“We want to rank on Google’s first page with these keywords.”
This is what clients tell their SEO service providers all the time. However, for a website in a competitive niche, such as photography, ranking for money terms can be a challenge.
In this SEO case study, we’ll show you how we were able to rank 54% of the keywords on the first page, and 25% in the top three spots. Organic traffic increased by 123% after we implemented the on-page recommendations, and the website appeared on Google’s local snack pack after we improved its Google My Business listing.
Brief Background of the Client
The client is a photography company that specializes in industrial, oil and gas, food and people photography. Its client base ranges from multinational businesses to leading companies in the Philippines.
Main Problems of the Website
The website ranked low for its target key terms. As a photography website, it had plenty of visual elements but minimal written content. Most of the client’s competitors had individual pages and enough high-quality content to include the target keywords; the client’s site had only the homepage for the same set of target keywords. With no other pages outlining the services offered, the site’s ability to rank was greatly affected.
Strategies Implemented
We needed to do extensive keyword research and broaden the existing content. Since the website had no individual pages for its services, we needed to establish inner pages, with a major upgrading of existing content to add context to the target keywords and pages.
- Website Analysis
Before recommending changes to the website, we performed analysis to identify and evaluate the factors that prevented the website from ranking.
- Keyword Analysis
We carried out an extensive analysis to identify the best keywords to target. We collected and prioritized a list of keywords and phrases that we believed would be most valuable to the client.
- Content Optimization
Following a thorough assessment of the website’s content and layout, we developed and implemented recommendations to optimize the site based on the identified search terms.
The homepage had minimal content, and it lacked the quality to support the unique selling point and messaging of the client.
After determining the targeted keywords, we optimized the site’s content accordingly, and focused on quality content for the homepage without compromising the site’s visual appeal.
We then added individual pages for the services and populated them with content relevant to the intent of the target keywords.
- Local Citation Optimization
Local citations can make or break local businesses. We optimized the client’s Google My Business listing and built additional local citations.
Businesses tend to overlook their local citations, but it’s actually quite important for local search engine rankings. If Google encounters accurate data, it trusts the validity of that data, strengthening a business’ chance of a high ranking. In contrast, if the data is incorrect or inconsistent, the ranking opportunities reduce considerably.
Local citations also have a positive or negative impact on consumers. Accurate citations help users discover a business, which leads to online, phone, and foot traffic – increasing the chance of custom. On the flip side, inaccurate citations can misdirect customers, damaging a company’s reputation and revenue.
We made sure that the client’s local citations were accurate, building additional citations to further strengthen their search engine local presence.
Results of the Methodology
After months of working on the client’s website, we noticed remarkable improvements to the site’s organic traffic, organic ranking, and local ranking.
1. Increase in Organic Traffic - Organic traffic showed a growth of 123% after the implementation of the on-page recommendations, particularly content optimization.
2. Improved visibility in organic search - By the end of the campaign, 54% of the keywords we targeted ranked on the first page, with 25% within the top three positions.
3. Keywords ranking on the first page - Some of the keywords jumped from page 7 to page 1, including terms “professional photographer manila” and “advertising photographer Philippines”.
4. Ranking on Local Snackpack - After local citation optimization, the client’s website appeared on the Google snack pack box, which appears on the first page among other organic results.
Key Takeaways
- Content is still king. The campaign confirmed what most – if not all – SEOs know: great content is one of the core foundations of the SEO process. The results and findings showed us that rankings and traffic improve with a solid on-page strategy.
- It's possible to rank for keywords with an on-page strategy alone. Without on-page optimization in place, even with a strong link-building tactic websites will struggle with ranking and traffic. This doesn't mean that building backlinks is not an essential part of the SEO process. But even without a comprehensive link building strategy in place, a website with strong on-page page efforts can achieve significant results.
When it comes to SEO success, finding the right opportunities on the website, identifying the pain points, and implementing the right methodology are the key points to consider.
