Case Study
Marlo's Matcha
Industry: Food and Drink · Size: Small · Location: United Kingdom
Marlo's Matcha, a premium matcha brand founded by sisters with a background in design and creative content, partnered with HAI Digital to establish organic search visibility for their newly launched ecommerce site.
Starting from zero, the team implemented a comprehensive strategy spanning editorial content, technical SEO optimisation, and Google Merchant Centre integration to build sustainable search presence across both traditional and AI-powered search platforms.
With HAI Digital, Marlo's Matcha:
- Achieved 107,000 total Google search impressions
- Generated nearly 50,000 impressions from a single article
- Secured AI citations across Google AIO, ChatGPT, and Gemini
- Resolved technical SEO issues to create a strong foundation
- Established Google Merchant Centre integration with Shopify
Why Marlo's Matcha Needed Expert Search Support
When launching Marlo's Matcha, Freya and Jasmine brought considerable expertise in design, social media, and content creation from their existing creative studio. However, they recognised that search engine optimisation fell outside their core competencies.
"It's just not our realm of the world," explained Jasmine, Co-founder of Marlo's Matcha. "We thought instead of just doing it ourselves and doing something that we're not experts at, we might as well find someone who is an expert."
The decision to outsource search visibility was driven by practical necessity. As founders building a completely new business while running an existing studio, time had become their most precious resource.
Rather than attempting to learn an unfamiliar discipline, the team chose to delegate to specialists who could deliver results while they focused on the products and the brand.
Choosing HAI Digital for Ecommerce Expertise
Marlo's Matcha came to HAI Digital through a recommendation. This referral provided initial confidence, though some questions remained about whether expertise in one product category would translate to another.
"Would he have the knowledge about matcha?" Jasmine noted. The concern proved unfounded once the collaboration began. The depth of research integrated into the editorial content quickly demonstrated HAI Digital's ability to develop product expertise.
"After working together and reading all the blog posts, I'm learning stuff about matcha that I never knew," Jasmine shared. "The fact that we quote academic and research papers, I think that was when I was like, oh my god, I'm so impressed."
Building Visibility Through Editorial Content
HAI Digital developed a series of editorial articles designed to capture search interest from potential customers who had not yet discovered Marlo's Matcha.
These pieces addressed common questions and concerns that matcha enthusiasts search for, positioning the brand as a trusted authority in the category.
The content strategy produced articles including explorations of the side effects of drinking too much matcha, whether matcha powder expires, explanations of different matcha grades, and guidance on how to sweeten matcha appropriately.
Each piece balanced rigorous research with Marlo's Matcha's distinctive brand voice, ensuring technical accuracy while maintaining the wellness-focused aesthetic the founders had established.
The results exceeded expectations. Four of the editorial articles achieved more impressions than the homepage itself, demonstrating the power of informational content to reach new audiences.
The article on matcha side effects alone generated nearly 50,000 impressions, introducing the brand to consumers actively researching matcha-related topics.
Establishing Technical Foundations
HAI Digital also addressed the technical infrastructure essential for search visibility. New websites often launch with errors and configuration issues that can limit their ability to rank effectively. The team conducted a comprehensive technical SEO audit and provided detailed recommendations for resolution.
"You sent a detailed recommendation on what we should do and then I just sent it to my web developer to edit it all," Jasmine explained. "It's just something I wouldn't know and wouldn't think about because it's just not my expertise."
The technical optimisation work resulted in a site health score of 98/100 on Ahrefs, ensuring the site's foundation would not constrain future growth.
Additionally, HAI Digital established Google Merchant Centre integration with the brand's Shopify store, making products like the 753 Matcha, Kōyō Red Matcha, and the Green & Red Bundle visible and purchasable directly through Google Shopping.
Surpassing expectations with measurable growth
Starting from zero visibility, Marlo's Matcha achieved 107,000 total impressions across Google search within 3 months. This figure encompasses traditional Google search results, Google AI Overviews, and Google AI mode.
The trajectory showed consistent compounding growth, with visibility increasing exponentially as the content strategy matured.
Beyond Google, the brand began appearing in AI citations across ChatGPT, Gemini, and other AI search services, positioning Marlo's Matcha for continued visibility as search behaviour evolves.
"I wasn't expecting 107,000 total impressions in three months," Jasmine said. "I was quite impressed that there are more impressions on some of the blog posts than the main page, which is really rare."
"It's been very easy, I just trust you fully. Towards the end, I didn't really need to double check anything. I felt like you were part of our team because you know Marlo so well."
Building Sustainable Growth Through Consistency
The partnership between Marlo's Matcha and HAI Digital demonstrates how specialist search expertise can complement existing brand strengths.
By delegating organic search to dedicated specialists, the founding team maintained focus on product quality and creative direction while building the search visibility essential for sustainable ecommerce growth.
The foundation established through editorial content, technical optimisation, and merchant integration positions Marlo's Matcha for continued expansion across both traditional and AI-powered search platforms.
As the brand continues to develop, this search presence will serve as a consistent source of new customer discovery, complementing the social media and content creation capabilities the founders bring from their design studio background.
Explore What Search Could Do for Your Ecommerce Brand
If you are building an ecommerce brand and want to understand where you stand in organic and AI search, HAI Digital offers free search audits for qualifying brands.
Whether you are launching from scratch like Marlo's Matcha or looking to accelerate existing momentum, the audit provides clarity on your competitive landscape and actionable recommendations tailored to your category and goals.