Case Study: How Slaterock Automation Uses VisualSitemaps to Win New Clients and Deliver Better SEO

In this case study, we speak with Slaterock Automation founder William Mingione about how his team uses VisualSitemaps to streamline site structure analyses, win prospects during discovery calls, and create client-friendly technical SEO deliverables.

Introducing Slaterock Automation: Visual Site Mapping Solutions

SlateRock Automation is a web design and SEO consultancy that has evolved over time into a full-service digital agency. Founded by William Mingione, the company helps small businesses and startups optimize their websites for discoverability and conversions, layering automation and AI where possible.

“We started as a straightforward web design shop, moved into SEO, and have since embraced automation. Our main focus now is on SEO management—which is why VisualSitemaps is so valuable for us.”
— William Mingione

The Challenge: Communicating Technical SEO to Clients

Before discovering VisualSitemaps, William’s team relied heavily on raw audit tools like SEMrush or SEO Optima to generate reports. Although these tools provide detailed data, it was often difficult for clients—especially smaller non-digitally savvy businesses—to interpret spreadsheets or PDF-based reports. This highlighted the need for a visually structured presentation and planning process to develop a website, involving the entire team and utilizing features like screenshot annotations to facilitate collaboration and feedback among stakeholders.

Key Pain Points:

1. Hard-to-Read Reports: Prospects and clients found it difficult to visualize site structure from a text-based SEO audit.
2. Broken Pages / Old Pages: Without a quick and visual snapshot, it was easy to miss content that was still live (such as “test” pages or discontinued service pages).
3. Missing Pages: Sitemap generators are crucial not only for creating sitemaps but also for identifying issues like broken links and missing pages that could hinder a website’s index-ability in search results.
4. Lack of Clarity: Stakeholders had trouble seeing how proposed changes to site architecture would impact user experience and search rankings.

“So often, clients have never seen anything like a real visual site map before. They love it because it finally makes site structure make sense.”
— William Mingione

The VisualSitemaps Solution for Website Audits

William’s first experience with VisualSitemaps immediately solved his communication and collaboration challenges by utilizing a powerful sitemap generator and visual sitemap creator. By generating a visual map of the entire website, stakeholders could see how and where pages were connected—and how disorganized structures impacted SEO.

Most Valuable VisualSitemaps Features

1. Visual Architecture

The ability to show a visual flow of pages helped small business owners grasp complex site structures in seconds.

2. Shareable Links

William cites the Share Link feature as a game-changer. Instead of juggling large files or requiring special logins, he simply shares a link that anyone can open.

3. Annotations & Stakeholder Collaboration

VisualSitemaps allows multiple stakeholders to annotate, comment on HD Screenshots, and plan architecture, content strategy, and  SEO changes directly on the site map.

• • • Using a their lo-fi sitemap templates helps them select a customizable visual design that matches the brand’s theme and facilitates real-time collaboration through shared links and stakeholder feedback.
    • This enhances navigation and optimizes user interaction, improving the overall experience for visitors on a website.

4. Scheduled Crawls & Content/Scope Change Detection

Although not initially part of William’s process, Scheduled Crawls and Content/Scope Change Detection features let him (and others) track how a site evolves over time or spy on competitor websites.

“Using VisualSitemaps, we can literally pull up the site structure on a Zoom call and show problem areas, broken pages, and the general chaos they have. Clients immediately see where the issues are with visual tags. This blows their minds!”
— William Mingione

A Real-World Example: Migrating Client’s site to Wix

One of SlateRock Automation’s recent projects involved a security company migrating its site to Wix. By using VisualSitemaps, they were able to create sitemaps quickly from an existing website, enabling them to visualize and optimize the site’s structure without starting from scratch. After the designer had already published the new site, William discovered multiple orphaned pages, missing service pages, and misaligned topical page clusters.

Properly organizing website content is crucial for SERP, user experience and conversions. Well-structured website content enhances the overall flow and hierarchy within a site, aiding both user navigation and search engine indexing.

1. Initial Audit
   • By generating a map in VisualSitemaps, they identified all orphaned and outdated pages still indexed from the old site.
2. Collaboration with Designer & Client-Side Marketing Team
   • Sharing the visual map link with both the marketing manager and the site designer helped everyone get on the same page and start planning better SEO and Architecture.
     Using Screenshot Annotations, Content & SEO Planner, and the CSV export option enables them to speed up the production process.
3. Resolution & Results
   • William and his team consolidated pages, re-linked important content, and removed defunct service pages.

A final re-crawl in VisualSitemaps produced a “clean” map that showed a cohesive site structure and provided an easy-to-understand deliverable for stakeholders.
View the final client architecture:

The Workflow & Toolbox

William’s standard onboarding process includes a mix of tools:

1. SEO Reports:
   • SEO Optima for quick, automated audits
   • SEMrush for deeper technical SEO analysis
2. VisualSitemaps:
   • The visual site map is generated prior to discovery calls to impress prospects with immediate insights.
3. Client Collaboration & Project Management:
   • Flowlu serves as a project management hub where final sitemaps, invoices, and timelines are shared.

“We often use VisualSitemaps right in discovery calls. It sets us apart from other agencies, since we can instantly show clients what’s going on under the hood of their site.”
— William Mingione

Beyond Site Maps: Merging Key Analytics, User Flows, and Funnels

Artur from VisualSitemaps also highlighted upcoming features for integrating Google Analytics + GSC data, SERP insights, and AI-driven recommendations on top of the visual site map. For William, integrating analytics flows—like traffic sources and user journeys—directly into the map could be a powerful next step. This integration will take planning and executing web projects to the next level, as it goes beyond just the overall website architecture and provides more heuristics to make critical decisions and track success.

Results & Key Takeaways

1. ✅ Higher Client Conversions: Showing a visual site map during a prospect call often closes more deals, thanks to visually comprehendible, data-driven mapping.
2. ✅ Improved Client Understanding: Visual site maps remove guesswork and help non-technical stakeholders see site problems (and solutions) quickly.
3. ✅ Streamlined SEO Audits: William’s agency identifies missing or broken pages in minutes, enabling faster site fixes.
4. ✅ Efficient Collaboration: Shareable links and annotations keep everyone on track—no more juggling multiple emails or scattered screenshots.

 “The feedback we get is, ‘Wow, we’ve never seen anything like this before.’ That alone is a huge competitive advantage for us.”
— William Mingione

Looking Ahead…

With VisualSitemaps, SlateRock Automation plans to expand beyond technical SEO into advanced funnel design and competitor intelligence. As new VisualSitemaps features roll out—like AI-driven audits, analytics overlays, and adopting their latest Flows for funnel and interlinking planning — William expects even deeper value for both his agency and clients.

Connect with SlateRock Automation

• Website: SlateRock Automation
• LinkedIn: Connect with William

Whether you’re a small business looking to optimize your site for search or an agency seeking better ways to communicate with clients, consider adding VisualSitemaps to your toolkit. As William and his team at SlateRock Automation show, a clearer map means a clearer path to SEO success.

 “We can’t wait to explore the new features VisualSitemaps is rolling out, especially being able to visualize metrics and funnels alongside the site map.”
— William Mingione

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