Ecommerce SEO Case Study: From Low Traffic to Top Rankings in 2025

Running ads for your online shop isn’t cheap. CPCs are rising, targeting rules keep shifting, and attribution is a mess. But one thing still works, and works long-term: ecommerce SEO.

Organic traffic drives compounding growth. You build it once, then it keeps delivering. No ongoing ad budget, and no platform updates tanking your reach.

In fact, organic search drives 23.6% of all ecommerce orders and accounts for 53.3% of total website visits. If you’re not ranking, you’re missing out—period.

In this post, we’ll break down five real ecommerce SEO case studies to serve as inspiration. Each one shows how brands went from invisible to dominating page one using smart strategies, not guesswork.

Let’s get into it.

TL;DR:

Ecommerce SEO delivers long-term growth without relying on ad spend. It drives 23.6% of orders and over 50% of site traffic for ecommerce brands.

Ecommerce SEO differs from traditional SEO by focusing on product/category pages, transactional keywords, structured data, and dynamic architecture.

Technical SEO is foundational. Fixing crawl errors, mobile speed, duplicate content, and schema markup is the first step for success.

Content must match search intent. Product and category pages should target transactional queries, while blogs and FAQs serve informational intent.

Weak internal linking and unoptimized images often hold stores back. Clear hierarchies, related product modules, and responsive images can significantly improve crawlability and performance.

Effective SEO combines strategy and tools. Keyword mapping, Surfer SEO, AIOSEO, schema, and structured content all played key roles in case studies.

Backlinks matter—but only when relevant. Niche placements, PR campaigns, tools, and valuable resources performed better than generic link-building tactics.

Case studies highlight major wins:

• Hurom: +160% non-branded clicks, +847% shopping growth with content hubs and lifestyle backlinks.
• Outdoor brand: +3,403% keyword growth in 9 months via content optimization and internal linking.
• Fashion store: +100% traffic growth by fixing technical SEO and building relevant links.
• Flooring company: +448% traffic with local SEO, UX redesign, and regional landing pages.
• Adecco: +381% traffic in 4 months by consolidating domains and targeting featured snippets.
  

Core themes across all brands:

• Fix technical issues first.
• Align content with search intent.
• Prioritize non-branded keyword growth.
• Use smart internal linking.
• Acquire contextual backlinks.
• Implement local SEO when relevant.

Final takeaway: Ecommerce SEO scales profitably when built on fundamentals—technical health, content with intent, and authority through backlinks and internal strategy.

What Is Ecommerce SEO?

Shopify defines ecommerce SEO as:

“The process of making your online store more visible in search engine results when people look for products like yours…”

But that doesn’t mean tossing a few keywords into product descriptions. It’s about optimizing every layer of your site to rank for buyer-ready searches—and making it easy for search engines to understand and crawl your store.

This includes:

• Structuring your site clearly (Homepage → Category → Product).
• Targeting keywords with clear purchase intent.
• Creating content beyond just blog posts (think product descriptions, FAQs, collection pages).
• Optimizing for mobile-first indexing and fast page speed.
• Earning backlinks that signal authority.

Ecommerce SEO helps you show up when it matters: when shoppers are ready to buy.

Ecommerce SEO vs.Traditional SEO

Ecommerce SEO isn’t just SEO with product pages; it’s a different beast. According to AIOSEO, here’s how both types of SEO differ:

Running a blog? Traditional SEO might work. Running a store with hundreds of SKUs? You need ecommerce SEO built for scale and speed. It’s that simple.

Why Ecommerce SEO Matters: 7 Key Statistics

Brands can easily underestimate how much search traffic influences ecommerce performance. But the data speaks clearly: organic visibility has a direct impact on sales, ROI, and user behavior across the board.

Just check these facts:

1. Organic Visibility Is Worth Billions

In 2024, global ecommerce sales reached $4.12 trillion. If your store isn’t showing up for key searches, that’s revenue slipping through your fingers.

2. Google Is Where Shoppers Start

Before buying, 59% of consumers turn to Google to research products. If you're not showing up, someone else is getting the sale.

3. Organic Search Drives Nearly 1 in 4 Orders

We mentioned this above, but organic search brings in 23.6% of all ecommerce orders. No ads, no paid placements; just SEO doing the heavy lifting.

