Information and Challenges
The Central Asian news website had significant potential but faced challenges in attracting an audience through traditional SEO channels. While the site was registered with Google News, Google Recommendations, and Yandex Zen, traffic from these sources remained minimal. Additionally, Yandex had imposed penalties due to low-quality content and technical issues.
Our Main Objectives:
- Improve the website’s technical optimization.
- Assist authors in enhancing the process of preparing and publishing materials for better rankings.
- Strengthen interaction with tools that could generate additional, targeted traffic.
Moreover, it was decided to create content not only based on the authors’ interests but also tailored for SEO promotion. This combination enabled the website to boost organic traffic and improve its visibility.
Actions Taken
Technical Optimization
One of the initial tasks was identifying and resolving the website’s technical issues. We prepared technical specifications for developers to improve page load speed, enhance site indexing, and address mobile version issues. Regular monitoring of the site’s technical health was conducted.
Competitive Analysis
A detailed analysis of competitors in the market was performed to understand their SEO success strategies. Ongoing monitoring of competitors’ activities helped us remain relevant and adapt strategies to the region’s specifics and target audience.
Usability Optimization
By analyzing user behavior on the site and competitors’ solutions, we developed recommendations for improving usability. This optimization increased user engagement and reduced bounce rates.
Content Recommendations
We provided detailed guidelines for authors to optimize content, including:
- Technical metrics for text;
- Preparing meta tags;
- Optimizing internal linking;
- Optimizing images to improve load speed and SEO.
Additional Traffic Sources
We analyzed potential additional traffic sources and developed strategies for leveraging them. This included working with Google News, Google Recommendations, and Yandex Zen to maximize these channels.
SEO-Optimized Content Creation
Based on competitor analysis and seasonal trends, we selected topics for additional SEO-focused materials. Creating specific content aimed at improving organic traffic became a critical step.
Technical Requirements for SEO Texts
We prepared technical guidelines for writing and optimizing SEO texts, enabling authors to create content that better aligned with search engine requirements.
External Optimization
To boost the site’s authority, we focused on building external backlinks, strengthening its search rankings.
Monitoring Positions and Traffic
We continuously tracked the site’s position dynamics in search engines and analyzed traffic growth to adjust the strategy based on the results.
Indexing Monitoring
To accelerate the indexing of new materials, we used Google Search Console and other tools for manual page submissions. This allowed quick reactions to changes and improved site visibility.
Results
In 6 months, the website achieved significant success in search engine optimization. The primary achievement was improved visibility of articles in Google Recommendations, resulting in an additional 121,000 visits.
Another 1,600 visits were generated through Google News.
The most notable result was the removal of Yandex penalties. Thanks to technical and content optimization, as well as direct communication with Yandex support, the site regained its position in search results. Over six months, visits from Yandex increased 62-fold, from 1,000 to 62,000 visits per month.
This comprehensive approach to website optimization resulted in substantial audience growth and improved interaction with various traffic tools.