Startup SEO Case Study

How do I rank for a product category that barely exists yet?

608%ROI

Tapt was operating in a brand new category — digital business cards. No established search demand patterns. No competitor playbook to reverse-engineer. Just a product that needed to be found by people who didn't yet know the category existed. This was pure market-creation SEO.

The Problem

Tapt's messaging was brand-centric rather than customer-focused. They ranked for branded terms only, with zero visibility for the non-branded discovery queries that would drive new customer acquisition. Competition was appearing fast in this emerging niche.

What We Built

  • Messaging realignment — positioned Tapt as THE digital business card solution, not just a brand
  • Metadata overhaul targeting non-branded keyword opportunities
  • Technical SEO fixes — broken links, schema, title tags
  • Product schema adjustments for multiple payment options
  • Strategic backlink campaign across branded and non-branded terms
  • Client education on SEO fundamentals and Google Analytics
  • Migration support when Tapt upgraded their platform

The Results

  • 113% increase in monthly organic traffic
  • 608% return on investment
  • Moved from branded-only rankings to capturing variational "digital business card" keywords

Tapt demonstrated that in emerging categories, the first brand to build proper SEO infrastructure owns the space. The team I built at StudioHawk was able to identify and dominate category-defining queries before competitors could even start.

Read the full StudioHawk case study →

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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 →