4. A Lot of Website Traffic Comes from Search

Almost half of all website visits (43%) to ecommerce stores come from organic traffic. SEO isn't optional; it’s your main traffic engine.

5. SEO ROI Leaves Ads in the Dust

With an average return of $22 for every $1 invested, SEO beats paid media in long-term value, without ongoing ad spend.

6. Organic Traffic Converts Better

Organic visitors aren’t just browsing. They convert at an average 2.8% rate, outperforming social, paid, and referral traffic by over 2X.

7. Mobile Optimization Is Non-Negotiable

According to AdLift, 60% of ecommerce searches happen on smartphones. If your site’s not fast and mobile-friendly, your ranking (and conversions) take a hit.

The Common Struggles of Ecommerce SEO

Ecommerce SEO has its own set of technical and structural issues, most of which are avoidable. But they continue to hurt rankings across thousands of online stores. 

Here’s where things typically break down, and what to do instead:

Duplicate Product Descriptions Kill Indexing

According to Yoast, most stores copy and paste supplier descriptions. That creates duplicate content; Google hates it, and your rankings will reflect that.

Here’s Google’s precise POV:

If a product’s out of stock, don’t delete the page. Add value: show alternatives, include brand context, or display estimated restock dates. Thin or recycled content is a missed SEO opportunity.

Your CMS Might Be Holding You Back

Not every platform gives you control over metadata, URLs, or structured data. 

This is a core issue, especially in Shopify and Magento (now Adobe Commerce) setups where SEO settings are limited or buried under apps. You have a great explanation below:

Besides, you can’t scale organic traffic if your CMS doesn’t let you fix crawlability or indexation issues. Platform flexibility should be part of your SEO audit.

Keyword Research That Ignores Intent

Shopify points out a key problem: ecommerce brands often skip intent. Targeting keywords with high volume but no purchase intent brings traffic that doesn’t convert.

Product pages should be built around transactional terms. Informational keywords? Save those for blog posts, FAQs, or buying guides. Matching keyword intent to page type is non-negotiable.

Let’s say your ecommerce store is selling fitness equipment. Here’s what the search intent would look like:

‍Content Isn’t Just About Blogs

Shopify’s guide also emphasizes that SEO content extends beyond blogging. That includes product descriptions, category landing pages, collection text, and embedded FAQs.

Skipping these content types means losing relevance for high-converting queries. 

50 blog posts are cool; but you also need some great landing pages targeting terms with buying intent.

Pro tip: The reverse of the medal is true as well. If you only have landing pages without any blog posts – you’re not answering customers’ search queries through relevant content. As a result, Google won’t rank your website well even if your landing pages are optimized to a T.

Weak Internal Linking = Lost Authority

Internal linking issues go hand in hand with poor structure. For example, many stores lack clear hierarchies or use shallow structures that confuse crawlers.

Fix it by following a clean format: Homepage → Category → Product. Add “related products” modules and link them between content clusters. That’s how you build authority across the site.

Images Are Slowing You Down

Neil Patel breaks it down: oversized files hurt page speed, which hurts SEO. But it’s not just about compression.

Here’s what to fix:

• Use tools like TinyPNG to shrink file size before uploading.
• Rename files descriptively (e.g., wireless-bluetooth-speaker.jpg).
• Add keyword-relevant alt text for accessibility and rankings.
• Create an image sitemap (especially if you’re loading via JavaScript).
• Implement srcset for responsive images.
• Use a CDN to serve assets faster across regions.

Unoptimized images aren’t just a UX problem; they’re an SEO bottleneck.

Core SEO Strategies That Drive Real Change

Ecommerce SEO isn’t about ticking boxes; it’s about applying high-impact changes that move rankings and revenue. 

These are the strategies that consistently drive results across the case studies and expert sources:

Fix the Technical Foundation First

Every SEO win starts with a crawlable, fast-loading, mobile-friendly site. Without this, content and backlinks won’t matter. Here’s a good example of a technical SEO issue (spoiler alert: it’s an add-to-cart button disguised as an A-tag):

Prioritize:

• Fast load times (especially on mobile).
• Logical site structure and clean URLs.
• Resolving crawl errors and duplicate URLs.
• Schema markup for products (Yoast recommends schema.org/Product).

