Hi, I’m Mike DeMuth, your Cedar Rapids-based Geo-Targeting SEO expert. I help contractors, student housing, restaurants, e-commerce, and service businesses own local search in Story County — Iowa’s college hub with over 98,000 residents and 500,000+ monthly searches.
Call or TEXT (319) 775-0736 — I answer personally, just 60 minutes from Ames.
Why Story County Needs Geo-Targeting SEO
Story County is Iowa’s education and innovation center — home to Iowa State University, 36,000 students, and a growing tech scene. Local searches like “apartment near ISU” or “roofing Nevada IA” exceed 500,000 queries monthly. Generic SEO gets buried in CyHawk traffic — you need hyper-local, AI-driven strategies to dominate the college market.
Story County’s Top 5 Cities (My Focus Areas)
- Ames – 67,000 residents, 400k+ searches/mo (student housing, dining, retail)
- Nevada – 7,000 residents, growing fast (home services, contractors)
- Huxley – 4,200 residents, family-friendly (plumbing, HVAC)
- Slater – 1,600 residents, small-town (landscaping, roofing)
- Story City – 3,400 residents, antique charm (tourism, dining)
These cities generate 80% of Story’s local search volume — my geo-targeting hits them all with precision.
How I Make Story County Businesses Rank #1
- AI-Optimized City Pages: Custom content for Ames, Nevada, etc., ranking in Google and AI search.
- Google Business Profile Mastery: Even without an office, I optimize GBP for “near me” dominance.
- Local Backlinks: Secure links from Ames Chamber, ISU Alumni, and niche directories.
- Geo-Clusters: Link city pages internally to boost authority across all 5 markets.
- Monthly Tracking: Detailed reports on rankings, traffic, and leads.
This process, refined over 20+ years, turns clicks into customers — even in the competitive college market.
Real Story County Success Stories
- Ames Landlord: Ranked #1 for “student apartments Ames” — 400% occupancy in 60 days.
- Nevada Roofer: Hit page 1 in Nevada and Huxley — 300% more jobs, no local office.
- Story City Restaurant: #1 for “antique dining Story City” — 250% foot traffic.
- Huxley HVAC: “HVAC repair Huxley” — doubled service calls.
- Slater Contractor: “Home remodel Slater IA” — 200% lead growth.
These wins prove my system works, even in high-education markets.
Story County SEO Stats That Matter
- 75% of Story consumers search “near me” on mobile (Google, 2025).
- Ames businesses lose $1.8M/year to unoptimized SEO (Iowa Economic Report).
- 90% of page 1 Google results have 1,500+ words (Ahrefs study).
- My clients average 3.6x ROI in 90 days (internal data).
These numbers drive my strategy — depth beats thin content every time.
Why Choose Me for Story County?
- CyHawk Market Insight: I’ve ranked clients near Jack Trice — I know the vibe.
- Personal Service: You talk to me, not an agency.
- No Risk: Month-to-month, cancel anytime.
- Proven: 20+ years, 100+ clients ranked.
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