Website positioning of Publishing House
Positioning a website for a specific phrase based on technical seo and content marketing. A theoretically easy phrase is not easy to knock into the top 10 due to the constant composition of the top 10 made up of old domains with very extensive content and a powerful backlink base.
Website positioning - www.wydawnictwo.lesneoko.com
Goal 1: Positioning of the Forest Eye Publishing House website.
Website positioning of the publishing house: initial state
The described website was created as a simple business card available online. I had to work with such a site - a classic informational one page, not focused on receiving traffic coming from organic results, built according to accepted standards.
After analyzing the situation, I set out the actions to be taken to achieve the expected goals.
Planned actions to support the positioned page
First of all, I created a menu structure, and decided to implement a large amount of properly optimized content. The construction of the menu was not a problem, however, I solved the issue of adding new texts by transferring the existing blog from another subdomain, on which organic traffic was dropped. In this way, the positioned website became rich in high-quality content....
Website positioning: implementing changes
A simple menu in a standard form was not a problem. I implemented the introduction of content by moving the blog from another subdomain, on which organic traffic was abandoned. More than a dozen blog posts appeared on the domain.
positioning case study 001 www after changes
Verification of actions taken in the process of positioning the website and implementation of further recommendations.
The described work brought the expected result - the positioned website began to appear in Google search. However, in the search results it was staying on rather more distant places. It was necessary to organize the content, its further development, as well as technical optimization of the site.
Further work was proceeding in parallel. Both the changes in terms of organizing the content (headings, choosing the right phrases and saturating the texts with them) and the mentioned technical optimization (e.g. removing errors in the site code, friendly urls) in a relatively short time began to bring results. It's important to note that professional texts, written by trusted copywriters, made their way to the homepage. The problem of DC (Duplicate Content) also disappeared, all by adding redirects from "www" to "no www" address.
Google places a strong focus on the loading speed of the positioned page. With this in mind, I optimized the .htaccess file by configuring cache, gzip compression. The compression of images placed on the page was also crucial, thanks to which the site loaded much faster, positively influencing the process of positioning the site.
Domain visibility graph for queries according to Google Search Console
Graph of domain traffic from organic results according to Google Search Console
It's time to take care of the security of the positioned website
I always take care of the security of the sites I work on. When I changed the hosting of the described site, I implemented an SSL certificate from a reputable provider Let's Encrypt. This time I would like to point out that without a valid certificate, the process of positioning the site in Google search does not make any sense. This is the absolute basis that must be taken care of.
Next steps in the positioning process - verification and further plans
The mentioned homepage content was implemented in February 2018, which translated into an increase in visibility. The graph in Google Search Console shows clear improvements.
March 2018 saw a change in hosting and the implementation of an SSL certificate and "www" / "no www" redirects. The effects of these actions appeared in April in the form of a steady increase in visits to the positioned page.
In July of the same year there was a reshuffling of the results due to "mobile speed", i.e. the speed at which the site loads on mobile devices. At that time, the site was already running really smoothly and quickly. Analytics showed a significant increase in the top 50 results. The positioning was working, bringing measurable results.
Summary of the positioning process of the described website
Actions taken:
- implementation of SSL certificate,
- introduction of redirects,
- introduction of new content,
- technical optimization (page code, image size, etc.) of the positioned page.
- the aforementioned changes led to indexing of the site in Google search. Each subsequent week brought more and more organic traffic. The initial assumptions were met.
Goal No. 1 was achieved. Despite the limited economic and time possibilities, the work done brought the intended results. The changes were implemented in a balanced, sustainable, regular manner. The positioned page began to receive traffic from both the regionally defined area - Poznan, and the whole of Poland.
Verification of subsequent actions on the website
Implementation of content on the homepage in February 2018 translated into increased visibility. Clear changes in plus are visible in the Google Search Console chart
Domain visibility graph according to Semstorm
In mid-March 2018, there was a change in hosting. The implementation of SSL and appropriate redirects to the non-web version translated into a further increase in the visibility of the site. Since early April, a sustained increase in site visits has been noticeable.
When the rolling out the SERP results due to "mobile speed" began in July 2018, the site was already running seriously smoothly and quickly. The domain got a clear increase in top 50 results.
To sum up:
Technical SEO was implemented by installing an SSL certificate, introducing redirects, optimizing page speed. A fair amount of content was introduced to the site, some of it authored by myself, some of it ordered from professionals. The implementation of all the changes resulted in the site being indexed, it began to be visible, slowly began to generate traffic to the site
Domain visibility graph for the positioned phrase according to Google Search Console
Graph of a domain's position in search results for a given phrase according to Google Search Console
Goal 2: Increase conversions on the positioned website
Further development of the website was related to its revenue generation. Increasing conversions required not only redesigning the site, but also creating additional content.
