Project Overview
The Challenge
Low organic traffic:
Minimal presence on Google with very few indexed pages.
Poor keyword rankings: (CTR)
The site averaged a position of 45.8 in search results.
Low Click-Through Rate (CTR):
At 0.3%, the CTR was below industry benchmarks.
Limited content:
Few blog posts and landing pages existed.
Weak backlink profile:
Little to no authoritative inbound links.
Highly competitive niche:
Competing with major universities and large MOOC providers.
Our SEO Strategy
To combat these challenges, we built a focused, data-driven SEO strategy based on five pillars:
Comprehensive Keyword Research
We identified what potential students were searching for online. Instead of competing for broad terms like “online degree,” we focused on long-tail, intent-driven queries to attract high-converting traffic.
- Performed keyword gap analysis using SEMrush and Google Keyword Planner.
- Targeted low-competition, high-intent phrases like:
- “affordable online MBA programs”
- “self-paced online degrees”
- “online degree in data analytics with certification”
- Built a content calendar aligning keywords to blog posts and landing pages.
- Mapped keywords to the user journey: awareness, consideration, and decision.
Outcome: Helped rank faster and connect with users closer to conversion.
Content Development & Optimization
We expanded the site’s topical authority and relevance by developing keyword-aligned, user-focused content.
- Created 30+ blog posts (1,200+ words each) optimized for intent and semantics.
- Developed degree-specific landing pages (e.g., Online MBA, Online B.Tech).
- Updated existing content with:
- SEO-friendly meta titles & descriptions
- Improved H1-H3 structure
- ALT tags, internal linking, and schema
- Implemented schema markup for courses, FAQs, and breadcrumbs.
Outcome: Increased keyword rankings and improved crawlability.
Technical SEO Improvements
We built a stronger technical foundation to ensure faster performance and better discoverability.
- Optimized page speed with lazy-loading, compression, and caching.
- Fixed broken links, redirect issues, and crawl errors via Google Search Console.
- Updated XML sitemap and robots.txt files.
- Ensured full mobile responsiveness across all devices.
- Used internal linking to avoid orphan pages and strengthen authority flow.
Outcome: Higher crawl depth, lower bounce rate, and improved site health.
Backlink Outreach
We grew a high-authority backlink profile to increase domain trust and rankings.
- Targeted niche-relevant educational blogs and resource sites.
- Ran outreach campaigns offering guest posts and content contributions.
- Earned 15+ quality backlinks from:
- .edu domains
- Online education directories
- Influential ed-tech creators
Outcome: Higher domain authority and visibility for priority keywords.
On-Page Engagement Boost
We optimized user experience and SERP presentation to drive better click-throughs and conversions.
- Added FAQs, video explainers, and alumni testimonials to key pages.
- Ran A/B tests on meta tags using:
- Power words
- Numbers
- Emojis
- Introduced interactive content like accordion FAQs and course previews.
- Implemented scroll depth and engagement tracking to guide improvements.
Outcome: Time on page and scroll depth increased. CTR currently at 0.3% with future optimizations planned.
The Results (Over 6 Months)
Key Takeaways
Content is still king: Targeted, high-quality content can significantly increase both impressions and clicks, even in competitive niches.
Technical SEO lays the foundation: Addressing backend issues helps ensure proper crawlability and enhances the overall user experience.
Backlinks matter: Even a modest backlink campaign can improve domain authority and build trust with search engines.
CTR optimization is crucial: A low click-through rate continues to be a challenge. The next steps include improving title tags, testing emojis, and using richer snippets to attract more clicks.
