AI Citation Breakthrough: 120% More Leads for Guerilla Steel

Think you need a full eCommerce site to appear in Google’s AI Overviews or Product features?

Many small business owners believe ranking in Google is all about shopping carts and product listings. But here’s the truth: with the right strategy, you can dominate AI search, appear in Google’s product results, and grow your business, without a single “Add to Cart” button.

In this case study, we’ll show you how we, Brighter Websites, helped Guerrilla Steel, a steel fabrication business in Ballarat, rank for over 124 new keywords, explode their impressions by 1,000%, and capture product-related visibility in AI Overviews, all without an eCommerce platform.

Let’s break it down.

Why Google’s AI Overviews & Product Features Matter

Google’s evolving search engine is no longer just about traditional links. Two powerful tools are reshaping how users discover products and services:

1. AI Overviews (Search Generative Experience)

Google now generates AI-powered summaries to answer user queries, pulling information from trusted sources. Businesses with expert content, helpful formatting, and strong technical SEO are more likely to appear.

2. Google Product Features

Even if you don’t sell online, you can appear in Google’s product-related results using Google Merchant Centre and Product schema markup. Structured data helps Google recognise your offering and showcase key details like product types, specs, and availability.

Brighter Websites used both to Guerrilla Steel’s advantage.

The Guerrilla Steel Strategy: 28 Days, 7-Step Game Plan

Here’s exactly how we made it happen.

1. Structured Data Without eCommerce

We connected Guerrilla Steel to Google Merchant Center, even without a checkout function. By implementing Product schema on key pages (like their “Steel Brackets” and “Custom Fabrication” pages), we enabled Google to display product-style snippets in search.

Next step: We’re integrating Stripe “Buy Now” buttons for instant lead conversion—no bulky online store required.

2. Deep, AI-Optimised Blog Articles

To support AI Overviews, we created in-depth content that answered real customer questions:

• Product comparisons
• “How to choose the right bracket” articles
• Project-based FAQs
• Descriptive, step-by-step guides

These were designed to match how people ask questions in search—and how Google’s AI summarises responses.

3. Custom Competitor & Customer LLM Strategy

We used Google’s own Large Language Model tools to develop a custom model built from Guerrilla Steel’s top 3 competitors and audience insights. By analysing over 300 data points from competitor websites, industry blogs, and niche publications, we were able to:

• Pinpoint content gaps in the market
• Identify marketing and product positioning strengths
• Understand what customers were really searching for

This gave us a data-driven advantage in tailoring our content, products, and strategy for Guerrilla Steel’s audience.

4. Visual Content: Reimagined with AI

We went beyond stock photos:

• Used AI to upscale and reprocess images
• Built a custom AI model of Guerrilla Steel’s products
• Created unique 3D-style renders and illustrations for blog images
• Corrected image sizes and file types for SEO and loading speed

This boosted content uniqueness and helped pages stand out in both search and social.

5. Google My Business & Social Media Blitz

We optimised every element of their GMB (Google Business Profile)—descriptions, services, Q&A, and new photo uploads.

Then, we launched a high-frequency social campaign:

• 2–4 posts daily across Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn
• Launched Pinterest and Twitter for creative content testing
• Shared project case studies, product explainers, and helpful tips

This pushed authority, engagement, and visibility—especially in image-heavy and local search results.

6. Meta Tag Overhaul = 50% CTR Boost

We rewrote meta titles and descriptions across the site, ensuring every page:

• Had clear intent and keywords
• Highlighted product benefits
• Encouraged clicks with strong CTAs

The result? Click-through rate jumped 50% in just a week.

7. Tracking & Testing with AI Tools

We upgraded Guerrilla Steel’s Google Analytics with custom events tracking, allowing us to measure scroll depth, link clicks, button interactions, and page views by device. Automatiing the process with a custom php snippet – all we need to do then is add a css selector to the button, form or div and it automatically applys all the analytics event data tags we need.

We also used tools like:

• NeuronWriter for traditional SEO optimisation
• AI image tools for visuals
• SEO tracking platforms to monitor rankings and visibility in AI Overviews

Early Wins & Ongoing Momentum

In the first week, Guerrilla Steel saw:

• 124 new keyword rankings
• 90% increase in impressions over the previous 90 days (8.9K total)
• 1% to 2.5% – 50% boost in click-through rates
• Product & Image snippets appearing in Google search
• Articles and Pages featured in AI Overviews
• Mentions in ChatGPT, Perplexity and CoPilot AI Search

Not bad for 28 Days and a site with no online checkout.

Why This Matters for Small Business Owners

You don’t need an e-commerce platform to rank in Google.

You need:

• Structured product data
• Expert, search-optimised content
• Smart image optimisation, and quality image
• Strong local SEO
• AI tools to scale, track, and improve

Whether you’re in Ballarat, Brisbane or regional Australia, AI SEO is your friend, not your enemy.

In just 28 days, Brighter Websites implemented a targeted AI-First SEO and content schema strategy for Guerilla Steel, bypassing traditional SEO timelines. This resulted in the client achieving a prominent AI Citation in Google’s Overviews, which validated their expertise and drove a staggering 120% increase in organic search and social leads. This case study proves the Faster-than-expected ROI of an authority-first, conversion-focused website strategy.

Ready to Get Seen by Google’s AI?

At Brighter Websites, we help businesses like yours:

• Appear in Local Search and AI Overviews
• Get featured in Google product panels
• Dominate search without complex eCommerce setups

💡Tip: Want similar results? Explore our Website-in-a-Day package, or book a free SEO consult with Vanessa.