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How a Rewards Program Grew Traffic by 1,567% in 6 Months

https://brandclub.com/

Stats

6.3K to 105.1K Monthly Visits

Industry

Web & Tech

Niche

Mobile App

Reporting Date

January 2025

What's the secret to driving record-breaking organic traffic?

Brandclub, a cash-back rewards app, cracked the code in January 2025, welcoming an impressive 105K visitors—their highest organic traffic to date.

This SEO case study pulls back the curtain on their winning formula.

Learn the strategies that propelled their growth, discover how you can adapt these tactics for your own website, and explore the essential WordPress tools to get you started.

The Catalyst: How Brandclub Reached 105K Monthly Visits

1. Automating Content Creation: The Power of Programmatic SEO

Brandclub's impressive traffic surge in January 2025 wasn't a matter of luck; it was the result of a strategic and scalable approach to SEO. A key element of their success was the implementation of programmatic SEO.

Programmatic SEO uses automated tools and software to create a large number of landing pages rapidly. It relies on a template and data to product this content.

For Brandclub, instead of manually crafting individual pages for each product offered by their retail partners, they used programmatic SEO to automate the process.

This strategy allowed them to create hundreds of thousands of new product pages—fast.

They extracted product descriptions from the retailer's website to generate unique, SEO-friendly product pages on the Brandclub platform.

Let’s look at an example.

For the above product (Dyson hair dryer), Brandclub has the following description on its website:

This matches Sephora’s website, which is where Brandclub extracted its copy:

It’s also where Brandclub send its users to convert (via the Sephora link).

This is just one example of Brandclub using automation in its content creation process..

Over the past 6 months, Brandclub generated over 300K new product pages.

(To give this number some context, Brandclub only had about 3.5K URLs on its website in July 2024.)

The result?

A dramatic increase in Brandclub's content offering and online visibility.

Why this matters:

This programmatic approach offers several advantages:

• Scale: Brandclub could generate hundreds, even thousands, of landing pages in a fraction of the time it would take to create them manually. This scalability was essential for covering the extensive product catalogs of their retail partners.
• Efficiency: Automating content creation freed up valuable time, allowing Brandclub's team to focus on other aspects of their SEO strategy.
• Relevance: By using existing product data, Brandclub ensured that each landing page was optimized for specific product searches.
• Freshness: Search engines love fresh content. Brandclub's introduction of new products kept the site relevant and up to date for today's online shoppers.

How to leverage automation on your site:

Brandclub's success with programmatic SEO highlights the power of automation. Want to achieve similar results?

Here's how you can leverage automation on your own site:

1. Identify opportunities. Look for areas where content creation can be automated. Think product pages, category pages, or blog posts.
2. Choose the right tools. Several tools can help with automating SEO tasks. Explore options like SEO plugins to speed up content creation and streamline certain on-page SEO tasks.
3. Test and track. Don't just set it and forget it. Continuously monitor the performance of your pages and make adjustments as needed. Track key metrics like traffic, rankings, and conversions.

Finally, it's important to note that content quality still matters. While automation is powerful, don't sacrifice your writing quality. Ensure your pages provide real value to users, especially in the age of AI-generated content.

This will help you stand out to users and search engines, earning more trust and authority in your niche.

WordPress Automation Tools:

All in One SEO (AIOSEO) is the best SEO plugin for automating repetitive SEO tasks. Take internal linking, for example.

With Link Assistant, you can get automatic linking suggestions directly in the WordPress editor. This tool finds relevant content on your website, determines where it can fit into your existing post or page, and provides relevant anchor text for the link.

All you have to do is click Add Link.

Another good example of automating SEO tasks is the AIOSEO Schema Generator.

Instead of having to manually create and add structured data to your website, this tool formats schema markup automatically for you.

You just have to select the schema type you want from the catalog, and AIOSEO will format it for search engines.

Now, let’s see how Brandclub optimizes its new product pages to rank in search engine results pages (SERPs).