Your CMS must allow you to address these. If it doesn't, you're wasting time.

Create Content That Serves Buyer Intent

Shopify nails this: SEO content isn’t just blog posts. Its product, collection, and FAQ pages are built around what buyers actually search for.

Use keyword mapping to align content types with search intent:

‍

This structure drives qualified traffic at every stage of the funnel.

High-volume keywords look good on paper, but without matching intent, they won’t convert. That’s why Surfer SEO and Shopify both emphasize keyword mapping by intent.

Break your strategy into clusters:

• Commercial pages = transactional keywords.
• Educational content = informational keywords.
• Category/brand pages = navigational or comparative queries.

Start with your revenue pages, then expand into supporting content.

Master the On-Page Fundamentals

Small changes to page elements can have big results. Based on strategies used in the case studies, focus on:

• Clear, keyword-rich meta titles.
• Clean URL structures.
• H1s that match page content.
• Schema markup (product, FAQ, breadcrumb).
• Internal links that guide both users and crawlers.

Build Links That Actually Drive Authority

The right backlinks don’t just boost rankings; they build long-term authority. 

But not all links are created equal. Random directories and link farms don’t move the needle. Context and usefulness do.

Here’s what consistently works:

• Guest posts or interviews on niche sites.
• Content worth referencing (original data, how-to guides, visuals).
• Product collaborations, press coverage, or PR campaigns.
• Tools and utilities that attract natural links; think calculators, size guides, or interactive apps

One standout example? IKEA Place. It’s a free AR app that lets users preview furniture in their space before buying. 

Because it’s genuinely useful, it’s been featured across tech blogs, news sites, and industry roundups, earning high-quality backlinks (a lot of them without outreach).

In fact, the app has been launched years ago, and it’s still acquiring backlinks and organic traffic:

That’s the key: build something people actually want to share, and the authority follows naturally.

Now, let’s see how brands are applying these tactics:

Ecommerce SEO Case Studies: 5 Real Transformations

These aren’t hypotheticals or SEO “hacks.” These are real brands that moved from low visibility to consistent, compounding traffic by applying the strategies we just covered. 

Each example below breaks down exactly what they did, what worked, and what you can take from it:

Ecommerce SEO Case Study #1: Hurom by Blue Things

From +160% Non-Branded Clicks to 847% Shopping Growth.

This project shows how content strategy, tactical link-building, and technical SEO can push even a well-known brand to the next level. 

Like so:

Here’s how Blue Things helped Hurom break through heavy competition and capture valuable non-branded traffic, while expanding into new markets.

About the Brand

Hurom is a global leader in premium slow juicers, with a strong presence in health-conscious markets like the US and Canada. Their Shopify store already had strong branding, but branding alone doesn’t drive organic growth.

Initial SEO Challenges

Before working with Blue Things, Hurom faced three major blocks:

• Highly competitive space with established DTC players.
• Low visibility for non-branded keywords, making customer acquisition costly.
• Weak organic reach in Canada, where they were looking to grow aggressively.

SEO Strategy Breakdown

The SEO team at Blue Things rebuilt the website’s entire strategy. Their approach focused on:

• Creating content hubs around juicing-related topics.
• Using internal linking to push authority to key product and category pages.
• Launching a backlink campaign with health/lifestyle publications.
• Expanding keyword targeting beyond brand terms to reach new audiences.

Key Results

The results were fast and measurable across key ecommerce KPIs:

• 160% increase in non-branded clicks (April to June 2024).
• 88% year-over-year growth in organic sessions.
• 847% spike in organic shopping traffic.
• 1,300+ keywords landed in featured snippets.
• 262% more blog clicks, with 114% more impressions from Q1 to Q2

Tools and Tactics Used

To achieve this, the team leaned on:

• Full-site SEO audits to flag technical issues.
• High-quality educational content around health and juicing.
• Link acquisition from authoritative niche sites.
• Keyword research tools to identify commercial, non-branded opportunities.

Lessons and Takeaways

Hurom’s success shows how an ecommerce brand can dominate its niche without relying on branded search alone. A few key lessons stand out:

• Non-branded traffic is the real growth lever. Ranking for your brand name isn’t enough. Hurom’s biggest gains came from targeting broader terms related to juicing, which pulled in new customers already in buying mode.
• Content needs structure, not volume. They didn’t flood the site with blog posts. Instead, they built content clusters that supported product discovery and internal linking, maximizing SEO value.
• Backlinks work when they come from the right sources. Health and lifestyle publishers aligned with Hurom’s audience added real authority, not just link juice.
  
