{"id":2172,"date":"2023-04-28T05:02:56","date_gmt":"2023-04-28T05:02:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/7-lessons-to-1-million-monthly-visits\/"},"modified":"2023-04-28T05:02:56","modified_gmt":"2023-04-28T05:02:56","slug":"7-lessons-to-1-million-monthly-visits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/7-lessons-to-1-million-monthly-visits\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Lessons to 1 Million Monthly Visits"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<p>Examine.com was able to reach over 1 million monthly visitors from Google search results. The best part? It did so without any manual backlink outreach or even having a focus on\u00a0SEO.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"815\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image6-13.png\" alt=\"Examine.com's Google Search Console traffic\" class=\"wp-image-158314\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image6-13.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image6-13-680x277.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image6-13-768x313.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image6-13-1536x626.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"815\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image6-13.png\" alt=\"Examine.com's Google Search Console traffic\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-158314\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image6-13.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image6-13-680x277.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image6-13-768x313.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image6-13-1536x626.png 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>That\u2019s not all. Despite not using outreach, it acquired links from sites like The New York Times and Forbes\u2014on autopilot.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>How? I spoke with the co-founder, Sol Orwell, to find\u00a0out.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>He shared the site\u2019s entire approach to SEO with me, including how it recovered from a 90% traffic drop and how the business grew to over 30 employees. Here are a few lessons learned from a multimillion-dollar company.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" style=\"\"><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\"\/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style=\"\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n<p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What does Examine actually do?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/examine.com\/\">Examine<\/a> provides evidence-based analysis of supplements and nutrition through its team of researchers with varying backgrounds, including PhDs in physiology, neurobiology, nutrition, and\u00a0more.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"782\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image2-13.png\" alt=\"Examine.com's homepage\" class=\"wp-image-158315\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image2-13.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image2-13-680x266.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image2-13-768x300.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image2-13-1536x601.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"782\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image2-13.png\" alt=\"Examine.com's homepage\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-158315\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image2-13.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image2-13-680x266.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image2-13-768x300.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image2-13-1536x601.png 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>It makes money by selling a subscription service that gives you access to its in-depth research on health conditions and goals. So if you want to learn how to improve osteoarthritis, for example, you can access the most actionable and up-to-date research that exists online.<\/p>\n<p>If you were paying attention, you\u2019d notice I already revealed some of Examine\u2019s SEO secrets. But let me break down the seven specific SEO lessons you can learn from\u00a0it:<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" style=\"\"><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\"\/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style=\"\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n<p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Lesson 1. Focus on relationships over link building<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Examine has received dozens of extremely high-quality links from The Guardian. How? Sol attributes it to a by-product of caring about people.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>He met someone years before they ever got a link, and that person happened to make a connection with a writer for The Guardian and mention Examine to them\u2014the writer loved what they saw and now regularly links to them in their articles.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"951\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image10-16.jpg\" alt=\"Examine.com's backlinks from The Guardian\" class=\"wp-image-158317\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image10-16.jpg 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image10-16-680x324.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image10-16-768x365.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image10-16-1536x731.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"951\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image10-16.jpg\" alt=\"Examine.com's backlinks from The Guardian\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-158317\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image10-16.jpg 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image10-16-680x324.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image10-16-768x365.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image10-16-1536x731.jpg 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>Of course, Examine also needed to have content worthy of receiving these links. Relationships alone won\u2019t build links for you, at least not the best\u00a0links.<\/p>\n<p>But how can you build relationships that lead to backlinks?\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Mostly from meeting and assisting as many people as possible. One of the best ways to do that is by going to in-person meetups and events. But if that\u2019s not possible, being active in forums and online communities is also a great option.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Check out <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/best-marketing-communities\/\">these online marketing communities<\/a> to get started. Just remember\u2014you\u2019re trying to build genuine relationships, not just manipulate people into linking to your website. Be helpful and give without expecting anything in return.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" style=\"\"><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\"\/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style=\"\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n<p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Lesson 2. Provide unique data to journalists<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>This is where Examine truly shines. It summarizes over 150 studies every month with key findings and actionable takeaways.