How We Helped Joy Wallet Double Its Organic Traffic
About the Site
Joy Wallet is an online platform focused on improving financial literacy by offering articles, guides, reviews, and tools on personal and business finance topics like investing, loans, and budgeting.
Overall, Joy Wallet serves as a comprehensive resource for individuals seeking to improve their financial literacy and make informed financial choices.
The Problem
The site covers financially related and sensitive topics categorized under “Your Money, Your Life” (YMYL), which places a significant emphasis on Google’s E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness) criteria for ranking. However, the site has struggled to meet these standards, particularly due to the lack of recognized financial experts contributing content to demonstrate credible experience and expertise.
This shortfall, combined with several algorithm updates from Google, has led to a gradual decline in the site’s traffic. Additionally, an SEO audit revealed multiple issues affecting its performance:
- Keyword Cannibalization: Numerous articles covering highly similar topics have caused internal competition, diluting the site’s search rankings.
- Low-Value Content: Paginated category pages have been indexed, offering little value to users and negatively impacting SEO.
- On-Page Optimization Issues: Matching or repetitive H1 and H2 headings reduce content clarity and search relevance.
- Generic Visuals: Heavy reliance on stock images instead of custom graphics detracts from the site’s unique appeal and user engagement.
- Expired Domains: Numerous expired domains redirected to the root domain may dilute the site’s overall authority and trustworthiness.
Below you can see the traffic trend until July 2024 (screenshot taken from Google Search Console).
How We Approached It
To address the lack of E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness), we engaged financial experts and conducted interviews to create authoritative content.
These experts, specializing in areas such as personal finance, debt management, side hustles, and medical insurance, provided valuable insights.
The interviews were transcribed and published on the site, offering readers unique perspectives and experiences.
This approach not only added originality to the site’s content but also aligned with Google’s evolving policies that favor high-quality, user-focused content over overly SEO-driven material.
To further enhance the site’s performance, we performed a comprehensive content audit to identify and resolve issues related to redundant content. In some cases, there were as many as five articles covering the same topic, causing keyword cannibalization. These articles were consolidated into a single, comprehensive piece, with 301 redirects implemented to the primary article, ensuring both user experience and SEO equity were preserved.
We also addressed critical on-page issues:
- Internal Linking: Improved internal linking structures and connected orphan pages identified using Ahrefs Site Audit.
- Heading Optimization: Updated headings to ensure uniqueness and prevent repetition, improving content clarity.
- Pagination Management: No-indexed paginated pages to reduce low-value content in Google’s index.
Before initiating these improvements, we conducted a detailed site audit using tools like Ahrefs and Screaming Frog. This audit was instrumental in creating a strategic roadmap and identifying underlying technical issues that needed resolution.
Additionally, we provided insights and guidance on optimizing the site for Google Discover, enhancing its visibility and engagement on this platform. These measures collectively aimed to improve the site’s authority, content quality, and compliance with Google’s best practices.
Other Improvements We Did
We made several other strategic enhancements to further improve the site’s performance and authority:
Content Development:
- Keyword Research & Trend Analysis: Before writing new content, we conducted extensive keyword research and analyzed current trends to identify the most relevant and popular topics. Based on these insights, we created a well-structured content plan tailored to our target audience’s interests and needs.
- High-Quality Content Creation: All new content was written by experienced writers specializing in the financial niche, ensuring accuracy, relevance, and depth. Each article underwent thorough fact-checking and editorial review to maintain high standards of quality and credibility.
| Keyword | KD | Search Volume |
|---|---|---|
| how to get paid for amazon reviews | 6 | 3500 |
| weird ways to make money | 18 | 400 |
| how to make money on maternity leave | 1 | 350 |
| how to save up for a car | 8 | 1100 |
| how to save money on water bill | 4 | 100 |
| swing trading vs day trading | 12 | 700 |
| emotional discipline in successful trading | 16 | 70 |
| how long does a debt consolidation stay on your credit report | 15 | 150 |
| debt relief programs pros and cons | 17 | 700 |
| does debt consolidation affect buying a home | 5 | 900 |
| credit card refinancing vs debt consolidation | 3 | 600 |
| can you consolidate debt into a first time mortgage | 23 | 450 |
| how much does debt settlement cost | 5 | 400 |
| how to write a business plan for a loan | 12 | 450 |
| how hard is it to get a business loan | 12 | 1100 |
| how to pick stocks | 28 | 900 |
| types of surveys | 25 | 1200 |
| budgeting for young adults | 8 | 150 |
| how long does a personal loan take to get approved | 24 | 600 |
| heloc vs personal loan | 10 | 800 |
| can you use a personal loan to buy a car | 7 | 600 |
| stores that buy used furniture for cash | 13 | 3100 |
| best way to invest 20k | 11 | 700 |
| weird (random) things people sell and actually make money on | 0 | 80 |
| ways to make passive income using chat gtp | 0 | 600 |
| why can’t i save money | 10 | 250 |
| how to save money from salary | 0 | 700 |
| how to save money on black friday | 0 | 150 |
| pros and cons of robo advisors | 0 | 100 |
| how AI is changing the way we invest | 0 | 50 |
| buying a house checklist | 15 | 15 |
| how to save money on furniture (for a new home) | 0 | 100 |
| annual financial planning checklist | 0 | 150 |
To strengthen the site’s backlink profile, we diversified our approach with two effective methods:
- Editorial Backlinks: Leveraged platforms like HARO (Help a Reporter Out) and Featured.com to gain high-authority editorial links.
- Guest Posting: Built valuable backlinks through guest posts on reputable websites within the financial niche, further enhancing the site’s authority and trustworthiness.
Below are some of the backlinks that we’ve built to the site:
DR 91:
DR 91:
DR 91:
DR 82:
DR 77:
Results
Starting in August 2024, the site began showing signs of recovery, as reflected in increased traffic and improved rankings in Google Search Console (see screenshot below). This indicates that the combination of quality content, SEO improvements, and strategic link building is yielding positive outcomes.
These efforts, combined with our previous initiatives, have positioned the site on a stronger trajectory for long-term success.
To expand the site’s traffic sources, we implemented a focused Pinterest strategy. Recognizing Pinterest as a valuable platform for financially related topics, we consistently designed and published 30 high-quality pins each month to the site’s Pinterest account. This approach helped us tap into a visually driven audience interested in financial tips and resources.
Key Highlights:
- Platform Relevance: Pinterest is highly effective for engaging users who seek actionable advice and solutions, making it an ideal channel for financial topics such as budgeting, saving, and debt management.
- Creative Design: Each pin was uniquely designed to be visually appealing and informative, with attention-grabbing titles and images tailored to Pinterest’s audience.
Examples of Published Pins:
