“How do I do SEO for my own SEO agency?” — It’s the ultimate credibility test. If you can’t rank your own site, why would a client trust you with theirs? We treated studiohawk.com.au as our most important client — and the results speak for themselves.
We won the APAC Search Awards 2026 — Best Use of Data in SEO for this campaign.
The Results
| Metric | Before | After | Change |
| Organic sessions (quarterly) | 6,916 | 8,920 | +29% |
| Top-10 keyword rankings | 682 | 1,949 | +186% |
| Top-3 keyword rankings | 244 | 710 | +191% |
| Inbound MQLs (quarterly) | 54 | 112 | +107% |
| SEO-specific MQLs | 21 | 73 | +248% |
| Monthly MRR from inbound | $22K | $51K | +132% |
| SEO-attributed revenue | — | $865K | 5.8x ROI |
| SERP feature visibility | 30 | 447 | +1,390% |
The Challenge
Our WordPress site was showing its age by early 2024. Plugin clutter, inconsistent tracking, and a brand experience that no longer matched the quality of our client work. We ranked for some terms, but topical depth was weak and the conversion flow leaked leads.
We made the decision to rebuild entirely — migrating from WordPress to HubSpot to unify CMS, CRM, and analytics in one platform.
The Approach
Platform Migration
Full migration from WordPress to HubSpot. Rebuilt every core service page — SEO, eCommerce SEO, Local SEO, Digital PR — with conversion-focused design: above-fold value propositions, social proof, FAQ sections, and persistent CTAs.
E-E-A-T at Scale
Redesigned the About Us hub with full team bios, credentials, and photography. Grew case studies from 10 outdated pages to 50+ live studies. Built an SEO Awards archive and a Reviews hub integrating live Google Business reviews.
Topical Authority
Built a content cluster around the “SEO agency” keyword family using semantic gap analysis and strategic internal linking. The blog now ranks page 1 for 200+ relevant keywords.
Link Acquisition
Earned placements on Moz, Conductor, SE Ranking, TechRadar, Canberra Times, Daily Mail, and News.com.au. Built product-led SEO assets — an SEO ROI Calculator, AI SEO Whitepaper, and AI SEO Toolkit — that attracted natural links.
Key Rankings Achieved
| Keyword | Result |
| “SEO agency Melbourne” | #1 — +50% clicks, +137% impressions |
| “SEO agency Sydney” | Top positions — +43% clicks, +139% impressions |
| “SEO agency Australia” | +2,000% clicks, +191% impressions |
AI Search Impact
23 leads came directly from AI search platforms (ChatGPT, Perplexity) — generating $112K in annualised new business. AI search leads closed in an average of 17.5 days, nearly half the time of traditional SEO leads (29.5 days).
Key Takeaway
If you’re an SEO agency that can’t rank your own site, why would a client trust you? This campaign proved that treating your own website as a client — with real budget, billable hours, and measurable KPIs — delivers outsized returns. SEO now drives 65% of our inbound leads and roughly 60% of new recurring revenue.
Related Articles
- Case Study: Southgate Medical — 692% Increase in Business Conversions
- Case Study: Melbourne Natural Therapies — 75% Organic Growth
About the Author
Lawrence Hitches is an AI SEO consultant based in Melbourne and General Manager of StudioHawk, Australia’s largest dedicated SEO agency. He specialises in AI search visibility, technical SEO, and organic growth strategy — leading a team of 115+ across Melbourne, Sydney, London, and the US. Book a free consultation →
