🔍 Phase 1: Keyword Research & Thematic Clustering

Started with a broad keyword dump of over 2,000 terms from Ahrefs.

Grouped terms into over 200 keyword clusters by:

Collection categories (e.g., spike lug nuts, mag lug nuts, open-end)

Vehicle compatibility (e.g., “OEM Chevy lug nuts,” “Chrysler lug nuts”)

Product attributes (color, material, thread size, finish)

Intent (commercial vs informational)

This helped build a structured content and URL strategy, ensuring each cluster had a clear destination page or a content opportunity.

📊 Phase 2: Current Performance Auditing

To avoid duplication and keyword cannibalization:

I audited each existing collection and product page to see which keywords it was already ranking for.

Used GSC + third-party tools to spot overlapping terms and underperforming URLs.

Identified quick wins by matching low-hanging high-intent queries to underutilized pages.

This phase was time-intensive, especially with hundreds of clusters — but critical to avoid redundant targeting and to preserve page authority.

🕵️‍♂️ Phase 3: Competitor Benchmarking

Analyzed 4–5 top-ranking competitors per product category.

Compared URL structures, content depth, keyword targeting, and page types (collection vs product).

Found gaps where competitors had dedicated landing pages for long-tail queries — which helped guide new collection or filter pages.

🧠 Phase 4: Lead Magnet Strategy (TOFU)

To build authority and capture top-of-funnel traffic:

Recommended launching an interactive “Wheel Bolt Pattern Reference Tool”.

Targeted keywords like:

"wheel bolt pattern chart" (1,100+ volume)

"ford/acura wheel bolt pattern"

Intent: Build backlinks, rank for informational queries, and soft-nurture users into commercial pages.

⚠️ Key Challenges

200+ keyword clusters required careful tagging, mapping, and validation — took significant manual effort.

Auditing existing rankings for each page was tedious but necessary to avoid conflicts and duplicate targeting.

Balancing keyword targeting between highly specific SKUs vs broader collection pages.

Time-intensive competitor analysis to ensure we weren't missing any niche queries already being monetized elsewhere.

📌 Outcome

The sprint resulted in:

A clear keyword-to-URL content map for collection and product pages

Identification of new content opportunities and missing collection pages

A strategic plan for content silos, lead magnets, and TOFU engagement

Based on the impact of the sprint, we successfully converted the client into a full-time retainer.