2. Unearthing Hidden Ranking Gems: Long-Tail Keyword Strategy

Brandclub's programmatic SEO strategy wasn't just about creating a large volume of pages—it was also about targeting the right keywords.

A crucial element of their approach was a focus on long-tail keywords.

Long-tail keywords are longer, more specific phrases that searchers use when they're closer to making a purchase. Unlike short, generic keywords (e.g., “shoes”), long-tail keywords are more descriptive (e.g., “women's blue running shoes size 9”).

These longer phrases often have lower search volume individually, but collectively they make up a significant portion of all search traffic.

Here, we see how all of Brandclub’s top keywords are long-tail:

Why are long-tail keywords so important?

• Higher Conversion Rates: People searching with long-tail keywords are typically more specific about what they want. This means they're more likely to find exactly what they're looking for on a well-optimized page, increasing the chances of a conversion.
• Less Competition: Long-tail keywords are often less competitive than shorter, more generic keywords. This makes it easier to rank for these phrases, especially for smaller websites or newer pages.
• Improved Targeting: Long-tail keywords allow you to target very specific audiences. By focusing on these niche phrases, you can attract highly qualified traffic to your website.

Brandclub understood the power of long-tail keywords and incorporated them into their product page optimizations. By using the product descriptions from the retailers, they were naturally including many of these longer phrases.

They also targeted their focus keyword in the following areas:

• H1 tag
• SEO title
• URL slug
• Images

Ultimately, these optimizations had a huge impact on Brandclub’s keyword rankings.

By January, rankings were up to 646.9K keywords. (Brandclub only had 7.7K rankings just 6 months ago, providing the efficacy of their on-page SEO strategy.)

Why this matters:

Brandclub's long-tail keyword strategy drove explosive growth by attracting the right traffic. Focusing on specific search phrases led to:

• Higher Conversions: More specific searches mean more purchase-ready users.
• Reduced Competition: Easier ranking for niche keywords.
• Improved ROI: Attracting qualified traffic maximizes SEO investment.
• Scalable Growth: More products mean more long-tail keywords and traffic.
• Real Results: Keyword rankings soared from 7.7K to 646.9K in 6 months.

Essentially, Brandclub's strategy proves the power of targeted keywords for significant SEO success.

How to find long-tail keywords:

Brandclub's success underscores the value of long-tail keywords, but how do you find them for your own website?

Here are some effective strategies:

• Brainstorming: Start by thinking about your target audience and the specific products or services you offer. Consider the different ways people might search for those offerings. Get specific! Instead of “coffee maker,” think “blue vintage nespresso coffee maker.”
• Competitor Analysis: See what long-tail keywords your competitors are ranking for. Tools like LowFruits and Semrush can help you identify these keywords.
• Customer Feedback: Pay attention to the language your customers use when they talk about your products or services. Look at reviews, surveys, and customer support interactions for valuable long-tail keyword ideas.
• Google Autocomplete: Start typing a broad keyword into Google and see what suggestions pop up. These suggestions are often long-tail keywords that people are actually searching for.
• Question-Based Keywords: Think about the questions your target audience might ask. These questions can be great long-tail keyword opportunities (e.g., “how to make drip coffee” or “best nespresso alternative pods”).

Long-Tail Keyword Research Tools:

Did you know All in One SEO can connect with your Semrush account in WordPress?

This makes finding relevant keywords for your content easy.

To use this feature, you’ll start by setting a focus keyphrase for your post or page.

Then, click Get Additional Keyphrases.

AIOSEO will fetch keyword ideas from Semrush and populate results in a pop-out window. You’ll find that many results are long-tail keywords, like in the example below.

You can use these keyword insights to further optimize your content and increase its reach in search results.

Speaking of enhancing a content’s reach, let’s see how Brandclub uses images to stand out in organic search.

3. Enhancing Visibility in SERPs: Image Optimizations

Brandclub's SEO strategy wasn't limited to text; they also recognize the importance of image optimizations.

