The Tactics Used By Webflow to Generate 600,000 Monthly Organic Visitors

In this case study, we talk about how the platform Webflow has been able to grow its organic search traffic to over 600,000 monthly organic visitors.

You'll learn:

Let's dive in.

How Templates Power Organic Growth for Webflow

The keyword 'template' is a powerful one for any business.

Why?

Because it is a phrase for which people are looking to build or do something for themselves.

And if you are a tool, business or platform that helps a customer to achieve that, then templates are a great way to grow traffic.

Think about it this way.

If you search for a blog post template, chances are you need to write a blog post.

It's the same for websites. 

And Webflow targets the audience of people looking to create their own websites with precision.

They have over 2,000 pages on their site that target the keyword 'templates' in one form or another.

From gym website templates to marketing website templates, they have a template for almost every type of business you can think of.

And this is a super clever SEO decision because it focuses on what the ideal customer is likely to search for.

And it's working.

In fact, Webflow has been able to secure a top ranking for the keyword ‘free website templates'. A page that generates over $86,000 worth of organic traffic each month.

That's a web page worth over $1 million in estimated PPC spend each year...wow.

Of course, templates aren't the only fuel for their growth; examples are another key driver.

Website Examples That Fuel Creative Drive and Search Traffic

Another genius move used by the team at Webflow is to use examples.

And yet again, the simplicity of this approach is clear.

People looking at website templates are almost certainly going to look at examples they can gain creative inspiration from.

Webflow has over 455 pages that show everything from examples of websites in different industries to sites created using CSS grid.

These pages drive a whopping 30,000 visitors to their site.

The Three Words That Are Driving Thousands of Backlinks

As we saw with their SEO scores via Ahrefs, they look to be a powerful site.

So, how are they growing their SEO presence?

Clearly, the very nature of a SaaS platform that is well marketed will end up gaining backlinks over time. But there are three words (and variations of the three) that have been particularly powerful for backlink acquisition so far.

Those words are 'Powered by Webflow' and 'Made by Webflow'.

These words which are added to the base of sites serve as a great way to grow the brand, and a logical one as well.

When you land on a good site, people do look for the 'powered by' or 'made by' statement at the base of a site. Indeed, web designers have built entire agencies from footer links.

And Webflow has literally thousands of sites that use one of these phrases to show they are part of a larger ecosystem.

This is an extremely powerful way to grow your brand and be seen as more than just another tool in the market. But it also enables you to capture some nice backlinks.

A Word of Warning: footer links and widget links have often been seen as spammy backlinks and against Google's T&C's

But as we know, websites powered by WordPress, as well as Themes and many other agencies, have been leaving footer links. This is because they are branded footer links. And Google doesn't seem to have too much of an issue with these, based on what I have observed.

And why should it?

After all, an artist leaves their signature on a painting, why shouldn't a SaaS tool or web agency do the same?

How You Could Use the Same Tactics as Webflow for your Clients or Business

Templates and examples are always going to be big winners in gaining organic traffic.

So you need to look at your site or service to see what templates you could offer, or ideas and examples for your customers.

For example, if you sell garden products, could you offer examples of small, large, medium and gardens of all shapes and sizes?

Could you create a landscaping template, or even go one step further and create an app that does this for each customer?

Perhaps you are a careers advisor, a CV template might be a great idea.

Of course, the naysayers out there will be thinking "but those search terms are too competitive for most sites.” And yes, they’re probably right, but you don't have to rank for every keyword you write content for.

If you run a careers coaching or advice service, it makes sense to have CV templates for all kinds of careers. Sure, you might not rank for many of them, that's not the point. You are creating a valuable website for users, ensuring Google understands the context of your site and giving something that users will spend time on.

All of which is great for SEO.

The best way to come up with ideas is to answer a simple question.

Personally speaking, I wouldn't even look at the traffic figures for this, I'd just go ahead and create them.

But could someone do them for you?

The Emerging Market for SEO Agencies and Freelancers to Jump On

There is an abundance of WordPress specialists and SEO agencies that only deal with WordPress and freelancers.

And Webflow presents another dynamic that freelancers and agencies can pivot into.

Webflow SEO agency, Webflow designer and many other variations present a unique and growing angle for freelancers to explore and become skilled at.

But that's not the only option.

Can you become a freelancer that specialises in example posts or templates for businesses?

Of course, it's easier said than done.

But these examples and templates are in high demand and if you can become an expert at them, the opportunities for freelancing will be abundant.

Final Thoughts

Webflow isn't going anywhere and people do seem to love it.

With a growing range of tools, perhaps you should consider using Webflow, or at least trying it out.

But I think you can see the power of using templates and examples in your business. Of course, it depends on your business model.

That's all for his Growth Through Content case study.

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