainability—this system keeps working:
This project proved that a small business can compete online with the right strategy. It's not about budget—it's about understanding users, building a fast site, creating content that answers questions, and measuring what matters.
What I'd Do Next
- Expand the RAG dashboard with predictive inventory insights based on seasonal trends
- A/B test product page layouts to optimize add-to-cart conversion rate
- Implement automated monthly reporting delivered via email