Project Overview

As part of my agency contract work with RMS – PR | Marketing | Design for Aptus Utilities, I was tasked with optimising their online content to improve visibility and authority in search results. A standout achievement from this engagement was successfully positioning Aptus in Google’s new AI Overviews feature alongside trusted government sources.

The Challenge

With major infrastructure charging changes coming in March 2025 affecting the utilities sector, Aptus needed to establish themselves as a knowledgeable authority on this complex regulatory shift. The goal was to create content that would:

• Rank well for relevant search terms
• Position Aptus as an industry expert
• Provide clear, valuable information to developers and other stakeholders
• Increase visibility during a critical industry transition period

The Strategy

In October 2024, I optimised an existing blog post titled “Changes to the infrastructure charging structure” that:

1. Led with clarity: Created a clear, direct headline and structure that aligned with search intent
2. Focused on timing: Emphasised the March 2025 implementation date throughout the content
3. Highlighted financial implications: Structured the content to address the most pressing concerns for developers
4. Balanced technical accuracy with readability: Ensured the content was authoritative yet accessible
5. Included strategic formatting: Used proper headings, bold text, and structured paragraphs to improve readability and SEO
6. Positioned Aptus as a partner: Included a section specifically addressing how Aptus was supporting customers through the transition

The Results

The optimisation strategy delivered exceptional results:

• Featured in Google AI Overviews: The post was selected to appear in Google’s AI Overview results for “infrastructure charge change” queries
• Elite company: Aptus now appears alongside official GOV.UK sources in these results, significantly elevating their perceived authority
• Improved visibility: The content ranks prominently in regular search results as well
• Established thought leadership: Positioning Aptus as a knowledgeable guide during an important regulatory transition

Expanded AI Overview Presence

Since the initial success, Aptus Utilities’ homepage has now been featured in Google’s AI Overviews for additional high-value search terms:

“house utilities”

• Ranking: 1st position in search results
• Clicks: 56
• Impressions: 90
• CTR: 0.11
• Timeline: Ranking began in January 2025 and has maintained top position through March 2025

“utilities company”

• Ranking: 3rd position in search results
• Clicks: 68
• Impressions: 480
• CTR: 0.34
• Timeline: Ranking began in February 2025 and has maintained strong position

The homepage now appears with multiple SERP features including AI Overview, Featured Snippets, Reviews, People Also Ask, and Related Searches sections, demonstrating Google’s recognition of Aptus as an authoritative source across the utilities sector.

Key Takeaways

This case study demonstrates how strategically optimised content can achieve premium visibility even in Google’s newest search features. By applying strategic optimisation techniques to existing content, I was able to position Aptus content at the same level as government sources on an important regulatory topic.

The success reinforces that Google’s AI overviews continue to prioritise content that demonstrates expertise, authority, and trustworthiness – especially on topics with significant financial implications for businesses.

The expansion of Aptus’ presence in AI Overviews beyond the original target keyword demonstrates the compounding benefits of strategic content optimisation, with the company now enjoying enhanced search visibility across multiple high-value search terms in their industry.

This project was completed in October 2024 as part of my contracted services for RMS – PR | Marketing | Design.