1. Improved the ranking position for commercial keywords

As an SEO professional, my primary goal is to improve ranking positions. However, my approach is a bit unconventional. 

Unlike many SEOs, I’ve never actively engaged in link-building practices, even though it’s a cornerstone for most in the industry.

Instead, my strategy revolves around two core principles: enhancing user experience and building topic authority. 

Here’s what has worked for me:

• Updating and enhancing page content to make it more valuable and relevant.
• Creating hub and cluster pages to establish a clear content hierarchy and improve topical relevance.
• Optimizing meta titles to better align with search intent.
• Tweaking designs to improve engagement.
• Serving search intent by ensuring content directly answers user queries.
• Integrating keywords naturally without over-optimization.
• Optimizing code (though I’m not entirely sure how much this has contributed).
• Social bookmarking and guest posting  (No, I am joking)

That said, my approach doesn’t mean I’ve ignored everything else. 

Like every SEO, I get nervous when rankings drop. There have been times when I felt stuck and even Googled “Top Ranking Factors,” knowing full well it wouldn’t magically solve my problems.

Let’s be honest, no one fully understands Google’s algorithm.

SEO is highly industry-specific. What works wonders for one business might fall flat for another. 

But here’s the good news: my approach has delivered results. For two critical keywords that drive the majority of our business, I’ve managed to achieve consistent #1 or #2 rankings.

Before I took ownership of the strategy, these keywords fluctuated between 2nd and 6th positions. 

With my approach, it took 3 to 6 months to secure the top spot for these keywords.

2. Writing landing pages

I still remember the first time I wrote a landing page. 

Back then, I was just filling space with text, without truly understanding the purpose or strategy behind it.

We’ve all been there, doing something without fully grasping the “why” behind it.

After writing nearly 35 landing pages, I finally realized what I had been missing. 

Now, before I start writing, I follow a clear checklist to ensure the page is effective and impactful. 

Here’s what I always include:

• Highlight the USP in the hero section – Grab attention immediately.
• Address the pain point and offer a solution – Show visitors you understand their problem and have the answer for them too.
• Arrange sections for a logical flow – Guide users seamlessly from one section to the next.
• Keep it readable and engaging – Use clear language, short paragraphs, and visuals to hold interest.
• Integrate keywords naturally – Optimize for SEO without sacrificing readability.
• Less is more – Be concise and straight to the point.
• Write persuasive copy – Use compelling language to drive action.

Recently, I revamped all the landing pages for two websites using the same design layout (multiple designs were followed previously).

The outcome?

Increased ranking position, conversion rate, and performance, and more importantly, revamped the entire code. 

3. Writing blogs

Over time, I’ve written 80+ blogs, each serving a unique purpose. 

The purpose in a sense—some were written to drive traffic, others to build topical authority, and a few to support our marketing funnel, targeting different stages like TOFU (Top of Funnel), MOFU (Middle of Funnel), and BOFU (Bottom of Funnel).

Among these, there’s one blog that stands out. The blog that outranked giants like Semrush and Similarweb. 

If you search for the keyword “PeerSpace alternatives,” you’ll find RadicalStart at the top. That’s the blog I am talking about. 

Of course, not every blog has been a success. At start, I made the mistake of writing blogs without considering search demand or audience intent. 

As a result, some blogs didn’t perform well or add value to the site. 

So I’ve deleted underperforming blogs and those that no longer align with our goals.

4. Content pruning

Not every blog is meant to perform well. That’s why SEOs like us rely heavily on content pruning, a process of deleting underperforming content and optimizing the “low-hanging fruit.”

In our case, many blogs were outdated, receiving zero traffic, lacking internal links, and abruptly promoting products without adding value.

After analyzing both sites, we deleted 90+ blogs from 350 and revamped the rest.

What did revamping involve?

1. Removed irrelevant sections and unnecessary product promotions.
2. Targeted keywords with intent and search volume.
3. Improved readability for a better user experience.
4. Linked to relevant internal and external sources.
5. Added updated data and statistics to keep the content fresh and authoritative.
6. And more (though I can’t recall every detail at the moment!).

