LDM loves helping startups find their footing, and today, we’re here to share some insight into how you can go from zero to page one in the SERPs with research, creativity, and a whole lot of digital strategy.
The Challenge
The Rescue Vets is an animal rescue group in the Chicagoland area. Led by a team of passionate veterinarians, this nonprofit startup had no previous digital presence and needed help getting the word out on their adoptable pets.
LDM was tasked with developing a brand-new website and SEO strategy for this client.
The Plan
The first step was building a fully optimized custom website based on the client’s goals. Launched in February 2020, the user-friendly site featured content and designs to facilitate the pet adoption process, as well as a built-in blog to support upcoming SEO efforts.
During the go-live process, Senior SEO Specialist Robert Emigh was tasked with developing an SEO strategy from scratch. Here’s what he had to say about his approach:
“Because this client started with zero digital footprint until their site went live in February, the goal was to build visibility first and foremost. In February, their site ranked for zero queries, and it wasn’t until May 2020 that the site earned a place on the first page of the SERPs for a single query. As of December 2020, it ranked for 1,393 queries overall and 143 on the first page of the SERPs, a number that’s continuing to grow.
The strategy was, first and foremost, to go after low-hanging fruit. Because the site started from nothing, we could not base our strategy around improving existing positions; rather, we analyzed top pages for similar sites and went beyond that by researching common questions about pet ownership and health that had high search volume that we also deemed attainable based on sites that currently occupied the first page for our target queries. Achieving strong traffic for these pages would help boost the site’s overall authority and in turn function as a rising tide for queries more relevant to the immediate goals of the business. The results were impressive.”
The Results
Based on Robert’s research and planning, the blog kicked off in March 2020. By fall, the content written by Senior SEO Copywriter Amy Kuhr was starting to gain some serious traction, pulling in significant organic traffic by answering top-searched questions related to pet care and adoption. Here’s what Amy had to say about her implementation of Robert’s research:
“As an adopted pet owner and previous vet tech, I’m aware of the concerns of pet owners and those looking to add a pet to their family. I focused on answering the searcher’s questions and related questions with reliable information, while incorporating Robert’s research in order to create pieces that would both rank and benefit readers.”
In December 2020, organic traffic accounted for 89.02% of the site’s overall traffic, with 5,828 overall sessions. For comparison, when the site launched in February 2020, 5.11% of its traffic was organic, with only 52 organic sessions. It wasn’t until October when the site really took off, as our strategy paid dividends in the form of answer boxes that brought a surge of new users to the site and increased organic sessions by 147.54% from September to October.
Here are few of the standout performers for the site, with accompanying December 2020 numbers:
- Can Cats Eat Peanut Butter?: 2,007 organic sessions, 32 page-one keywords, and 12 featured snippets.
- Why is My Dog Anxious?: 1,769 organic sessions, 62 page-one keywords, and 6 featured snippets.
- How Heavy Should My Cat Be?: 1,342 organic sessions, 19 page-one keywords, 1 featured snippet.
While these pages became the heavy hitters for the site, they also contributed to more business-relevant queries rising in the SERPs. As of December 2020, the site ranked on the first page of the SERPs for queries such as “how long does does it take to adopt a cat,” “vet rescue,” “how to rescue a cat,” and local search queries regarding their location.
By November 2020, the client went from zero online presence to reporting:
- 11 featured snippets
- 3,531 organic sessions over 30 days (up 114.26% from the previous month)
- An estimated site traffic cost from $0 to $3,100
- Page 1 rankings for popular keyword phrases
Why This Worked
SEO is often considered a long-game strategy since organic content takes time to pick up speed. But once it gains momentum, traffic can really take off, especially when what you’re creating is specifically geared towards the pain points of your target audience. Because LDM honed in on exactly what new pet owners needed to know, Rescue Vets gained authority and trust, helping them rise out of anonymity and into the spotlight.
This client worked closely with LDM Account Manager Caitlyn Hiller, who was thrilled about their progress:
“The client was very engaging and enthusiastic about showcasing all the animals they had available for adoption. They made sure to take their time when reading the content to ensure that the facts were accurate for their readers. What was unique about them was how much they gave back to the community by working with different organizations to rescue animals from bad homes. It was awesome to see this client blossom and grow so quickly!”
Get Results with LDM!
Ready to kick off your own SEO strategy for serious traffic? We’re ready to help! Launch Digital Marketing is an award-winning Chicagoland agency committed to developing tailored campaigns that work for you. Contact us for a free consultation!
