How an AP Study Prep Platform Grew Traffic by 497% in 6 Months
https://fiveable.me/
Stats
210.8K to 1.3M Monthly Visits
Industry
Education
Niche
Learning Platform
Reporting Date
July 2024
Fiveable is an online learning platform for Advanced Placement (AP) exam preparation. It provides students with study guides in various subjects, from AP Math and Computer Science to History and Arts.
Fiveable has been steadily building its presence since its launch in 2018.
However, it was in 2024 that the website's traffic truly took flight.
A meticulously executed SEO strategy catapulted Fiveable into the educational spotlight, driving organic traffic from a modest 210K monthly visits to a phenomenal 1.3M in just half a year.
In this SEO case study, we'll explore the strategies that propelled this impressive growth. You'll learn how Fiveable grew its traffic and get the tutorials and tools to replicate these strategies on your site.
In This Article
The Catalyst: How Fiveable Surpassed 1M Monthly Visits
1. Fresh Content: Key Terms Generate Keyword Rankings
Fiveable has been busy with its content creation in 2024.
It started the year with around 5.6K pages on its website.
And by July, it had approximately 83.8K URLs.
That’s an increase of 1,396%.
The vast majority of this new content was dedicated to a Glossary of Key Terms.
Students can navigate various subjects to identify key terms and concepts for that field.
Each term has its own landing page and provides students with the definition, related terms, and which Fiveable content it appears in.
This new addition of a Glossary has been instrumental in Fiveable’s recent organic success.
These pages account for 73% of the site’s total content, and they generate 22% of all site traffic.
They’ve also been a significant contributor to Fiveable’s keyword rankings.
Rankings shot up from 168.5K in January to 828.4K in July.
Why this matters:
Search engines love fresh content.
New or updated pages show that your site is active and relevant to today’s search landscape.
They also help keep users engaged with your website and cultivate brand loyalty.
For Fiveable, a glossary of key terms has allowed them to tap into new keyword opportunities and win more visibility on the SERP.
How to develop a content strategy:
A well-thought-out content strategy can help you identify ranking opportunities for your website.
It will also guide your content creation efforts, so you spend time on pages or posts that resonate with your target audience.
The first step?
Keyword research.
This process will help you identify what your audience is looking for and the type of content to produce.
Here’s an outline of how to perform keyword research:
- Pick a keyword research tool.
- Identify your focus keyword.
- Find related keywords.
- Decipher search intent.
- Understand keyword difficulty.
- Optimize your content with your chosen keywords.
From here, you can follow the rest of the steps in this SEO content strategy tutorial to finalize your distribution and track the performance of your content.
Tools for keyword research:
Did you know that you can do keyword research in WordPress?
All in One SEO (AIOSEO) makes it easy to connect to your Semrush account and get keyword ideas in the WordPress editor.
After adding your focus keyword to your post or page, you’ll be able to fetch additional keyphrases.
In the example below, “nyc subway” was the article’s primary keyword, and Semrush provided the following related terms:
The process is very intuitive and beginner-friendly.
Even as someone who performs keyword research regularly, I appreciate that I don’t have to jump into other tools when using AIOSEO.
It helps you save time and optimize your article for maximum reach.
Now, let’s talk about how Fiveable produced this new content.
2. Programmatic SEO: Automation Streamlines Content Creation
We already know that Fiveable grew its content from 5.6K pages in January to 83.8K in July.
But what’s even more impressive is that this increase occurred in an even shorter span of time.
The majority of this new content was produced between March and February, meaning it really only took 1 month to get that many pages live on the website.
Now, realistically, producing more than 77K new pages in just a few weeks is practically impossible when performed manually.
So Fiveable took another route—automation.
More specifically, Fiveable likely used programmatic SEO to produce this new content.
Programmatic SEO leverages automated tools, databases, and software to generate large volumes of content in little time. It relies on templates to produce unique content with a similar structure.
While not all content formats work well with programmatic SEO, some are prime for it, such as:
- Glossary entries (like Fiveable)
- Product detail pages
- FAQs
For Fiveable, all of its key term pages follow a similar structure to the one below.
(If you scroll back up and compare it to the landing page in the previous strategy, you’ll see that the format is identical.)
Overall, this approach allowed Fiveable to create a lot of content quickly while maintaining quality.
Why this matters:
Programmatic SEO was a game-changer for scaling Fiveable’s content creation efforts.
