A ‘Natural’ Digital Marketing Success Story

Introduction:

In this case study, we will explore how Havoc Digital, digital marketing professionals, collaborated with a client in the United States natural cosmetics industry to transform their business from a kitchen table operation to achieving international sales within a span of two (2) years.

The client, a passionate duo with a commitment to natural ingredients and cruelty-free products, approached Havoc Digital with a clearly defined business and marketing plan for their new range of natural cosmetics.

By implementing a comprehensive digital marketing strategy, including SEO Strategy, PPC campaigns, website optimization, and affiliate marketing, Havoc Digital helped the client establish a strong online presence and drive substantial growth in a highly competitive industry.

1. Identifying Online Markets for SEO and PPC Campaigns:

The first step was to identify three (3) target markets for SEO and PPC campaigns aligned with the client’s natural cosmetics range.

The selected markets were “Natural” (broad industry trophy term), “Natural Make-up,” and “Natural Skincare.”

By focusing on the concept of “natural” and promoting the narrative of cruelty-free, no-animal testing, the client aimed to resonate with environmentally conscious consumers.

2. Website Optimization:

To enhance online visibility and improve search engine rankings, Havoc Digital undertook thorough on-page SEO for the client’s e-commerce website.

This involved optimizing each product page with unique and compelling content, ensuring no duplication or product description plagiarism.

By tailoring the website to target markets in the USA, Canada, United Kingdom, and Australia, the client could expand their reach to international customers.

3. Long-term vs. Short-term SEO Strategy:

Recognizing the highly competitive nature of the cosmetics industry, it was clear that a long-term SEO strategy would not yield immediate results.

Therefore, a realistic budget was allocated to facilitate tangible Page One Google rankings within the first 8 to 12 months of the campaign.

This approach allowed the client to gain early visibility and capture a significant share of the online market.

To develop an effective SEO strategy for the client’s natural cosmetics business, Havoc Digital considered the competitive landscape and the client’s goals.

The cosmetics industry is highly competitive, with numerous established brands vying for top search engine rankings.

Recognizing that a long-term SEO strategy would require a significant investment of time and resources, Havoc Digital and the client agreed to adopt a balanced approach that included short-term tactics to generate immediate results while laying the foundation for long-term success.

When the digital marketing campaign commenced just prior to February 2021, by June 2021 (4 months) the client’s website experienced an organic traffic peak of 18,002 visitors, indicating the initial success and interest in the client’s natural cosmetics range.

However, it was essential to sustain and grow this organic traffic over time.

To evaluate the progress and effectiveness of the SEO strategy, key metrics such as organic traffic and organic keywords on the top three (3) positions of Google were tracked over several months:

– June 2021: The website reached its peak organic traffic of 18,002 visitors.

– March 2022: Organic traffic remained high, with 17,138 visitors.

– April 2023: Organic traffic decreased slightly but remained healthy at 13,209 visitors.

The data shows that despite a small decline in organic traffic, the website maintained a substantial number of visitors, indicating the effectiveness of the SEO strategy in generating consistent traffic over time.

The number of organic keywords ranking in the top three of Google also serves as a valuable indicator of SEO success:

– June 2021: A total of 276 organic keywords were ranking in the top three of Google.

– March 2022: The number decreased slightly to 221 organic keywords.

– July 2022: The organic keywords peaked at 385, indicating the strategy’s impact.

– April 2023: 299 organic keywords were ranking in the top three of Google, indicating continued success.

 

Analyzing the search intent behind these keywords provides valuable insights into the effectiveness of the SEO strategy in attracting commercial and transactional intent:

– 46.7% of the organic keywords were deemed to have a ‘commercial’ search intent, indicating a high potential for driving sales and conversions.

– 10.4% of the organic keywords were deemed to have a ‘transactional’ search intent, indicating a strong interest in purchasing the client’s natural cosmetics products.

These figures demonstrate that the SEO strategy effectively targeted keywords with commercial and transactional intent, attracting potential customers ready to engage and make purchases.

By incorporating short-term tactics, the client was able to achieve immediate visibility, maintain consistent organic traffic, and rank for relevant keywords.

This approach allowed the client’s natural cosmetics business to establish a solid foundation and generate tangible results within the first 8 to 12 months of the campaign, aligning with their goal of accelerated growth in a competitive market.

Simultaneously, the long-term SEO efforts continued to drive organic traffic and expand the client’s online presence, ensuring sustained success in the years to come.

4. Instant Results through ‘Pay-per-Click’ (PPC) Campaigns:

In addition to the long-term SEO strategy, Havoc Digital established a rolling PPC campaign right from the start.

This campaign aimed to generate targeted traffic to specific product pages, thus directly contributing to sales.

The PPC campaign ensured immediate visibility and a steady influx of potential customers by leveraging targeted keywords, compelling ad copy, and optimized landing pages.

 

The PPC campaign utilized paid advertising channels to ensure instant visibility and maximize the client’s reach. By analyzing the following data, we can evaluate the effectiveness of the PPC campaign in driving paid traffic:

– July 2021: The PPC campaign achieved its peak performance, generating 12,230 paid visitors to the client’s website. This initial success indicated the campaign’s ability to attract many potential customers.

– August 2021 to March 2022: Over this period, the PPC campaign maintained an average of 571 paid visitors per month. Although there was a decline from the peak, the campaign continued to drive a steady stream of targeted traffic.

