Powering 13.1K Organic Keywords for a Real-Time Ocean Freight Visibility API
How The Robinson Agency built VIZION API from a seed-stage logistics startup to a recognized category leader — tracking 57% of global trade, raising $18.7M in venture funding, and generating 8,960+ monthly organic visitors through messaging-first content marketing, SEO authority, and multi-channel visibility across platforms and AI search engines.
VIZION API — Container Tracking for Real-Time Ocean Freight Visibility
Founded in 2018 in San Francisco, VIZION API provides real-time container tracking and ocean freight visibility for the global supply chain. The platform enables logistics service providers, beneficial cargo owners, and software companies to monitor container movements, terminal activities, vessel positions, and exception alerts across international shipping lanes.
VIZION monitors 57% of global trade and has raised $18.7M in venture funding: $3.25M seed (Tech Square Ventures, Revolution's Rise of the Rest, MS&AD Ventures) and $14M Series A (Samsung Venture, Maersk Growth, Valuestream Ventures). CEO Kyle Henderson and co-founder Tyler Hughes lead the company from San Francisco.
The platform delivers container monitoring, bill of lading tracking, exception alerts, terminal visibility, vessel tracking, drayage visibility, and intermodal rail tracking — serving freight forwarders, NVOCCs, 3PLs, enterprise shippers, and software platforms across the logistics ecosystem.
Kyle Henderson
CEO & Co-founder, VIZION
KC Cunningham
Director of Marketing, VIZION
Michael Willard
Marketing, VIZION
2018
Founded in San Francisco
57%
of global trade monitored
$18.7M
Total venture funding
7
Core platform products
The Partnership
From Industry Introduction to Fractional CMO
It started with an introduction. In mid-2021, Charley Dehoney — a well-connected figure in logistics and VP at ZEBOX — introduced Adam Robinson to VIZION’s Kyle Henderson and KC Cunningham. At the time, VIZION had a powerful API product, a clear vision for ocean container tracking, and a small but ambitious marketing team that needed a strategic partner who could keep up.
What began as content marketing support quickly evolved into something much deeper. KC Cunningham, Director of Marketing, became the day-to-day strategic partner. Adam Robinson became the de facto fractional CMO. Within months, TRA wasn’t just writing blog posts — the team was architecting VIZION’s entire go-to-market presence: messaging strategy, SEO, paid media, social, podcast production, website redesign, brand identity, event production, email campaigns, analytics, and trade show creative. Every function ran through a shared workspace with weekly syncs, real-time collaboration, and a level of context that only comes from being fully embedded in the business.
Nearly five years later, VIZION remains an active client — a testament to what happens when an agency earns its seat at the leadership table and never stops delivering.
The Approach
Three Target Personas, One Consistent Message
When marketing an API, you are not selling to one buyer. TRA developed a messaging-first strategy that recognized three distinct target personas, each with different pain points, search behaviors, and languages:
Logistics Service Providers
Freight forwarders, NVOCCs, 3PLs
These companies move containers. They need real-time visibility to manage customer expectations, resolve exceptions, and optimize operations. The messaging centered on operational efficiency, customer service, and competitive advantage.
Beneficial Cargo Owners
Enterprise shippers and manufacturers
These companies own the cargo. They need end-to-end supply chain visibility, exception detection, and cost control. The messaging emphasized supply chain transparency, risk mitigation, and supply chain intelligence.
Software Companies
TMS, WMS, and supply chain platforms
These companies want to embed tracking into their platforms. The messaging focused on API reliability, integrations, and white-label flexibility to power their customers’ visibility features.
“When you’re marketing an API, you’re not selling to one buyer. You’re selling to freight forwarders, enterprise shippers, and software platforms — each with different pain points and different languages. The messaging has to meet each one where they are.”
Adam Robinson, Founder & CEO, The Robinson Agency
Rather than generic product features, TRA built messaging around these personas’ search behavior: the questions they ask, the terminology they use, and the outcomes they care about. Every content piece, keyword target, and campaign message was rooted in audience-first thinking. This approach made all downstream channels — SEO, content, paid media, social, and AI search — work harder and convert better.
The Content Engine
Building Authority Through Logistics Education
TRA built a comprehensive content engine spanning 14+ dedicated Monday.com production boards and 391 articles tracked on the Article & Content Production board alone — at a cadence of 12 articles per month (4 weekly news curations + 8 SEO-driven pieces). The operation covered every marketing function: blog production, SEO, podcast, webinars, email marketing, social media, creative design, website copy, tradeshows/events, and high-touch assets like white papers, case studies, and infographics.
