YMCA of the Triangle Case Study
Overview
The YMCA of the Triangle is a nonprofit organization with 22 locations serving 7 counties in North Carolina. With over 94,000 members the YMCA of the Triangle has been strengthening communities with programs, outreach, and events for over 167 years.
What They Needed
As part of their annual service agreement, the client engaged ImageX to enhance their SEO and digital marketing performance. Their goals focused on:
- Improving Local SEO: Boost visibility in organic search and drive more traffic to their Locations pages.
- Optimizing Google Grant Ads: Increase campaign effectiveness and refine local targeting for their Locations-focused ad campaigns.
How We Helped
ImageX provided strategic, ongoing monthly support across key areas of digital marketing, with a focus on enhancing the performance of the client’s Location pages. Our work concentrated on two primary areas:
Search Engine Optimization (SEO): We implemented a Local SEO strategy tailored to improve the visibility of each individual Location page. This included optimizing on-page content, enhancing metadata, improving internal linking structures, and advising on schema markup to increase local discoverability in organic search.
Google Ad Grants Optimization: Our team managed and refined Google Grant campaigns to maximize their effectiveness. We focused on improving click-through rates and conversions by enhancing ad copy, adjusting keyword targeting, and segmenting campaigns by geographic area to better reach audiences searching for services near specific locations.
By consistently monitoring performance metrics and adapting strategies, we helped the client grow local engagement, increase qualified traffic, and maximize the impact of their digital marketing investment.
Words from
the client
"They were easy to talk to and some of the smartest people we've ever worked with."
- Liz Stephenson, Director of Digital Services, YMCA of the Triangle
The Results
Our digital marketing efforts delivered strong performance improvements across both Organic Search and Google Grant Ads, driving more visibility and engagement to the client’s Location pages.
Organic Search (Jan–Feb 2025 vs. Jan–Feb 2024)
+129% increase in search impressions (1.66M vs. 722K)
+24.6% increase in organic traffic (152K vs. 122K views)
+68% increase in average engagement time
SEO implementation began in Q4 2024 and quickly showed measurable impact.
Google Grant Ads (Sep–Dec 2024 vs. Sep–Dec 2023)
+140% increase in ad clicks (12,123 vs. 5,033)
-48% decrease in ad spend ($19.3K vs. $37.3K)
By refining campaign structure and local targeting, we significantly boosted performance while cutting costs.
Net Impact
Both acquisition channels—organic search and paid ads—delivered substantial increases in traffic and engagement to the Locations pages, contributing to a stronger digital presence and improved ROI.
