How an Online Income Resource Grew Traffic by 16,169% in 3 Months
https://www.webmonkey.com/
Stats
4.8K to 773.4K Monthly Visits
Industry
Digital Publishing
Niche
Online Media
Reporting Date
July 2024
WebMonkey originated as an online resource for early web developers looking to learn HTML and build websites. After an illustrious history and change of ownership, the site has entered a new chapter focused on helping users make money online.
This transformation has produced remarkable results, catapulting organic traffic to new heights.
In just 3 months, WebMonkey's monthly visits surged from a modest 4.8K to an impressive 773.4K.
This SEO case study delves into the strategies that fueled this growth, providing insights and inspiration for your own website’s online success.
In This Article
The Catalyst: How WebMonkey Achieved 773.4K Monthly Visits
1. Content Migration: Leveraged a Strong Domain
In May 2024, WebMonkey made a strategic content move on its website.
They published over 800 new pages, marking a turning point in the website's size and SEO performance.
(For context, the site previously had under 100 URLs over the last several years).
But these 800+ pages weren't entirely new creations.
They had previously been published on This Online World, a personal finance blog by Tom Blake, who is now WebMonkey's Managing Editor.
As This Online World's content aligned with WebMonkey's focus on helping users make money online, it was migrated to webmonkey.com using 301 redirects.
301 redirects tell search engines that content has been moved permanently.
They're important because they help search engines and users avoid ‘page not found' errors and ensure they access the correct URL.
They also play a critical role in SEO, preserving the SEO value of the original content and transferring it to the new URL.
The impact of this content migration was huge.
WebMonkey's traffic went from 4.8K in April to over half a million visits (543.8K) in May.
This could also partly be due to the new website's significantly higher domain authority, which allowed search engines to quickly reward the content.
WebMonkey's domain authority is impressive at 57, whereas This Online World's authority is 17.
Rankings were immediate, jumping from 11K in April to 208.7K in May.
Now, as I analyze this site in July, WebMonkey boasts 253.5K keyword rankings, surpassing This Online World's peak rankings in 2023.
Why this matters:
WebMonkey's story showcases a powerful SEO tactic: strategic content migration.
By migrating existing, relevant content from a website with lower domain authority (thisonlineworld.com) to one with a higher domain authority (webmonkey.com), they achieved remarkable results.
This strategy can be a game-changer for business owners looking to improve their SEO performance.
By leveraging the authority of a strong domain and implementing proper redirects, you can potentially increase visibility in search engines and organic traffic to your site.
Finally, it's important to note that this strategy isn't a one-size-fits-all solution.
Redirecting content to a new domain may require rebranding or waiting for the right opportunity.
How to move content on your site:
Whether you’re migrating content from one domain to another or simply moving it from one page of your website to a new one, 301 redirects are essential for a smooth transition.
This tutorial shows you how to add 301 redirects in WordPress, but here’s a quick overview of the process:
- Enable redirects on your website.
- Add a redirect.
- Choose the redirect type (i.e., 301 for permanent, 302 for temporary, etc.).
- Schedule your redirect (optional).
Tools for managing redirects:
SEO plugins can help you set and manage redirects without having to add them manually.
Take All in One SEO (AIOSEO), for example.
This plugin comes with the Redirection Manager, which makes it super easy to add redirects to WordPress. All you have to do is add your source and target URL, then select your redirect type.
For permanent moves, as we saw with WebMonkey, select 301 Moved Permanently and click Add Redirect.
Not ready for your redirect to go live?
Redirection Manager will even allow you to schedule it for a particular day, ensuring no traffic slips through the cracks.
Now, let’s look at the next growth strategy for WebMonkey.
2. User Questions: Tapped Into Google People Also Ask
In addition to more content on the website, it’s what’s in the content that won the rankings.
WebMonkey’s articles use strategic optimizations to appear in one of Google’s most coveted spots: the People Also Ask section.
People Also Ask (PAA) provides users with related questions to their original search query.
Users can expand these questions to reveal the answers, as shown below.
Ranking in the PAA box is excellent for businesses looking to boost brand awareness and gain more visibility in their industry.
