When Mike Butz founded MBhealth Insurance Agency, he built it on relationships and personalized service. But as more people turned to the Internet to find goods and services, he faced a challenge local relationships alone could not solve: how to significantly expand the agency’s online visibility and reach.
Since Mike built his business on relationships, it was only natural that he would expand it through one as well — this time with Uplift Marketing. Working as a seamless extension of the MBhealth team, Uplift integrated so smoothly with the agency’s existing marketing team that Mike describes them as “another employee.”
Together, the two companies implemented a strategic marketing program that dramatically elevated MBhealth’s online presence.
Marketing Now Brings In 10 Times More New Clients Than Before
The results of Uplift’s digital marketing strategy were reflected in key performance metrics, including:
- Expanded first-time website visitors from 318 to more than 1,500 per month (5x increase)
- Increased incoming calls by 223% since program launch
- Outranked 140 local competitors in Google search results
- Appeared by name in Google AI Overviews for reputable St. Louis insurance agencies
- Included in the majority of top Google search results
- Grew digital marketing contribution from 3-4% of new clients to more than 30%
The Strategy: Expanding Online Visibility Through SEO and Content Marketing
MBhealth has built its reputation one relationship at a time, through referrals, community ties, and the kind of personalized service that keeps clients coming back. But a reputation built on relationships doesn’t automatically translate to visibility online. Uplift’s job was to change that.
By developing a coordinated digital marketing strategy that helped local customers find MBhealth online, answered their questions through educational content, and built trust over time, Uplift helped MBhealth extend its reach far beyond its existing network and create a reliable, sustainable source of new business.
As Mike explains, the partnership gave him something he couldn’t build alone: “Partnering with Uplift enabled me to expand my digital exposure and scale up my market reach without the need to add 20 employees to the payroll.”
Step 1: Creating a Stronger Online Presence with a New Website
MBhealth needed a website that could represent the agency online the way Mike and his team represented it in person, professionally, clearly, and with the client’s needs front and center. Uplift built exactly that by creating a modern, appealing website with clear messaging, faster performance, and a much improved user experience.
But the redesign went far beyond appearance. Uplift expanded the site’s product pages, strengthened its structure, and created a foundation for ongoing SEO and publishing of educational content. Instead of functioning as a simple online brochure, the website became the hub of MBhealth’s digital marketing strategy.
Step 2: Making It Easier for Local Customers to Find MBhealth
A great website only works if people can find it. Through Google Business Profile optimization, local keyword analysis and targeting, and technical SEO enhancements, Uplift made sure that when families and businesses in St. Louis searched for insurance help, MBhealth was visible, credible, and easy to reach.
Sydnie Besterfeldt, Marketing Director at MBhealth, says the impact has been both practical and immediate. “The SEO and website buildout have been invaluable to us,” she adds. “Uplift stays on top of SEO, Google’s changing requirements, and the technical side of digital marketing, freeing me to focus on local partnerships and events.”
Step 3: Using Content to Establish MBhealth as a Trusted Authority
Relationships are built on trust, and trust online is built through demonstrated expertise. Uplift developed a content marketing program built around educational video vlogs, blogs, and email newsletters, each one designed to show prospective clients not just what MBhealth does, but why they are the right people to trust with something as important as health insurance. By consistently sharing helpful, expert information, MBhealth created more opportunities to appear in Google search results, making it easier for prospective clients to find the agency online.
Step 4: Generating Additional Leads Through Digital Advertising
While the long-term strategy took root, Uplift ran targeted Google and Facebook ad campaigns during peak open enrollment windows to keep leads flowing in the near term. As MBhealth’s organic search presence grew stronger, the agency became less dependent on paid advertising for year-round lead generation. Uplift’s strategy created something more valuable than a short-term campaign: a reliable, long-term source of new business.
The Results: Dominating Local Insurance Searches on Google
The strategic combination of a new website, local SEO, content marketing, and targeted advertising transformed MBhealth’s online presence from a referral-driven business to a dominant digital presence in the local market. Today, the agency reaches more prospective clients online, generates significantly more leads, and outranks competitors throughout the St. Louis area.
5x Growth in Organic Website Traffic
When the SEO program launched, MBhealth was drawing 318 first-time visitors to its website each month. Within three years, that number grew to more than 1,500 per month, a 5x increase driven entirely by organic search.
223% More Incoming Calls from Organic Search
When the SEO program launched, MBhealth was receiving 48 calls per month from Google. Three years later, that number had climbed to 155 monthly calls, a 223% increase that reflects continued year-over-year growth.
#1 Among 140 Local Insurance Competitors
Within a 7-mile radius of MBhealth’s location, the agency holds an average Google ranking position of #5. Its closest competitor averages #14 in the same radius. Out of 140 local competitors, MBhealth ranks #1.
Appears in Google AI Overviews
MBhealth now appears by name in Google AI Overviews for St. Louis insurance-related searches, reflecting the authority and trust built through publishing consistent, expert content.
Marketing Now Brings In 10 Times More New Clients Than Before
When MBhealth started working with Uplift, marketing accounted for just 3-4% of new clients. Today, marketing generates more than 30% of new clients, reflecting the combined efforts of Uplift’s digital marketing strategy and MBhealth’s in-house marketing.
As Sydnie explains, the benefits go beyond attracting more local clients: “It’s helping us reach new audiences, including people in other states, who are finding our website useful and resourceful.”
That growth is reflected in the numbers. Sydnie continues, “About three to four years ago, 3-4% of our incoming clients came from marketing. We are now over 30%.”
Included in the Majority of Top Google Search Results
MBhealth now enjoys a 55% Share of Local Voice which measures how often a business appears in Google’s top three local search results within a defined geographic area. Within MBhealth’s primary local market, a 7-mile radius surrounding the agency’s office, the company appears in Google’s top three local results 55% of the time, the highest Share of Local Voice among competitors in its market.
This is further supported by the fact that between August 2025 and January 2026, MBhealth’s website appeared in Google search results more than 514,000 times.
MBhealth Reflects: How a Strategic Marketing Partnership Transformed Their Business
Mike has spent his career building trust one client at a time. So when he describes what Uplift means to MBhealth, he reaches for the same language he uses to describe his best relationships: “I view Uplift as just like another employee.”
Sydnie understands that dynamic from the inside. As MBhealth’s marketing director, she works with Uplift daily, and what she values most isn’t just the deliverables. It’s the ability to think out loud with someone who gets it. Sydnie explains, “I can always go to [Uplift] and bounce ideas off of them the same way I would a trusted internal colleague.”
That kind of working relationship, where MBhealth doesn’t have to explain the basics and Uplift already understands the agency’s industry, goals, and constraints, is exactly what allowed MBhealth to grow its digital presence without losing what made it successful in the first place.
For Mike, that trust is reinforced every time he sees the work.”Everything that I’ve encountered with Uplift is organized, professional, on target. It’s not random.”
In a business built on relationships, that consistency is everything.
Ready to Grow Your Business Online?
MBhealth didn’t abandon the relationships that helped build the business. It rewrote how it does relationships. By partnering with Uplift, the agency gained the strategic marketing expertise needed to expand its reach, attract qualified leads, and create a scalable source of new business growth without losing the personal touch that sets it apart.
If you’re ready for a marketing partner that functions like part of your team, Uplift is ready to help. Contact our team to learn what’s possible.