  

Ecommerce SEO Case Study #2: Outdoor Equipment Brand by Peter Rota

3,403% More Keyword Rankings in 9 Months.

This case highlights how smart content execution can completely shift a store’s visibility. 

Using Surfer SEO, Peter Rota took a niche ecommerce site and turned it into a traffic-generating machine, without changing its product offering.

About the Brand

This brand sells outdoor gear in a highly specialized ecommerce niche. Their product quality was solid, but their site wasn’t showing up for the searches that mattered.

Initial SEO Challenges

Surfer’s audit revealed several gaps hurting performance:

• Minimal keyword rankings making it hard to drive consistent traffic.
• Content was thin and unoptimized, with no clear SEO structure.
• No cohesive strategy, so even strong products remained invisible.

SEO Strategy Breakdown

Using Surfer SEO’s own tools, Rota’s team rebuilt the content framework:

• Ran a complete audit to surface content gaps.
• Rewrote underperforming pages to match keyword intent.
• Added new pages targeting high-opportunity search terms.
• Built internal links to pass authority between pages and improve crawlability.

Key Results

The payoff came within months:

• 3,403% increase in keyword rankings over 9 months.
• A massive boost in organic traffic that directly impacted sales.
• Higher ranking positions across both commercial and mid-funnel keywords.

Tools and Tactics Used

They kept it lean and focused:

• Surfer SEO for on-page recommendations and content scoring.
• Keyword tools to uncover relevant product-related queries.
• Internal linking strategy to support site hierarchy and user paths.

Lessons and Takeaways

Even a niche brand with low initial visibility can scale traffic with the right SEO playbook. Here’s what stood out:

• Optimized content beats more content. The site didn’t need hundreds of new pages. It needed existing content to align with search intent, and Surfer’s tools made that possible.
• A clean internal structure lifts everything. Linking pages together based on topical relevance helped distribute authority and guide crawlers more effectively.
• Growth takes months, not weeks. Results came after consistent work across 9 months, not a one-time push. That’s what made the growth sustainable.

Ecommerce SEO Case Study #3: Fashion Store by The HOTH

100% More Organic Traffic and Sales Growth

This case shows how technical SEO and backlink strategy can revive a struggling ecommerce brand in one of the most competitive verticals: fashion. The HOTH stepped in to help this marketplace turn visibility into revenue.

About the Brand

The client was an online fashion store curating shoes and apparel from independent vendors. Despite high-quality products and a well-designed site, they weren’t getting traffic or traction.

Initial SEO Challenges

The store had potential, but several core issues were holding it back:

• Low organic traffic, even with strong branding and design.
• Highly saturated fashion market, with major players dominating SERPs.
• Limited SEO knowledge internally, leading to missed opportunities.

SEO Strategy Breakdown

The HOTH built a complete SEO plan from the ground up:

• Ran a detailed audit to identify technical weaknesses.
• Conducted deep keyword research focused on buyer-intent terms.
• Created targeted blog and product content to improve relevance.
• Built high-quality backlinks from fashion and lifestyle websites.

Key Results

The turnaround was clear and fast:

• 100% increase in organic traffic over six months.
• Multiple page-one keyword rankings, including for high-value product terms.
• Traffic gains directly contributed to higher sales and revenue.

Tools and Tactics Used

The campaign leaned heavily on:

• HOTH X Managed SEO program.
• On-page optimization of metadata, headings, and alt tags.
• Content marketing (blogs + optimized product copy).
• Backlink acquisition from relevant, reputable domains.

Lessons and Takeaways

In ecommerce niches like fashion, visibility is everything. This case shows how execution, not just branding, drives growth:

• Technical fixes lay the groundwork. Meta tags, structured headings, and clean URLs helped search engines understand the site’s hierarchy and intent.
• Backlinks work when they're contextual. Links from fashion-relevant sites carried more weight than generic placements. Authority came from relevance.
• Consistent publishing wins over time. The blog wasn’t filler; it supported key categories and created long-tail traffic that converted.
  

