[Cybersecurity] Boosting Primary Service Page from Google Page 2 to #1 Ranking

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TL;DR:
– PE-backed cybersecurity firm needed rapid traffic/revenue growth before trade sale
– Core service page ranked inconsistently in top 20 with zero backlinks
– Target keyword: 300 US searches/month, $14 CPC, competing against higher-authority domains (DR 84 vs client’s DR 70s)
– 7-month strategy: built 10 high-quality backlinks (avg DR 66) – 2 direct to service page, 8 to supporting content
– Implemented strategic internal linking and continuous on-page optimization
– Results: Page reached #1 position, with a significant increase in qualified leads worth potentially millions each

Ahrefs screenshot: The client’s service page ranking was fluctuating on and off Page 2 with no backlinks before I built authority and increased relevance for the main keyword. Rankings increased to #1 on Google by my final day working with the client. While Ahrefs shows the position ticking down to #3 on my final day, manual Google searches showed the page still at #1. Either way, a great result.

Challenge

My client, a cybersecurity firm recently acquired as part of a private equity-backed roll-up, needed to rapidly increase traffic and revenue to maximize valuation for an upcoming trade sale. Their most critical issues were:

  • Core service page (their most valuable offering) was unstable in rankings, fluctuating on and off Page 2 in Google
  • Recent CMS migration had changed the URL structure
  • Both old and new service page URLs had zero backlinks
  • Target keyword: 300 US searches/month, 800 global searches/month
  • High commercial value ($14 CPC)
  • Significant competition: Page 1 results had average DR of 84 vs. client’s DR in the 70s
  • Page was receiving virtually no non-branded organic traffic
  • Timeline pressure to show results for PE investors

Solution

I implemented a comprehensive 7-month SEO strategy focused on building authority and relevance:

Strategic Link Building

  • Built 10 total backlinks with an average DR of 66
  • Placed 2 direct backlinks to the service page (average DR 70+)
  • Built 8 additional links to related blog content (average DR 65)
  • Strengthened internal linking from blog posts to the service page
  • Utilized primarily manual outreach (only 1 paid placement out of 10)

Continuous On-Page Optimization

  • Tweaked meta title, header tags, content and content structure
  • Optimized simultaneously for both SEO performance and conversion rate
  • Maintained ongoing improvements throughout the campaign

Results

The strategic implementation delivered exceptional outcomes:

  • Service page climbed from inconsistent Page 2 rankings to the #1 position in Google
  • Outranked competitors with significantly higher domain authority
  • Significant increase in non-branded organic traffic
  • Substantial growth in qualified leads (each potentially worth millions in revenue)
  • Enhanced the company’s valuation metrics ahead of trade sale

This success story proves that a focused, quality-over-quantity approach with strategic backlinks can achieve top rankings in competitive B2B niches, even when outgunned by higher-authority domains.

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