Kevin Miller, an ex-Google marketer with a background in startups discovered his unique niche by creating a free online tool for counting words. This tool, called The Word Counter, not only assists writers and students, but also serves as a testament to Miller’s expertise in SEO. In this case study, we delve into the journey of how The Word Counter evolved from just a concept into a top-ranked website.
Miller’s adventure began with an epiphany during his college years. As a student, he frequently relied on character and word counting tools but found none that truly met his needs. Realizing the potential to create a resource for English language related queries, Miller made the decision to develop The Word Counter. This venture not only aimed to provide a tool, but also served as an opportunity to put his SEO strategies to the test from start to finish.
To differentiate The Word Counter from its competitors, Miller focused on designing a visually appealing and user-friendly product. He collaborated with Techy Scouts, a development company that was recommended to him, to bring his vision to life. The tool was created with the mission of providing users with an overview of word counts, character counts, sentence counts and more– all in one place. Moreover, it included features such as determining reading levels and calculating speaking times for presentations.
The development process lasted for around 60-90 days, during which there were some adjustments made along the way. Miller self-funded the project with an investment of $25,000 while emphasizing that the primary objective was to create a SEO case study, rather than immediate profitability.
Prior to its launch, Miller took measures by commissioning 100 articles to populate the website with valuable content. This strategy painted an impression of an established website and fostered trust among users and website-visitors. Simultaneously, it also contributed to enhancing The Word Counter’s SEO rankings. Since then, The Word Counter has consistently published over 2,000 articles, further solidifying its reputation as a premier resource for English language queries.
The main goal of The Word Counter has always been to attract and keep customers using SEO. After creating the website, Miller hired writers to produce about 5 articles per day showcasing the importance of keyword-rich content for search rankings.
Apart from creating content, The Word Counter actively sought out backlinks to enhance their domain authority. They achieved this by distributing press releases through platforms like PR Newswire, gaining exposure on sites like Yahoo and Market Watch. Additionally, they reached out to reporters to secure backlinks.
In just two years, The Word Counter has achieved huge success in the world of SEO. They now rank for over 300,000 keywords, having received 2,400 referrals from domains and possessing a domain authority score of 52. The Word Counter’s journey highlights the long term value of investing in SEO.
Although their initial focus wasn’t on generating profit, The Word Counter’s growing success opened up opportunities for monetization through affiliate marketing. Miller plans to explore partnerships with businesses that align with the platform’s user intent, such as English language courses.
Invest in a Case Study: Having a side project that serves as a case study can be incredibly valuable for entrepreneurs. It provides tangible proof of a product or service’s effectiveness and can be a powerful sales tool, especially in a B2B context.
Quality Over Cost: Investing in quality, whether it’s in content, development, or other aspects of the business, is paramount. Cutting corners may initially save money but can lead to costly setbacks.
Project Management Tools: Utilizing project management systems, like Notion, can significantly improve efficiency, especially for solo entrepreneurs. It helps in organizing tasks, timelines, and resources effectively.
Kevin Miller’s journey with The Word Counter showcases the power of an effective SEO strategy. From its humble beginnings, The Word Counter has now evolved into a ranked website—a testament to how language tools can have a significant impact on the digital landscape.
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