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How a Personalized Printing Site Grew Traffic by 1,778% in 3 Months

https://www.optimalprint.com/

Stats

16.8K to 315K Monthly Visits

Industry

Ecommerce & Retail

Niche

Photography

Reporting Date

August 2024

Optimalprint is an online printing service that allows customers to create personalized products. Its eCommerce site has recently experienced a dramatic increase in organic traffic—skyrocketing monthly traffic from 16.8K to 315K in just 3 months.

This SEO case study dives into the strategies that fueled this growth, providing valuable lessons for businesses looking to maximize their online visibility.

The Catalyst: How Optimalprint Reached 315K Monthly Visits

1. Consolidated Domains for Improved SEO Performance

In the summer of 2024, Optimalprint started consolidating a few of its country code top-level domains (ccTLDs).

This type of domain uses a country code at the end of the URL to indicate the website's location.

For example:

• .uk = United Kingdom
• .au = Australia
• .nz = New Zealand

For Optimalprint, they began implementing 301 redirects to transfer traffic from some ccTLDs to its generic top-level domain (gTLD).

A gTLD is the most common type of domain. It does not target traffic in any specific country.

Common gTLDs include “.com,” “.org,” and “.edu.”

Optimalprint’s gTLD is https://www.optimalprint.com/.

Here, we see some of the permanent (301) redirects transferring traffic from the ccTLD to subdirectories on the gTLD.

Optimalprint appears to have performed these domain migrations in phases.

They started with the New Zealand website in June, then the Australian domain in July, and finally the UK version in August.

The 301 redirects tell us, and search engines, that these moves are permanent.

They also helped Optimalprint preserve its SEO rankings and seamlessly transfer them to the content’s new location at the gTLD.

The chart below shows how keyword rankings skyrocketed following these domain migrations.

As I’m analyzing this website in September, I see that it’s also showing even higher estimates for the current month.

Why this matters:

Consolidating domains is more than just a technical maneuver. It's a strategic move with significant SEO benefits.

Here's why Optimalprint's decision to redirect traffic from ccTLDs to their gTLD mattered:

• Stronger Domain Authority: Search engines consider a website's overall authority when ranking pages. By consolidating traffic to a single domain, Optimalprint concentrated its SEO power. This likely boosted their overall domain authority, leading to higher rankings across the board.
• Simplified User Experience: A single domain offers users a more consistent and streamlined experience. This can lead to improved user engagement and potentially lower bounce rates, which can also be a factor in SEO.
• Reduced Link Fragmentation: Backlinks are crucial for SEO. When spread across multiple domains, backlinks can have a diluted impact. Consolidating domains likely helped Optimalprint benefit more fully from the backlinks it earned.

How to move your WordPress site to a new domain:

This easy SEO tutorial shows you how to migrate your WordPress site to a new domain.

Here’s a brief recap of the process:

1. Back up your WordPress site.
2. Create a new MySQL database for the new domain.
3. Unpack your WordPress site on the new domain.
4. Set up permanent (301) redirects.
5. Test and troubleshoot to ensure your site works properly.

Tools for WordPress domain migrations:

Domain migrations can be daunting, especially when you've invested time and effort into building your SEO presence.

Fortunately, plugins like All in One SEO (AIOSEO) make it easy to perform full site redirects while preserving SEO performance.

Simply access the Redirection Manager and input your old and new domain names. The plugin will automatically implement 301 redirects, transferring your traffic and rankings to the new domain.

Now, let’s see how two new pieces of content became the main traffic drivers for Optimalprint.

2. Two New Blogs Generated Almost Half of Monthly Traffic

In August, Optimalprint published the following two articles (among others) to its blog:

• Thank You Messages: 100 Phrases & Wording Examples To Write
• Top 60 Family Quotes & Sayings To Share How You Feel

These posts, in particular, were immediately picked up by search engines and rewarded with quick rankings.

By the end of the month, the Thank You Messages blog had 3.4K ranking keywords and generated 28.1K organic visits.

The Family Quotes blog had even more rankings at 5.5K keywords, but slightly less traffic at 18.3K visits.

Combined, they generated 49.2% of all U.S. traffic for the month.

In the U.K., this metric was 39.5%, and in Australia, 36.5%.

So, what’s so great about these blogs anyway?

Optimalprint uses a few SEO best practices to keep readers engaged and help search engines understand their content:

1. They use their focus keyword in critical areas.

This includes:

• H1
• Introduction
• URL
• Page title
• Meta description

2. They optimize for readability.

Readability measures how easily users can read and understand your content. There are some tricks to improving it, including:

• Writing short sentences and paragraphs
• Organizing content with clear subheadings
• Using bullet points to break up text
• Including images for visual interest

Optimalprint implements all the optimizations above to achieve a good readability score.

3. They implement schema markup.

Schema markup helps search engines more easily understand your web page.

It’s a type of structured data that lives within the HTML code of your website.

There are several schema types, each corresponding to a different content.

For Optimalprint, they use Article and WebPage schema to provide search engines with important details about their blog posts.