Shipping Glossary
100+ logistics terms, top-of-funnel authority
A comprehensive A-Z glossary covering logistics and shipping terminology: ad valorem duty, bill of lading, drayage, demurrage, FOB shipping point, container types, incoterms, and more. This content drives significant informational traffic from people learning logistics and freight terms, creating a top-of-funnel foundation for converting supply chain professionals.
Deep-Dive Blog Content
Long-form articles on industry topics
Long-form articles covering container tracking, international shipping companies, shipping costs, per diem charges, important shipping terminology, and industry trends. Every piece is optimized for target keywords and interlinked to guide readers toward VIZION’s products.
Press Releases & Announcements
Funding news and partnership coverage
Strategic announcement of funding rounds ($3.25M seed, $14M Series A), partnership announcements (FreightMango), and product launches. Press releases created authority signals and provided backlink opportunities across industry press and PR outlets.
Podcast & Video Content
“Full of Ship” with Kyle Henderson
Co-developed VIZION's branded podcast "Full of Ship" with full production management (StreamYard, guest coordination, recording, distribution). Guests: Jim McCullen, Anya Skomorokhova, Matthew Silver, and Iliriana Kaçaniku.
Event & Webinar Production
LinkedIn Live roundtables & product launches
Produced the Red Sea Crisis Roundtable (January 2024) with Journal of Commerce, Searoutes, and Vespucci Maritime—plus TradeView demo and VIZION Digital Panel events.
Social Media & Email Marketing
100+ monthly posts, segmented email campaigns
Managed VIZION’s social media calendar with 100+ posts across LinkedIn, Twitter, and channels. Email campaigns targeted segmented lists for product updates, webinar registrations, and content distribution.
High-Touch Assets
White papers, case studies, infographics, use cases
Beyond recurring blog content, TRA produced 15+ high-touch deliverables including white papers and ebooks, customer case studies (e.g., Sprouts Farmers Market), infographics, use case one-pagers, and press releases. Each asset went through a full production cycle: outlining, writing, editing, client review, design, and publishing.
Brand Identity, Style Guide & Website: TRA created a comprehensive branding and style guide for VIZION (a $10–15K strategic investment), ensuring consistent visual and verbal identity across all marketing channels. TRA also managed a full website redesign — crafting the messaging architecture, page copy, and conversion flow for vizionapi.com.
Clicks and impressions from Google Search Console across 12-month period
Month
Clicks
Impressions
Avg. CTR
March 2025
3,600
1,090,000
0.33%
April 2025
5,400
1,150,000
0.47%
May 2025
6,380
1,300,000
0.49%
June 2025
4,200
1,200,000
0.35%
August 2025
3,590
1,380,000
0.26%
October 2025
3,870
1,110,000
0.35%
February 2026
2,730
1,150,000
0.24%
6.38K
Peak Monthly Clicks (May 2025)
1.3M
Peak Monthly Impressions (May 2025)
649%
Homepage Click Growth (Mar→Apr 2025)
248
Homepage Daily Clicks Peak (April 2025)
Top Performing Pages (May 2025 Peak)
Highest-traffic pages during peak organic performance month
Page
Clicks
Impressions
Position
Homepage
2,660
45,000
~3.5
Tariff Tracker Blog
547
15,800
~2.1
Sinokor Carrier Tracking
141
8,200
~4.2
Geographic Performance (May 2025)
Top countries by organic clicks during peak month
Country
Clicks
% of Total
United States
2,140
33.5%
India
523
8.2%
Hong Kong
277
4.3%
Device Performance (May 2025)
Traffic breakdown by device type
Device
Clicks
% of Total
Desktop
4,720
73.9%
Mobile
1,610
25.2%
Tablet
49
0.8%
This 12-month period demonstrates the compound effect of sustained SEO investment and content authority-building. The April-May 2025 spike was driven by tariff tracking interest and search volume from supply chain professionals monitoring trade disruptions. The gradual normalization in subsequent months reflects seasonal patterns in logistics search behavior, while sustained impressions across 1.1M+ demonstrate VIZION's authority in the space.
AI Search Visibility
471 AI Mentions, 997 Cited Pages
Beyond traditional Google rankings, VIZION API content ranks and is cited across multiple AI search engines and LLM platforms. This represents a new category of visibility that supplements organic search:
471
Total AI Search Mentions
997
Cited Pages Across Platforms
183
Google AI Overview Mentions
101
ChatGPT Mentions
139
AI Mode Mentions
257
AI Overview Cited Pages
AI Search Breakdown
Distribution of mentions and citations across major AI platforms
Platform
Mentions
Cited Pages
Google AI Overview
183
257
ChatGPT
101
590
AI Mode
139
359
Other AI Search
48
Other citations
This visibility across AI platforms demonstrates the compounding value of authority-building content. When VIZION content appears in ChatGPT citations, Google AI Overviews, and other LLM contexts, it creates new discovery pathways and builds trust with prospects who encounter the brand through AI-mediated search.