Image SEO is the practice of optimizing images on your website to rank in search results.

While often overlooked, image SEO can be a powerful way to drive additional traffic to your site.

There are a few different areas images can appear in Google.

1. As an image snippet in traditional search results (shown below).
2. In the Google Image Pack, which appears at the top of search results.
3. In Google Images, where there are over 1 billion searches every day.

Each venue is a prime opportunity to stand out from the competition and get more visitors to your site.

For BrandClub, image snippets were their most common occurrence with 146.1K rankings in January.

So, how’d they get them?

Brandclub used the following techniques:

1. Wrote descriptive alt text. Alt text (alternative text) is a description of an image that is read by screen readers and displayed if the image fails to load. It also provides valuable information to search engines about the image's content. Brandclub consistently uses descriptive alt text that accurately reflects what the image depicts and incorporates relevant keywords.
2. Leveraged on-page SEO signals. Brandclub understands that images don't exist in isolation. They integrate their images within their on-page content, ensuring that the surrounding text is relevant to the image. This contextual information helps search engines understand the relationship between the image and the overall topic of the page.

(There are also additional optimizations I would have liked to have seen from Brandclub, but I’ll get into those shortly.)

Why this matters:

Brandclub's image optimization efforts showcase the power of visuals in SEO:

• Increased Visibility: They tapped into image search, expanding their reach beyond text results.
• Better User Experience: Alt text improved accessibility for users with visual impairments.
• Higher Clickthrough Rates: Eye-catching images attract more clicks.
• Diversified Traffic: Image search provides a valuable alternative traffic source.
• Brand Building: Strong images reinforce brand identity.

Brandclub's strategy proves that an effective SEO strategy should include visual optimizations for maximum impact.

How to do image SEO:

This tutorial shows you how to optimize WordPress images, but here’s a quick recap of the process:

1. Use keyword-rich image file names.
2. Write descriptive alt text.
3. Include image title tags.
4. Add captions when appropriate.
5. Create an image sitemap.

Several of these optimizations could have helped Brandclub win even more image rankings than it has already. Two of the most impactful would have been using optimized image file names and title tags, which appear when users hover or click on an image.

Image SEO Tools:

AIOSEO has a user-friendly image SEO tool for WordPress. It also ties in some of the earlier automated processes, like writing image alt text for you.

To use this feature, just select the smart tag variables you want the plugin to use to generate your alt tag. The tool will then create the appropriate alt text for your images, with no work from your end.

Standout SEO Wins

Now that we've explored the key drivers of Brandclub's recent growth, let's look at a final, noteworthy SEO technique:

Breadcrumbs for a Better User Journey

Brandclub uses breadcrumb navigation to improve the user journey and support content discovery.

Breadcrumb navigation is a trail of links that shows users their current location within the site structure. For example, on a Brandclub product page, the breadcrumb trail might look like this:

Headphones > Over-Ear Headphones

This simple navigation element offers several benefits:

• Improved User Experience: Breadcrumbs make it easy for users to understand where they are on the siteand navigate to related categories. This clear path enhances user experience and can reduce bounce rates by providing clear navigation options.
• Internal Linking Structure: Breadcrumbs provide a clear internal linking structure, which helps search engines understand the hierarchy and relationship between different pages. This can improve crawlability and overall site architecture.
• Keyword-Rich Anchor Text: The links in breadcrumb trails often incorporate relevant keywords, providing additional context to search engines about the page's content.

Brandclub's use of breadcrumbs demonstrates their attention to detail and commitment to providing a user-friendly website that is also optimized for search engines.

Tool: In AIOSEO, you can enable WordPress breadcrumbs for easy site navigation. It’s as simple as toggling the switch on. You can also pick how you want to display the breadcrumb trail on the front end of your website to users.

Takeaways

In our analysis of Brandclub's website, we uncovered the SEO strategies that fueled their traffic growth. Their success provides valuable lessons for any website owner looking to boost their organic visibility and attract more qualified visitors.

