Unfortunately, an SEO case study is not likely to function as a guide for a similar company to follow. This is due to several factors:
- Search engines value unique, useful content. Therefore, your site has to be substantially different from the one in the case study, even if it sells the exact same items.
- A new website will have more stumbling blocks to overcome than one that is established. In some case studies, SEO success for an established site comes off as being quick and easy. This often happens when a site has already been around for a number of years, and only needs a few small tweaks.
- The site in the case study may be getting search engine relevance (or credibility) from other online and offline marketing efforts. 50% or more of your SEO success can come from references on other sites and social media.
- Very few white papers will analyze an SEO failure, even if it is a result of the client failing to implement the optimization firm’s recommendations. Business and the field of SEO science can learn a lot more from a failed search engine placement campaign than a successful one.
- Many of the best success stories in search engine optimization are untold, due to confidentiality agreements. This is because major corporations don’t want their competitors to retain similar SEO professionals, or learn which SEO tactic made a difference.
Google and other search engines consider over 200 different factors in what makes a site relevant or worthy of top search engine rankings. There are not many case studies that go into great depth about all of the processes and changes made that resulted in a top placement on the search engines. Furthermore, a detailed study of one company’s SEO success would give a very narrow picture of how top SEO firms operate, since a project for a similar client’s website would focus on some of the other 200 ranking rules. For instance, one website may experience “instant success” with minor changes that are relatively inexpensive, while another may require 6 months to a year of careful and expensive optimization to achieve the same result.
The true value of an SEO white paper or case study can be found between the lines. A reading of several case studies from the same optimization firm should produce a narrative that shows professional management, customized problem solving, and solutions tailored to fit each client’s unique situation. If the firm can identify the rankings challenges that are particular to each site, then almost every SEO project will yield positive results, no matter what product or service is sold by the client. Therefore, a reading of any SEO study should move beyond the improvement in rankings and traffic, and the reader should be seeking insight into the SEO consulting company’s flexibility, problem solving skills, and track record.
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