Client Overview
Metrodata Services is a leading background screening and workforce compliance company headquartered in Buffalo, New York. While the company has built strong visibility and brand recognition in the Buffalo market, leadership wanted to expand their digital reach into surrounding suburbs, nearby cities, key markets across New York State, and select out-of-state territories, all without opening additional physical offices.
The challenge?
How do you become visible in markets where you don’t physically exist while continuing to dominate your core market?
That’s where BARQAR Marketing came in.
The Goal
Metrodata Services had a clear objective:
Expand visibility, engagement, and website traffic beyond Buffalo into surrounding towns, suburban communities, strategic New York markets, and new geographic territories, while continuing to maintain strong rankings in their core market.
The company wanted to:
- Maintain strong visibility in Buffalo, NY
- Expand awareness in surrounding suburbs and Western New York communities
- Improve discoverability in major New York markets such as Albany, Rochester, Syracuse, and beyond
- Increase visibility in areas where clients operated or had expansion opportunities
- Strengthen visibility not only in traditional Google search, but also in emerging AI-powered search experiences
Most importantly, Metrodata wanted to accomplish all of this while operating from a single office location.
The SEO, AIO and GEO Strategy
BARQAR Marketing developed a highly targeted Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) strategy designed to improve both traditional search visibility and discoverability inside AI-powered search experiences such as Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and other large language models.
Instead of taking a broad, generic approach to content, we focused on geographic intent and market expansion.
1. Strategic City & Location Content
We developed highly structured, SEO-optimized content focused on the towns, suburbs, cities, and geographic regions Metrodata wanted to reach.
This included:
- Targeted city and regional landing pages
- Location-specific keyword strategies
- Geographic search intent optimization
- Market-based service content tailored to employers in target regions
- Supporting content around local workforce compliance and background screening needs
Rather than relying solely on a “Buffalo” footprint, we helped Metrodata become digitally visible in the places they wanted to grow.
2. GEO Optimization for AI Search
Search is changing.
Today, businesses are increasingly discovered through AI-generated recommendations, summaries, and search overviews.
BARQAR optimized Metrodata’s content for Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), ensuring content was structured to increase visibility not just in traditional search rankings, but also in AI-powered search experiences.
This included:
- Structuring content for answer-based search
- Improving semantic relevance and topical authority
- Expanding location-based entity signals
- Building trust through expertise-driven content
- Creating content designed to surface in AI summaries and recommendation engines
The goal was simple:
Help Metrodata become the recommended provider, not just another website in search results.
3. Authority-Building Content
To support broader visibility, BARQAR also created educational and high-authority content designed to strengthen Metrodata’s expertise across multiple markets.
This included:
- “Best of” and comparison-style content
- Educational resources around background screening and compliance
- Market-specific employer content
- Content clusters designed to strengthen regional authority
- Supporting SEO content that reinforced local and statewide visibility
The result was a stronger digital footprint that extended far beyond Buffalo.
The Results
The results exceeded expectations.
Not only did Metrodata maintain strong visibility in Buffalo, they also significantly expanded traffic in surrounding towns, suburbs, key New York markets, and even out-of-state locations. (Get a free audit and recommendations for your business today)
Additional market growth included:
- North Tonawanda: +44.44%
- Lancaster: +37.93%
- Batavia: +42.11%
- Spencerport: +42.86%
- Auburn: +60%
- Victor: +200%
- Corning: +250%
- Elma: +300%
- Dunkirk: +250%
- Saratoga Springs: +40%
- Ithaca: +40%
- Newark, NJ: +15.38%
- Jersey City, NJ: +28.57%
- Pittsburgh, PA: +7.69%
What These Results Mean
For Metrodata, this wasn’t simply more website traffic.
It meant:
- Greater visibility in markets they wanted to penetrate
- Increased brand awareness outside Buffalo
- Stronger discoverability in high-value geographic territories
- Improved visibility with employers across New York State and beyond
- Growth without needing multiple office locations
In short: Metrodata successfully expanded its digital footprint while continuing to dominate its home market.
Want Similar Results for Your Business?
If your company is struggling to grow beyond its immediate geography, relying too heavily on referrals, or getting outranked in key markets, it may be time to rethink your digital strategy.
BARQAR Marketing offers a free visibility audit designed to uncover where your company is losing opportunities in Google search, AI search, and local market visibility.
During Your Free Audit, We’ll Identify:
✓ Where competitors are outranking you
✓ How visible you are in Google AI Overviews and ChatGPT
✓ Missed geographic opportunities in nearby markets
✓ Keyword gaps limiting growth
✓ Local SEO weaknesses holding back visibility
✓ Opportunities for GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)
✓ Content gaps impacting rankings and lead generation
✓ Technical SEO issues hurting discoverability
✓ Quick-win opportunities for traffic growth
✓ A roadmap to expand visibility without opening new locations
Whether you want to dominate locally or expand regionally like Metrodata Services, BARQAR can help you build a strategy that gets your business found.
Schedule your free visibility audit today and see what opportunities you’re missing.
