DEUTZ Case Study: How A Unified Digital Strategy Improved Lead Generation
Executive Summary
DEUTZ, a global leader in diesel engine manufacturing, partnered with Papaya Search to transform its digital presence. With a comprehensive strategy that integrated SEO, SEM, and Google Business Profile (GBP) optimization, DEUTZ achieved:
- Significant growth in qualified search traffic and visibility for engine-specific content
- Thousands of new leads generated through highly targeted ad campaigns and conversion-focused pages
- High engagement across local listings, driving calls, direction requests, and site visits from nearby buyers
This full-funnel approach converted digital traffic into meaningful leads and measurable revenue.
About DEUTZ Corporation
For over 140 years, Germany-based DEUTZ has powered industries with reliable, high-performance engines. From their North American headquarters in Georgia, DEUTZ Americas operates 11 Power Centers and a nationwide network of 26 distribution partners serving customers across North America.
Jeff Wolfe, Director of Marketing at DEUTZ Corporation, joined the company over a decade ago. He brought decades of experience in marketing and international consulting. His mission: evolve DEUTZ’s digital marketing strategy to meet modern customer demands and drive growth through smarter, more sustainable outreach.
“Our number one priority is taking care of our customers. At DEUTZ, we demand a level of quality and representation of the brand. If that loyalty gets chipped away over time, we lose that business. We want everyone on our team to be an expert in care and dedication. We affect livelihoods.”
Jeff Wolfe,
Marketing Director
DEUTZ America
The Challenge
Despite a well-established brand and extensive distribution footprint, DEUTZ faced serious digital visibility issues:
- Low organic visibility that allowed seasonal attractions, like corn mazes, to outrank DEUTZ Support in local search results.
- Underperforming location pages that failed to connect users to regional Power Centers.
- Inefficient paid search campaigns with high CPCs and low conversion rates.
- A lack of inbound opportunities to support the sales team and generate leads.
- A lackluster digital marketing agency that provided extensive reports with no strategy.
Jeff knew that legacy methods—like cold sales visits—were no longer enough. It was time to build a modern search experience that brought customers to DEUTZ online, 24/7.
DEUTZ had already worked with a digital agency—but the partnership fell short. Traffic stagnated, leads were minimal, and there was little strategic follow-through. Jeff needed a partner who would take ownership and deliver results.
Strategy
Papaya Search developed a unified, data-driven search strategy across three core pillars:
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- Optimized Power Center and product pages for buyer-intent keywords
- Developed high-traffic content, including spec sheets, manuals, and dealer locator pages
- Improved technical SEO sitewide, including metadata, internal linking, and schema
Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
- Rebuilt Google Ads campaigns with regional targeting for Power Centers
- Enhanced copy, keyword targeting, and implemented conversion-focused ad extensions
- Introduced call tracking and tested landing page variants for better ROI
Google Business Profile (GBP)
- Optimized listings for all 11 Power Centers
- Implemented GBP performance tracking, including click-to-call and direction requests
- Boosted local visibility for mobile and “near me” search intent
What We Implemented
To turn strategy into results, Papaya Search:
- Resolved key technical SEO issues (broken links, missing tags, crawlability)
- Published high-converting location and product pages
- Managed 10+ regional SEM campaigns, achieving an average Quality Score of 6.25
- Set up GBP analytics and call extensions to measure local engagement
- Unified the entire search experience—from search engine to Power Center form submission
- Reporting dashboards focused on KPIs
Results
- 332% increase in lead generation
- 81,591 organic search clicks
- 7,060 Google Ads conversions
- 4,022 onsite form submissions
- 3,457 local actions (calls, direction requests, website clicks) from one GBP listing
- 1,600+ keywords ranking on page one
- Consistent lead generation through SEO, SEM, and GBP synergy
DEUTZ transformed its digital presence from passive to performance-driven, generating leads, boosting visibility, and empowering its Power Centers with inbound demand. This trusted partnership with Papaya Search began in 2019 and continues to thrive, built on shared goals, long-term growth, and measurable success.
Jeff Wolfe
Marketing Director, DEUTZ America
“Our work with Papaya Search proved essential in transforming product interest into a reliable source of revenue for DEUTZ.”
Key Takeaways
- Local SEO works. GBP optimization drove thousands of high-intent actions.
- Unified strategy outperforms siloed efforts. SEO, SEM, and GBP created a comprehensive search marketing engine.
- B2B search marketing, done right, delivers ROI. Qualified leads, reduced ad spend waste, and increased conversions.