Charley Dehoney introduces Adam Robinson to Kyle Henderson and KC Cunningham, establishing the foundation for a long-term partnership.
July 2021
Engagement Formalizes
Kyle Henderson and TRA conduct exploratory interview on "Use Cases of Cargo and Freight Shipment Tracking APIs." Dedicated Slack channels created for content marketing and website messaging strategy.
August 2021
Core Messaging Strategy
Messaging-first approach developed for three target personas: LSPs, BCOs, and Software Companies. This foundation guides all marketing channels.
January 2022
SEO & Branding Launches
SEO channel activated with Semrush project. Comprehensive branding and style guide commissioned ($10–15K investment).
March 2022
Analytics Dashboard
Looker Studio analytics dashboards created to track organic traffic, keyword rankings, and campaign performance in real-time.
April 2022
Paid Media Launch
LinkedIn Ads and Google Ads campaigns launched, generating qualified leads across target personas.
July 2022
Series A Announcement
VIZION announces $14M Series A funding (Samsung Venture, Maersk Growth, Valuestream Ventures). TRA manages announcement strategy and PR.
November 2022
VIZION Digital Panel
TRA produces cross-client webinar featuring Kyle Henderson and Hannah Testani (Intelligent Audit CEO) discussing supply chain visibility and logistics innovation.
2022-2023
"Full of Ship" Podcast Launches
TRA co-develops and produces VIZION's branded podcast with Kyle Henderson as host. StreamYard production system established. Multiple episodes recorded with industry leaders including Jim McCullen, Anya Skomorokhova, Matthew Silver, and Iliriana Kaçaniku.
January 2024
Red Sea Crisis Webinar & TradeView Launch
TRA produces major LinkedIn Live roundtable on the Red Sea Crisis, partnering VIZION with Journal of Commerce (Eric Johnson), Searoutes (Pierre Garreau), and Vespucci Maritime (Lars Jensen). Same month, supported TradeView product demo at VIZION All-Hands.
February 2024
Manifest Trade Show
VIZION participates at Manifest Vegas with trade show booth and collateral designed by TRA.
2024
Content Engine Continues Scaling
Social media management transitions from Graham Holmes to Anthony Conforti. Carrier tracking pages built. Tariff tracker blog created. Organic traffic momentum builds.
April 2025
649% Traffic Spike
Google Search Console reports VIZION homepage averaging 248 daily clicks (up from 33.1 baseline), representing 649% growth. Strong seasonal demand for tariff and trade monitoring content.
May 2025
Peak Organic Performance
6.38K monthly clicks across 1.3M impressions. Tariff tracker page alone generates 547 clicks. Top traffic from United States (2,140 clicks), India (523), and Hong Kong (277). Desktop drives 4,720 clicks vs. 1,610 mobile.
December 2025
Brand Guidelines 2.0
Comprehensive brand identity refresh commissioned through Michael Lopez, building on the original 2022 style guide with updated visual language and brand voice guidelines.
Early 2025
VIZION Transitions In-House
After nearly four years of embedded partnership, VIZION brings marketing operations in-house. The SEO foundation TRA built begins a gradual decline as the in-house team navigates the transition — a pattern that underscores the depth of institutional knowledge an embedded partner accumulates over time.
March 2026
The Legacy: Five Years of Compounding Growth
At the peak of TRA’s partnership: 13.1K organic keywords, 8,960 monthly organic traffic, 471 AI search mentions, and a fully realized brand identity — all built from a seed-stage starting point.
The Team
The Robinson Agency — VIZION’s Extended Marketing Team
Adam Robinson – Strategy, Messaging, SEO, Paid Media, Analytics in Amanda Polk – Creative Director, Website Design, Collateral, Trade Show in Anthony Conforti – Account Director, Social Media in Bobby Samuels – Strategic Communications & Brand Success in Kim Link-Wills – Editor & Publisher in
Ready to Build Category Authority?
The Robinson Agency works exclusively with logistics, supply chain, and transportation companies — operating as an embedded marketing department, not a traditional agency. Whether you’re a seed-stage startup or an enterprise platform, messaging-first marketing creates the foundation for sustainable growth.