These are just some of the main strategies Optimalprint uses to optimize its content.

For a more in-depth analysis of how to optimize your blog posts, visit this SEO guide for bloggers.

Why this matters:

Optimalprint's success with their blogs underscores the importance of creating high-quality content.

Here's why this matters:

• Organic Traffic Driver: High-quality content is a magnet for organic traffic. By consistently producing valuable content, Optimalprint attracts visitors organically.
• Improved Rankings: Search engines reward high-quality content with higher rankings. The fact that Optimalprint's blogs quickly climbed the SERPs is a testament to their content's quality and relevance.
• User Engagement: Engaging content keeps visitors on your site longer, which can improve user experience and lead to more conversions. Optimalprint's focus on readability and visual appeal likely contributed to the success of their blogs.
• Niche Authority: Publishing valuable content helps establish your brand as an expert in your field. Optimalprint's blog posts have likely strengthened their brand's reputation and credibility.

How to optimize content on your website:

On-page SEO and strategic content optimizations are at the heart of getting search engines to notice your content.

Here are some of the top takeaways from our comprehensive on-page SEO checklist:

1. Write high-quality content.
2. Optimize your SERP snippet.
3. Check your focus keyword use.
4. Include internal and external links.
5. Check readability.
6. Use schema markup.

Content optimization tools:

AIOSEO’s TruSEO tool is your built-in WordPress companion for optimizing content.

It streamlines most of the on-page SEO process so you can focus on what matters most: creating content your readers love.

TruSEO uses action-oriented checklists to help you maximize your content’s visibility in search engines.

For example, the Focus Keyphrase Checklist lets you know when you forget your SEO keyword in critical areas.

The Readability Checklist is another helpful tool for ensuring your content is easy for users to read.

Now, let’s see how Optimalprint’s content optimizations helped them stand out on the SERP.

3. Doubled Rich Results With Images on the SERP

In addition to optimizing the text on its website, Optimalprint also excels at optimizing its images for search engines.

Here are some image SEO best practices they use throughout the website:

• Including the focus keyword in the image filename.
• Writing descriptive alt text.
• Sending strong on-page SEO signals.

Now, let’s see an example of this in action on Optimalprint’s blog.

Here’s an image on the previously mentioned Family Quotes blog post:

And here are the image optimizations Optimalprint used:

• Image filename: disney-family-quotes_1500x700-1.jpg
• Alt text: family quotes from Disney movies
• On-Page SEO: Included the focus keyword in the H2 and copy

These optimizations can make a huge difference in search engines’ ability to understand your images.

And the easier it is for them to understand your images, the better your chances of getting your images to appear in search results.

Rich results are one of the most common types of SERP features for images.

These results display an image (or multiple) next to your search listing, as shown below.

Optimalprint saw a dramatic increase in image rich results following these optimizations.

Image rich results went from 1.1K rankings in May to 2.5K by August, proving the efficacy of their efforts.

Why this matters:

According to SEO statistics, rich results get 58% of all clicks.

This makes them extremely valuable for your website’s traffic and overall success.

Image SEO can also help you rank in Google Images, where there are over 1 billion searches every day.

How to do image SEO:

Let’s recap some of Optimalprint’s image SEO best practices (and more):

1. Include your focus keyword in the image filename.
2. Write descriptive alt text.
3. Send strong on-page SEO signals.
4. Use image schema markup.
5. Create an image sitemap.
6. Use image title tags.

For even more ideas, check out this beginner-friendly guide with 18 tips for optimizing images.

Tools for image SEO:

The Image SEO feature in AIOSEO makes image optimizations a breeze.

You can use smart tags to customize and generate image elements such as title tags, alt text, and captions.

Simply select the variables you want the plugin to use to generate the attribute and watch as your image optimizations go on autopilot.

Now, let’s check out another SERP feature Optimalprint recently increased: review snippets.

4. Stood Out With Google Store Reviews

Recently, Optimalprint has also experienced growth in review snippets on the SERP, increasing from 1.5K in May to 2.6K rankings in August.

Review snippets show customer ratings and reviews directly on the SERP.

In the example below, we see how Optimalprint has an average rating of 4.3.

Star ratings play an important role in clickthrough rates (CTRs) and organic traffic.

It serves as social proof, showing that other customers find your website credible and trustworthy.

Optimalprint uses a few different tactics to get this type of SERP feature:

• They’re part of the Google Merchant Center.
• They collect and showcase customer reviews on their website.

I would have also liked to see them using AggregateRating schema on their website, but I couldn’t find any instances of it.

AggregateRating schema could help search engines generate an average customer rating similar to the Google store rating we saw in our earlier example.

Why this matters:

Review snippets are valuable for businesses looking to stand out on the SERP. Here are some of their benefits:

• Increased Visibility: Review snippets attract more user attention than standard search listings.
• Social Proof: Positive reviews show that other customers have had good experiences with your business. This can build trust and credibility, encouraging potential customers to make a purchase.
• Higher CTRs: Review snippets can lead to higher click-through rates (CTRs). When users see a positive rating and review, they are more likely to click on the link to learn more.

