SEO for Tokyo-based Executive Search Firm for Bilingual Professionals
Client Details
Project type:
| Industry | Executive Search. |
| Product | Recruitment services for mid-level to senior-level bilingual professionals. |
| Audience | – Bilingual professionals seeking career opportunities in foreign-affiliated and/or global corporations. – Global companies looking for candidates to fill mid to senior-level positions. |
| Objective | Attract job-seekers and establish a strong online presence to increase website visibility and drive organic traffic to the homepage. |
What We Achieved
Client’s Voice
“We worked with Humble Bunny to boost our SEO performance. We felt they were truly an SEO professional as they offered us comprehensive keyword strategies and deep insights into our current site performance for optimization”
Project Details
A Tokyo-based executive search firm for bilingual professionals approached us looking for support in increasing website visibility for job seekers and driving traffic to the website.
The services we provided included a comprehensive keyword research strategy, competitor research report, as well as the ongoing component of our SEO package: creating 2 advanced SEO blogs per month with a precise keyword-targeting objective. This was accompanied by a flexible, opportunity-focused package of hours dedicated to activities like meta optimizations, existing content improvements, creation of infographics, etc. as well as our standard Humble Bunny data tracking and analysis to constantly monitor topic/cluster/keyword performance and traffic numbers.
A Data-Driven Keyword Strategy
While at Humble Bunny we have our proprietary Keyword Research formula to help us efficiently and accurately narrow down a list of target keywords to drill down only the highest potential keywords with the highest SEO ROI potential. Before that step comes, we carry out extensive Market & Client Research where we define the business values of the client and fill out all potential customer profiles to fully understand the client and their industry.
Our bespoke keyword research formula takes into consideration:
- Seed Keyword Brainstorming: identifying broad keywords that represent your niche or industry and what the target audience might be searching for
- Search Volume & Competition Analysis: using keyword research tools to determine the search volume and analyze the competition level for these keywords.
- Keyword Filtering: prioritizing keywords with a good balance of search volume and lower competition.
- Keyword Intent Matching: considering the user’s intent behind the search (informational vs transactional) and ensuring that we are targeting different keywords that target different stages of the buyer’s journey
- Long-Tail Keyword Exploration: targeting longer, more specific keywords
Learn more about our Japanese SEO Keyword Research Process
Keyword research is the foundation of a solid and successful SEO project and provides a roadmap for your SEO efforts. As a result of our extensive keyword research, we were able to understand what the audience is looking for, what content to create, and how best to optimize the client’s website for search engines. We ended up tracking 160~200 keywords for 4 Topics throughout the project, which we shortlisted into ‘Clusters’ for further categorization.
Surpassing the Competition
After the Keyword Research was completed, we looked into competitors.
We evaluated a total of 8 competitors – 4 Brand Competitors and 4 SEO Competitors. Brand Competitors were based on who the client thought were their competitors within the industry based on branding and SEO Competitors were selected by Humble Bunny based on the final list of keywords we had come up with, and the competitors who were ranking the most for those keywords.
We reviewed competitor rank for the client’s selected keywords and analyzed our client vs. each of the competitors individually, and also as a group (Brand and SEO) to ensure we had a full understanding of the context of where our client stood in relation to their competitors when it came to organic traffic. We also highlighted content areas of opportunity which were then split into those that Humble Bunny would then use for our content strategy and the other half which could be shared with the client’s internal marketing team for them to act on simultaneously.
Competitor Comparison
(Organic Traffic Growth Rate July 2023 vs. March 2024)
At the end of the project, we compared organic traffic in June 2023 and the average data from March~May 2024 growth by looking at how we started delivering SEO content after 10 months of SEO activities. We found that our client had the most successful growth rate as seen in the table above.
Skyrocket
your organic traffic
Monitoring Topic & Cluster Performance
Throughout the project, Humble Bunny was closely monitoring the rank of all of the 160~200 targeted keywords. By analyzing keyword rank and organic traffic every month, we were able to observe and highlight trends and patterns to know precisely which keywords would benefit from optimizations or what content to create for the best possible outcome and success for our client.