Here’s what WebMonkey does to get them:
- Use question-based subheadings. For the above article, some of the subheadings include “Is PrizeRebel Legit or a Scam?” and “How Much Does PrizeRebel Pay?”.
- Answer the question in the body copy. This might seem obvious, but it’s important to answer the question! It’s recommended to put the answer directly below the subheading, meaning don’t go into a bunch of fluff then get into the answer. Instead, give the users what they want right off the bat. (WebMonkey bolds the answer, which you can see in the screenshot below.)
- Implements schema markup on each web page. WebMonkey does a great job of using schema markup on its website. Schema helps search engines understand your content. And the easier it is for them to understand it, the better your chances of ranking for relevant queries.
Tip: See how WebMonkey included “My Experience & Earnings” in the above subheading? This is a great way to build trust with your audience and search engines. It shows you have personal experience, which establishes credibility and sends positive E-E-A-T signals to Google.
These optimizations proved fruitful, with WebMonkey winning 39K PAA results in July. (They had only 69 in April.)
Why this matters:
WebMonkey's success in ranking in People Also Ask (PAA) showcases the power of understanding and addressing user intent.
By aligning their content with user questions, they were able to provide a positive user experience and rank in a coveted section of the SERPs.
How to optimize for the People Also Ask box:
This beginner-friendly guide gives you a complete breakdown of how to rank in Google’s PAA box.
Here’s a quick recap:
- Perform keyword research.
- Identify question-based keywords.
- Create high-quality content.
- Implement schema markup.
- Look at the competition.
Tools for ranking in Google’s PAA box:
FAQs lend themselves naturally to PAA rankings.
And with AIOSEO, you can add them plus their complementary FAQ schema markup in no time.
Just search for the AIOSEO – FAQ Blocks when working in the WordPress editor.
After selecting it, you’ll have a designated space for the question and answer.
AIOSEO will format the FAQ schema markup behind the scenes so search engines can easily read and understand your content.
That’s it!
Now, let’s see another unique search result WebMonkey gets: review snippets.
3. Review Snippets: Implemented Review Schema Markup
Review snippets are rich results that display star ratings and reviews directly in search results.
They provide users with a quick and easy way to see what others think about a product or service before clicking through to the website.
You’ll often see this type of rich result for eCommerce websites. However, you can also see them from third-party sites like WebMonkey.
On WebMonkey, authors share their thoughts on various online income platforms.
After covering the topic extensively in the article, a templated review box is used to assess the platform and the author gives their ratings.
This format is easy for users and search engines to understand. WebMonkey also makes it even easier for search engines by implementing review schema markup.
Review schema gives search engines precise details about your review.
For example, in the screenshot of the HTML schema markup below, we see the “item” in question (Swagbucks), who wrote the review (Tom Blake), and the 4.1 overall score.
All these details were displayed on the SERP in the earlier review snippet.
Furthermore, these optimizations are a standard SEO best practice for WebMonkey.
And in 2024 the efforts paid off.
WebMonkey went from having 0 review snippets to 20K by July.
Why this matters:
Review snippets are valuable for increasing your website's visibility and attracting organic traffic.
By showcasing reviews and implementing schema markup on your website, you can:
- Win more rich snippets
- Boost your rankings
- Improve clickthrough rates
- Drive increased traffic
How to implement review schema:
This tutorial shows how to add product review schema using a WordPress plugin.
If you don’t have a schema markup plugin, this article shows you how to add schema manually.
Regardless of which method you choose, it’s important to select the most appropriate schema type for your page.
For example, WebMonkey uses SoftwareApplication schema (which includes review schema attributes) to discuss online monetization platforms.
If you have an eCommerce site, you’d likely use Product schema, which also has review schema settings.
You can visit Google’s structured data page for insights into the different types of schema markup and get clarity on which one you should use.
Tools for review schema markup:
AIOSEO’s Rich Snippet Schema Generator allows you to add schema with the click of a button.
(It offers both schema types discussed above—product and software.)
After selecting your schema, it has user-friendly fields for entering your review details.
Once you’re all set, click Add Schema, and the plugin will format the structured data for Google.