How to get review snippets for your site:

Schema markup is one of the most important HTML elements you can use to get review snippets for your website.

Typically, you’ll see review snippets for products, recipes, books, courses, etc.

Each of these examples has a corresponding schema type that includes rating and review attributes.

For example, let’s say you have an eCommerce website like Optimalprint.

You’d likely use product schema markup on your product detail pages (PDPs). If you have reviews enabled on your site, you can add Review or AggregateRating attributes to your product schema.

This Google documentation shows various examples for including review structured data on your website using JSON-LD, RDFa, and Microdata.

Tools for review snippets:

If you hate the idea of touching code, you’re not alone.

Many website owners prefer not to mess with the HTML code of their website.

Luckily, with AIOSEO’s Schema Generator, you don’t have to.

You can select your desired schema type from an online catalog in WordPress.

For example, let’s say you want to add Product schema to your page.

You would just click Product from the catalog, and then the tool would prompt you to fill in the product details.

You’ll also be able to add reviews and ratings, which could increase the likelihood of review snippets on the SERP.

Once you’re done, the plugin will automatically format your schema markup for search engines.

Standout SEO Wins

Before we conclude, there's an additional SEO technique worth highlighting at Optimalprint.

Self-Referencing Canonical Tags: A Foundation for SEO Success

Canonical tags tell search engines the preferred version of a page.

For instance, if you have a main blog page and paginated archive pages, a canonical tag can specify that the main page should be displayed in search results instead of the older archived pages.

This strategy helps you avoid duplicate content issues and ensures the correct page is served in search results.

While many website owners are familiar with canonical tags for linking different pages, they often overlook the importance of self-referencing canonicals.

These are canonical URLs that point to themselves—not another page.

Here's an example of one on Optimalprint:

Self-referencing canonicals allow you to be as clear as possible with search engines. They leave no room for misinterpretation about which page you want to rank.

Google’s John Mueller also recommends using them even when there’s no duplicate content.

You can watch his take on the subject below.

Tool: With AIOSEO, you can customize and manage canonical URLs easily.

Takeaways

From our analysis of Optimalprint, we’ve discovered the key drivers behind their recent organic success.

Now, let’s see which strategies to implement on your website and others to reconsider.

Top 3 Strategies to Emulate

1. Have a redirect strategy when moving content or domains. Whether you're executing a domain migration like Optimalprint or moving content to a new URL, permanent redirects ensure users and search engines reach the right page. If it's a permanent move, use 301 redirects. For temporary moves, 302 redirects are more appropriate. Select the redirect type that aligns with your content strategy to safeguard your SEO performance from any declines.
2. Optimize your content for users and search engines. High-quality content can help you get noticed by users and search engines alike. Aim to provide your audience with valuable, informative content that aligns with their needs. You should also focus on on-page optimizations to ensure search engines can serve your content for relevant queries. Focusing on both users and search engines guarantees an optimal experience for each.
3. Use image SEO to stand out in search results. Image SEO search engines understand the content and context of your images. Use your focus keyword in the image filename, write descriptive alt text, and include captions when necessary. You can also implement schema markup to make it even easier for search engines to grasp your images. These optimizations can help you win image rich results and rank in Google Images.

Bottom 3 Strategies to Reconsider

1. Writing non-descriptive page titles. Some of Optimalprint’s page titles are rather generic, with titles like “baby” or “design mugs.” SEO titles are important for increasing clicks and driving traffic to your website. Aim to make your titles engaging, informative, and concise. You can even use an SEO title tag generator to write them for you.
2. Not checking the readability of a page. Most of Optimalprint’s pages have a good readability score. However, a handful of URLs are returning a difficulty readability score. Check your readability before publishing. You can use tools like AIOSEO’s TruSEO Analysis, which assesses readability for you. It also gives you recommendations for improving it.
3. Forgetting meta descriptions. Every indexable page should have a unique meta description. Keep your descriptions under 160 characters, and make sure they compel users to click. Like SEO titles, you can use AI to write them for you. A meta description generator is a great way to get enticing, unique text for each of your web pages.

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Grow Your Rankings & Organic Traffic With AIOSEO

Want to replicate Optimalprint’s organic growth on your website?

With AIOSEO, it’s easier than ever.

AIOSEO is the best SEO plugin on the market. You’ll get a comprehensive suite of tools, each designed to be user-friendly and effective. Plus, with over 3 million active users and thousands of 5-star reviews, you’ll be in good company as you take on the SERP.

Here are some of our most popular tools:

• Redirection Manager: Prevent humans and bots from getting lost when you move content or domains. Our Redirection Manager helps you easily choose and implement the best redirect type that preserves SEO.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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 for Google.
• Robots.txt Editor: Control how bots crawl your site with the Robots.txt Editor, which allows you to override default WordPress settings. This tool makes it simple to view your robots.txt file and manage rules.
• AI Title & Description Generator: Save time writing SEO titles and meta descriptions with the help of AI. With just a click of a button, you can generate unique metadata for any page on your website.

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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