Lavender's Cornish Pasties: Baking a National Sensation with Precision SEO & Email/SMS
Lavender's Cornish Pasties, hand-crimped at a family bakery in Penzance since 1976, were a beloved local treasure,
Yet online, they were hidden from the UK’s wider appetite.
When we stepped in, their site saw just 300 organic visits and 80 orders per month.
In a matter of weeks, search sessions jumped to 1,000, and today they enjoy 2,700+ organic visits, 5,000+ total sessions, and a six-figure revenue engine.
By seizing control of their SEO, PPC, email, and SMS channels, we turned a regional bakehouse into the UK’s dominant “pasties by post” store.
Here’s how we did it and why every e-commerce owner should take note.
1. Starting from Scratch: The Initial Hurdles
Before our collaboration, Lavenders faced multiple roadblocks:
Organic search traction: just 300 visits/month
Total website sessions: ~450/month
Slow page loads (up to 3.4 s) and bulky code
No Google Business profile or local citations
Dispersed, unfocused on-page content
No structured email or SMS outreach
Domain Authority: 4/100 with 30 referring domains
Their product was exceptional, but their digital foundation was crumbling.
Our mission: build a high-performance engine to deliver pasties nationwide, without compromising the brand’s heritage.
2. The Six-Point Recipe for Growth
We deployed an integrated six-pillar strategy that tackled every stage of the customer journey:
Technical & On-Site Revamp
Content Overhaul & Expansion
Local Listing & Google Profile
High-Impact Link Building
Email Marketing Mastery
SMS Campaigns & Retention Flows
Each pillar reinforced the others, creating a cohesive growth machine.
2.1 Technical & On-Site Revamp
Performance Boost: Stripped unused scripts, enabled lazy loading, and converted images to WebP, cutting load times by 70%.
Mobile Focus: Redesigned navigation and checkout for seamless smartphone purchases.
Page Enhancements: Optimised 117 product pages and 13 collection pages with clear calls-to-action and structured headings.
2.2 Content Overhaul & Expansion
Heritage-First Copy: Rewrote product descriptions to lead with family-recipe storytelling and PGI authenticity.
Blog Series: Answered top customer queries “Can I reheat pasties in an air fryer?” and “Cornish pasty nutrition info”, boosting average session duration by 65%.
FAQs & Guides: Added downloadable “Pasty Care” and shipping tips to pre-empt questions and reduce support tickets.
2.3 Local Listing & Google Profile
Business Profile Launch: Created and verified Lavenders’ Google Business listing after successful appeals.
Citation Roll-Out: Built consistent Name-Address-Phone (NAP) entries across 25+ directories to strengthen local signals.
Review Push: Automated email prompts to encourage fresh customer reviews, lifting average star ratings and local trust.
2.4 High-Impact Link Building
Toxic Cleanup: Disavowed 120+ harmful backlinks, dragging search visibility down.
Manual Outreach: Scraped and vetted 3,000+ prospects, sent 600+ outreach emails, and secured 120+ authoritative backlinks from regional food blogs, tour sites, and artisan directories.
Authority Uplift: Domain Authority rose from 4 to 11, with 121 referring domains.
Even securing press with Cornwall Live in a solid article claiming the best pasty in Cornwall slot!
2.5 Email Marketing Mastery
Broadcast Campaigns: Weekly newsletters generating £5K+ in revenue per send, with open rates at 38% and click-throughs at 8%.
Segmentation & Personalisation: Custom flows for new customers, VIP buyers, and cart abandoners, fueling repeat purchases.
Seasonal Sells: Valentine’s Day heart-shaped pasties, festive bundles, and spring specials that consistently sold out.
2.6 SMS Campaigns & Retention Flows
High-Impact Blasts: Targeted SMS sends driving £1K+ per message with an 18% click-through rate.
Automated Workflows: Drip sequences for first-time and repeat buyers that add £3–5K/month in incremental revenue.
Loyalty Nudges: Post-purchase re-order prompts and exclusive offers to maximise lifetime value.
3. Month-by-Month Execution
Month 1
Audit & Planning
Technical SEO audit, backlink cleanup, SMS setup.
Months 2–3
Site Overhaul
Site relaunch, content refresh, Google profile live.
Months 4–6
Outreach & Content Launch
Link building, blog roll-out, citation roll-out.
Months 7–9
Campaign Deployment
Email broadcasts, SMS blasts, CRO testing.
Months 10–12
Optimisation & Scale
Segmentation tweaks, ongoing SEO, and PPC adjustments.
By Month 12, Lavender’s digital storefront matched their baking excellence, fast, engaging, and conversion-focused.
4. Results That Tell the Story
These aren’t vanity metrics; they represent pallets of pasties shipped, delighted customers nationwide, and a robust, scalable revenue engine.
5. Impact Beyond the Bake
UK-Wide Reach: Hundreds of boxes are shipped weekly from Cornwall to every corner of the UK.
Category Leadership: Lavenders now dominates “pasties by post,” outranking larger food-delivery platforms.
Loyal Fanbase: Repeat purchase rates exceed 32%, driven by timely email and SMS engagement.
Brand Authority: Top-ranking search positions, glowing reviews, and press features in foodie publications.
6. Key Takeaways for Ambitious E-commerce Owners
Foundation First: A fast, mobile-optimised site is non-negotiable.
Master Direct Channels: Email and SMS deliver immediate ROI and nurture loyalty.
Earn Quality Links: Remove the toxic, build the trusted, and watch search visibility climb.
Automate Retention: Workflow sequences turn one-time buyers into lifelong fans.
Tell Your Story: Lead with authenticity, then back it with data-driven tactics.
Ready to transform your e-commerce store into the next national sensation?
Whether you sell baked goods, beauty products, or bespoke crafts, our proven approach to SEO, PPC, email, and SMS marketing builds sustainable growth and six-figure months.
Let’s build your success story together.
Get in touch today!
Request a FREE Strategy Call Now!
(Worth £100)
Why Work with CDR Marketing
Personalised Strategy & Dedicated Account Manager
We learn your business inside out, then build a website plan tailored to your goals.
You get a single point of contact who knows your project by heart, no more chasing emails or repeating details.
Proven Track Record of Results
As seen in Bristol Post & Bristol Voice, over £13 million generated in revenue!
We’ve transformed brands stuck in the digital past into growth engines.
Our portfolio spans startups launching their first site to legacy businesses doubling their leads with fresh, modern designs.
Razor-Sharp Focus on Conversions
Every layout, button and form is tested to drive action.
You won’t just get a pretty site, you’ll see real upticks in enquiries, bookings, and sales.
Lightning-Fast Delivery & Ongoing Support
We move at the speed of your ambitions.
From kickoff to launch, we stick to clear timelines.
After go-live, we stay on hand for tweaks, performance checks, and updates.
Transparent, Jargon-Free Reporting
You’ll always know where your investment goes.
We break down performance in simple terms and recommend next steps, no confusing spreadsheets, just clear insight.
Future-Proof Design & Maintenance
Built on a flexible framework, your site will adapt as technologies and customer expectations evolve.
Regular health checks and quick optimisations mean you’re never left behind.
Collaborative Partnership
We see ourselves as an extension of your team.
Your feedback shapes every decision, ensuring the final product reflects your vision and fuels your growth
How can we help?
