While doing keyword research for SEO around the web design space, my team discovered an opportunity to use existing user data to rank for tens of thousands of longtail Google queries. We created a Showcase based on thousands of existing web design projects to prove the concept. Examples of keyword searches we were ranking for included the CMS name, website type, industry, and more.
My Involvement
Built prototype using Webflow and GSheets.
Mocked up design in Figma.
Built prototype front end using Webflow.
Marketed to web designers in online communities to get more content and backlinks.
Developed v2 front-end using HTML/SASS/Rails/Bootstrap.
Setup and monitored SERP rank tracking in using KW Finder and SEM Rush.
Wrote formulas to prep data in GSheets for weekly upload to Webflow.
Wrote SQL queries to sync production Postgres database to GSheets using Supermetrics plugin.
Worked with our engineering team to rebuild backend in Rails once we outgrew prototype stack.
Traction
Over the four month pilot:
Ranked as the #1 result on Google for 17 queries and top 3 for 43 queries.
Grew organic Google clicks 30% WoW for 16 weeks on Webflow stack. Rebuilt in Rails and continued to grow 15% per week ongoing for nearly a year with no maintenance.
A tool for clients to find freelancers to hire, with a matchmaking and budget recommendation feature that live-updates while clients fill out their project briefs.
Ops team members view up to 50 student records a day. Before SMV, each record took 10 minutes to cobble together across slow spreadsheets. Now the data is instantly available.