We used the Performance Index as one of the metrics to measure the health of our Keywords and Topics/Clusters. The Performance Index (PI) is an aggregate metric that represents ranking performance in Google Search results based on actual positions of the website as well as the search volumes (used as weights) of the keywords tracked in SERPWatcher. This meant that we were able to understand the health of each Topic as we didn’t have to worry about keywords that were high ranking but had a low search volume (and vice versa keywords with a significant search volume but ranking lower on the first or second pages) skewing the results.
Our benchmark placement in most cases was a rank of 101+, so we knew we had a lot of work to do to start building authority in each of these Topics and raising the client’s ability to rank for our targeted keywords and topics. Over 10 months, we targeted 28 keywords and found that we were able to increase our rank by, on average, +58 places on search, with 57% of the targeted keywords reaching the first page of results and 75% of the targeted keywords reaching the second page.
We tracked 194 keywords, and 24 ranked on the first page, despite not having dedicated pages for some. This suggests our topic-cluster strategy effectively enhances content relevancy and improves rankings for associated keywords.
Creating content for every relevant keyword is challenging due to cost and time constraints. However, the cluster approach has enabled us to address blind spots, continuing to increase ranks and visibility without dedicated content for each keyword.
Beyond Text: Power of Infographics in SEO
For highly competitive keywords, if we created a content piece and still were not able to rank within the first 5 places, our next step strategy was to create advanced infographics to further support the content.
Creating infographics for competitive keywords offers a strategic approach to SEO by attracting targeted visitors, improving user engagement, and potentially generating valuable backlinks. We created infographics such as the ones above to break down complex topics and make the content easily digestible and consumable by a wider audience. The more value that we can provide to readers, this would also increase our chances of the infographic being shared and resulting in backlink acquisition.
Building Momentum with Monthly Content
Creating high-quality monthly content is a cornerstone of any successful SEO strategy. It keeps the website fresh, relevant, and informative, attracts organic traffic, builds user engagement, and establishes authority, ultimately leading to improved search engine ranking and online visibility.
For this client’s industry, we found that the majority of the top-ranking articles were quite informational and veering on the longer side with an average character count ranging from roughly 6,000 to 9,000 characters. Not only did we match the search intent and create high-quality, informative content that could serve as a one-stop-shop for readers, but we also worked with the client in getting unique case studies of candidates who successfully changed their jobs through our client or tips and insights from the client’s consultants for almost every single blog post.
This approach provided readers with a powerful combination: informative content based on real-world research and data, alongside valuable insights from genuine experiences. The consultants, immersed in the thick of it every day, encounter a wide range of unique scenarios. This firsthand knowledge positions them perfectly to offer insights that directly address the challenges faced by job seekers navigating their unique journeys. Because of this, our monthly blog posts averaged around 10,000 characters with the more comprehensive content pieces going up to 15,000 characters.
While the sitewide engagement rate from Organic Traffic was 83.4%, the engagement rate for articles created or optimized by Humble Bunny was 86.4%.
Through high-quality monthly content, we were able to build up authority on our target topics and start ranking higher, thus leading to 2.57x impressions and 2.78x organic traffic.
Consequently, we saw visits to the sign-up (registration) page also increase from before Humble Bunny started the project vs. after, which was one of the Success Metrics that our client was most interested in growing. Where SEO companies settle for organic impressions and traffic, we went above and beyond, tying the SEO to real business results by building a strategy reflecting the client’s persona, USP, and balancing long-tail keywords that would directly solve the users’ needs, with short-tail keywords which improve the recognition of the brand.
Our Content Creation Process
At Humble Bunny, we believe in data-driven content creation. We begin with a thorough analysis of existing reports and keyword research. This foundation, combined with seasonal trends and a focus on local relevance, ensures the content strategy is always on point. Each month, we propose new keywords that complement the existing plan and once approved, our experienced native copywriters conduct deep dives of research for each topic to craft engaging articles.
