Case Study: Norm’s Ski & Bike Shop
5x More Traffic,
7x More Visibility.
Owning Every Season
in Southern NH
How we turned local SEO, content, and optimization into year-round visibility for a 50-year-old outdoor gear legend.
For over 50 years, Norm’s Ski & Bike Shop has been the heart of outdoor adventure in Keene, New Hampshire, helping locals gear up for every season. But while their reputation offline was rock solid, their online presence needed a boost.
growing traffic 5x and visibility
7x with a smart, localized SEO strategy.
The Client
Norm’s Ski & Bike Shop is a locally owned, trusted business in Keene, NH, specializing in bikes, skis, snowboards, and apparel for every outdoor season. Known for its expertise, customer service, and community roots, Norm’s serves both lifelong locals and weekend explorers with top-quality gear and trusted repairs.
The Challenge
Before teaming up with Freitag, Norm’s faced a few digital roadblocks:
- Unoptimized Google Business Profile (GBP): Missing information, outdated categories, and underutilized product listings limited visibility.
- Slow Website Performance: Heavy load times hurt rankings and frustrated users
- Weak Non-Branded Keyword Rankings: The site wasn’t showing up for broader search terms like “bike shop near me” or “ski shop in NH.”
- Limited Local Reach: Despite being well-known in Keene, Norm’s wasn’t capitalizing on nearby towns with growth potential.
- Underperforming Blog Content: Existing posts weren’t targeting high-intent searches or connecting with the outdoor community.
Norm’s had the legacy. They just needed the visibility to match it
What We Did
Website Optimization
We restructured the homepage and key product pages to improve rankings and speed while enhancing the customer experience. Each page now clearly communicates what Norm’s offers, and why they’re the go-to shop in Southern NH.
Internal Linking & Content Hierarchy: We improved navigation and on-page structure to help both users and search engines find (and love) what they’re looking for.
Google Business Profile Overhaul: We optimized Norm’s GBP from top to bottom, filling in missing details, updating categories, and adding seasonal products and fresh visuals. Engagement and direction requests immediately started climbing.
Local-First SEO Strategy: We went hyperlocal, optimizing for high-intent, location-based keywords and publishing blog content tailored to the local outdoor community.
By aligning SEO with what locals were actually searching for, we helped Norm’s show up everywhere outdoor enthusiasts were looking.
The Results
6-Month Growth
+75% organic traffic
(vs previous 6 months)
5x more traffic & 7x more visibility during the last bike season
+130% increase in users checking the business address from Google
+59.62% growth in impressions over the last 3 months
Local SEO Wins
50 new keywords ranking in the top #3 positions
+30 mentions in AI Overviews
Dominating local search results across Southern NH:
- #1 Ski shop Keene NH
- #1 Peterborough NH bike shop
- #1 Snowboard shop Chesterfield NH
- #1 Snowboard shop Swanzey NH
- #1 Ski shop Marlborough NH
Norm’s now ranks first in nearly every nearby town that matters, from Keene to Rindge.
The Takeaway
Norm’s Ski & Bike already had half a century of community trust. They just needed a digital strategy that worked as hard as they do.By refining their website, reenergizing their Google Business Profile, and going all in on local SEO, we helped them become the go-to destination for outdoor gear, not just in Keene, but across Southern New Hampshire. Because when you combine legacy with smart SEO, you don’t just keep up: you lead the trail.
Ready to lead in your region? Get in touch and let’s make it happen.
get in touch
Let’s start working together!
Give us a call or drop your email, and we’ll reach out to you.
(603) 352-5600 | [email protected] | 310 Marlboro St Suite 262, Keene, NH