<\/p>\n<p>Unique data is one of the best ways to capture extremely high-quality backlinks.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>For example, <a href=\"https:\/\/examine.com\/supplements\/theanine\/\">Examine\u2019s research page on L-theanine<\/a> contains all of its findings about L-theanine\u2019s effects on the body in a single, easy-to-digest page with unique data.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1227\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image9-10.png\" alt=\"Examine.com's research table for L-theanine\" class=\"wp-image-158318\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image9-10.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image9-10-680x417.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image9-10-768x471.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image9-10-1536x943.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1227\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image9-10.png\" alt=\"Examine.com's research table for L-theanine\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-158318\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image9-10.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image9-10-680x417.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image9-10-768x471.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image9-10-1536x943.png 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>This page has attracted over 1,000 backlinks. Some of these links are from strong sites like Psychology Today and The Huffington Post and were acquired organically without outreach.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"779\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image3-16.jpg\" alt=\"Backlinks overview for Examine's L-Theanine research summary page\" class=\"wp-image-158319\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image3-16.jpg 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image3-16-680x265.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image3-16-768x299.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image3-16-1536x599.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"779\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image3-16.jpg\" alt=\"Backlinks overview for Examine's L-Theanine research summary page\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-158319\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image3-16.jpg 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image3-16-680x265.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image3-16-768x299.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image3-16-1536x599.jpg 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>Don\u2019t worry\u2014you don\u2019t need to create 150 study summaries every month to use this strategy. Instead, just a few targeted statistics summary pages can do the\u00a0trick.<\/p>\n<p>For example, we created a summary of <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-statistics\/\">SEO statistics<\/a>. It ranks #1 on Google for keywords like \u201cseo statistics\u201d and has accumulated nearly 4,000 backlinks.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1460\" height=\"1098\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image7-15.png\" alt=\"Ahrefs backlinks report for SEO statistics page\" class=\"wp-image-158321\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image7-15.png 1460w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image7-15-565x425.png 565w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image7-15-768x578.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1460px) 100vw, 1460px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1460\" height=\"1098\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image7-15.png\" alt=\"Ahrefs backlinks report for SEO statistics page\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-158321\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image7-15.png 1460w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image7-15-565x425.png 565w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image7-15-768x578.png 768w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1460px) 100vw, 1460px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>Want to learn how we did it? Check out <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/link-building-case-study\/\">our full case study<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" style=\"\"><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\"\/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style=\"\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n<p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Lesson 3. Create the best content that exists<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>In addition to incredibly strong backlinks, Examine regularly receives mentions on the \u201cHuberman Lab\u201d podcast\u2014one of the most renowned science and health podcasts in the\u00a0world.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This is because it publishes ridiculously good content.<\/p>\n<p>So what\u2019s its secret?<\/p>\n<p>Well, it lays out its exact content creation process on its <a href=\"https:\/\/examine.com\/about\/editorial-policy\/\">editorial policy page<\/a>:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Researcher and reviewer create outline to fully address the question\/topic at\u00a0hand<\/li>\n<li>Researcher writes the article<\/li>\n<li>Article is copyedited by content editor<\/li>\n<li>Article is edited by editor<\/li>\n<li>Article is reviewed by reviewer<\/li>\n<li>Corrections and clarifications are incorporated at every\u00a0level<\/li>\n<li>Article is published on the website<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>It also discusses <a href=\"https:\/\/examine.com\/about\/minimizing-bias\/\">how it minimizes bias<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>All in all, it has several layers of edits and reviews for each piece of content that\u2019s published on the\u00a0site.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>More importantly, these reviews are done by \u201ca diverse team of researchers who fully read all relevant scientific papers completely and have no conflicts of interest.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This rigorous process is expensive and time consuming, but it has to be in the health and science space. More lax spaces can get away with much less scrutiny, but you still need to do the work to ensure your content is top-tier.<\/p>\n<p>Here are some ways to make your content better:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Create <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/content-outline\/\">content outlines<\/a> for your articles before you write\u00a0them<\/li>\n<li>Do extensive research and give your articles at least one \u201ceditorial pass-over\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Back up your claims with evidence where possible<\/li>\n<li>Read up on <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/writing-tips\/\">how to become a better writer<\/a>\u2014and practice every\u00a0day<\/li>\n<li>Invest in graphic design, photography, and\/or video to enhance your content with\u00a0media<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>It may also be worth hiring an editor if you don\u2019t already have one. You can find one on job sites like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.indeed.com\/\">Indeed<\/a> or on service sites like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fiverr.com\/\">Fiverr<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" style=\"\"><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\"\/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style=\"\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n<p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Lesson 4. Delight your customers<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>I mentioned earlier that Examine never focused on SEO as part of its strategy.