General info
- Link Building
- SEO
The premise
The client reached out to us in early 2021 with the aim of expanding relevant organic traffic to their online store in France and enhancing the authority of their .fr domain. Their goal was to become the leading eCommerce platform in the field of online hardware in France by ranking at the top positions in organic search results for relevant queries.
The strategy
To begin planning the strategy, we used tools such as Google Search Console and Ahrefs to identify relevant search volumes and keywords. Simultaneously, we examined the website’s SEO metrics to identify key areas for improvement regarding domain authority.
Our focus was on improving domain authority through link building (Offsite SEO) while advising the client on the need to enhance Onsite SEO for the website. This included optimizing landing pages (both technically and in terms of content) and developing and expanding SEO-friendly content.
Regarding the development of the link profile, since it was a relatively new website, we opted for a combination of high-quality relevant backlinks along with medium-quality backlinks. This approach allowed us to acquire a higher volume of incoming links within a more budget-friendly framework. This process of obtaining new backlinks is carried out monthly, adjusting the anchor text strategy and the types of proposed domains based on the observed results.
The results
For this client, we conducted the initial phase of backlink expansion between May and September 2021. After these first 5 months of activity, the client decided to pause to evaluate the results of the strategy. Upon confirming the positive impact of the actions taken, they reactivated the activities in February 2022, and we have continued working together to this day.
As shown in the following graph, when we began link building, the Domain Authority (DA) of the website was very low. However, during the first period of link building, the DA experienced significant growth, increasing from 5 points in May 2021 to 16 in September 2021. It is true that DA, being on a logarithmic scale, always experiences faster growth when the number is lower. Still, even considering that factor, an 11-point increase in DA in just 5 months is a very satisfactory result.
Additionally, the graph illustrates how DA growth slowed down during the 4 months when link building activities were paused and how it resumed an upward trajectory from February 2022 onwards. As of today, our client’s website has a DA of 25, which is a very positive figure when evaluating domain authority by search engines.
As for the organic traffic of the website, as seen in the following graph, it has maintained an upward trend throughout 2022, reaching nearly 7,000 monthly organic visitors at present.
Furthermore, the positive results are also evident in the number of relevant keywords that hold prominent positions in search engines. As shown in the image, the number of keywords in the Top 3 and Top 10 positions has been steadily increasing since the beginning of 2022.
Undoubtedly, the coordinated effort between the client and the agency in improving both Onsite and Offsite SEO is one of the key elements that explain the success in achieving excellent results for this project.
Niels Krikke is the Corporate Marketing Manager for Seeders Group, managing all marketing and communication efforts for all Seeders offices across the globe. Niels’s specializations include branding, copywriting & SEO.