FROM PPC DEPENDANCE TO ORGANIC DOMINANCE
For Higher Education
For keywords directly related to their course offerings
“Free” organic traffic to their site (Ahrefs)
Turning more traffic into qualified leads (Google Analytics)
For our content + SEO service
THE CHALLENGE
Quantic were competing against legacy institutions, like Harvard Business School, who commanded authority and thought leadership that’s impossible for a startup to match. They attempted to carve out an online edge via PPC, and content marketing.
A couple of “smash hit” PPC campaigns with a strong free trial offer provided initial traction, but they knew that wouldn’t last forever. Meta ads were becoming increasingly expensive, and it was harder than ever to attract high quality prospects.
They became aware of the need to build an organic presence for sustained, long-term staying power.
Part of the problem was that their positioning to date was overly focused on the intricacies of their platform’s technology and pedagogy. These highly technical topics did little to provide value to their target audience, and consequently performed badly. Both on Google and for attracting leads.
They failed to successfully create and promote content for the entire student journey. So they were stuck relying on the changing whims of paid traffic.
Quantic offers a mobile-first, AI-powered MBA program. They are known for career-changing outcomes and an affordable tuition model. With 1,500+ alumni, they sought a scalable organic strategy to try and take market share from the Ivy League.
THE SOLUTION
We developed a 180-day, 3-part growth plan to rapidly improve organic traffic, generate qualified leads, and reduce reliance on paid campaigns—all backed by measurable data.
To stand out in the competitive HR tech landscape, we helped Workvivo define a clear, compelling position tailored to HR professionals.
We mapped out the pain points for three key profiles:
Then we crafted messaging that framed Workvivo as the ultimate solution for their specific needs. This unique positioning highlighted the platform’s relevance to each department.
We built a robust content engine to transform Workvivo’s internal expertise into actionable, SEO-driven content. Our efforts included:
Once the content was optimized and new pieces created, we focused on promotion to amplify reach and authority.
✓ Strategic Outreach: Partnered with high-authority HR publications to secure backlinks and content placements. Our efforts yielded 15 high-quality backlinks (DR 45–90) in just the first month.
✓ Community Engagement: Promoted Workvivo’s content in HR forums and groups, ensuring visibility among decision-makers.
✓ Link Reclamation Campaigns: Identified broken or outdated links on industry sites, positioning Workvivo’s content as the preferred replacement.
This strategic promotion not only enhanced rankings, but also solidified Workvivo’s thought leadership in the HR tech space.
“We trust the JourneyEngine Inc team. They’re very strategic in what they do and the value we get from them is huge.”
THE RESULTS
Increase in Traffic to Content Pages
5X Increase in Traffic to Content Pages A 138% lift in overall organic traffic, with a 56% boost to pillar pages.
PPC Cost Savings Per Month
Six months into the campaign the “PPC value” of organic traffic was $19K per month, compared to just $4K before the campaign began.
This is attributed to better rankings for highly competitive, low funnel keywords.
Increase In Sales Qualified Leads
Lifts in top line organic traffic are great, but the project wouldn’t be successful without proving business value off the back of those lifts.
The content we produced and optimized was successful in generating 11X more sales qualified leads (verified sales appointments) compared to the period before the campaign began.
Most importantly, WorkVivo’s marketing team was happy with the outcome! In addition to executing a campaign that helped them deliver proven results, we were able to help the client communicate these results to their internal stakeholders and adjacent departments.
Ready to elevate your growth with expert-led, SEO-optimized content? Use our content brief tool to turn your team’s knowledge into a competitive advantage and create a scalable content strategy that works.
