--- title: "How Merluza Increased Online Bookings by 400% in 3 Months | Frively | Websites for Local Businesses" description: "Merluza switched from Yell to Frively for the same cost and saw 400% more bookings, 300% more visitors, and doubled new clients within three months." canonical: "https://www.frively.com/case-studies/merluza" last_updated: "2026-03-19T16:21:36.667Z" --- ![Merlyza black script logo overlapped by thin oval with small uppercase tagline beneath left letters](/_next/image?url=%2Fapi%2Fmedia%2Ffile%2Fmerluza-logo.webp%3Fv%3D1773997737670&w=640&q=75&dpl=dpl_GpfLCefDyU814f74kzfmwGPtuZrb) # How Merluza Hair and Beauty Went From Invisible to 400% More Bookings in 3 Months Client Merluza Hair and Beauty Industry Hair and Beauty Salon Published Thursday, 19 March 2026 ![Website homepage with headline "Expert Hairdressing & Beauty in Birmingham", woman with long brown hair, and Book Online button](/_next/image?url=%2Fapi%2Fmedia%2Ffile%2Fmerluza-home.png%3Fv%3D1773997746164&w=1536&q=75&dpl=dpl_GpfLCefDyU814f74kzfmwGPtuZrb) 400% Online bookings increase Within three months of launching the new site in February 2025 300% Website visitors increase Organic traffic growth in the same three-month period 100% New clients increase Client acquisition doubled, reducing dependence on word of mouth 20+ Page 1 keyword rankings Now competing for high-intent local searches across Birmingham 99/100 Lighthouse Performance score Near-perfect technical performance delivering fast load times and excellent user experience ## Paying for Invisible Valerie Hake was paying for a website every month. The subscription was going out regularly to Yell, the site was live, and on paper, everything looked fine. But in practice, almost nothing was happening. The website wasn't generating meaningful traffic. It wasn't ranking for the local searches that would bring new clients through the door searches like "hair salon Hall Green" or "beauty treatments Birmingham." Online bookings were minimal. New clients came almost entirely through word of mouth, not through the website Valerie was paying for. Like many salon owners in this position, Valerie knew something wasn't working. She just didn't know how badly until she saw the alternative. The site existed, but it was effectively invisible to the people searching for exactly what Merluza offered. It was a classic case of paying for something that fundamentally wasn't doing its job. ## Found the Same Way She Wanted to Be Found Merluza found Frively through an inbound search online. Not through cold outreach, not through ads through organic search. The same way Valerie wanted her own clients to find her. That mirrored outcome wasn't lost on Valerie. If Frively could be found this way, maybe they could help Merluza be found the same way. The cost objection disappeared immediately. Frively's ongoing subscription was comparable to what Merluza was already paying Yell. Similar monthly spend, but with a partner focused on measurable performance instead of passive directory listings. The difference wasn't budget. It was execution. Valerie wasn't being asked to invest more she was being offered the chance to get actual results from the money she was already spending. ## One Page, One Service, One Ranking Frively built Merluza a custom, high-performance website on the Frively platform, going live in February 2025. The site was structured around a simple but powerful framework: **one page, one keyword**. Every key service and location combination got its own dedicated page. Hair cutting in Hall Green. Hair colouring in Birmingham. Highlights, extensions, keratin smoothing, facials, nails, each service with its own focused page, giving Google and prospective clients a clear, structured picture of exactly what Merluza does, who for, and where. The technical execution was near-perfect: - **Performance:** 99/100 - **Accessibility:** 100/100 - **Best Practices:** 100/100 - **SEO:** 100/100 ![Lighthouse report showing 99 Performance score, 100s for other categories, and a salon site thumbnail](/_next/image?url=%2Fapi%2Fmedia%2Ffile%2Flighthouse.png%3Fv%3D1773997742779&w=1536&q=75&dpl=dpl_GpfLCefDyU814f74kzfmwGPtuZrb) For Valerie, the process was entirely **done-for-you**. Frively handles all content creation, site maintenance, and updates. Valerie reviews content before it goes live and can request edits, but she doesn't need to brief, write, or manage any technical aspects. The whole process runs around her, not through her. No technical burden. No content creation headaches. Just review, approve, and watch the site work. ## Six Months, Four Hundred Percent The results came quickly. Within approximately six months of launch, Merluza saw a **400% increase in online bookings**. Not incremental growth, a fundamental shift in how clients were finding and booking with the salon. Website visitors grew by **300%** in the same period. These weren't random clicks they were people actively searching for hair and beauty services in Hall Green and across Birmingham, finding Merluza, and taking action. New clients **doubled**. The salon was no longer dependent on word of mouth alone. The website was now doing the job it was supposed to do: bringing new people through the door. Merluza is now ranking for **over 50 keywords**, with **20+ on page 1 of Google**. The site appears with **Google sitelinks** for branded searches a trust signal that reflects the level of authority Google places in the site's structure and content. Perhaps most remarkably, Merluza is now appearing in **AI-generated search results** through Google AI Mode, reaching users who never scroll to traditional organic listings. Metric Before Frively After Frively Change Online bookings Minimal 400% increase **+400%** Website visitors Low baseline 300% increase **+300%** New clients Baseline Doubled **+100%** Page 1 rankings Minimal 20+ keywords — Total keyword rankings Minimal 50+ keywords — ![Search results page listing hair salons in Hall Green, Birmingham with a coral arrow overlay](/_next/image?url=%2Fapi%2Fmedia%2Ffile%2Fmerluza-number-one.png%3Fv%3D1773997775667&w=1536&q=75&dpl=dpl_GpfLCefDyU814f74kzfmwGPtuZrb) Six months. Same cost. Completely different outcome. ## Same Cost, Completely Different Business Valerie now has a website she can point to with confidence. Not one she has to excuse or explain. One that's visibly working, day after day. The operational burden of managing her online presence has been completely removed. She's not writing content, not troubleshooting technical issues, not wondering whether anyone can actually find her business online. That's all handled. And the results are **compounding**. The longer the site runs, the more authority it builds. The more keywords it ranks for. The more new clients it generates. This isn't a one-time fix it's a growth engine that gets stronger over time. The relationship is ongoing. Frively continues to publish content, maintain the site, and grow Merluza's visibility across Birmingham. Every month, the keyword footprint expands. Every month, the site reaches more people. Valerie is now a **Frively Ambassador** and willing to advocate for the service based on her own results. That's the strength of what happened: not just improved metrics, but a transformation so clear and so valuable that she's happy to tell other salon owners about it. Similar monthly cost as Yell. But a fundamentally different level of service, a fundamentally different level of results, and a fundamentally different business outcome. The problem was never budget. It was execution. ![Woman with red hair and round tortoiseshell glasses smiling inside a salon](/_next/image?url=%2Fapi%2Fmedia%2Ffile%2Fvalerie-founder-merluza-hair-beauty-hall-green.webp%3Fv%3D1773997739926&w=640&q=75&dpl=dpl_GpfLCefDyU814f74kzfmwGPtuZrb) ## Frequently Asked Questions How quickly can I expect to see results if I switch to Frively? Merluza saw a 400% increase in online bookings and 300% increase in website visitors within approximately three months of their site going live in February 2025. Results vary by business and market, but meaningful improvements in traffic and rankings typically become visible within the first few months. What if I'm already paying for a website or directory listing — will this cost more? Frively's ongoing subscription is designed to be comparable to what many businesses already pay for services like Yell or other directory listings. Merluza switched at the same monthly cost but received measurably better results, better technical performance, and ongoing content support. Do I need to write content or manage the website myself? No. Frively handles all content creation, site maintenance, and updates as part of the service. Your only involvement is reviewing content before it goes live and approving it or requesting edits. The entire process is done-for-you, so you can focus on running your business. How does the one-page-one-keyword approach work for a salon with multiple services? Frively creates dedicated pages for each key service and location combination, such as 'hair cutting Hall Green' or 'hair colouring Birmingham.' This gives Google clear, focused content to rank for specific searches and helps prospective clients find exactly what they're looking for. What are Lighthouse scores and why do they matter? Lighthouse scores measure website performance, accessibility, best practices, and SEO on a scale of 0-100. Merluza's scores (99, 100, 100, 100) indicate a fast, accessible, well-structured site that delivers an excellent user experience — which directly impacts both search rankings and conversion rates. Will my business appear in AI-generated search results like Merluza does? Frively builds sites with structured data and authority signals that help them appear in AI-generated search results, such as Google AI Mode. While we can't guarantee specific placements, the technical foundation and content strategy are designed to maximize visibility across all search formats, including AI. What happens if I need changes or updates to my website after it launches? Frively provides ongoing site maintenance and content updates as part of the service. If you need changes, you simply request them and Frively handles the implementation. There's no need to manage updates yourself or pay separately for each change. How do I know if this will work for my type of business? Frively works with local, service-based businesses across sectors including hair and beauty, wellness, trades, hospitality, and professional services. 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