In 2018, Weka USA relied heavily on live events to drive marketing success, participating in more than 50 trade shows annually. While these events generated leads, the associated costs were substantial. Recognizing the need to diversify their lead generation strategy, Weka’s Marketing Director, Jessica Woodside, spearheaded efforts to reduce costs and optimize results.
At the time, Weka’s content creation and SEO strategy lacked sophistication. The company’s efforts were focused on a pre-selected list of short-tail search terms dictated by its corporate office in Germany. These terms were chosen solely based on monthly search volume, with little consideration for search intent. As a result, Weka’s sporadic blog content often failed to resonate with target audiences, leading to high bounce rates.
“We weren’t considering search intent at all,” Woodside noted. “We were publishing blog posts inconsistently and planning content calendars in a very rigid way.”
Website visitors frequently left the site disappointed, as the content failed to align with their needs.
“The bounce rate was also incredibly high,” explained Laura Lee of EVG Media, a partner agency working with Weka. “We had clicks coming to the website, but very few were from the right audience.”
A Strategic Shift In Content & SEO
To address these challenges, Woodside and Lee revamped Weka’s approach. They collaborated with internal product managers and market specialists to identify trending, industry-relevant search terms, particularly in sectors such as power generation and oil and gas.
This pivot led to a focus on long-tail, hyper-relevant keywords, prioritizing search intent over sheer volume.
“These were terms that wouldn’t have been approved by our corporate office because of their lower monthly search volumes,” Woodside explained. “But the intent behind them was incredibly high.”
Collaboration With Subject Matter Experts
The team aligned its content planning with insights from Weka’s subject matter experts (SMEs). Instead of adhering to rigid keyword lists, they held regular discussions with SMEs to explore potential case studies, industry trends and common customer questions.
This collaborative approach allowed Weka to produce content that directly addressed audience pain points while supporting their SEO strategy. The content evolved to include not only product-focused articles but also thought leadership and industry trends. For instance, a blog series on hydrogen mobility highlighted Weka’s expertise beyond its product offerings.
SEO Enhancements: Featured Snippets & Internal Linking
The content overhaul was complemented by targeted SEO projects. One key initiative focused on claiming featured snippets. The team identified snippets competitors were ranking for and optimized Weka’s content to take over those positions. These efforts doubled Weka’s featured snippet count in the first year and again in the second.
The team also prioritized internal linking, creating a keyword map to ensure consistent links to priority pages. This strategy strengthened the site’s authority and funneled users toward key content.
Ongoing Content Audits & Optimization
Weka and EVG Media implemented an annual content audit process, segmenting content by industry to assess relevance and performance. They collaborated with SMEs to update outdated pieces and identified quick wins for improving rankings.
Initially, the team focused on boosting content ranked on the lower end of page one. Over time, their efforts expanded to pages ranked further back, leveraging Weka’s growing domain authority to push these pages higher in search results.
Tangible Results
From 2018 to 2023, Weka’s revamped content and SEO strategy yielded significant results:
- Blog page views increased by 148%;
- Featured snippet rankings grew by 366%;
- Website leads rose by 180%; and
- Bounce rates dropped significantly, with engagement rates reaching 66% in 2023 compared to bounce rates of 70-75% in 2018.
“We’ve come a long way,” Woodside reflected. “Our bounce rate issues are behind us, and our engagement metrics are now much stronger.”
A Blueprint For Ongoing Success
By aligning content with search intent, collaborating with SMEs and continually optimizing its assets, Weka transformed its website into a powerful lead generation engine. As the Weka team continues to adapt to the dynamic digital landscape, their strategy remains focused on driving meaningful engagement and sustainable growth.