By creating a comprehensive template, it capitalized on automated processes to generate thousands of informative pages in a matter of weeks.
This approach not only accelerated content production but also ensured consistency in formatting, structure, and keyword optimization.
How to automate SEO tasks:
While programmatic SEO can be a powerful tool for streamlining content creation, it isn’t the only solution for automating repetitive tasks.
In fact, for most business owners, most content is best served by a combined approach of human efforts and some automation.
Here are some examples of how you can automatic certain SEO tasks while maintaining hand-written content:
- Leveraging AI to write meta titles and meta descriptions
- Using image smart tags to generate image alt text and title tags automatically
- Redirecting 404 pages to your homepage (or any custom page)
- Installing an SEO plugin to get internal linking suggestions in WordPress
And if programmatic SEO sounds like a good fit for your business and content objectives, this Zapier tutorial shows you how to do it.
Tools for automating SEO tasks:
AIOSEO can streamline your workflow by automating key tasks. Here are some of our most time-saving tools:
- AI Generator crafts unique and click-worthy meta titles and descriptions in 1 click.
- Image SEO allows you to use smart tags to generate image attributes automatically.
- Redirection Manager helps users and search engines navigate your site and avoid “page not found” errors. This provides a seamless user experience even when you move or delete content.
- Link Assistant suggests internal linking opportunities directly in the WordPress editor. No more scouring your site for the right link; we’ll bring them to you.
Next, let’s see how these glossary entries helped Fiveable win SERP features.
3. People Also Ask: Search Engines Favored Clear Content Structures
SERP features are enhanced search listings that feature additional information on the SERP.
There are several types, from product reviews and recipe snippets to videos and knowledge panels.
A popular one is the Google People Also Ask (PAA) box.
This section provides users with related questions and answers to their original search.
Here’s an example:
In July, Fiveable received 34K PAA rankings.
This is a substantial increase from January’s 5.6K rankings.
So, how’d they get them?
PAA rankings are relatively straightforward.
Search engines typically like question-and-answer formats for this type of search result.
And even though Fiveable doesn’t have a question subheading, they still organize their content to be clear and easy to navigate.
Users and search engines can easily understand Fiveable’s key terms, thanks to an organized content structure.
Take the earlier example of the Katz key term:
Clear subheadings and answers directly below in the body copy are easy to identify.
This structure makes it easy for search engines to understand the content and present it in a PAA box.
Why this matters:
According to SEO statistics, rich snippets get 58% of all clicks.
The PAA box is a valuable opportunity to increase organic traffic and brand awareness.
Fiveable's success in ranking for thousands of PAA queries demonstrates the importance of creating content that is not only informative but also easily digestible and understandable for users and search engines.
How to rank in the People Also Ask Box:
This tutorial shows you how to optimize for Google’s People Also Ask section, but here’s a quick overview of the process:
- Perform keyword research
- Create user-centric content.
- Implement schema markup.
- Monitor your competitors.
Tools for PAA rankings:
Implementing schema markup on your website can drastically improve the likelihood of winning PAA rankings (and other SERP features).
And while I would have liked to see more schema markup on Fiveable’s website (their current use is very limited), that doesn’t mean you should skip it.
Schema markup helps search engines understand your content better. It lives in the HTML code of your website and is super easy to implement with the AIOSEO Schema Generator.
This tool allows you to “shop” from a schema catalog and pick the best one that represents your page.
Once you’ve chosen your desired schema, the plugin will format it properly for search engines.
Finally, let’s see another SERP feature win from Fiveable: featured snippets.
4. Featured Snippets: Optimized for SERP Real Estate Gold
Featured snippets are one of the most coveted SERP features.
They appear above all organic listings, making them hard to miss. This translates to more eyes on your content and more clicks.
The thing about featured snippets is that they’re a bit less straightforward to get.
There’s no specific task that guarantees a ranking. (Although, really, that’s the reality for the entire SEO experience.)
With that said, there are SEO best practices for getting them. Here are a few:
- Use schema markup that describes your page.
- Optimize your content structure with clear subheadings.
- Include a table of contents.
- Write high-quality content.
Fiveable adheres to most of these best practices, and search engines have rewarded them for their efforts.
Between January and July, Fiveable’s featured snippets quadrupled.
Why this matters:
Ranking statistics show that featured snippets have the single highest clickthrough rate at 42.9%.
Because of this, they can drive significant traffic to your website.
