Katie, the owner of Mudd House Mercantile, transformed her “Living” collection page from no ranking to position 20 on Google for the keyword “Sustainable Goods.” By applying SEO strategies such as on-page optimizations, thoughtful keyword planning, and a targeted linking approach, Katie’s page gained visibility and moved closer to the coveted first-page ranking.
Here’s exactly how she achieved it—and how you can follow the same steps.
Defining the Authority Page for “Sustainable Goods”
The first step in Katie’s journey to ranking was deciding which page should be the main authority for the keyword “Sustainable Goods.” For Mudd House Mercantile, that page was her Living collection page, which focuses on sustainable products and eco-friendly home goods. Establishing this page as the primary source for the keyword guaranteeing that other pages on her site would support, rather than compete with, this main authority page.
Optimizing Title Tags, Meta Descriptions, and Content for Sustainable Goods
With her authority page defined, Katie optimized the title tags and meta descriptions on her Living collection page to include the keyword “Sustainable Goods” and relevant variations. This on-page optimization helped Google recognize the page’s focus on sustainability. She carefully integrated variations of the keyword throughout her copy, which added depth and relevance without overwhelming the reader.
Sustainable Goods all throughout copy
Moving Up from No Rank to Position 31 with Keyword Placement
Once her page was optimized with title tags, meta descriptions, and keyword variations, Katie’s Living collection page jumped from no ranking to position 31 in Google. This initial lift was a big step, proving that well-targeted on-page SEO can make an impact.
Using H2 Headers and Recrawling for Further Increase
To improve her ranking further, Katie incorporated “Sustainable Goods” as an H2 header on her Living collection page. This simple addition helped signal to Google that the page was focused on the sustainable goods topic. After updating the page, we submitted it for recrawling and indexing. This led to another jump, from position 31 to 20.
Sustainable Goods Header 2 Tag
A Link Strategy to Reinforce the Authority Page
Now that the Living collection page was positioned as the main authority for sustainable goods, we focused on linking strategies to reinforce its authority across the site. Here’s how we did it:
- Homepage Link: Katie added a variation of “Sustainable Goods” on her homepage that links directly to the Living collection page. This creates a natural, keyword-rich link that strengthens the connection between her homepage and her primary collection page.
- Internal Links from Blog Posts: Each blog post will link back to the Living collection page using variations of “Sustainable Goods” to avoid exact matches, creating a natural flow of authority without overusing the exact keyword.
Blogging Strategy for Supportive Content and Avoiding Keyword Cannibalization
To build more support for her Living collection page without competing for the same keyword, Katie’s blog strategy will focus on broader, related themes around sustainability and eco-friendly shopping. This approach guarantees that Google sees the collection page as the main authority for “Sustainable Goods,” while related blog posts still drive traffic and establish topical authority.
And here’s the exciting part: she hasn’t even started blogging yet! As of today, October 28, 2024, Katie’s optimized efforts have already made an impact. If you’re reading this at a later date, you’ll see her using the blog category Sustainable Shopping to strategically publish content and continue building authority to rank for "Sustainable Goods.
Katie’s first blog post will be titled “Sustainable Gift Giving: Thoughtful Ideas for Every Occasion” and will include a link back to her Living collection page. This link will use a variation of the keyword, reinforcing the connection without direct competition.
Broader and Related Themes: Building Out Sustainable Content
To further enhance her site’s authority, Katie plans to write content that supports the “Sustainable Goods” theme without using the exact keyword. This strategy allows her to create a wider net of related content while guaranteeing her Living collection page remains the top destination for sustainable goods. Future blog topics include eco-friendly product guides, sustainable shopping tips, and ethical sourcing insights—all linking back to the Living collection page.
Consistent, Non-Competing Content Builds Long-Term Authority
Katie’s success in ranking for “Sustainable Goods” is a perfect example of how a focused, non-competing content strategy can drive results in SEO. By designating her Living collection page as the authority page and building supportive blog content that links back to it with natural, varied keywords, she avoided keyword cannibalization and built a strong link network.
How You Can Apply This Strategy
If you want to improve your own ranking, start by designating a main authority page for your target keyword, like Katie did for “Sustainable Goods.” From there, optimize it with targeted keywords and internal links, and build supporting blog content on related themes.
Katie uses the Shopify app DropInBlog to optimize her content to a 100% SEO score. DropInBlog also provides powerful features like cart buttons within blog content, allowing readers to add products directly to their cart, as well as narrated blogs for easy listening. This makes her content accessible, engaging, and action-driven. If you're a member of the Mastering P.o.P. Inner Circle, you’ll receive an ongoing discount of almost 30% off DropInBlog—a valuable tool to streamline SEO and enhance customer experience.
In addition to on-page optimization, promote new content through push notifications and email campaigns. This increase traffic to updated pages and new blog posts, keeping your audience engaged. Finally, always submit your new or updated content URL to Google for recrawling and indexing to guarantee changes are recognized in search results promptly.
This balanced approach to content optimization, combined with tools like DropInBlog and a solid promotion strategy, can elevate your visibility and lead to SEO success—just like Katie’s journey with Mudd House Mercantile.
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