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John Stiles runs Underground Clothing, an e-commerce fashion business in Calgary, Canada, and wanted to optimize his website for better conversion. He recently joined the Canada Digital Adoption Plan, a government program that helps businesses go digital.
However, the SEO analysis he got didn’t meet his expectations and felt incomplete. This made John look for better ways to improve his site’s SEO. He realized businesses should focus on creating real customer experiences instead of using gimmicks.
Our thorough website audit uncovered multiple opportunities to turn traffic into conversions for Underground Clothing.
SEO Breakdown of the Underground Clothing
John’s website Underground Clothing had a Domain Rating (DR) of 8, which was relatively low. However, it targeted a few thousand keywords, providing a solid foundation for SEO.
Some keyword rankings, like “underground in Calgary”, were surprising but unlikely to drive sales due to the ambiguity of the term.
The site ranked for keywords like “Dex”, “Rock Revival jeans”, and categories such as “Flying Monkey jeans”, even though it no longer sold Flying Monkey jeans. This discrepancy could contribute to a decline in rankings.
When Google directs traffic to a site that fails to meet user expectations, it can result in poor engagement and decreased rankings.
The term “Dex clothing” appeared to be more relevant. With low keyword difficulty and high search volume, the site held the third position for this keyword. Achieving the top spot could nearly triple its traffic, increasing visits from 126 to nearly 700.
Main Brand Focus:
Wanakomi was the standout brand, primarily selling hoodies and generating around $2 million annually. The physical store contributed approximately 25% of total sales, illustrating the 80-20 rule.
Brand Positioning:
The website ranked below the Rock Revival brand when users searched for “Rock Revival” in Canada, despite Rock Revival not being sold in the country. This brand only accounted for about 10% of sales.
Keyword Optimization:
When searching for Wanakomi, users also looked for related terms like “hoodie” or “Wanakomi near me.” Optimizing for these keywords is crucial to attract more traffic.
Google’s autocomplete suggestions indicated user interest in phrases like “Wanakomi hoodie shopping.”
PAA:
Users prefer quick, concise information, so addressing inquiries about hoodie brands, fit, and other specifics is vital, aligning with the People Also Ask (PAA) feature.
The website was not answering the PAA questions the users were looking for. If users searched for a ‘Wanakomi hoodie’, they were likely looking for quality options, not inexpensive alternatives. They seek information on the best hoodies, fit, and alternative brands.
Users receive relevant information even before hitting enter, as seen with Google’s predictive search suggestions (e.g., ‘Wanakomi hoodie Black’ from Amazon).
User Intent:
Google’s predictive suggestions reflect past user behavior and search patterns, indicating a need to focus on user intent. The website might be doing good SEO for search engine but lacks the content which user might be looking for. Google also prioritizes user intent.
Users on platforms like TikTok inquired whether Wanakomi hoodies were worth the investment, demonstrating the need for comprehensive answers on the website.
Content Gaps:
The website was lacking authentic content (e.g. pictures or videos) about the products, which needed to be rectified to improve rankings.
John needed to ensure his webpage addresses these pertinent questions. If users were searching for a hoodie, he should have provided comprehensive content.
Facebook Ads and Campaigns:
John invested approximately CAD 140 daily in two campaigns—one for remarketing and another using Advantage Plus. He tracked performance with the Facebook pixel and had seen better results since switching to Advantage Plus. He opted for automatic bidding over manual CPA strategies, achieving a ROAS of 5-6, which was vital to maintain due to his tight profit margins.
However, his team struggled to keep product listings updated because of frequent catalog changes, which refreshed around four times a year, making content management a challenge.
ChatGPT Review
Utilizing ChatGPT, I shared a webpage for one of the Wanakomi hoodies, along with the “People Also Ask” (PAA) section from Google, to request a direct review focused on identifying areas for improvement. The goal was to pinpoint gaps that could boost engagement and sales.
ChatGPT provided valuable feedback, recommending a rewrite of the webpage that integrates these PAA insights and more relevant brand details. Additionally, it emphasized the need to enhance the website’s E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trust) to establish the brand’s credibility and improve its search rankings.
Despite including an Instagram link, the current content lacked the depth needed for full enrichment. ChatGPT highlighted that focusing on top-selling products rather than just traffic would yield better results.
While the site’s traffic wasn’t particularly high, the bigger concern was a lack of conversions—likely caused by limited product information that may be stopping customers from making purchase decisions.
What Should John Do for Optimizing His SEO
Increase the amount of informative content on the website to address user queries and improve engagement.
Focus on optimizing for relevant keywords and phrases to drive targeted traffic. Highlight the importance of regularly updating keyword strategies to reflect current inventory and user interests to prevent mismatch and potential penalties from Google. Create targeted content around the keywords to improve rankings.
Develop a plan to acquire high-quality backlinks through guest blogging and collaborations.
Expand on the implications of Search Generative Experience (SGE) for content strategy and how to adapt to this change.
Shift social media posts from a sales focus to storytelling and engaging content to boost engagement.
Incorporate relatable visuals and short, one-minute videos to create a personal connection with the audience. Conduct brief, five-minute Zoom calls with customers, obtain their permission to share insights, and repurpose the content through the Content Factory. This approach will generate authentic, engaging material that elevates the brand.
While content creation can be challenging with a small team, using ChatGPT effectively can make it feel like you have a full team behind you.
Make sure these videos are integrated into product pages and social media to enhance engagement.
Using more of their original content, then leveraging ChatGPT to polish it, can significantly improve their output. Gathering more information from the customers and interviewing their employees can add depth to the brand’s story.
Even as a small shop generating $2 million in sales, John can showcase much more about what he does without a huge effort, helping him stand out to Google as more than just another generic Shopify store using manufacturer-provided content.
Ensure that the website effectively answers questions highlighted in Google’s PAA section to capture user interest.
Focus on platforms like Facebook and Instagram, where the target audience is most active, to improve outreach and visibility.
Leverage tools like Customers.ai, which can help identify anonymous visitors and send them personalized emails based on their browsing history. This approach can enhance engagement and improve conversion rates.
Highlight key selling Points. For example, if Underground Clothing is the number one seller of Wanakomi, make that a prominent feature. This can significantly influence customer decisions.
By implementing these strategies, John can improve conversion rates, leading to a better return on ad spend (ROAS) and increased remarketing traffic. The focus should be on creating more content and building a more personal connection with potential customers.
Next Step:
Looking to unlock your website’s potential? Head over to Office Hours now to get expert advice. Quick, effective, and essential—let’s go!
Dennis Yu
Dennis Yu is a former search engine engineer who has spent a billion dollars on Google and Facebook ads for Nike, Quiznos, Ashley Furniture, Red Bull, State Farm, and other organizations that have many locations.
He has achieved 25% of his goal of creating a million digital marketing jobs because of his partnership with universities, professional organizations, and agencies. Companies like GoDaddy, Fiverr, onlinejobs.ph, 7 Figure Agency, and Vendasta partner with him to create training and certifications.
Dennis created the Dollar a Day Strategy for local service businesses to enhance their existing local reputation and make the phone ring. He's coaching young adult agency owners who serve plumbers, AC technicians, landscapers, roofers, electricians in conjunction with leaders in these industries.
Mr. Yu believes that there should be a standard in measuring local marketing efforts, much like doctors and plumbers need to be certified and licensed. His Content Factory training and dashboards are used by thousands of practitioners.