The Challenge
BeFused is a site focused on teaching people about Drupal web development and includes a premium book which is available for sale on the site. While receiving a steady stream of relevant traffic, an increase would result in more email signups and more book sales and was critical for the commercial viability of the site.
The Results
Through the course of 2014, traffic increased month on month. By the end of November, page views had more than tripled from where they were in January – from 6,688 per month to 22,583.
This was a 238% increase in page views. And a 279% increase in search traffic.
The Strategy
This was achieved through a deliberate strategy of publishing high quality tutorials on a regular basis that would make BeFused an authority in the Drupal niche. The strategy included a mix of longer pillar tutorials, which take much longer to research and write, and shorter articles, which can be produced on a more frequent basis. Pillar posts are a critical part of the strategy because they become a focal point for the site, build the reputation of being an authority and become widely referenced and shared.
Many of the tutorials were shared widely in social media by respected sources and linked to from various other websites. They were also published regularly on a popular email newsletter and syndicated on drupal.org where much of the target audience consumes content. The combined effect is an increased reputation for the site, which increases the chances of people sharing the content. This creates a snow ball effect.
Traffic from search engines also increased substantially (279%). Search engines like Google love new fresh content, so this was helped by the more regular publishing schedule. They also love longer posts because of the perceived increase in quality. And finally, the increased sharing of the content on social media would have helped bolster the reputation of the site in the eyes of the search engines.
Key Facts
- Jan: 6,688 page views
- Nov: 22,583 page views
Increase:
- 226% increase in sessions
- 238% increase in page views
- 279% increase in traffic from search engines