Title Image: Pizza being served with the article title imposed over the image

In 2023, consumers spent approximately $41.3 billion on pizza in the quick-service restaurant (QSR) industry, making it the second-largest category after burgers. Carryout accounted for over $20 billion of these sales, emphasizing the critical role of local search and SEO in driving business to local locations.

This industry-wide shift towards digital engagement has driven innovation, particularly in integrating technology into operations and marketing. Regional differences further impact growth, making localized digital strategies essential for sustained success.

One leading national pizza chain, with more than 6,000 locations and a 22% market share, recognized the need to enhance its digital presence. With new leadership at the helm, the chain sought to transform its customer experience from online search to in-store purchase. Their goals included expanding buying intent pages, migrating to a more agile content management system (CMS), and driving measurable ROI from their digital investments.

The Need for Transformation

The pizza chain’s legacy platform was limiting its ability to keep up with customer expectations. The custom-built software used for managing its local pages and buying intent pages could only be updated by the platform services team, creating bottlenecks in implementing changes. The brand needed a solution that allowed for flexibility, scalability, and quicker execution.

Key challenges included:

  1. Outdated Local Pages and Buying Intent Pages: The existing pages were visually outdated, lacked functionality, and didn’t engage users effectively.
  2. Poor Local SEO and Search Performance: The brand’s visibility in key searches like “pizza delivery near me” was weak, driving up advertising costs.
  3. Operational Inefficiencies: Delayed updates and limited scalability hindered their ability to stay competitive.
  4. Negative Brand Perception: Outdated visuals and user experiences reduced trust and eroded loyalty.

Arc4’s Approach to Digital Transformation

Arc4 partnered with the pizza chain to overhaul its digital presence, focusing on a seamless transition to an open platform that enabled easier updates and long-term scalability. The project included:

Rebuilding Pages with a Fresh Design and Intent

  • Arc4 migrated the chain’s local and buying intent pages to a modern, custom-built software platform tailored to meet client expectations and specifications.
  • Arc4 and the brand introduced six new city-level category pages, scaling to encompass over 25,000 pages, all integrated into the primary domain. These pages help searchers find our customer by searching key phrases like “delivery near me” or “pizza takeout in [city].”
  • Arc4’s experienced design team redesigned all pages to align with the brand’s current visual identity, ensuring a cohesive customer experience across all touch points.

Driving Performance with Local SEO

  • In partnership with our client’s digital marketing team, Arc4 developed a comprehensive local SEO strategy to enhance visibility in search results and attract more organic traffic for both branded and unbranded terms.
  • Improved page load times, mobile responsiveness, and content relevancy to optimize for search engines and user engagement.

Executing a Phased Rollout

  • Conducted an experimental launch of the redesigned pages in select regions to collect user behavior data and refine the experience.
  • Rolled out the new pages nationwide after iterative improvements based on pilot testing feedback.

Prioritizing Cross-Functional Collaboration

The transition relied on consistent communication between Arc4, the client’s marketing and IT teams, and other external partners to ensure alignment on goals and milestones.

Example Mock-up of a pizza restaurant web page, using industry leading features.
This webpage is an example of the industry leading design and Local SEO optimized components introduced to the brand in the case study. The brand “Crust & Crumble”  is entirely fictionalized and not intended to represent any real brand. 

Key Benefits of the Transformation

The platform migration delivered significant benefits:

  1. Increased Traffic: The new pages drove higher visibility for both branded and unbranded search terms, reducing dependency on paid advertising. Compared to the same 3-month period the previous year, the newly launched pages produced 91% growth in page views.
  2. Enhanced User Experience: Fresh eyes on the design and technical framework resulted in a modernized, user-friendly experience. This updated experience led to a 47% increase in CTA clicks from local pages.
  3. Operational Flexibility: Built on an open platform, the solution enabled easier maintenance and updates, empowering the client’s team to make changes independently. The agile content management system (CMS) provided the flexibility to support future growth and innovation.
  4. Stand Out Locally: Our client’s digital experience was under performing. Local restaurant managers struggled to get customers in the door after online interactions. The revamped pages, backed by industry-specific best practices, drove a 20% increase in local search performance.

Lessons Learned

From the client’s perspective, the following takeaways were critical:

  • Plan for a Detailed Discovery Phase: A thorough current state analysis and joint development of the product roadmap set the project up for success.
  • Prioritize Communication: High levels of collaboration between teams ensured seamless execution.
  • Maintain Momentum: Sustained activity and engagement throughout the project were essential to meeting ambitious goals.

Conclusion

The pizza chain’s journey demonstrates the transformative power of a digital-first approach. By modernizing its local pages and adopting scalable, customer-centric tools, the brand not only improved its immediate performance but also positioned itself for sustained growth. Arc4’s expertise in creating rich, high-converting digital experiences continues to help businesses navigate complex challenges and deliver measurable results.

Want similar results for your business? Contact Us today to speak with one of our local digital experts.