They're also excellent for building trust, considering their prominence on the SERP.
In general, users trust websites search engines feature in these coveted positions.
By optimizing your content for featured snippets, you can improve your website's visibility, attract more visitors, and enhance your brand's credibility.
How to get featured snippets:
Follow the aforementioned steps Fiveable uses to get featured snippets.
Here’s a quick recap:
- Implement schema markup.
- Write clear subheadings for your content.
- Include a table of contents.
- Create high-quality content.
You can also follow this tutorial on getting featured snippets for a detailed explanation of each step.
Tools for featured snippets:
A large part of winning featured snippets comes down to creating the best piece of content on a topic.
Easier said than done, right?
Well, with the TruSEO tool, it’s not as challenging as you might think.
TruSEO analyzes your content and provides action-oriented feedback to improve it. You’ll get user-friendly checklists that help you revise your content for greater visibility.
For example, the Focus Keyphrase Checklist looks for your primary keyword in critical areas.
There’s also the Readability Checklist, which helps you make your content easier for users to read and understand.
Overall, TruSEO makes optimizing your content a breeze. Its recommendations can make the difference between a standard search listing and winning a featured snippet.
Standout SEO Wins
Before wrapping up, there’s a final SEO technique worth highlighting at fiveable.me.
Breadcrumbs: Your Site’s Digital Compass
Breadcrumbs are navigational elements that show a user's location within the website's hierarchy.
They function like breadcrumbs you'd leave on a trail, allowing users (and search engines) to easily retrace their steps and understand their current position on the site.
Here’s an example:
Fiveable implements breadcrumbs generously on their website.
They also include breadcrumb schema.
Since breadcrumbs are clickable, they support Fiveable’s internal linking strategy.
Furthermore, they can appear directly on the SERP, as shown in the screenshot below.
Ultimately, breadcrumbs are an easy way to help users and bots navigate your website and boost visibility in the SERPs.
Tool: You can use a breadcrumb plugin to add breadcrumb navigation to your WordPress site. AIOSEO Breadcrumbs give you full control over how they’re displayed and adds schema markup automatically for you.
Takeaways
In our analysis of fiveable.me, several key factors contributed to their explosive organic growth.
Now, let’s review which strategies you can replicate on your website and others to reconsider.
Top 3 Strategies to Emulate
- Content is King, but scale is crucial. Fiveable's massive content expansion, fueled by a combination of manual and automated efforts, was instrumental in their success. By creating a vast repository of high-quality, keyword-rich content, you can effectively capture a wider audience and improve search engine visibility.
- Master the art of People Also Ask. Your content creation efforts should be strategic. Keyword research will reveal what your target audience is looking for, then you can implement a content strategy to serve their needs. When creating content, use clear subheadings and provide concise answers to potential questions. This structure makes it easier for search engines to understand your content and potentially feature it in a PAA box.
- Harness the power of automation. To achieve rapid content growth while maintaining quality, explore automation tools and technologies. These can help you streamline tasks like content generation, optimization, and publishing. By automating repetitive processes, you can focus on higher-level strategies and create more impactful content.
Bottom 3 Strategies to Reconsider
- Neglecting the importance of schema markup. While Fiveable includes some schema markup on its website, it's very limited. Schema markup provides search engines with helpful information about your content. It makes it easier for them to understand your website and can be used to generate rich snippets in search results. For your website, use a schema generator plugin to add the appropriate schema to your web page.
- Not including canonical tags on every indexable page. Canonical tags help search engines identify your preferred version of a page when multiple URLs have similar content. And even when a page is unique, using a self-referencing canonical is considered an SEO best practice. While Fiveable has canonical on most pages, they don't include them on all indexable pages. For your website, adding and managing canonical URLs is easy with AIOSEO.
- Duplicating meta descriptions across multiple pages. Unique meta descriptions provide search engines and users with a clear understanding of each page's content. Using identical meta descriptions dilutes their effectiveness and can hinder your ability to rank for specific keywords. Instead, craft unique meta descriptions for every indexable page of your site. You can even use a meta description generator to write them for you.
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Streamline Your SEO and Grow Your Traffic With AIOSEO
Want to replicate Fiveable’s growth strategies on your website?
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Here are a few of our favorites:
- 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.
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- TruSEO Score: Level up your content and go beyond a simple pass or fail. TruSEO analyzes your on-page SEO, giving you actionable insights to maximize your content's reach.
