When we were brought on board, we immediately found ourselves in the lion’s den. Our client’s finance website was facing a multitude of issues—from a Google manual penalty to technical hurdles and a lack of a focused content strategy. Despite these obstacles, our team collaborated closely with the client, and through persistent effort, we transformed a struggling site into a growing digital asset.
The Challenge
Our client, a well-established player in the finance space specializing in stocks, was facing three major issues:
1. Google Penalty
The website had a manual action from Google due to “unnatural outbound links.” After investigating, we discovered that someone on the team had been selling links, leading to about 15 problematic links that needed immediate removal. We documented each removal step and submitted a reconsideration request to Google. Although it took 5 months for Google to lift the penalty, this milestone was a crucial turning point.
2. Technical Problems:
A bloated website theme was causing slow speeds and AMP issues. Old AMP pages and redirect loops were wasting the crawl budget, and an outdated URL structure was duplicating content—affecting roughly 50,000 pages over the previous 3–4 years. To resolve this, we:
- Removed approximately 40% of unnecessary plugins.
- Moved the site to a faster server.
- Configured Cloudflare for efficient caching.
3. Content Issues:
Although the site had a long history of content, it was predominantly focused on timely news rather than SEO-friendly, evergreen material. We knew that to recover from the penalty, the content needed to be rethought. By analyzing competitor strategies and using tools like Ahrefs, we identified keywords and content gaps to target. This method allowed us to not only match but eventually surpass competitors by ranking for high-potential keywords.
Our Approach
Google Penalty Resolution
Our immediate focus was on regaining Google’s trust. By using tools such as Screaming Frog, Google Search Console, Ahrefs, and Semrush, we identified and removed all 15 unnatural outbound links. We then submitted a detailed reconsideration request and, after 5 months, received confirmation that the penalty had been lifted. This achievement laid the groundwork for our subsequent improvements.
Technical Overhaul
Next, we addressed the technical issues holding the site back:
- URL Structure Cleanup: We resolved the duplication issue by eliminating the outdated URL structure, which had created two versions for every post over several years (affecting about 50,000 pages).
- Theme and Plugin Optimization: We eliminated roughly 40% of the extraneous plugins that were causing performance issues.
- Server and Caching: We moved the website to a faster server and configured Cloudflare, leading to significant improvements in site speed and user experience.
Content Strategy Revamp
With the penalty resolved and technical issues under control, we turned our attention to content. Although the site had a rich archive of news-focused articles, we needed to shift to an SEO-focused, evergreen approach. Our strategy was twofold:
Competitive Gap Analysis:
We began by identifying content opportunities where weaker competitors were ranking. Using Ahrefs, we applied a specific filter to generate ideas:
- Position: 20+
- CPC: At least $0.10
- Word Count: 3+ words (with a preference for 4 or more, depending on the niche)
- Keyword Starters: Keywords beginning with how, what, when, why, or where
“Top Pages” Report:
In addition to the filter, we used Ahrefs’ “Top Pages” report to gain a bird’s-eye view of the pages that were generating the most traffic for our competitors. This report helped us identify new pages that the competition had recently launched—pages that often lacked extensive backlinks. This insight enabled us to create high-potential content that could quickly climb the rankings.
By combining these two strategies, we not only filled existing content gaps but also set the stage for sustained organic growth.
The Results
Our comprehensive strategy yielded impressive results:
- Traffic Growth: Organic traffic increased by approximately 210–215% from the time we resolved the penalty to our final review.
- Sustained Performance: Despite subsequent algorithm updates, the site’s performance has remained robust.
- Enhanced User Experience: Faster load times and a streamlined site have significantly improved user engagement.
This case study exemplifies how a thoughtful, data-driven approach—coupled with a commitment to resolving both technical and content issues—can transform a troubled website into a thriving digital asset in the competitive finance market.
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