Here are the key takeaways:

Top 3 Strategies to Emulate

1. Automate key SEO tasks. While programmatic SEO might not be suitable for every business, Brandclub's approach highlights the power of automation. Identify repetitive SEO tasks that can be automated, such as generating meta descriptions, optimizing images, or building internal links. Tools like AIOSEO can help streamline these processes and free up valuable time for other SEO efforts.
2. Target long-tail keywords. Don't just focus on broad, competitive keywords. Brandclub's success with long-tail keywords demonstrates the power of targeting specific, niche search queries. Conduct thorough keyword research to identify long-tail opportunities relevant to your audience and incorporate these keywords strategically throughout your content. This approach will improve your visibility in search results and bring qualified traffic to your site.
3. Optimize your images for search engines. Image SEO is often overlooked, but Brandclub's results prove its value. Optimize your images with descriptive alt text, keyword-rich file names, and appropriate title tags. These simple steps can significantly enhance your visibility in Google Images and help you stand out in traditional search results.

Bottom 3 Strategies to Reconsider

1. Neglecting image title tags. Brandclub is missing out on an opportunity to provide additional context to search engines by not including image titles. These tags, while not as important as alt text, can still contribute to image SEO. Image titles appear when users hover or click on an image. AIOSEO's Image SEO module can automatically generate image titles, ensuring that every image on your site is optimized for search.
2. Omitting meta descriptions from optimizations. While Google doesn't always use meta descriptions in search results, they still play a valuable role in attracting clicks. Brandclub could improve their clickthrough rate (CTR) by crafting compelling meta descriptions for each page. AIOSEO's TruSEO tool helps you optimize your meta descriptions for maximum impact. You can also use a meta description generator to write them for you.
3. Forgetting to set canonical URLs. Canonical URLs help prevent duplicate content issues by specifying the preferred version of a page. Unfortunately, Brandclub doesn't appear to use them on their website. You can set canonical URLs easily in AIOSEO's advanced settings. This feature allows you to customize your canonical tags for improved indexing.

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Unlock Explosive Growth With AIOSEO

Brandclub's journey to 105K monthly visits showcases the power of a well-executed SEO strategy. By embracing automation, targeting long-tail keywords, and optimizing images, they achieved remarkable results.

But their success story also highlights the importance of ongoing optimizations.

Don't let your SEO efforts become a burden.

AIOSEO can help you streamline your workflow, automate key tasks, and unlock the full potential of your website. From generating schema markup to optimizing images and managing breadcrumbs, AIOSEO provides the tools you need to achieve your SEO goals.

Here are a few customer favorites:

• Link Assistant: Get link suggestions, edit anchor text, and add internal links to your content in just 1 click. Link Assistant helps you effortlessly build a better linking strategy.
• Rich Snippets Schema: Win more rich results with AIOSEO’s user-friendly schema generator. Just pick the schema type you want, and we’ll format the structured data properly for Google.
• Semrush Keyphrase Suggestions: Perform keyword research directly in the WordPress editor. AIOSEO connects with your Semrush account to generate and serve keyword ideas for your content.
• Image SEO: Turn on automatic image alt text and title attributes with a single click. You’ll save time from manual entries while helping users and search engines understand your images.
• Breadcrumbs: Create a trail for users and search engines to understand where they are in your site hierarchy. Breadcrumbs are a great way of facilitating navigation and can generate sitelinks in SERPs.
• TruSEO On-Page Analysis: Get a snapshot view, or go into detail, of your content’s on-page SEO with this innovative tool. TruSEO analyzes your content optimizations and gives you actionable insights to maximize its reach.

Gabriela Jhean SEO Specialist

Gabriela is a creative and results-driven SEO specialist dedicated to helping small businesses stand out online. She contributes in-depth SEO case studies at AIOSEO Trends to reveal the winning strategies of top-ranking websites. In her downtime, Gabriela enjoys treasure hunting for antique jewelry.

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