What were the results?

My expectations were realistic. I wasn’t aiming for anything extraordinary.

Initially, we saw a drop in traffic and impressions, which was expected after removing a significant amount of content. 

However, the positive outcome was that content pruning stabilized and improved our ranking positions over time. Maybe, it’s just my instinct.  

5. Improved the CRO (conversion rate optimization)

When my boss asked to improve the number of inbound inquiries, our first thought was always, “Maybe we need to improve our ranking position.” 

But to increase the no of inbound inquiries we receive, there are other things to consider. Yes, I am talking about conversion rate optimization (CRO).

When I got started with CRO, we tweaked the content first, as redesigning the page based on CRO would have required time and resources. 

Surprisingly, even these minor content updates made a noticeable difference.

After a while, we took it a step further and revamped the landing page design with a strong focus on CRO. 

Here’s what we did:

• Removed irrelevant sections to reduce clutter.
• Highlighted our USP in the hero section to grab attention immediately.
• Changed the content format from active to passive voice for a more engaging tone.
• Revamped the order flow to make it more intuitive.
• Implemented a clean, clear design with ample white space for better readability.
• Fixed the button color and text to make calls-to-action more compelling.
• Shifted the tone from a sales-heavy approach to one that builds a connection with the audience.

The results were overwhelmingly positive. 

Not only did our ranking improve and stabilize, but we also saw a consistent increase in inbound inquiries, which has been maintained for months.

6. Automating tedious tasks using Python

I started my career with a team of experienced SEO professionals. Later, everyone was relieved to look for other opportunities. 

Then, I was all alone, left with one content writer, and was given the responsibility of handling both sites.

Luckily, that was the time I started hearing about SEO automation. Thanks to some SEO professionals on Linkedin who introduced me to that concept.

With the help of ChatGpt, I was able to automate several tedious tasks. 

Here is what I have automated, 

• Build a rank tracker tool to track the ranking position for both sites 
• Able to track the desktop and mobile web performance with PageSpeed Insight API (Before that, we track it manually for each page and report it to the dev team)
• N-gram analysis – Here’s the guide on N-gram analysis
• Using the GSC API, I track the performance metrics (which include clicks, impressions, and CTR) of both landing pages and blogs 

7. Collaborated with the developers for code revamp 

While working closely with the developers, we identified a critical issue with the codebase. 

The developers pointed out that “the code was poorly written and not well optimized.” This observation was further confirmed when the testing team conducted cross-browser and cross-device testing, which uncovered numerous issues across the website.

The core problem, as highlighted by the developers, was that the code isn’t optimized and reused well. 

Addressing these issues would require significant time and resources. However, we saw an opportunity to resolve this by aligning it with our plan to revamp the entire site using the same design layout. 

This approach allowed us to not only improve the look of the site but also rewrite and optimize the underlying code.

What have we done?

• Use the same design for all the landing page 
• Use the common design layout for all the blogs
• Revamp the design 
• Rewrite the code
• Optimize the code

From doing so, our developers have removed the lakhs line of code. They would know the exact number. 

8. Leveraged AI tools

Despite having just one writer, we managed to scale the content. 

Our process of writing a blog just looks like this, 

1. We pick the blog title (don’t ask how—that’s a separate process)
2. Then, perform keyword research to find its potential and finalize the keyword to target for
3. Research the SERP and use tools like ChatGPT for resources 
4. We cook the outline, review it, and make sure it is better than the existing content 
5. Start writing the blog 
6. Finished 
7. Then, we have a second eye on the blog, edit, and finally move it to live—for the audience

Talking about ‘Leveraging AI Tools.’ Yes, we use AI tools, but not to replace our work but to enhance our efficiency.

We use ChatGPT to generate the blog outline, search for information, and edit. However, they cannot fully replace human touch. 

There must always be a person overseeing the process and making the final decisions.

That’s the end of this blog and my experience at RadicalStart. I will be adding more if I find something worth mentioning.