BACKGROUND
This project was for a client in the HR software space. The goal was to allocate a finite content resource across optimization work, new content production, and technical SEO tasks in a way that maximized organic traffic gains over a single quarter.
I built the plan around an explicit optimization-first principle: with 22 posts already ranking at positions 6 to 20 for commercially valuable keywords, the expected return per hour on optimizing those posts was higher than producing new content targeting different keywords from scratch. The 12-week execution plan allocated 55% of resource to optimization, 30% to four new pieces targeting keyword clusters with no current ranking, and 15% to technical SEO and planning, with every item not included in the quarter explicitly documented with the reason for deferral.
The result was a quarter plan with named owners, hour estimates, expected ranking outcomes per post, and a mid-quarter GSC review built into Week 6 to catch any posts moving in the wrong direction before the second half of the plan was locked.
