Client:
Established in-store marketing company expanding into the online segment of their business with a new website that offers free printable coupons from consumer packaged goods manufacturers.
Challenge:
Launching a new website in fall 2010, Lever Interactive’s client was starting from scratch in terms of organic search results. The website’s initial design was developed and launched without taking into consideration basic SEO or conversion optimization best practices. In addition, competition among keywords related to coupons is high and the client needed to quickly establish their brand and website as an online industry leader.
Approach:
Lever started from the ground up in ther SEO approach since the website was brand new. The first focus was on improving the website and its content, secondly an active off-site link building campaign was launched.
Tactics:
Lever Interactive conducted an S.W.O.T. analysis of the website to identify and prioritize ways to improve the site’s content, backend functionality in terms of SEO and visitor usability.
On-page tactics derived from the audit covered a wide-range of SEO best practices, some included:
- Page load time improvements through page size and code weight updates
- Development of new or improved page titles, headings, meta content and on-page content
- New URL structure, 404 error processes, robots.txt and XML sitemap file development
- Target keyword identification and integration into content and interlinking strategies
Off-page link building strategies started off with basic tactics that focused on top priority keywords (did not include any paid link building). Lever then moved into more advanced social link building strategies, such as:
- Relevant article and press release optimization and syndication
- Online video optimization and distribution
- Blog and forum participation
Results:
Lever’s SEO team is continuing to work with the client to develop and distribute superior content both on and off the site. In the first 8 months of engagement, the client’s new site saw tremendous organic growth. With no previous keyword rankings, Lever was able to gain page one rankings on several highly competitive general terms such as coupon, coupons, printable coupon and coupons online. Organic traffic increased from less than 2,000 visits per month to over 150,000 visits.
