It’s no secret that backlinks are extraordinarily valuable for SEO purposes. Google looks at external links that your site and individual pages receive as a significant ranking factor, and the right backlinking strategies can directly impact your SERP potential.
It’s not just about getting more links, though, or even determining which publications to get backlinks from. You need to also consider which pages you want to prioritize when you’re building that backlink profile, and this all comes down to strategy.
Here at uSERP, it’s all part of the equation we consider, and in this case study, we’re going to show you how we helped Glassbox, a leading provider of digital experience intelligence for web and mobile applications, boost their keyword rankings and domain authority in just three months.
“uSERP came highly recommended. After meeting with several team members to discuss our current status, goals, and potential strategies for progress, it became evident that uSERP was the right partner for us. I can rest assured knowing that a team of experienced professionals is actively seeking the best links to enhance our site’s authority without negatively affecting its performance.”
The client
Glassbox is a SaaS offering digital intelligence insights to its users, designed to help businesses understand and optimize what’s happening at each customer touch point.
With a variety of different solutions like customer journey analytics, instant replays of any digital sessions, and error analysis, this is an incredibly in-depth tool capable of providing actionable insights that can revolutionize a business’s digital presence.
The challenge
Glassbox is an outstanding tool, offering a strong combination of accurate reporting data and optimization insights that can benefit their customers. They did, however, have a few challenges that brought them to uSERP.
Their most significant challenge, of course, was that they were struggling to rank well in the SERPs, both for individual content and for the site overall. This wasn’t overwhelmingly shocking, as they were in a highly competitive and saturated industry, but it was presenting a logistical problem, preventing them from ranking well and leveraging SEO to its fullest potential.
“My experience so far has been excellent. uSERP comprises a fantastic group of knowledgeable and friendly individuals who are always available to help. They have a knack for cutting through to the essentials and efficiently tackling the task at hand, eliminating any unnecessary steps and delivering value promptly.”
The solution
When we first began working with Glassbox, we put together a custom strategy for this particular client that would help them boost their overall domain rating (DR) as well as the individual ranking potential for different keywords on specific key pages.
The first thing we needed to do was determine which pages needed the biggest boost, so that’s where we started.
1. We identified target priority pages
As we mentioned at the beginning of this case study, the pages you choose to place backlinks on can matter almost as much as the publications you’re getting the backlinks from.
So that was the first step in our strategy. We identified individual URL targets, all of which either fell in top-funnel or mid-funnel stages for the biggest impact.
Once we had a list of top-funnel and mid-funnel content, we narrowed down the list based on traffic potential, looking at where the client had the ability to gain top positions in the SERP with specific URLs.
And to determine which URLs had the potential to achieve those top-ranking positions, we conducted a thorough SERP audit to determine the key domain metrics of the websites holding the top SERP places, including their domain rating and their referring domains.
2. We developed an anchor strategy and began link distribution
After identifying the URLs we wanted to prioritize with our efforts, we considered how we wanted to organize link distribution per page, which detailed how many links we’d provide for each URL each month.
We based link distribution on the competitiveness of the current SERP results, and how far the target keywords and content were from the top positions.
Depending on your strategy, content that was already ranking on the first page, for example, may get some extra backlink attention in an attempt to propel it to the top five slots, as it has a better shot of ranking well compared to a page that is ranking on the fourth page.
After confirming the link distribution strategy with the client, we set the anchor strategy for each URL. This involved setting primary and secondary keywords that we would use as anchor keywords for the pages we were driving backlinks to, allowing us to improve rankings on a page level for multiple keywords. And since great content should be optimized for multiple keywords, this is a good way to improve keyword visibility across your entire domain more effectively.
3. We helped optimize on-page content
Before we started working on earning backlinks for Glassbox, we wanted to ensure that those target pages were the best they possibly could be.
So, we performed an on-page content audit of the target URLs to ensure that our links would deliver the maximum impact.
This involved using Frase to identify potential keyword or content gaps, quickly determining if a blog post needed an additional section, for example, or if any of the content in question needed some additional keywords added in.
In addition to using Frase, we also conducted a manual audit, comparing the client’s content to that of the top three competitors for the target keyword in the SERP. This allowed us to make sure that there weren’t significant content or keyword gaps, and to suggest ways to deliver content that beats what was already out there.
4. We optimized the client’s internal link strategy
Aside from actually acquiring those earned backlinks (and you can learn more about how we do that here), the last step was to optimize the client’s internal linking strategy.
It’s not just external links that matter; internal links can also help search engines like Google understand your site structure, establish context, and can drive user traffic to the right places.
We performed an internal link audit for each of the target URLs we were prioritizing, and proceeded to build an internal link strategy for the client to implement.
The results
The best part of a dedicated and highly strategic SEO and backlink effort is that it’s not just effective… it can also be fast.
After only three months of working with uSERP, Glassbox had a domain rating increase of +1, URL rating (UR) increase of +1, the domain gained 2K keywords, and +30 keywords moved into the top #3 SERP positions.
Each of the URLs targeted saw significant increases in ranking, too.
Some URLS we targeted had keywords that were relatively far from page 1 of Google’s SERPs, like position 70. After three months, we saw significant increases in their keyword rankings. The primary target keyword gained +95 positions to #7 in the SERP.
And for the URLs that had target keywords just outside the top 10 positions, there was an average increase of five positions, and new keywords coming online.
These were significant and impactful increases in URL and domain rankings, allowing Glassbox to leverage SEO like they hadn’t been able to before.
Final thoughts
“I wholeheartedly recommend uSERP. They’re not just for those aiming to strengthen their link profile, but also for anyone seeking a comprehensive and strategic approach that comprehends the diverse aspects of organic growth.“
Michael Smith, Director of Digital Growth at Glassbox
Here at uSERP, we take a two-prong approach to helping you get the SEO results you want: We can help you scale organic growth with real, earned high-authority backlinks and performance-driven SEO.
We take a holistic look at your entire domain and URL ranking potential, and develop a strategy based on your current keyword rankings and your goals— including sending traffic to bottom-funnel content if that’s what’s best for you!
Ready to discover how we can help you? Book your free intro call here!