Ecommerce SEO Case Study #4: Flooring Brand by On The Map

448% Traffic Growth and Local Lead Surge

Here’s what happens when local SEO and ecommerce strategy come together. On The Map helped a flooring company with both online sales and physical locations scale traffic and customer engagement in under six months.

About the Brand

The business sells flooring products online while also serving customers through brick-and-mortar showrooms. Their site had solid offerings, but a weak online presence.

Initial SEO Challenges

Several visibility and UX issues were limiting performance:

• Outdated website, with poor mobile usability and visual structure.
• Minimal organic traffic, despite a solid product catalog.
• Lack of local visibility, making it harder to compete with nearby retailers.

SEO Strategy Breakdown

On The Map took a hybrid approach tailored to ecommerce and local search:

• Redesigned the website for speed, mobile performance, and modern UX.
• Optimized Google Business Profiles and built citations for local SEO.
• Developed blog and landing page content tied to product use and maintenance.
• Built links from both local and industry-relevant websites.

Key Results

Improvements hit across multiple performance indicators:

• +448% growth in organic traffic in six months.
• Stronger rankings in local search, leading to more inquiries and showroom visits.
• Better engagement metrics, including longer time on site and lower bounce rates.

Tools and Tactics Used

Execution included:

• Google Analytics for performance monitoring.
• Google My Business optimization.
• Local citation building.
• On-site content development (flooring tips, product guides, location-specific pages).

Lessons and Takeaways

This hybrid ecommerce-local case shows that SEO isn’t one-size-fits-all. Success came from adapting strategies to match the business model:

• Local SEO isn’t just for small businesses. Even national or multi-location brands benefit from map pack visibility and regional targeting.
• UX matters for both SEO and sales. A modern, responsive site helped keep visitors engaged and built trust, essential in high-ticket product niches.
• Content needs to reflect the buyer context. Flooring customers want installation tips, maintenance info, and visual examples—content that directly supports conversions.

Ecommerce SEO Case Study #5: Adecco using AIOSEO

381% Organic Traffic Growth in 4 Months

This large-scale project proves that even enterprise brands need to clean up their SEO fundamentals. Adecco used AIOSEO to consolidate authority, improve local search presence, and capture massive organic growth.

About the Brand

Adecco is a global staffing and workforce solutions provider, with 300+ branches worldwide. Their digital presence, however, was fragmented and inconsistent across regions.

Initial SEO Challenges

Their scale created issues typical of large organizations:

• Multiple country-specific domains, diluting authority and complicating management.
• Underoptimized content, with limited targeting of featured snippets or “People Also Ask” queries.
• Weak local search visibility, despite having hundreds of physical offices.

SEO Strategy Breakdown

Adecco used AIOSEO to execute a multi-phase plan that cleaned and consolidated. Here’s what they did:

• Merged country-specific domains into a unified global site (adecco.com) using 301 redirects.
• Created content designed to rank in featured snippets and answer user queries.
• Optimized local SEO via improved Google Business Profiles and geo-targeted landing pages.

Key Results

Traffic and visibility saw dramatic improvements:

• 381% increase in organic traffic (June–September 2024).
• Significant keyword ranking gains after consolidation.
• Better visibility in local packs, driving regional engagement.

Tools and Tactics Used

The brand used AISEO for SEO insights and optimizations. Execution at scale included:

• Structured content for snippet targeting.
• Technical setup for domain migration (301s, canonicalization).
• Local SEO enhancements for hundreds of office locations.

Lessons and Takeaways

Even massive brands can benefit from SEO fundamentals when executed at scale:

• Domain consolidation builds authority fast. Instead of diluting SEO power across country sites, merging created one strong signal for Google and users.
• Content structured for SERPs outperforms generic copy. Targeting "People Also Ask" queries and snippets brought tens of thousands of monthly visits from a single article.
• Local SEO drives trust and leads, even for enterprises. Adecco didn’t just rank globally. They appeared where it mattered most: locally, where users actually convert.

