Case Study: Italian Premium Footwear Brand — European E-commerce Scale

How a handmade Italian leather footwear brand scaled across Europe using SEO, Meta Ads, and Google Shopping while maintaining artisan brand storytelling.

Italian Footwear Brand
SEO · Meta Ads · Google Ads · CRO
12 Months

Project Overview

This direct-to-consumer Italian premium footwear brand specializes in handmade leather shoes crafted by artisans. The brand sells online via Shopify and operates physical retail stores across Italy while expanding into major European markets.

GridMatrix partnered with the brand to drive international growth, reduce customer acquisition costs, and balance heritage storytelling with high-performance e-commerce marketing.

Challenges
  • Highly competitive premium footwear market dominated by luxury brands
  • Expansion required beyond Italy into Europe (France, Germany, UK)
  • High customer acquisition cost in fashion advertising
  • Balancing artisan storytelling with conversion optimization
  • Seasonal demand fluctuations affecting inventory and ad spend
Strategy
  • International SEO with hreflang implementation
  • Performance-driven Meta & Google Ads structure
  • High-intent product and category page optimization
  • Advanced conversion tracking & server-side analytics
  • ROAS-focused scaling with automated bidding strategies

Actions Taken

SEO & Website Optimization
Shopify technical & on-page SEO

Improved Shopify performance, site architecture, and product content while preserving luxury brand storytelling.

  • Implemented schema markup & image compression
  • Optimized product & collection pages for high-intent keywords
  • Improved mobile speed score from 45 → 82
  • International SEO with hreflang for EU markets
Content & Craftsmanship Storytelling
Artisan-focused content

Developed content highlighting Italian craftsmanship while enhancing search visibility and conversion rates.

  • Optimized product descriptions with long-tail keywords
  • Content focused on handmade leather process
  • Backlinks from fashion & lifestyle publications
Meta Ads Campaigns
Full-funnel paid social

Structured Meta campaigns across cold, warm, and hot audiences with creative focused on craftsmanship and lifestyle appeal.

  • Advantage+ Shopping campaigns for prospecting
  • Retargeting (7, 30, 90-day windows)
  • Video ads from artisan workshops
  • Dynamic Product Ads for personalization
Google Ads & Analytics
Shopping, Search & Tracking

Leveraged Google Search, Shopping, and Performance Max campaigns with advanced tracking and ROAS optimization.

  • Brand & competitor search campaigns
  • Performance Max & Shopping campaigns
  • Server-side conversion tracking
  • Offline in-store sales attribution

Results (90 Days)

+240%
Organic Traffic Growth
4.2x
Meta Ads ROAS
5.6x
Google Shopping ROAS
-38%
CAC Reduction
+185%
Digital Revenue Growth

Final Result

The Italian footwear brand achieved rapid European expansion while maintaining premium brand positioning. Organic search became the second-highest revenue channel, and paid campaigns scaled profitably.

Improved tracking, optimized ads, and enhanced storytelling resulted in sustained growth across both online and offline sales channels.