Hey there! I'm Eugene, and I've spent over 20,000 hours building and ranking websites and running SEO and SEM campaigns. Today, I want to share the exciting journey we've been on with two websites in freight management, logistics, freight brokerage, and software for the past year. This journey has been remarkable, filled with challenges, learning, and significant successes.
The Dual Approach: Services and DIY Software
We started this campaign with a clear goal: to dominate the search rankings for key terms in the freight industry. Both websites we managed targeted the same key terms but offered different solutions – one provided freight brokerage services, and the other offered innovative DIY software for larger companies with complex freight needs. This dual approach isn't unique to this industry; I've seen it in various sectors like window installation and accounting, where businesses offer products and services.
The Secret Weapon: A Third Experimental Site
Besides the main websites, we also had a third "secret" site where I could test and implement advanced SEO strategies without constraints. This experimental site was crucial in helping us find the perfect balance between SEO, design, and branding efforts.
Building SEO Pages and Content Strategy
From day one, it was clear that both websites needed a robust SEO foundation. We created numerous SEO pages targeting key terms like "freight broker" and "transport management system." The process involved optimizing titles, permalinks, meta descriptions, and more. Over the year, we continuously added these pages, ensuring we covered all essential keywords.
Quadrupling Organic Traffic
Our efforts bore fruit as we saw a quadruple increase in traffic over the past 12 months. Here are some key indicators of our success:
- Organic Traffic: We witnessed a significant rise in organic traffic, reflecting our effective keyword targeting.
- Organic Traffic Value: Our traffic increased thanks to targeting high-value keywords.
- Organic Pages: The number of indexed and ranking pages grew substantially.
Content Creation and Backlink Building
We published around 50 blogs per site throughout the year, gradually increasing our indexed keywords and driving organic traffic. This effort resulted in more than doubling our keyword variations compared to the previous year. Additionally, we built over 500 backlinks, with 76 new unique websites mentioning our clients, significantly enhancing their online authority.
Keyword Tracking and Competitor Analysis
We meticulously tracked 109 unique keywords, with 13 in the top 3 positions and 21 in the top 10. This detailed tracking allowed us to fine-tune our strategies continuously. A significant challenge was managing permalink structures during website redesigns to maintain SEO juice and avoid traffic losses.
Leveraging Cross-Linking Opportunities
Analyzing competitors' strategies revealed opportunities for improvement. For instance, we identified key terms where competitors invested heavily and created relevant content and call-to-actions (CTAs) to capture and convert this traffic. Implementing retargeting strategies ensured we stayed top-of-mind for engaged visitors.
Enhancing User Experience and Technical SEO
Improving the user experience (UX) was a priority. We ensured the websites were user-friendly, with fast loading times and mobile responsiveness. On-page SEO was another critical focus, where we optimized meta tags, headers, and content for targeted keywords. These technical enhancements played a significant role in improving our rankings.
Importance of Local SEO and Link Building
We also emphasized local SEO by optimizing for local searches and creating geo-specific pages to capture regional traffic. Building high-quality backlinks from reputable sources was another essential strategy. This effort not only improved our domain authority but also drove targeted traffic to the websites.
Continuous Monitoring and Adaptation
It was crucial to regularly monitor our SEO performance and make data-driven decisions. We used various tools to get a comprehensive view of our progress. This approach helped us stay ahead of the competition and adapt our strategies as needed.
Conclusion and Future Outlook
The past year has been a journey of learning and growth. By integrating comprehensive SEO strategies, building high-quality content, and leveraging industry insights, we achieved remarkable results for our clients. However, the SEO landscape is ever-evolving, and staying ahead requires continuous adaptation and innovation.
