Craftsman Stairs: How a Trade Site Ranks Nationally From One Location
Craftsman Stairs designs and manufactures bespoke staircases from a single workshop, but ships and installs across multiple states. Their old site read like a purely local business — one address, one service area, no coverage story — so they were invisible for interstate searches. We rebuilt the site around a portfolio-led narrative and layered on the service-area SEO structure that lets a single-location trade rank nationally.
The Results
Illustrative outcomes reported by the client following the redesign. Figures reflect first-party observations, not independently audited metrics.
The Challenge
- The site treated the business as single-location, so it never surfaced for interstate 'timber staircase' or 'floating staircase' searches despite the company shipping nationally.
- The portfolio was a flat gallery — beautiful staircases, no context, no story about the build, no schema.
- There was no clear breakdown of staircase types (floating, curved, spine, traditional) so visitors couldn't self-navigate to what they wanted.
- The enquiry form asked for design detail most prospects couldn't provide until after a conversation — killing conversions from early-stage browsers.
The Approach
- Restructured IA around staircase types (floating, curved, spine, cantilever, traditional) — each with its own hub page targeting the head term and long-tail variants.
- Rebuilt the portfolio as case-study-style pages with materials, timeline, install location and pull quotes — richer content, better schema, better dwell time.
- Added service-area content and schema for major metros (Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, regional) with clear messaging on how national delivery and install works.
- Cut the enquiry form to essentials (staircase type, location, timeline) with an optional 'attach inspiration images' field — captures early-stage intent that used to bounce.
What We Built
Type-led IA
Dedicated hub per staircase type (floating, curved, spine, cantilever, traditional) — each a proper landing page, not a filter.
Case study portfolio
Every project written up with materials, timeline, install location — richer content, better rankings, better trust.
National service-area schema
AreaServed schema across major metros plus clear content on how national delivery/install works from one workshop.
Lightweight enquiry form
Type, location, timeline + optional inspiration attachments — captures early-stage intent.
Materials & finishes explainer
A visual guide to timber species and finishes — reduces low-quality enquiries and speeds real quotes.
Fast, image-heavy pages
Sub-2.5s LCP even on portfolio-heavy pages, via AVIF/WebP and lazy-loaded galleries.
"The site now brings interstate enquiries we never used to see — and the enquiries that do come in are much better qualified."
Key Takeaways
- A single-location trade can absolutely rank nationally — the site just has to say so, structurally and in schema.
- Type-led IA (one hub per product/service type) beats filter-only navigation for SEO every time.
- Case-study-format portfolio pages outperform flat galleries for dwell time, links and enquiry quality.
- Lightweight enquiry forms unlock early-stage intent; long forms only capture the already-decided.
Technologies Used
React
TypeScript
Tailwind CSS
SupabaseService SchemaAreaServedVite ImagetoolsFrequently Asked Questions
Can a single-location trade really rank nationally?+
Yes — provided the site structure and schema reflect the actual service area. AreaServed schema, dedicated interstate content, and clear messaging on delivery/install logistics all help. What doesn't work is stapling city names onto a purely local site.
What's better for SEO: a filter or dedicated pages per product type?+
For SEO, dedicated pages win. Each product-type hub is a landing page you can rank for its own head term and long-tail queries. Filters are UX-only — Google doesn't rank filter states.
How long does a trade website like this take?+
Craftsman Stairs shipped in about eight days. Timeline mostly depends on how much of the portfolio needs writing up as case studies versus a straight lift-and-shift.
Why cut the enquiry form down?+
Because early-stage browsers can't answer detailed design questions yet. A short form captures them, then a proper conversation surfaces the design brief. Long forms only capture prospects who've already decided — a much smaller pool.
What tech was used?+
React with TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, Supabase for enquiry data, vite-imagetools for AVIF/WebP image delivery. LocalBusiness + Service schema with AreaServed for national coverage.
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