Case Study: How Persona-Focused SEO Drove 25k New Visitors Monthly for Preply

SEO Meta Description: Explore how Preply leveraged persona-focused SEO and data-driven tactics to attract 25k new visitors every month in this in-depth case study.

Introduction

In the competitive landscape of online language learning, Preply has emerged as a dominant force, capturing a significant share of the $15 billion market. One of the key drivers behind Preply’s success is its robust SEO strategy, which has been instrumental in maintaining a massive search presence. This case study delves into how persona-focused SEO and data-driven SEO tactics enabled Preply to attract an additional 25k new visitors each month, showcasing the power of targeted content strategies in boosting organic traffic.

The Challenges of Growth From a Huge Baseline

1. The Search For a New Audience

Preply had effectively captured high-intent bottom-of-the-funnel (BOFU) traffic with pages like “English course for adults” and “12 best online Italian courses in 2024,” converting visitors into paid users consistently. However, as the market for personalized language lessons became increasingly saturated, maintaining top rankings for these BOFU keywords became challenging. Preply needed to identify a broader audience higher up the funnel—individuals who might need to learn a new language due to specific life circumstances—and create brand awareness among this group to sustain and accelerate growth.

2. Plateaued Traffic Growth

Despite having over 1,000 search-optimized pages, Preply’s organic traffic plateaued in the first half of 2023, lingering around 870k keyword rankings. Regularly refreshing and optimizing such a vast content library was daunting. To break through the traffic ceiling, Preply required innovative data-driven SEO tactics beyond merely publishing a few new articles each month.

Data-Led Content Tactics

Surveys, Personas, and Revenue Metrics

In collaboration with Animalz, Preply embarked on a strategy to analyze internal data and conduct customer research. The objective was to identify new content opportunities and refresh existing high-performing articles, creating a comprehensive and sustainable SEO roadmap.

1. Analyze the Audience Profiles

Preply identified a specific top-of-the-funnel (TOFU) audience segment: individuals in life circumstances necessitating the rapid acquisition of a new language. Through surveys and workshops, the team developed four distinct target personas, detailing:

• Motivations for learning a new language
• Life plans involving language acquisition
• Preferred tutor rates
• Availability for learning sessions
• Appreciations and pain points regarding Preply’s platform

This detailed persona development was pivotal in tailoring content to address the precise needs and preferences of potential users.

2. Produce Persona-Focused SEO Content

Leveraging the insights from the audience analysis, Animalz identified over 100 topics aligned with each persona’s challenges and interests. This extensive content roadmap enabled Preply to fuel its data-driven SEO tactics for up to a year. Key strategies in content creation included:

• Addressing pain points specific to each persona
• Positioning language learning as a solution to their challenges
• Highlighting Preply’s features that resonate with readers
• Emphasizing price flexibility and learning pace control
• Incorporating clear CTAs to encourage trial signups

After six months of consistent publishing, these persona-focused articles collectively drove an additional 25k new visitors monthly, translating to 300k new visitors annually. Articles like “20 best countries to live in” ranked for over 800 keywords and averaged more than 7k new search visitors each month, demonstrating the effectiveness of targeted content.

3. Refresh Revenue-Generating Articles

Animalz also optimized Preply’s existing content by:

• Identifying underperforming but revenue-generating articles
• Enhancing content quality with additional relevant information
• Improving article structure for better readability
• Integrating secondary keywords for broader SEO coverage
• Embedding product mentions and visuals to drive conversions

These enhancements led to significant improvements in traffic and conversions, with some articles achieving a 178% increase in conversions within a month of updates.

4. Identify Revenue-Generating Topic Clusters

By analyzing traffic data, Animalz pinpointed 114 new topics across 15+ clusters with high conversion potential. This method involved:

1. Listing conversion-driving articles
2. Creating formulaic titles adaptable to various languages
3. Mapping out entire topic clusters for scalability

This approach ensured a steady flow of optimized content, poised to capture and convert a diverse audience base.

The Power of Audience Research

Preply’s success underscores the critical role of audience research in formulating effective SEO strategies. Understanding how the target audience thinks, their preferences, and their specific circumstances allowed Preply to create highly relevant and engaging content. This depth of insight facilitated the development of content that not only attracted visitors but also resonated with them, leading to higher engagement and conversion rates.

Results and Impact

Implementing data-driven SEO tactics and focusing on persona-specific content significantly boosted Preply’s organic traffic. The strategic refresh and expansion of content ensured sustained growth, allowing Preply to stay ahead in a competitive market. The community-focused approach also enhanced social media engagement, with persona-focused articles achieving 2X to 3X higher click-through rates compared to generic content.

Conclusion

Preply’s case study exemplifies the effectiveness of combining persona-focused strategies with data-driven SEO tactics to achieve remarkable growth in organic traffic. By deeply understanding and catering to the needs of distinct audience segments, Preply not only expanded its reach but also enhanced user engagement and conversions. This approach serves as a valuable blueprint for businesses aiming to optimize their SEO efforts and drive sustainable growth.

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