SEO Experiments & Case Studies
Real tests with measurable results. We don’t just theorize—we experiment, measure, and share our findings transparently.
Guest Posts vs Niche Edits: 90-Day Link Velocity Test
+47%
Traffic Increase
+22
Position Gain
We tested 20 guest posts versus 20 niche edits on DR 40+ sites to compare link velocity, ranking impact, and referral traffic. Controlled test with identical anchor text distribution and target pages.
Key Findings:
- Niche edits showed ranking impact 3 weeks faster than guest posts
- Guest posts generated 2.3x more referral traffic
- Both methods produced similar long-term ranking benefits
- Combined strategy yielded best overall results
Core Web Vitals Impact: Speed vs Rankings Correlation
+31%
-72%
60-day controlled study measuring the direct correlation between Core Web Vitals improvements and organic ranking changes across 50 pages on an e-commerce site.
Key Findings:
- LCP improvements under 2.5s led to average +4 position gain
- CLS fixes under 0.1 improved mobile rankings by +6 positions
- Speed improvements increased CTR even without rank changes
- Combined CWV optimization yielded +18% organic traffic
Topical Authority vs Single Keywords: 120-Day Content Test
+168%
94
Comparing cluster-based topical authority building versus traditional keyword-focused content strategy. Two identical niche sites, different content approaches, measured over 4 months.
Key Findings:
- Topical clusters ranked for 3.2x more keywords per article
- Internal linking within clusters boosted all pillar pages
- Semantic coverage improved rankings for unplanned keywords
- Topical site earned more editorial backlinks naturally
Anchor Text Distribution: Exact Match vs Brand Mix
35%%
0
Testing optimal anchor text ratios for commercial keywords. Built 100 links across 5 test sites with varying exact match percentages to find the safe, effective sweet spot.
Key Findings:
- 30-40% exact/partial match anchors performed best
- Sites above 50% exact match saw ranking volatility
- Brand + URL anchors (40%) provided stability
- Generic anchors filled remaining 20% safely
Content Length vs Rankings: Does Longer = Better?
1800
+28%
Testing the correlation between content length and rankings across different query types. Expanded 30 articles incrementally from 800 to 3000 words while tracking performance.
Key Findings:
- 1500-2000 words optimal for most informational queries
- Transactional keywords ranked with 800-1200 words
- Content depth mattered more than raw word count
- Diminishing returns above 2500 words for most topics
Image Lazy Loading: SEO Impact Study
-41%
+12%
Implementing native lazy loading on image-heavy pages to measure Core Web Vitals improvements and subsequent ranking changes across 20 product pages.
Key Findings:
- LCP improved by avg 1.2 seconds on image-heavy pages
- Mobile rankings improved faster than desktop (+14 vs +8)
- Bounce rate decreased 9% on optimized pages
- Native lazy loading better than JS libraries for SEO
Why We Share Our Experiments
Transparency builds trust. We publish real experiments with actual data because we believe in showing our work, not just talking about it. Every test helps us refine our strategies and provides valuable insights for the SEO community.
These experiments inform our client strategies and demonstrate our commitment to data-driven SEO rather than guesswork or outdated tactics.
Apply These Insights to Your Site
Let’s use data-driven strategies to improve your SEO performance.