Inside the SEO Strategist Role: 158% Traffic Growth!
Search engine optimization (SEO) is a digital marketing technique that enhances both the quality and quantity of traffic a website receives. This helps it rank higher in search engine results. It enables Google and other search engines to better understand your content, making it easier to connect the right users with your site.
While SEO is often treated as a buzzword these days, it's actually a complex, ongoing process. You need to figure out what works and what doesn't. Because SEO requires specialized knowledge, skills, and experience, it's often best to work with an SEO strategist rather than trying to handle it on your own.
At Sapphire SEO Solutions, we understand the importance of strong SEO and keeping website content fresh to naturally attract organic traffic and backlinks.
In this blog, we'll explore what an SEO strategist does and how they can help elevate your online presence.
Key Takeaways
An SEO strategist is a professional who knows how to improve a website's organic traffic and authority. They often employ various techniques following a comprehensive site audit to achieve their clients' SEO goals.
Key skills for an SEO strategist include adaptability, effective communication, and a strong understanding of SEO principles.
Partnering with an SEO strategist helped Sukar grow its organic traffic by 158% and increase visibility by more than 4% (all in just one month!).
What Is an SEO Strategist?
Are you struggling to gain online visibility? Do you want to improve organic traffic without spending too much on search engine marketing or paid advertising? Is your business finding it challenging to establish authority in the digital space?
If you answered yes to all of the above questions, it's time to consider an SEO strategist. What do they do, and how can they help grow your online presence?
An SEO strategist is a professional who has the knowledge and skills to create a customized plan for dominating search engine rankings. They have access to a wide range of advanced SEO tools to conduct keyword research and implement on-page SEO, off-page SEO, local SEO, and technical SEO techniques.
Why is that important for your business?
According to Exploding Topics, there are over 1 billion websites on the internet. Google employs a complex system that considers numerous ranking factors to rank these sites. This enables the search engine to recommend pages based on search intent to users seeking information, a product, or a service.
With so much competition in the digital landscape, you may find your website being pushed further down the search engine results pages (SERPs). This can adversely impact your site's performance, resulting in lower organic traffic and, eventually, poor sales.
Don't just take our word for it. Check out these compelling statistics from Backlinko that highlight the importance of ranking higher in the SERPs:
The first website listed in the SERPs for a given search query receives an average click-through rate (CTR) of 27.6%. That means more than one-fourth of users click on the first organic search result.
Climbing just one spot higher in the SERPs can boost your CTR by 2.8%. However, the increase in CTR depends on your current ranking position. The higher you already are, the greater the impact.
The #1 organic result in the SERPs gets 10 times more traffic than the result in the 10th position.
In such situations, a search engine optimization strategist can help build your brand identity. They will assess your site's performance, conduct a detailed competitor analysis to identify the search terms your competitors are ranking for, and tailor an SEO plan to achieve your business goals.
What Does an SEO Strategist Do?
So far, you've learned about the many benefits an SEO strategist can bring to your business. But do you know what their roles and responsibilities are?
Here are some of the most common tasks an SEO strategist carries out:
Keyword Research
Keyword research isn't what it used to be. Simply stuffing keywords into landing pages or blog posts can now do more harm than good. In fact, Google views this as a poor practice and may penalize your website, which can negatively impact its search engine rankings and overall performance.
Today, keyword research focuses on understanding the search intent behind each term. This enables Google to deliver more accurate and relevant results to users.
A skilled SEO strategist can help identify the most valuable keywords for your business. They will evaluate metrics such as search volume, keyword difficulty, topical relevance, and search intent to shortlist the best terms to help you rank higher in the SERPs.
How does an SEO strategist conduct keyword research?
Every successful SEO professional has their own secret recipe for climbing higher in the search rankings. Some use tools like Semrush, Google Keyword Planner, and Ubersuggest to uncover the best opportunities, while others focus on analyzing competitor content, industry trends, and user behavior to discover untapped keyword potential.