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Yes, it optimized its headings and added <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/schema-markup\/\">schema markup<\/a>\u2014but it never did extensive <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/keyword-research\/\">keyword research<\/a> or wrote articles specifically to rank on Google.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, it focused on providing the best possible experience for its customers. This is highlighted in a story Sol told me about his company:<\/p>\n<p>One of Examine\u2019s employees was on her way home from a company retreat. The Uber driver was feeling chatty and asked her the typical question, \u201cWhat do you do for\u00a0work?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>When the employee answered, the Uber driver proceeded to pull over and bawl her eyes\u00a0out.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Apparently, the driver\u2019s chronic health conditions had got so bad that she could no longer work. But Examine\u2019s evidence-based information helped her deal with her health conditions to the point where she felt well enough to work again, allowing her to give that very Uber\u00a0ride.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>She told the employee she was so grateful for Examine and that it changed her\u00a0life.<\/p>\n<p>Experiences like these with companies are exceedingly rare in a profit-driven, cut-throat world. But what does this have to do with\u00a0SEO?<\/p>\n<p>It comes back to building a strong brand and a company that people love.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>One of the reasons this is important is because it increases your search visibility, i.e., the percentage of people who click on your search result when they see it. This is one of the <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-metrics-to-track\/#search-visibility\">most important SEO metrics to track<\/a> because the higher your search visibility, the more people value your result over competing results.<\/p>\n<p>If people know who you are and love your brand, they\u2019re more likely to click on your result over a competitor\u2019s. Speaking of branding, let\u2019s move on\u00a0to\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" style=\"\"><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\"\/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style=\"\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n<p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Lesson 5. Build a strong brand<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Examine was hit with a major traffic loss after a 2018 Google core update related to <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/eat-seo\/\">E-A-T<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1872\" height=\"940\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image1-13.png\" alt=\"Examine.com traffic report in Ahrefs\" class=\"wp-image-158323\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image1-13.png 1872w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image1-13-680x341.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image1-13-768x386.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image1-13-1536x771.png 1536w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image1-13-400x200.png 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1872px) 100vw, 1872px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1872\" height=\"940\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image1-13.png\" alt=\"Examine.com traffic report in Ahrefs\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-158323\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image1-13.png 1872w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image1-13-680x341.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image1-13-768x386.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image1-13-1536x771.png 1536w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image1-13-400x200.png 400w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1872px) 100vw, 1872px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>After the algorithm hit, 90% of its traffic came from <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/branded-search\/\">branded searches<\/a>, such as \u201cexamine.com creatine.\u201d This means these people are searching specifically for resources from Examine\u2019s brand as opposed to other websites.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"875\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image4-13-1.jpg\" alt=\"Examine.com's branded keyword rankings\" class=\"wp-image-158325\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image4-13-1.jpg 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image4-13-1-680x298.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image4-13-1-768x336.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image4-13-1-1536x672.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"875\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image4-13-1.jpg\" alt=\"Examine.com's branded keyword rankings\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-158325\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image4-13-1.jpg 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image4-13-1-680x298.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image4-13-1-768x336.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image4-13-1-1536x672.jpg 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>In fact, it was receiving almost 4,000 visits per day from these branded search terms. This is important because even if your site loses on an algorithm update, you will still retain your rankings for branded terms.<\/p>\n<p>But how did it manage to get a \u201ccult following\u201d of people who specifically want to search for its brand? By focusing on the other things I mention in this case\u00a0study:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Provide an amazing customer experience<\/li>\n<li>Create the best content in the\u00a0world<\/li>\n<li>Build strong relationships\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>There\u2019s, unfortunately, no shortcut for hard work in this\u00a0case.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" style=\"\"><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\"\/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style=\"\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n<p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Lesson 6. Be trustworthy (E-E-A-T)<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>As mentioned above, Examine lost the majority of its traffic back in 2018 to a Google update related to E-A-T (now <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/eeat-seo\/\">E-E-A-T<\/a>, or experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness).\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In other words, Google only wants to display content that is written by people who actually have the qualifications to write about a given\u00a0topic.