5 Overlooked SEO Strategies to Skyrocket Your Website Traffic in 2025
- Niv
- Jun 13
- 5 min read
Want to boost your website traffic without churning out endless blog posts? We’ve seen a real estate website nearly double its monthly sessions—from 245,518 to 468,862—in just six months, all without publishing a single new article. The secret? Five under-the-radar SEO strategies that work like magic in 2025. Whether you’re a café in Ponsonby, a plumber in Manukau, or a Māori-owned business in Auckland’s CBD, these steps can help you climb Google’s ranks and attract more local customers. Let’s dive into the exact gameplan you can start today!
1. Boost “Low-Hanging” Keywords Already Close to Page 1
Ever noticed some of your website pages are almost on Google’s first page? These are your “low-hanging” keywords—terms ranking in positions 11–20 (page 2). Instead of writing new content, tweak these pages to push them into the top 10, where the real traffic lives.
Why It Works
Small updates to existing content can yield big ranking jumps, saving you time while driving more clicks from Auckland searchers looking for services like yours.
How to Do It
Find Your Page 2 Keywords:
Sign up for Ahrefs ($99/month, or try a $7 trial) or use Google Search Console (free).
In Ahrefs, enter your site (e.g., www.bashmarketing.co.nz), go to “Organic Keywords,” and filter for positions 11–20.
In Search Console, check “Performance” > “Search Results” and sort by position for keywords ranked 11–20.
Focus on low-competition keywords (Keyword Difficulty < 25 in Ahrefs). Example: “Auckland videography services” or “SME marketing Auckland.”
Group Related Keywords:
Assign keywords to specific pages. For example, group “Auckland videography” and “NZ video marketing” to your videography service page.
Optimize Your Content:
Use Surfer SEO ($59/month) or the free Yoast SEO plugin for WordPress.
Update your page with:
Clear H2/H3 headers (e.g., “Why Auckland SMEs Love Our Videos”).
800–1,500 words answering customer questions.
A meta title (50–60 characters) and description (150–160 characters) with your keyword.
Example: Add a client testimonial about a North Shore café to your videography page.
Track Results:
Check rankings in Ahrefs or Search Console after 2–4 weeks. Did your page hit the top 10?
2. Build Smart Backlinks by Copying Competitors
Backlinks—links from other websites to yours—are like votes of confidence for Google. By mimicking the link-building style of top-ranking competitors, you can boost your site’s authority and rankings, especially for local searches in Auckland.
Why It Works
Copying what works for competitors (like other Auckland marketing agencies) ensures your backlinks look natural to Google, helping you rank for terms like “social media Auckland.”
How to Do It
Spot Your Competitors:
Search Google for “Auckland marketing agency” and note the top 5 sites (e.g., Harper Digital).
Or use Ahrefs to find competitors ranking for your target keywords.
Analyze Their Backlinks:
In Ahrefs, enter a competitor’s domain, go to “Backlinks,” and export their anchor text data (the clickable text in links).
Sort anchors into:
Targeted (e.g., “Auckland marketing”).
Branded (e.g., “Harper Digital”).
URL (e.g., “www.harperdigital.co.nz”).
Generic (e.g., “click here”).
Calculate the percentage of each (e.g., 40% targeted, 30% branded).
Build Matching Links:
Reach out to local platforms like No Cowboys or Auckland Business Chamber for listings or guest posts.
Example: Write a blog for a local site with an anchor like “Auckland SME marketing.”
Aim for 5–10 links in 3 months, matching the competitor’s anchor mix.
Monitor Progress:
Use Ahrefs or Search Console to track new links and ranking improvements.
3. Fix Redirect Chains to Speed Up Your Site
Redirect chains happen when a link on your site points to a redirected URL (e.g., Page A → Page B → Page C). These slow down your website, annoying users and hurting your Google rankings. Fixing them is a quick win for Auckland businesses competing online.
Why It Works
Faster websites rank higher and keep visitors engaged, whether they’re in Parnell or West Auckland.
How to Do It
Crawl Your Site:
Download Screaming Frog SEO Spider (free for up to 500 URLs, or $149/year).
Enter www.bashmarketing.co.nz and run the crawl.
Find Redirect Chains:
Go to “Response Codes,” filter for “301” redirects, and export URLs that redirect to another internal page.
Example: If /old-videography redirects to /services/videography, it’s a chain.
Update Links:
Log into your CMS (e.g., WordPress).
Use Screaming Frog’s “Inlinks” tab to find pages linking to the old URL.
Update them to point directly to the final URL (e.g., /services/videography).
Test Speed:
Run Google PageSpeed Insights before and after fixes.
Aim for a mobile score of 80+ to impress Google and local customers.
4. Add Breadcrumb Navigation for Easy Browsing
Breadcrumbs are clickable links showing where a user is on your site (e.g., Home > Services > Social Media). They make navigation a breeze for users and help Google understand your site’s structure, boosting your SEO.
Why It Works
Breadcrumbs improve user experience for Auckland SMEs browsing your services and can make your site stand out in search results with enhanced snippets.
How to Do It
Map Your Site’s Structure:
Plan your hierarchy. Example:
Home > Services > Videography
Home > Case Studies > Café Campaign
Add Breadcrumbs:
For WordPress, use Yoast SEO or Rank Math (both free) to enable breadcrumbs.
For custom sites, ask your developer to add breadcrumb HTML.
Add Schema Markup:
Use Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper to generate breadcrumb schema.
Add the code to your site and test with Google’s Rich Results Test.
Check Search Results:
After 1–2 weeks, search your site on Google to see if breadcrumbs appear in listings.
5. Clean Up Spammy Backlinks
Spammy links from low-quality sites (e.g., random blogs or directories) can hurt your rankings if Google thinks they’re from negative SEO attacks. Cleaning them up tells Google to ignore these links, keeping your site trustworthy.
Why It Works
A clean backlink profile builds Google’s trust, helping you rank for competitive Auckland keywords like “marketing for Māori businesses.”
How to Do It
Audit Your Backlinks:
In Ahrefs, go to “Backlinks” for your site and export all links.
Free alternative: Check Google Search Console > “Links” (less detailed).
Look for spammy links from:
Blogspot or free blog domains.
Web directories with no traffic (check in Ahrefs).
Comment spam with repeated anchors (e.g., “best marketing”).
Sites on the same IP (use Ahrefs’ “Referring IPs”).
Create a Disavow File:
List spammy domains or URLs in a text file (e.g., “domain:spammyblog.blogspot.com”).
Save as disavow.txt.
Submit to Google:
In Search Console, go to the Disavow Links tool and upload disavow.txt.
Monitor Rankings:
Check rankings in Search Console or Ahrefs after 4–6 weeks for improvements.
Why These Strategies Work for Auckland Businesses
At Bash Marketing, we know Auckland’s market is unique—hyper-local targeting, cultural relevance for Māori and Pasifika communities, and even out-of-home ads still pack a punch. These SEO strategies are perfect for SMEs like cafés in Ponsonby, tradies in Manukau, or wellness studios in Takapuna. They focus on quick wins (keywords, redirects), trust-building (backlinks, disavows), and user-friendly design (breadcrumbs). Start small with free tools like Google Search Console, and as you grow (like our plan to hit 3–5 clients monthly), invest in Ahrefs or Surfer for bigger results.
Ready to Grow Your Traffic?
Try these steps and watch your site climb Google’s ranks. Need help optimizing your Auckland business’s website? Book a free social media audit with Bash Marketing, and let’s get your SEO firing! Share your top SEO tip in the comments below—we’d love to hear from you!
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