by Read any good case studies lately? I sure have.
In fact, I read enough of them (and got so much value out of them) that I decided to pull together the best of them in one place.
When done right, case studies can provide an in-depth and behind-the-scenes look at something that might otherwise be difficult to find. This is definitely the case when it comes to SEO.
Some of these are so long that it could take you some serious time to see through to their conclusions. But I’m telling you now, it’s worth it.
Seeing the ups and downs, what works and what doesn’t, and the end result is priceless.
Without further ado, let’s get down to business!
1. “White Hat SEO Case Study: How To Get a #1 Ranking”
by Brian Dean
Breakdown of results
This is a great case study that shows how powerful a content marketing strategy can be in the right hands.
With a change in keyword tactic, and an overhauled content plan, the subject of the case study was able to dramatically increase their results.
Further, they make extensive use of the Skyscraper Technique which is definitely something you should check out if you haven’t already.
Takeaway
- The Skyscraper Technique is still as effective today as when it was first identified/created
- Keyword research is critical to content marketing
2. “SEO Case Study: 11,065% More Organic Traffic in 6 Months”
Breakdown of results
Ready for a long read? Hope so, this one doesn’t pull any punches.
That being said, it’s not overly wordy and actually remains quite succinct throughout. It’s lengthy because it outlines in great detail a fully-fledged SEO attack plan for a brand new niche website.
What’s even cooler is that the results are plain as day. The author’s efforts are clearly successful as they quickly earn top rankings and start generating significant traffic.
If you’re interested in learning about SEO, this may be one of the best places to start.
Takeaway
- Basic SEO techniques like keyword research, content marketing and outreach are still essential
- Forum marketing and Quora posts are great additional resources to leverage for quality links
3. “$1K Profit (Almost) in 1 Week: My PPC Case Study”
by Glen Allsopp
Breakdown of results
Glen outlines a step-by-step approach to getting started with Facebook paid advertising. The study shows how this can quickly generate traffic at an extremely low price-point.
While this won’t necessarily directly correlate with an increase in conversions, Glen digs into how you can jerry-rig a set-up that will do just that without increasing your overhead.
PPC compliments SEO exceptionally well and you’ll find out exactly how powerful the combination can be in this case study.
Takeaway
- PPC is an essential part of any complete internet marketing or SEO plan
- You don’t need a ton of money or expertise to get started
4. “Niche Site Duel”
by Pat Flynn
Breakdown of results
This one is pretty hard to summarize as it contains almost 20 individual articles.
It’s also a bit dated now, but there is just such a wealth of information shared here that it’s not to be missed.
Pat values transparency and his “tell-all” style illuminates all of his triumphs and failures along the way to growing a site from scratch to getting a five-figure offer for its purchase.
Takeaway
- SEO and CRO are ongoing processes. There is no finish line.
- It’s still more than possible to create a new online resource and generate passive income
5. “400 visits per day with a 2 months old Niche Site”
by Hunain Ahmed
Breakdown of Results
This one is particularly interesting because if the author’s claims are true, he’s a newcomer to SEO.
Through mainly content creation and promotion, he was able to achieve drastically improved rankings and generate some serious traffic.
While I wouldn’t really recommend taking the authors laissez-faire attitude towards SEO in general, but it’s still nice to see that content can be such a powerful tool even in the complete absence of a more traditional SEO strategy.
Takeaway
- You don’t have to be a seasoned pro or SEO expert to make some waves
- Content marketing is an incredibly powerful tool that can hold its own
6. “A Startling Case Study of Manual Penalties and Negative SEO”
Breakdown of Results
This case study covers a different angle, one of a manual Google penalty.
When Yonatan and his team stepped in, the trick for them was to figure out what had gone wrong and why the penalty had been assessed on their client since they hadn’t engaged in any black hat SEO tactics.
Yonatan had to dig pretty deep, and ended up finding a very unlikely and surprising culprit: strange and spammy links targeting keywords like “occurred” and “subsequently”. These links were most likely caused by automated spam-bots, unbeknownst to the site-owner.
The case study is particularly useful since it gets into the nitty-gritty of how to assess your links for quality, and how to deal with a penalty if you’re ever in such an unfortunate position yourself.
Takeaway
- Monitor your backlink profile regularly using Ahrefs
- Don’t give up hope if you get a Google penalty. Diagnose, repair, and appeal.
7. “A Case Study In B2B SEO Keyword Analysis”
by Derek Edmond
Breakdown of Results
Derek and his firm were brought on to figure out why their client was losing search volume year over year despite no apparent loss in rankings.
What’s important to note is that first they analyzed the search volume and its origins to get a better handle on where to dig deeper to look for potential causes.
Also of note is the step by step approach laid out in this case study. This is how you get real results in SEO and it’s a great example of how to stay organized.
Takeaway
- A data-focused and organized approach is necessary to both diagnose and solve-problems
- Don’t ignore “not provided” search volumes
8. “Case Study: How I Used a Case Study to Grow My Sales by 185%”
by Neil Patel
Breakdown of Results
Neil is an internet marketing expert with a variety of skills. In particular, he’s a master at A/B testing everything possible and coming up with increasingly effective lead-generation devices and ever-higher conversion rates.
In his case study of a case study (see what he did there?), he explains how he was able to significantly increase his client’s sales.
He did find that no matter how many changes he made, he was never able to even approach the conversion rate levels the main landing page achieved. That being said, a 185% increase in sales is nothing to scoff at.
It proves that case studies themselves can be an extremely valuable tool for businesses to have featured on their website (if they’re done right).
Further, someone mentioned in the comments that case studies can be used to great effect in SEO efforts as well. If you rank for a particular term with a case study, you can take advantage of that opportunity to turn a reader into a lead.
Takeaway
- Case studies themselves can be quite useful for lead-generation, SEO purposes and even sales
- Case studies must be optimized just like any other page in order to maximize their effect
Conclusion
Let’s recap the most important takeaways here. Putting these together (and keeping them in mind) will help you make sure your SEO efforts remain on track. Further, you’ll be well-equipped to handle the inevitable issues and ups and downs you’ll run into along the way to SERP glory.
- Content is still king
- The Skyscraper Technique is super effective
- Keyword research is a critical component to any content marketing strategy
- Promoting your content on Quora and Forums can drive engaged traffic to your blog and site
- There’s no “end” to an SEO campaign
- Monitoring back-links must be done regularly and indefinitely, expect surprises
- A data focused approach will keep your efforts organized and on track for the long haul
- Don’t lost hope
- There is still room for amateurs to make headway in certain niches and verticals
- Don’t give up if you get a penalty. Diagnose before determining if the problem can be remedied.
- You probably don’t need a ton of money to run a meaningful and effective PPC campaign