<\/p>\n<p>When Examine relaunched the website, it wanted to be more trustworthy. Here\u2019s how it did\u00a0that:<\/p>\n<p>1. It added a section above the fold of each article showing exactly who took part in researching and fact-checking said article.<\/p>\n<ol\/>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"653\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image5-15.png\" alt=\"Examine's author box\" class=\"wp-image-158326\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image5-15.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image5-15-680x222.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image5-15-768x251.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image5-15-1536x502.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"653\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image5-15.png\" alt=\"Examine's author box\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-158326\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image5-15.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image5-15-680x222.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image5-15-768x251.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image5-15-1536x502.png 1536w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>2. It deeply expanded <a href=\"https:\/\/examine.com\/about\/\">its \u201cabout\u201d page<\/a> to add bios for everyone in its company, an explanation of how it is funded, and a section on why you can trust\u00a0it.<\/p>\n<p>3. It created an <a href=\"https:\/\/examine.com\/about\/editorial-policy\/\">\u201ceditorial policy\u201d page<\/a> showing exactly how its team researches, writes, and edits each article before publishing.<\/p>\n<p>Essentially, it is as transparent as possible about where the information is from, who found the information, and why they are qualified to write about that information. This transparency helped the site recover its traffic to the tune of over 1 million visits per\u00a0month.<\/p>\n<p>The takeaway here for you is that you should have experience or expertise in a given topic in order to write about it and be displayed on Google. You should also effectively demonstrate E-E-A-T on your website, as Examine did in its relaunch.<\/p>\n<p>That means:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Use the products you\u2019re reviewing<\/li>\n<li>Go to the places you\u2019re talking about<\/li>\n<li>Speak with real experts if you aren\u2019t one<\/li>\n<li>Create an \u201cabout\u201d page and \u201ceditorial policy\u201d page showcasing why people should trust\u00a0you<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewbox=\"0 0 14 14\" style=\"\"><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\"\/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style=\"\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n<p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Lesson 7. Run regular SEO site audits<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>While Examine never focused on SEO as a main strategy, it wasn\u2019t oblivious to it either. It runs twice-a-year SEO audits on its site to ensure it\u2019s not missing simple things.<\/p>\n<p>Its <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-audit\/\">SEO audit<\/a> consists of asking questions like:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Are there any orphaned pages?<\/li>\n<li>Are there dead\u00a0links?<\/li>\n<li>Are there pages covering the most frequently asked questions from its\u00a0users?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>You can quickly and easily run an SEO audit like this on your own site with Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/site-audit\">Site Audit<\/a>. Just plug your site in, and you\u2019ll get actionable advice on how to fix any\u00a0issue:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"998\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image8-12.png\" alt=\"Top Issues report, via Ahrefs' Site Audit\" class=\"wp-image-158327\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image8-12.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image8-12-680x339.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image8-12-768x383.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image8-12-1536x767.png 1536w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image8-12-400x200.png 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/noscript><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"998\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image8-12.png\" alt=\"Top Issues report, via Ahrefs' Site Audit\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-158327\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image8-12.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image8-12-680x339.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image8-12-768x383.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image8-12-1536x767.png 1536w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image8-12-400x200.png 400w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>From here, it\u2019s easy to find and fix all the SEO issues on your website. Go through and fix each one to improve your odds of ranking highly.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>If you don\u2019t understand an issue, it may be worth hiring a developer to help you make the\u00a0fix.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Final thoughts<\/h2>\n<p>There are a lot of reasons Examine has been so successful. But if I had to narrow down to just three that you could replicate, they would be the following:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Create world-class content by spending time becoming a better researcher and writer and consider hiring people to help you, such as an editor<\/li>\n<li>Build quality relationships with other professionals in your industry by offering to help them with no expectation of getting anything in return<\/li>\n<li>Become an expert in your field through research and experience, and create an \u201cabout\u201d page showcasing why people should trust you and your website<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Sol told me he attributes most of Examine\u2019s success to being an extremely high-quality resource for journalists, doctors and, most importantly, customers.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This level of trust isn\u2019t easily won, but it can be done. I\u2019ve outlined everything you need to do to achieve it in the lessons above.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/examine-seo-case-study\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Examine.com was able to reach over 1 million monthly visitors from Google search results. The best part? It did so without any manual backlink outreach or even having a focus on\u00a0SEO. That\u2019s not all. Despite not using outreach, it acquired links from sites like The New York Times and Forbes\u2014on autopilot.\u00a0 How? I spoke with [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2173,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2172","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-seo"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2172","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2172"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2172\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2173"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2172"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2172"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ewebtoolz.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2172"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}