I've been knee-deep in a long-term SEO campaign for a little over a year now, and let me tell you, it's been a wild ride. When I first started, I inherited two websites from a business in the trade space that had split its services into two—one for installation and one for DIY. The goal was clear: make each website unique, drive organic traffic, and increase lead generation. But here's the kicker: one of these websites had been up for years, and despite its age and old-school WordPress build, it outperformed the shiny new site built on Wix regarding SEO performance.
The transition from Wix to WordPress wasn't without its challenges. We had to ensure that everything from backlinks to internal linking was handled with care. Unfortunately, the new site essentially reset all the SEO values of the old one. There was no redirection, and those old, well-ranking pages were not preserved. The old site had a lot of trust built with Google, and all that was lost when we rebuilt the site. It was a learning moment, for sure.
Despite these setbacks, over time, things started to pick up. After months of fine-tuning, creating blogs, and building more SEO pages, I started to see some impressive results. The first site began gaining steady organic traffic, climbing to over 1,000 monthly visitors. Even though the traffic fluctuated, some keywords consistently held strong. Five hundred nineteen of the most commercial terms—those key phrases with real buyer intent—placed the site in the top 10 of Google's search results. This was huge for us.
The second site, which didn't register on Google initially, began showing significant improvement. While it's still a "baby" site, its 280 monthly visitors and ranking for 241 commercial terms were a step in the right direction. I've always believed that SEO isn't just about traffic; it's about the quality of that traffic. And with these two sites, I saw real, tangible leads coming in.
The Importance of Content and Targeted Keywords
Throughout the campaign, we focused on creating guide-like, long-form blog content. We pushed out 184 blogs—each covering a specific aspect of our service. These weren't your average blog posts. Each piece was written with expertise in mind and designed to help users make informed decisions about the services they needed. We didn't just answer questions; we aimed to provide the ultimate resource. And let me tell you, this strategy paid off. Many of the blogs targeted highly specific long-tail keywords, which brought in organic traffic and helped establish the sites as authoritative voices in the space.
But it wasn't just about creating content. SEO is a game of constant adjustments, and one of the most overlooked aspects is link-building. Whether through guest posts or national directories, building high-quality backlinks has been crucial. Some of the best links I've acquired have come from business directories—especially when I partner with other businesses in the industry. By listing them in the top ten lists for their services, I can secure valuable backlinks while helping them out. It's a win-win situation and builds relationships in the process.
Lead Generation: The Real Goal
The ultimate goal of SEO isn't just rankings; it's lead generation. Traffic is great, but what happens after the visitor lands on your site matters. Throughout the campaign, we've tracked 455 leads from site one and 557 from site two. This kind of lead generation is exactly what I was aiming for. Even as the traffic fluctuated, the commercial intent of the visitors remained strong. It's not just about showing up in search results; it's about showing up for the right search queries—those where people are ready to buy or engage with your service.
Over the years, I've learned the importance of local SEO. For site two, which primarily serves a specific city, we've focused on hyper-local content. In the coming months, we'll build 144 suburb-specific pages to capture even more local traffic. This tactic I've been using for a while has been incredibly effective in boosting both visibility and conversions.
Looking Ahead: E-E-A-T and Continuous Improvement
Google's E-E-A-T (Expertise, Experience, Authority, and Trust) guidelines have become central to our strategy. This is more than just following an algorithm—it's about building a real brand people trust. We've been rolling out updates for the client to showcase their expertise through case studies, interviews, and proof of work. Every completed project becomes a piece of content, telling the story of how their services helped solve a customer's problem. I'm working on getting these stories published regularly, not just on the website but across social media platforms.
We're also focusing on site authority as part of the ongoing strategy. In addition to content creation and backlinking, we're rolling out a new series of case studies to build trust and authority. It's all about proving that the company isn't just another service provider but a trusted partner in the industry.
Conclusion
Building a successful SEO campaign isn't easy and is definitely not fast. But when you commit to a comprehensive, high-quality strategy like the one I've been working on, the results speak for themselves. From creating informative content to building strong backlinks and optimizing for local SEO, every step has been aimed at ensuring these sites rank, convert, and generate leads. It's not just about outranking competitors—it's about continually improving and staying ahead in a fast-moving digital landscape.
I'm constantly learning and adapting as I move forward with this campaign. There's always room to grow, and I can't wait to see how these sites continue to perform. The work never stops, which keeps me passionate about my work. If there's one thing I've learned, SEO is a long game, but with the right approach, the rewards are well worth the effort.