Case study
VaGoldMaps: #1 for Virginia gold map searches.
We built an interactive prospecting map product — then made sure people looking for Virginia gold maps actually found it.
The project
A real product, not a brochure site.
VaGoldMaps maps the Virginia Gold-Pyrite Belt: historic mines, faults, lithology, LiDAR, and field tools for people who actually go outside.
Product
- Interactive map Toggle layers for mines, geology, and terrain
- Field tools Pins, distance, bearing, and shareable locations
- Field Notes Guides and deep dives that answer real questions
Hosting
- AWS-backed Built to stay fast under map traffic
- CDN delivery Pages and assets served close to visitors
- Clean crawl path Sitemap, prerendered articles, no junk index pages
Search work
- Map-intent titles Pages say what searchers type
- Ongoing audits Rankings reviewed and tightened over time
- Content pillars Guides that support the product, not fluff blogs
Results
Where searchers land first.
Map-intent queries are the win. When someone wants a Virginia gold map, VaGoldMaps shows up at the top.
#1
virginia gold prospecting map
Organic #1 on Google (checked July 2026)
Top 6
virginia gold map / virginia gold maps
Consistently ranking in the top results via Search Console
Top 5
virginia gold belt map
Strong average position for belt-map intent
Top queries
virginia gold pyrite belt map
Among the site’s highest-impression search terms
Rankings move. These reflect Search Console trends and live checks around mid–late 2026 — not a guarantee for every location or device.
What moved the needle
Useful product first. Search second.
Build something worth ranking
- Clear homepage. Title, H1, and lead match what people type for map searches
- Real data. Hundreds of documented mine and prospect sites across the belt
- Speed & structure. Fast loads, sensible URLs, crawlable Field Notes
Then keep earning the click
- Intent alignment. Map queries get map pages; how-to queries get guides
- Technical cleanup. Index the right pages; keep thin or private routes out
- Iterate. Titles, meta, and internal links adjusted from real Search Console data
Takeaway
This is what “get found” looks like when the site matches the search.
VaGoldMaps didn’t win by stuffing keywords into a template. It won because the product answers the query — and the SEO work made that obvious to Google.
Local businesses don’t need a statewide map product. They need the same idea: a clear site for the searches that already matter in their town, plus the technical basics and ongoing work when the market is competitive. That’s what our builds include — and what Premium SEO is for when you want more.
Contact
Want results like this for your business?
Send your URL. We’ll tell you what we notice and whether a rebuild, hosting move, or SEO work makes sense.
Or call 804-938-5201