Want to learn more about what goes on behind the scenes of a comprehensive keyword research strategy? Here are the key steps involved:
Identify and understand your target audience
Determine a seed keyword to begin your research
Use keyword research tools to find the best search terms to target
Analyze competitors to discover the keywords they're ranking for
Compile and organize your keywords into relevant themes
Track keyword performance and refine your list as needed
User Research
User research is just as important as keyword research. Not all businesses are the same, which means each may have a unique target audience. It's essential to understand these users: what they're searching for and the keywords they use to find it.
Keyword research may not deliver the results you're after if you don't understand your customers. Identifying potential pain points and curating and optimizing content can help SEO strategists create a customized SEO plan that addresses all these issues. This can drive more engagement and revenue.
If a business has an active social media profile, an SEO strategist may utilize social listening tools to gain a deeper understanding of the customer's concerns. Doing so allows the professional to make the necessary changes to the client's site, thereby improving the website's performance.
Content Creation
Once the SEO strategist understands a business's target audience and has conducted thorough keyword research, it's time to start writing content.
Google favors websites with a substantial amount of high-quality content. That said, the search engine follows specific guidelines that businesses must adhere to in order to rank higher.
E-E-A-T is the current standard for content creation, which stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. Google uses these criteria to evaluate the quality and relevance of content before recommending it to users.
An SEO strategist will develop a content plan based on the targeted keywords. They will suggest topics that enhance online visibility and drive traffic. This content brief serves as a guide for writers to help maximize the site's SEO performance.
High-quality content is essential for your website. It signals to Google that you're an authoritative figure in your industry and helps establish credibility. Search engine algorithms use these signals, along with many others, to determine your site's ranking.
Here are a few more benefits of publishing high-quality content on your website:
It keeps readers engaged, which reduces bounce rates and improves key performance metrics.
It drives organic traffic, helping you turn potential readers into loyal customers.
It naturally attracts organic backlinks, supporting your link-building efforts.
Partnering with an SEO specialist is essential for publishing high-quality content. They can conduct in-depth keyword research to identify the best search terms to target.
Plus, an SEO strategist can develop a content plan that steadily builds your site's authority and helps your business rank higher in the SERPs.
Optimize Website
Curating content for a website is just one part of search engine optimization. You also need to optimize each page so that search engines can easily crawl and index your site.
A skilled SEO strategist understands the importance of proper optimization. They typically focus on the following four core areas:
On-Page SEO
This involves optimizing elements like title tags, meta descriptions, headings, URL structure, and more. On-page SEO enhances a website's visibility, improves user experience, and boosts search engine rankings. Tools like Google Search Console offer valuable insights into a site's performance, which is great for identifying and addressing key issues.
Off-Page SEO
These are strategies used to build authority, improve search rankings, and establish credibility. Off-page SEO efforts extend beyond backlinking and also include guest blogging, social media engagement, and influencer partnerships.
Technical SEO
Even Google needs a bit of help to fully understand a website and its content. That's where technical SEO comes in. It ensures that search engines can crawl and index your pages as efficiently as possible. In addition to that, it reveals issues that may be holding your site back, enabling you to take corrective action.
Technical SEO strategies encompass improving site speed, prioritizing mobile friendliness, optimizing site architecture, and enhancing indexability.
Local SEO
Most consumers in the United States (8 out of 10) search for local businesses online at least once a week. And about one in three do it every day, sometimes more than once. If your business is not showing up in the search results, you're missing out on potential traffic.
To help your website stand out in a crowded market, an SEO strategist may implement local search engine optimization strategies. Local SEO is a digital marketing approach that can boost your online visibility in local search results and make it easier for people in your area to find your business.