As much as creating in-depth content is a great first step, our approach doesn’t stop there. Throughout our content creation process, we maintain the highest level of quality across every deliverable. Each piece of content is put through an extensive quality review process to provide maximum value with maximum impact on every post. With advanced SEO content, every detail matters, this is why we meticulously follow a 35-point checklist that covers every important angle of the industry-leading content creation process. Some of our key quality checkpoints are:
- The content includes a unique vision that is unique to our post
- Based on current Google rankings for the target keyword, the content aligns with user intent
- The content gives 25% to 50% more depth, detail, or clarity of information than other blogs of the same topic
- The post is at least 2,000 Japanese characters long – for this client, due to the nature of the search intent our blogs averaged around 10,000 characters!
- There are at least 2 inbound and 2 outbound links coming from and going to other internal content pieces
The Humble Bunny Advantage
At Humble Bunny, the partnership is key. We believe in complete transparency and consistently exceeding expectations. Building a powerful SEO strategy takes time. That’s why we focus on creating high-quality content around topics the target audience actively seeks. Identifying these topics requires expertise, and building authority demands strong, localized content. Recognizing this, we go beyond competitor offerings, crafting in-depth content to position our client as a leader in the recruitment space.
3/2/1 Analysis
To consistently provide this level of in-depth analysis, we create monthly reports in our signature 3/2/1 framework. These reports summarize 3 performance highlights, 2 anomalies, and 1 key learning gained from the previous month. Collecting these insights every month provides ample resources over time to identify trends, track changes, and propose new ideas for highly targeted content with the highest chance of success.
Humble Bunny True Track
At Humble Bunny, we believe that achieving SEO success requires more than just tracking surface-level metrics. That’s why we’ve developed our proprietary True Track framework — a sophisticated KPI and metric-monitoring system designed to track performance across multiple layers, identify the maturity of a strategy, and ensure we’re continuously adapting to meet the unique needs of each client.
The True Track framework operates on three distinct levels that assess different aspects of a channel’s performance: Signals, Core KPIs, and Success Metrics. These levels allow us to paint a clear picture of where a campaign stands, the progress being made, and what adjustments may be necessary to drive better results.
- LEVEL 1 – SIGNALS: EVALUATING MOMENTUM
- These are KPIs for momentum. These indicate we’re on the right track and making meaningful progress towards the Core KPIs.
- LEVEL 2 – CORE KPI: EVALUATING TRUE CHANNEL PERFORMANCE
- These are the true KPIs and standard evaluation metrics for performance. Hitting the targets at this level indicates that the channel itself is successful.
- LEVEL 3 – SUCCESS METRIC: DETERMINES THE LONGEVITY RELATIONSHIP
- While not a key indicator or directly affectable aspect of the channel commissioned of this project, a success metric is defined as the “big picture” determiner of a project’s success. Something HB pledges to diligently consider and to make decisions from actively. In some scenarios, hitting this might require paid ads or other similar scopes.
By using the True Track framework, we can constantly evaluate the progression of an SEO campaign across different levels, ensuring that we’re making smart decisions at every stage. It allows us to be proactive and adaptive, making necessary adjustments based on real-time data and client needs. This layered approach means we can assess the momentum of early-stage efforts, the performance of ongoing campaigns, and the long-term success of the overall strategy.
For a more in-depth look at our reporting process, check out our SEO services page!
During this project, while we targeted 28 keywords, launching monthly content and SEO optimizations, we increased the position for a total of 84 keywords!
Conclusion
This SEO project for a Tokyo-based executive search firm demonstrates the effectiveness of a data-driven, multi-faceted approach. By combining comprehensive keyword research, competitor analysis, and high-quality content creation, we were able to increase website visibility for job seekers and drive organic traffic. Our commitment to data tracking and analysis provided valuable insights into topic, cluster, and keyword performance, allowing us to continuously optimize the campaign for maximum impact.
Through this collaborative effort, we were able to establish the client’s website as a valuable resource for bilingual job seekers in Tokyo, achieving their goal of increased website visibility and traffic.
Before You Go, We’ve Got Some Ideas For Your SEO
Here are a couple of quick discoveries we’ve pulled from the data of our latest SEO projects. Why? To help you make the changes you need to gain traction in the Japanese market! As an agency, we are always digging deeper and searching for those little yet significant tweaks that will push our clients to the next level of success.