Standout SEO Wins
Before we conclude, there's an additional SEO technique worth highlighting at WebMonkey: the effective use of author bios.
While not a direct contributor to the recent traffic surge, author bios can play a valuable role in enhancing your website's SEO and overall authority.
Author Bios: A Positive Signal for Google E-E-A-T
Author bios provide readers with information about the content creators behind your website.
They help establish credibility, build trust with your audience, and demonstrate expertise in your industry.
WebMonkey uses them to showcase their team’s talent and organize their contributions to the website.
For example, on Tom Blake’s author bio page below, we learn about his writing background, where his work has appeared, and how he founded the This Online World blog.
In addition to connecting with the WebMonkey audience, these bio pages also allow search engines to establish the website as a reliable source with qualified contributors.
This is a core principle of Google E-E-A-T.
Note: E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness.
Ultimately, by sending positive E-E-A-T signals about your content, search engines may consider your content more credible and provide a boost in rankings.
Tool: You can easily create and display author bios in WordPress using the Author SEO tool. It provides fill-in-the-blank boxes for credentials, job titles, areas of expertise, etc. You can also add a profile picture to each bio.
Takeaways
WebMonkey's remarkable growth is a testament to the power of strategic SEO tactics.
Let's recap the key strategies that contributed to their success and explore how to implement them on your website.
Top 3 Strategies to Emulate
- Master the art of redirects. Whether you're redirecting content to a new domain like WebMonkey or simply changing the page where your content appears, redirects ensure no SEO value is lost during the transition. 301 redirects are ideal for permanently moving content, while 302 redirects are for temporary moves. By leveraging the correct type of redirect, you'll ensure a seamless transfer of rankings and organic traffic.
- Answer user questions before they arise. FAQs are a great way to predict and answer common user questions. By including them on your website, you create not only a positive user experience but also prep your content to appear in Google's People Also Ask box. This section of the SERP provides enhanced visibility in search results and boosts brand awareness. Plus, with FAQs naturally lending themselves to the PAA format, they frequently appear in this coveted area.
- Optimize for SERP features. SERP features are enhanced listings in search results. To get them, you need (1) high-quality content and (2) strategic optimizations on your web pages. One of the most effective optimizations you can make is implementing schema markup on your website. Schema markup helps search engines understand and serve your web page for relevant queries. It also helps them generate SERP features like review snippets or featured snippets, which attract more clicks.
Bottom 3 Strategies to Reconsider
- Not using image title tags. Image titles describe your images, helping search engines understand their content. They also improve user experience by displaying this information when clicking or hovering over an image. Even though WebMonkey doesn't include image title tags on its website, you can easily add them to your WordPress site using AIOSEO. The Image SEO feature can generate image titles automatically using smart tags.
- Missing meta descriptions. Meta descriptions are short snippets that appear in search results below your website's title. They provide search engines and users with a brief overview of your page's content. Several WebMonkey pages are missing meta descriptions, but every indexable page of your website should have one. You can use a meta description generator to write engaging and keyword-rich meta descriptions for your web pages.
- Page titles exceeding character limits. Search engines have character limits for page titles and meta descriptions. If your metadata is too long, it will be truncated in search results, leading to a potential loss of valuable keywords and information. By keeping your page titles concise and relevant, you can ensure that your titles are displayed in full in search results. A SERP snippet tool allows you to preview your titles before publishing.
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Accelerate Your Online Success With AIOSEO
What if you could skip the guesswork and enjoy a direct route to replicating WebMonkey's winning formula?
AIOSEO can help you do just that.
By leveraging AIOSEO's powerful features, you can easily implement the SEO strategies that drove WebMonkey's explosive growth.
Here's how AIOSEO can support your online success:
- 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.
- FAQ Blocks: Add FAQs to your content to increase the likelihood of appearing in Google’s People Also Ask box. These results help boost brand awareness and increase clickthrough rates.
- 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.
- Author SEO: Create powerful author bios that showcase your experience and expertise. This add-on aligns your content with Google E-E-A-T guidelines and helps readers trust what you share.
- 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.
- 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.
