Case: Transforming Digital Reach: A Comprehensive SEO Strategy for an Online Computer Game Store

In November 2023, an online computer game store faced a significant challenge in establishing a strong digital presence. Despite offering a vast collection of games, ranging from indie titles to AAA blockbusters, the store struggled with low website traffic and poor search engine rankings. The competitive landscape in the online gaming market exacerbated the situation, as numerous established and new entrants vied for the same customer base. The store’s organic search traffic was stagnant at an average of 10,000 monthly visitors, and their search engine rankings for critical keywords were predominantly beyond the top 50 results.

The situation was dire, with the company observing a conversion rate of merely 0.5%, translating to about 50 sales per month. Furthermore, the store’s bounce rate was alarmingly high at 70%, indicating that a significant portion of visitors left the site without engaging with its content. This poor performance was not just affecting the store’s revenue but also its brand reputation in the fiercely competitive online gaming sector.

To address these challenges, the store engaged a marketing and advertising agency to devise and implement a robust SEO strategy aimed at increasing organic traffic, improving search engine rankings, and ultimately boosting sales. The project spanned from November 2023 to May 2024, with a focus on long-term, sustainable growth.

The first phase of the project was a thorough audit of the website to identify technical issues and content gaps. The agency utilized tools like SEMrush and Ahrefs to conduct an in-depth analysis. Key findings included:

• Technical Issues: The site had a slow loading speed, averaging 4.8 seconds, which negatively impacted user experience and SEO rankings. Additionally, there were numerous broken links (532 identified) and missing meta descriptions on 46% of the pages.
• Content Gaps: Many high-potential keywords relevant to the gaming industry were not targeted. For instance, keywords like "buy PC games online" and "latest indie games" had a combined monthly search volume of 150,000 but were absent from the site’s content strategy.
• Competitive Benchmarking: Competitors had stronger backlink profiles, with the top three competitors having an average of 15,000 referring domains, compared to the store’s 2,300.

Addressing the technical issues was crucial to improve the website’s performance. Key actions included:

• Page Speed Optimization: The team reduced the average loading time from 4.8 seconds to 2.1 seconds by optimizing images, leveraging browser caching, and minifying CSS and JavaScript files. This improvement led to a 20% decrease in bounce rate.
• Fixing Broken Links: All 532 broken links were either updated or redirected, enhancing user experience and crawlability.
• Metadata Enhancements: Meta descriptions were added to the 46% of pages lacking them, and existing ones were optimized with target keywords, improving click-through rates (CTR) from search engine results pages (SERPs) by 15%.

The agency conducted extensive keyword research to identify high-potential terms and phrases. This research focused on both short-tail and long-tail keywords, considering user intent and search volume. Key actions included:

• Identifying Keywords: A list of 300 primary and secondary keywords was developed, with a focus on high-volume, low-competition terms. For example, "cheap PC games" had a monthly search volume of 50,000 with moderate competition.
• Content Creation: Over 150 new blog posts and product descriptions were created, targeting these keywords. The content strategy emphasized value-driven articles, such as game reviews, tutorials, and industry news, which increased the average session duration by 40%.
• On-Page SEO: On-page elements, such as headings, subheadings, and image alt texts, were optimized with the identified keywords. This optimization contributed to a 35% increase in organic search visibility.

A robust link-building campaign was essential to enhance the website’s authority. The agency focused on acquiring high-quality backlinks from reputable sites within the gaming and technology niches. Key actions included:

• Guest Posting: The team secured guest posting opportunities on high-authority gaming websites, resulting in 75 new backlinks from domains with an average Domain Authority (DA) of 60+.
• Influencer Partnerships: Collaborations with gaming influencers led to 50 backlinks from social media and blog posts, driving referral traffic and enhancing brand credibility.
• Resource Link Building: By creating valuable resources, such as comprehensive game guides and industry reports, the store attracted 120 natural backlinks from educational and informational websites.

To capture a broader audience, the agency implemented local SEO strategies and optimized the site for mobile users. Key actions included:

• Local SEO: The store’s Google My Business profile was optimized, and local keywords were integrated into the site’s content. This strategy led to a 60% increase in local search traffic.
• Mobile Optimization: The site’s mobile usability was improved, addressing issues like touch element size and viewport configuration. These enhancements resulted in a 25% increase in mobile traffic and a 15% improvement in mobile conversion rates.

The agency set up detailed analytics tracking to monitor the performance of the SEO efforts and make data-driven adjustments. Key actions included:

• Google Analytics and Search Console: Enhanced tracking for conversions, user behavior, and keyword performance was implemented. This tracking helped identify high-performing content and areas needing improvement.
• A/B Testing: Various elements, such as call-to-action buttons and landing page designs, were tested to optimize user engagement and conversion rates. These tests led to a 10% increase in overall conversion rates.
• Regular Reporting: Monthly reports were generated to assess progress, with key metrics showing steady improvements. Organic traffic grew by an average of 15% month-over-month, and keyword rankings consistently moved up.

By May 2024, the comprehensive SEO strategy had yielded impressive results for the online computer game store. Key achievements included:

• Traffic Growth: Organic traffic increased from 10,000 monthly visitors in November 2023 to 45,000 in May 2024, marking a 350% increase.
• Improved Rankings: The store achieved top 10 rankings for 60% of the targeted keywords, with 30% in the top 3 positions. This improvement significantly boosted visibility and click-through rates.
• Enhanced User Engagement: The bounce rate decreased from 70% to 40%, and the average session duration increased by 50%, indicating better user engagement and satisfaction.
• Revenue Increase: Monthly sales grew from 50 to 300, driven by higher traffic and improved conversion rates. The overall conversion rate rose from 0.5% to 1.5%.
• ROI: The SEO investment delivered a return on investment (ROI) of 500%, with the cost per acquisition (CPA) reducing by 60%.

The success of this project not only transformed the store’s digital presence but also set a solid foundation for future growth. The continuous improvement framework and ongoing SEO efforts ensure that the store remains competitive and adaptive to the evolving digital landscape.

By leveraging a comprehensive, data-driven SEO strategy, the online computer game store has firmly established itself as a leading player in the market, ready to capitalize on future opportunities and trends in the gaming industry.