[Cybersecurity] Using 301 Redirects to Secure Page 1 Ranking

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TL;DR:
– Cybersecurity PE-backed firm needed quick ranking boost for high-value keyword (15K US searches/month, $60K/month PPC value)
– Competitors dominated Page 1 with much stronger domains (average DR 91 vs. client’s DR in the 70s)
– Discovered client was wasting 1,500 backlinks by redirecting them to irrelevant homepage
– Created new keyword-targeted page aligned with backlink anchor text
– Redirected acquired backlinks to new page instead of homepage
– Results: Jumped from positions #9-11 to #6, increased qualified leads, preserved homepage’s other rankings

Ahrefs screenshot: The client’s homepage ranking (orange line) was fluctuating between the bottom of Page 1 and the top of Page 2 before I redirected link authority to a new page that was created to be more relevant to the keyword. There was an immediate jump in rankings, with the new page firmly on Page 1 in position #6 (blue line).

Challenge

My client was a cybersecurity firm backed by private equity with an aggressive pre-exit growth mandate. They needed to quickly improve their visibility for a critical industry keyword related to an essential regulatory standard. This keyword generates:

  • 15,000 monthly searches in the USA
  • 70,000 monthly searches globally
  • Estimated $60,000/month equivalent PPC value for the #1 position

The competition was formidable:

  • Average Domain Rating (DR) of 91 for Page 1 results
  • Our client’s DR was only in the 70s
  • #1 ranking page had 17,000 referring domains
  • #2 ranking page had 4,000 referring domains
  • The client’s homepage was ranking between positions #9 and #11

Solution

I discovered a strategic opportunity. After acquiring another cybersecurity website, my client had redirected all its pages to their own homepage – but most of the backlinks weren’t relevant to the homepage.

My approach:

  1. Created a new, highly targeted page specifically aligned with the keyword and the majority of the 301 backlinks pointing at the homepage
  2. Changed 301 redirects to point 1,500 relevant referring domains to this new page instead of the homepage

Results

The strategic 301 redirect implementation delivered immediate, significant results:

  • Jumped from bottom of Page 1 to position #6 for the ultra-competitive keyword
  • New page outperformed the homepage in rankings due to increased relevance
  • Qualified leads increased substantially through increased traffic and better conversion rates (each converted lead can be worth millions of dollars)
  • Homepage retained its rankings for all other keywords

This case demonstrates how strategic backlink redirection – focusing on relevance rather than only raw link power – can overcome even the most competitive search landscapes while delivering immediate ROI.

I implemented this 301-redirect tactic sitewide to create many pages and instantly triple the client’s organic search traffic – case study here.

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