Key Takeaways Across All Case Studies

Five different brands. Five different industries. But they all grew traffic in the same way: by getting the basics right and executing with intent. Here’s what actually moved rankings and revenue:

• Technical SEO was the starting point. Every brand fixed crawl issues, site speed, and mobile usability first. Even Adecco saw a 381% traffic boost after consolidating domains and cleaning up the structure.
• Content matched intent, not just volume. Brands like Hurom focused on product pages, blog posts, and FAQ designed to answer buyer questions and support conversions.
• Non-branded keywords drove scalable growth. Ranking for your name is easy. Ranking for what buyers search for before they know you? That’s where Hurom, the outdoor equipment brand, and the fashion store made their biggest gains.
• Internal linking amplified site-wide visibility. Whether through topic clusters or restructured navigation, all five brands built smart linking systems to pass authority and improve crawlability.
• Contextual backlinks mattered more than volume. Hurom’s links from health publishers and The HOTH’s fashion-focused placements outperformed generic outreach.
• Local SEO fueled regional results. On The Map and Adecco both used geo-targeted content and strong GMB profiles to drive traffic with high purchase intent.

Apply These SEO Strategies to Your Ecommerce Site

You don’t need to be a global brand to make these strategies work. Start small, focus on impact, and build from there.

• Run a technical audit, and act on it. Use tools like Ahrefs or Screaming Frog to flag crawl errors, slow load times, duplicate URLs, or missing schema. As Yoast notes, leaving these unchecked limits everything else.
• Choose a CMS that won’t block your SEO. Platforms like Shopify or the former Magento can limit metadata editing and control over URL structure. Make sure your stack gives you room to grow, or expect to hit walls later.
• Align keywords with user intent. Volume without intent is a waste. Use an SEO tool to group keywords by stage in the funnel, then match each to the right page type. Not sure which SEO tool to use? We’ve compared SEMrush, Ahrefs, and Ubersuggest to help you get started.
• Prioritize content that actually sells. Instead of cranking out blogs, build out product and collection pages with real descriptions, internal FAQs, and buyer’s guides. That’s what worked for Hurom.
• Get backlinks that make sense. A random link from a general blog won’t do much. Pitch niche publications, build useful tools, or partner with sites that share your audience. And don’t forget your internal links; they’re just as powerful and fully in your control.

Turn SEO Into Sustainable Growth with Blue Things

The case studies above prove that real SEO results come from fundamentals done right: technical cleanup, intentional content, and authority built over time. Whether you’re a niche store or a global brand, those same tactics can drive lasting growth.

At Blue Things, our team works with ecommerce brands to turn SEO into a growth engine that doesn’t rely on paid traffic. Because when done right, SEO keeps working, while your ad budget sleeps.

Want to achieve what Hurom did? Let’s set a free strategy call and see how we can help. 

FAQ: Ecommerce SEO Questions Answered

Still figuring out how this applies to your store? Here are answers to some of the most common questions we hear from ecommerce brands trying to grow with SEO:

What makes ecommerce SEO different from other types of SEO?

Ecommerce SEO deals with massive URL structures, transactional keywords, and product-driven architecture. You’re optimizing category pages, handling duplicate content from variants, and constantly adapting to stock changes. That’s a different game than blogging or lead gen. AIOSEO explains the differences here.

How long does it take to see results from ecommerce SEO?

If you’re doing it right (technical fixes, content strategy, internal linking), you can see results from SEO in 3 to 6 months. Hurom hit over 1,300 featured snippets in five months. Adecco grew organic traffic by 381% in under four. We’ve also had clients who’ve seen good results from local SEO in under a month.

Do ecommerce businesses need backlinks to succeed in SEO?

Yes, and not just any backlinks. You need contextually relevant links from sites your audience trusts. That’s what pushed Hurom ahead in the health space, and how The HOTH helped a fashion brand break into competitive SERPs.

Is SEO still worth it if I’m already running ads?

Definitely. Ads stop when the budget does. SEO compounds over time. Shopify points out that organic visibility gives brands long-term traffic that doesn’t rely on media spend.

Which ecommerce platform is best for SEO?

The best platform is the one that gives you control. Many CMSs limit SEO access, like rigid URL structures or a lack of metadata editing. If your platform boxes you in, your rankings will hit a wall.

Is SEO profitable for ecommerce brands?

Yes, SEO is very profitable for ecommerce brands as well as other companies. According to Exploding Topics, every $1 invested in SEO returns $22 on average. That’s why all five brands in this article leaned on SEO to scale, because paid traffic alone isn’t sustainable.