Here are some of the most common local SEO tasks an SEO strategist may carry out:
Set up and optimize a Google Business Profile
Manage and respond to online reviews
Build local citations across relevant directories to show up in local listings
Acquire local backlinks from reputable sources
Optimize existing content for local search results
Add NAP (Name, Address, Phone number) information to the website
Implement Local Business structured data on the site
What Are the Key SEO Strategist Skills?
The most important skills an SEO strategist should have include:
A solid understanding of how search engines work, along with technical knowledge of search engine optimization.
Strong analytical skills to interpret data, track site performance, and create impactful reports.
Proficiency in tools like Google Analytics, Semrush, and others to gain actionable insights.
Creativity to identify content gaps, enhance keyword strategies, and solve complex problems.
Adaptability is necessary since SEO is constantly evolving, and professionals must quickly adjust to changes.
Effective communication skills to coordinate with teams and clearly communicate strategies and results to clients.
Sukar Case Study: How an SEO Strategist Grew Organic Traffic by 158%!
Sukar, a US-based online candy seller, imports authentic Swedish candies from Sweden and delivers them all across the United States. The brand aimed to target a more health-conscious audience with a sweet tooth but struggled to gain online visibility due to heavy competition from established brands like BonBon, Sweetish Candy, and Sockerbit, among others.
In addition to driving traffic, Sukar also wanted to improve its marketing strategy. The online business reached out to Sapphire SEO Solutions for curating relevant content and focusing on off-page and on-page optimization.
The Strategy: Crafting a Tailored SEO Roadmap to Achieve Marketing Objectives
When Sukar partnered with Sapphire SEO Solutions, we began with a comprehensive audit of its website. By analyzing web page data and applying core SEO principles, we identified several key areas for improvement, including the following:
The site lacked an active blog, which adversely impacted the effectiveness of its content strategy and reduced opportunities to improve search visibility.
Existing pages were poorly optimized, with little focus on relevant keywords or niche keywords tied to their target audience.
The website had a low domain authority and wasn't ranking for key search terms, which negatively impacted its overall SEO results.
Our SEO Initiative: How We Executed the Plan
Understanding the challenges, our SEO strategists played a crucial role in developing innovative solutions tailored to Sukar's business goals. The strategy included detailed keyword research to identify niche keywords with strong intent and realistic competition. We then built out a content strategy to target those terms, increase impressions, and drive qualified traffic.
On-page elements, including title tags, meta descriptions, and internal linking, were updated to reflect targeted keyword rankings and improve content readability.
Throughout the process, we used SEO tools to track performance, monitor keyword rankings, and adjust the strategy as needed.
What We Didn’t Do (And Why): No Technical SEO at This Stage
Our team did not carry out any technical optimization efforts. While technical SEO is crucial for enhancing site health and resolving issues related to indexability and crawlability, it wasn't a priority for the client during the onboarding phase.
The Outcome: Real, Measurable SEO Wins
Sapphire SEO Solutions was tasked with aligning search intent with content creation while applying innovative, data-driven SEO best practices.
In the first month, we successfully tackled all of the major hurdles. Our team helped Sukar improve its search visibility, drive organic growth, and lay the groundwork for long-term SEO success.
After just one month of implementing SEO strategies and leveraging data analytics, Sapphire SEO Solutions set Sukar on the right path. Key achievements include:
Increased impressions by 136% over the last 28 days
Boosted organic traffic by 158%, reaching 697 visits in May 2025
Improved visibility by 4.08%
Resolved SEO-related issues, raising site health to 93%
Ranked a blog's "Swedish candy trend" keyword in the top 10
Achieved 129 keywords in the top 100 (8 in the top 10, 16 in the top 20, and 60 in the top 50)
Partner with a Skilled SEO Strategist and Rank Higher in Search Results Today!
Are you looking for a high-performing SEO strategy for your business? Partner with Sapphire SEO Solutions and start showing up in search results today. Fill out the short online contact form or call us at 216-600-8091 to reach out to an experienced and certified SEO specialist!