Print-on-Demand Content SEO Case Study: 3.8× Blog Traffic
SEO case study · Print on demand · Content
Custom map poster brand: blog traffic from 2,890 to 11,000+ a month
A print-on-demand brand selling custom map posters wanted its blog to reach 10,000 visits a month within a year. We worked out that 64 posts would get there, published six a month on gift and decor topics, and passed the target in October, ahead of schedule.
- Print on demand
- E-commerce
- Content marketing
- Blog SEO
01 · The problem
Nobody searches for a product they don’t know exists
Our client sells custom map posters: people pick any place in the world, style the map and order it as a print, mostly as a gift or for their walls. It is a lovely product, but very few people search for it by name. They search for gift ideas and decor ideas instead, and those results belong to big publishers and marketplaces.
Demand hides behind other searches
People looking for a birthday present for dad or ideas for a small apartment are the right buyers, but they never type “custom map poster”. The blog had to meet them where they search.
Gift searches are crowded
Gift guides from large publishers and marketplaces fill the results for every occasion. A small brand needs posts that are more useful than theirs, not just more of them.
Readers are not ready to buy
Someone reading a gift guide may be weeks away from ordering. The blog had to keep them, not just get the click.
A small starting point
In February 2019 the blog had 1,474 unique visits and 2,890 views. The goal was 10,000 visits a month by December.
02 · Our solution
Do the maths first, then publish six posts a month
Our research showed that a well-optimized post brings this blog about 130 visits a month. To add 8,000 visits in a year we needed 64 new posts, so six a month, growing traffic 17.5% every month.
- 01
Two big posts a month that collect emails
Each month we published two in-depth posts of 2,000 to 3,000 words, each with an email sign-up, a free downloadable guide and an email campaign behind it, plus links built to them.
- 02
Four shorter posts that rank fast
Four posts of about 1,500 words a month, one a week, on topics that are easier to optimize. Each one got about one backlink.
- 03
Write for gift and decor searches
Topics followed what future buyers search: birthday and anniversary gift ideas for specific people and ages, and room and apartment decor ideas, where a personal map print is a natural fit.
- 04
Target groups of keywords, not single ones
Each post covered a whole group of related searches. The best one went on to rank for 2,800 keywords.
- 05
Review monthly and double down
Every month we compared the result with the plan. Within 2 to 3 months it was clear which kinds of posts worked best, and we put more effort behind them.
03 · Results
Ahead of plan from the first month
The blog beat the plan in March and April, and by October Google Analytics showed 11,025 unique pageviews on the blog, above the 10,032 the plan called for in December.
| Month (2019) | Planned visits | Actual (blog) |
|---|---|---|
| February | 2,000 | 1,474 unique visits · 2,890 views |
| March | 2,350 | 3,338 unique visits · 7,543 views |
| April | 2,761 | 2,828 unique visits · 6,297 views |
| May | 3,244 | |
| June | 3,812 | |
| July | 4,479 | |
| August | 5,263 | |
| September | 6,184 | |
| October | 7,267 | 11,025 unique pageviews |
| November | 8,538 | |
| December | 10,032 |
February to April actuals are from our monthly client reports. October is from the Google Analytics screenshot above, which shows unique pageviews, a different measure from unique visits.
04 · Timeline
How it unfolded
- February 2019The plan is set: 64 posts, 6 a month, 17.5% growth a month. The blog has 1,474 unique visits and 2,890 views.
- March 20193,338 unique visits against a plan of 2,350.
- April 20192,828 unique visits against a plan of 2,761. We know which post types work best and double down.
- October 201911,025 unique pageviews on the blog, past the December target with two months to spare.
05 · What to copy
What other print-on-demand and gift brands can take from this
- Write for the gift, not the product. If people don’t know your product exists, find what they search for when they need it: gift ideas, decor ideas, occasions.
- Turn the goal into a number of posts. Average visits per good post, divided into the gap, tells you how much to publish each month.
- Mix big and small posts. Two in-depth posts collect emails and earn links. Four shorter ones rank quickly and keep traffic growing.
- Capture readers who are not ready yet. A free guide and an email sequence turn a gift-guide reader into a customer later.
- Report against the plan every month. A monthly growth target shows early whether you are ahead or behind.
FAQ
Questions about this content SEO case study
Does blogging work for print-on-demand brands?
How many blog posts do you need to grow traffic?
What topics work for a personalized gift brand?
Why mix long and short posts?
How do you turn blog readers into customers?
How long does content SEO take to work?
What is a realistic monthly growth rate?
Are unique pageviews the same as visits?
Why is the client not named?
Can you build a content plan like this for us?
Selling print-on-demand products?
We grew a custom map poster brand’s blog past its yearly target in eight months. Tell us your goal and we will run the same maths for you.
- 01ApplyTell us about your site and the goal you have in mind.
- 02Get your auditWe look at your rankings, your competitors and what is realistic.
- 03Meet the teamIf we can grow you, we say how. If we can’t, we say that too.