SEO Case Studies: From Zero Authority to 916 Keywords in the Top 3
These B2B software sites were nearly invisible in Google. Each case shows the exact search problem, the SEO and link building work I did, and the rankings and authority the site holds today, checked in Ahrefs.
From No Authority to Page-One Rankings for a Livestock Analytics Platform
A new software brand with no backlink profile, selling to buyers who search for answers long before they search for software.
- Industry
- Agriculture technology
- Services
- SEO, content, link building
- Client
- Confidential
The challenge
The site started 2024 with no referring domains. Its buyers research farming and cattle questions first and look for software later. With no authority and no content for those early questions, the brand was invisible when buyers formed their opinions.
Key issues
- No backlink profile at the start of 2024
- Few pages answering early buyer questions
- Software pages not visible for commercial searches
- No clear topic structure
What I worked on
Search intent mapping
Grouped buyer questions by stage, from learning to choosing software, and mapped each to a page.
Content built on real questions
Created pages that answer what buyers ask first, then lead them to the software.
Authority building
Outreach and digital PR to earn links from relevant sites, tracked in Ahrefs.
Results and measurement
Example queries at the top
- #1dairy management software250/mo
- #1cattle farming600/mo
- #1how much is a cow worth1,900/mo
Making Complex B2B Software Easier to Find and Understand
A software division with many solutions, where buyers could not easily find the right page in Google or in AI answers.
- Industry
- Agriculture technology
- Services
- SEO, AEO and GEO
- Client
- Confidential
The challenge
The site had a complex service structure with multiple solutions, which made it hard for buyers to find the right information. High-value buyer questions were not fully answered, and visibility was limited in both traditional search and AI search.
Key issues
- Complex service structure
- Thin content for key buyer queries
- Limited topical depth
- Low visibility in AI search results
What I worked on
Technical SEO
Improved site structure, indexing, internal linking and on-page elements so search engines could understand the site.
Content and search intent
Mapped buyer intent, created and optimized solution pages, and expanded content to answer key industry questions.
AI search visibility
Structured content for better AI understanding, with clear definitions and examples to support visibility in AI Overviews, ChatGPT and Perplexity.
Results and measurement
Example queries at the top
- #1smart agriculture iot100/mo
- #1beef cattle breeds with pictures150/mo
- #5mixed crop and livestock agriculture500/mo
Turning Food Safety and App Development Pages Into Search Leaders
A food technology software brand competing for both compliance topics and software development services.
- Industry
- Food technology
- Services
- SEO, content, link building
- Client
- Confidential
The challenge
The site had no referring domains until early 2025. It competed with larger publishers on food safety topics while also needing to win commercial searches for software development services.
Key issues
- No backlink profile before 2025
- Large publishers dominating food safety searches
- Service pages competing with established development firms
- Compliance topics not tied to the software offer
What I worked on
Topic and keyword mapping
Separated compliance topics that build trust from service terms that bring enquiries.
Service and compliance content
Built pages for recall management, cold chain and app development searches.
Link acquisition
Outreach for relevant links to the pages that needed to rank, tracked in Ahrefs.
Results and measurement
Example queries at the top
- #1food recall management250/mo
- #1grocery delivery app development350/mo
- #1cold chain compliance200/mo
What Each Service Moved
The same Ahrefs measures, grouped by the service they test.
SEO and content
Rankings for the questions buyers ask and the terms they buy with.
Link building and digital PR
New referring domains from relevant sites.
Technical SEO and audits
A site search engines and AI tools can crawl and read.
AEO and GEO
Being named and cited in AI answers.
Other Sites I Have Supported
Domain-level Ahrefs numbers (US) for four more brands.
- Domain Rating
- 75
- Referring domains
- 5,025
- Keywords
- 73
- Top 3
- 25
- Est. visits
- 1,050
Referring domains grew from 2,454 in January 2024.
- Domain Rating
- 91
- Referring domains
- 36,115
- Keywords
- 2,377
- Top 3
- 700
- Est. visits
- 30,225
- Domain Rating
- 87
- Referring domains
- 28,500
- Keywords
- 25,728
- Top 3
- 11,549
- Est. visits
- 453,666
- Domain Rating
- 24
- Referring domains
- 1,344
- Keywords
- 92
- Top 3
- 22
- Est. visits
- 176
Case Study Questions
How to read the results on this page.
Send me your website and your question. I will reply with a straight answer.
Ask me directlyWhy are the client names hidden?
Most of my work is under confidentiality or white-label terms, so I describe each client by industry and show the data without naming them. The numbers come from Ahrefs and can be checked on a call.
Where do the numbers come from?
Ahrefs, for US search data as of October 30, 2026. Traffic is an Ahrefs estimate, not analytics data. Referring-domain counts include every link Ahrefs finds, not only links I earned.
Did your work cause all of these results?
Not on its own. Sites grow because of the product, the brand and the people around me. I show what the data shows and name the service each measure relates to. I do not claim sole credit.
Why are some brands shown without growth numbers?
Large brands have in-house teams and other agencies, so their numbers say little about my work alone. I show them as snapshots so you can see the range of sites, and I keep the growth stories for cases where the starting point is clear.
Do you guarantee similar results?
No. Results depend on your market, competition, starting point and how fast changes ship. I can show you which case is closest to your situation and what a realistic first three months looks like.
Do you have case studies for AEO and GEO?
Yes. Cases A and C include AI citation data from Ahrefs. Case A rose from 132 to 1,897 citations and case C from 835 to 1,085 between October 2025 and October 2026. A citation means an AI answer linked to a page. It is not a lead. See AI SEO services for how I measure it.
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