– June 2022: The PPC campaign experienced a resurgence, with paid traffic peaking at 4,025 visitors. This significant increase demonstrated the campaign’s ability to adapt and capitalize on market trends.

– November 2022: The campaign sustained its success, with 5,022 paid visitors in November, indicating its continued effectiveness in driving targeted traffic and conversions.

– May 2023: Leading up to seasonal sales, the PPC campaign generated 1,762 paid visitors, demonstrating its role in driving traffic during crucial sales periods.

The data suggest that the PPC campaign consistently delivered instant results by driving targeted traffic to the client’s product pages, leading to potential conversions and sales.

Despite slight fluctuations, the campaign maintained a steady flow of paid visitors throughout different periods, aligning with the client’s objective of generating immediate revenue and visibility.

The PPC campaign’s effectiveness can be attributed to several factors, including the selection of relevant keywords, compelling ad copy, and optimized landing pages.

By carefully targeting the client’s identified online markets and focusing on the core messaging of natural and cruelty-free cosmetics, the campaign successfully attracted potential customers with a high purchase intent.

The combination of the long-term SEO strategy and the instant results generated by the PPC campaign provided a comprehensive approach to maximize the client’s online visibility and drive both organic and paid traffic.

This integrated approach allowed the client to capture a broader audience and cater to customers at different stages of the purchase funnel.

Conclusion: PPC + SEO

The PPC campaign played a crucial role in the client’s digital marketing success story, providing instant visibility and driving targeted traffic to their product pages.

By analyzing the data, it is evident that the campaign consistently generated substantial paid traffic, contributing to the client’s overall sales and conversions.

The strategic implementation of a PPC campaign, alongside the long-term SEO strategy, allowed the client to maximize their online presence, attract potential customers, and achieve their goal of international sales in just two years.

The combined efforts of short-term and long-term strategies empowered the client to transition from a kitchen table operation to a thriving business with a global customer base.

This highlights the importance of a holistic digital marketing approach that combines SEO, PPC campaigns, and other strategic initiatives to accelerate business growth and achieve significant results within a very competitive industry.

5. Affiliate Marketing:

To further expand their reach and tap into influencer networks, the client and Havoc Digital collaborated to design an affiliate marketing program.

Influencers were identified and encouraged to promote the client’s range of natural cosmetics. This strategy not only helped increase brand exposure but also leveraged the trust and credibility associated with influential figures in the beauty industry

Affiliate marketing contributed to their exponential growth in backlinks over the two-year period.

By collaborating with influencers and affiliates, the client was able to leverage their networks and establish a robust backlink profile.

The correlation between affiliate marketing and the growth of backlinks is evident when analyzing the following data:

Over the course of two (2) years, the client’s backlink profile experienced remarkable growth, reaching a total of 17,100 backlinks. These backlinks originated from 2,100 referring domains, indicating a diverse and extensive network of websites linking to the client’s website.

Breaking down the composition of these backlinks, we find that 11,110 of them are do-follow links, while 5,240 are no-follow links.

Do-follow links carry more weight in terms of SEO value, as search engines view them as endorsements from other websites.

However, it is essential to have a healthy mix of both do-follow and no-follow links for a natural and well-rounded backlink profile.

The growth in backlinks can be directly attributed to the implementation of an affiliate marketing program. By collaborating with influencers and affiliates, the client was able to tap into their established networks and benefit from their endorsement and promotion of the natural cosmetics range.

Affiliate marketing incentivized affiliates to create content and link back to the client’s website, thereby generating a significant number of backlinks.

As affiliates shared their positive experiences with the client’s products, they effectively acted as brand ambassadors, endorsing the quality and effectiveness of the natural cosmetics range.

This endorsement not only attract potential customers but also prompted other websites to link back to the client’s website, further strengthening the backlink profile.

The diverse nature of the affiliate network ensured that the client received backlinks from a wide range of referring domains. This diversity is crucial in demonstrating the client’s credibility and authority to search engines, contributing to improved search engine rankings and organic visibility.

Additionally, the inclusion of both do-follow and no-follow links in the backlink profile indicates a natural link-building strategy.

While do-follow links provide direct SEO value, no-follow links still contribute to overall website authority and can drive referral traffic.

The balanced distribution of do-follow and no-follow links demonstrates a natural and organic growth pattern, signaling to search engines that the client’s website is a valuable resource in the natural cosmetics industry.

In conclusion, the implementation of an affiliate marketing program played a crucial role in the client’s backlink growth.

The backlink growth solidified the client’s authority and credibility in the industry, contributing to improved search engine rankings and increased organic visibility.

In Closing:

The Formula for Success:

MA + RS x C = R

Throughout the digital marketing campaign, Havoc Digital followed a simple formula for success: Massive Activity (MA), coupled with the Right Stuff (RS) in terms of message and offer, and maintained Consistency (C) executing a well-rounded strategy encompassing SEO, PPC, website optimization, and affiliate marketing, the client achieved outstanding Results (R), including significant sales growth and expanded international presence.

Through a strategic collaboration, the client’s journey from a kitchen table operation to international sales in just two years is a testament to the power of digital marketing in today’s competitive landscape.

By identifying target markets, optimizing the website, implementing short-term SEO strategies, conducting PPC campaigns, and leveraging affiliate marketing, the client successfully established a strong online presence and attracted a global customer base.

This case study highlights the importance of a comprehensive digital marketing approach and demonstrates how it can propel a business toward remarkable success in a relatively short period.