Planned activities to increase conversions
Further redevelopment of the menu and placement of additional content on the site were the first of the actions taken. Wishing to encourage a potential user to buy the guide, I placed a video in the header of the page - playing it was the first goal, and filling out the guide order form, which I also created, was the next.
The completed work
- changing the menu subtitles to clickable icons,
- I replaced the static photo in the header with a video, which extended the user's stay on the site,
- I added expert content - articles in the form of a guidebook on tourism in the Bieszczady Mountains. Importantly, some of the texts complemented the guide
positioning case study 001 www after conversion optimization
Number of clicks on the positioned phrase according to Google Search Console
Number of conversions (goal 2: book order) on the website according to Google Analytics
Bounce rate according to Google Analytics. Blue color organic traffic, yellow color: organic traffic from queries +guide +book →0%.
A gradual increase in the number of conversions
As a result of the measures taken, the number of page rejections dropped, in favor of increased conversions. However, the increases were due more to regular growth than to planned treatments, falling short of expectations. The source of the problem turned out to be the detected duplication of content.
Its cause was internal linking and lack of redirects for the pages:
domain.pl/folder/file.php → domain.pl/folder/
After detecting the duplicate content phenomenon, I immediately removed the duplicate content.
Another effort to improve conversions - SEO optimization
The removal of duplicate content resulted in a decrease in the number of indexed URLs and a renewed increase in search positions. Further optimization of the site's speed involved asynchronous loading of .js scripts. Images placed on the page load as scaled objects depending on the size of the browser window. After analysis, I decided to remove the video from the site's header. I simplified the menu, increased the icons.
Verification of actions to improve the number of conversions
The conversion rate remained at a similar level. There was an increase in traffic to the positioned page related to guide requests. The steps taken translated into an increase in the number of book orders.
Goal #2 was achieved. The publication of guide content, as well as the addition of texts on the home page and the sub-page containing the order form was a good move. The aforementioned actions, together with internal linking, led to the site (on the original phrase) reaching the top 5 position.
Average position of the positioned phrase according to Google Search Console.
Goal 3: Further increase the visibility of the positioned website.
So far, the positioning of the website has been single-phrase oriented, and as a result, the number of visits has been relatively small and seasonal.
An in-depth analysis covered the number and type (regionalization, long tail) of search phrases. It was based mainly on Ahrefs and Semrush tools. I planned the following actions:
- expanding the phrases for which the site is positioned to include the following regionalizations - Poznań, in Poznań, poznańskie,
- inclusion of additional key phrases,
- creation of additional content saturated with the mentioned keywords.
The chosen phrases, in addition to the book itself, were related to maps and attractions that can be found in the Bieszczady region. I developed a series of blog posts including:
- extensive reviews of various maps,
- a list of attractions to visit.
I published the blog posts regularly, a minimum of three times a month.
Verification of the increase in visibility of the positioned website in Google search engine
positioning case study 001 gsc search results
Increase in visibility in search results according to Google Search Console
Increase in page visits (clicks) from organic search results according to Google Search Console
Increase in website traffic resulting from visibility in TOP 50 and TOP 10 according to Semstorm
Conclusions from the positioning process
Positioned is a subdomain, surrounded by competitive sites with a lot of seniority, filled with content and links. Given this, it was not easy to achieve the intentions. In addition, the industry is niche, making traffic highly seasonal. It's hard to define a single, always effective strategy, but it's worth noting that the SEO described is based solely on classic SEO treatments and strong content marketing, without linking.
Content Is The King
The positioned website is another example, confirming this thesis. The site's position in Google's search results changed only after proper content was prepared. The first time, the added texts helped the site get indexed (top 100), and in the next case (expert/advice articles, topic authority building), they significantly increased the site's traffic. Although it has to do with the tourist season that has started, this time it has taken volumes previously unheard of.
Technical SEO is also important.
Technical seo mainly makes sense in terms of key algorithms. Mobile friendly, mobile speed, YMYL (against the odds, too), Panda Algorithm are all pieces of Google's puzzle, the grasp of which was enough for success.
Further forecast for growth
The positioned site still technically has quite a few SEO shortcomings, but the actions taken clearly indicate that websites are worth running with the Reader in mind, and not solely to meet the expectations of Google bots. Therefore, further work will be based on content development and content marketing in the broadest sense.