01Who the Client Is
A solar panel manufacturer focused on the North American market, running a brand-new English website. Products and certifications were in place, but it had almost no online foundation — a textbook cold start.
02What the Client Was Struggling With
- After the new site went live, Almost no organic Google traffic;
- it tried to compete for head terms like 'solar panel' and saw no movement for months;
- when buyers searched decision terms such as OEM / factory direct, this factory was nowhere to be found;
- the budget was limited, so sustained ad spend could not carry it until SEO started working.
03What We Found
The reality of a new site is clear — the approach had to change:
- Head terms are already owned by high-authority sites, so a new site has no chance in the short term;
- Almost nobody seriously works decision-stage long-tails, which means less competition and higher conversion;
- Missing trust evidence: No factory photos, production process, certifications or shipment records, so buyers hesitated to inquire;
- Pages not matching search intent: Product pages listed specifications only and never answered the question 'why choose this factory'.
04What We Did
- Decision-stage long-tail map: abandoned head terms and concentrated on high-converting terms such as 'XXX W solar panel OEM / factory direct / manufacturer';
- Product pages covering real demand: turned spec tables into decision pages covering selection, certifications, MOQ, lead times and case studies;
- Factory photography and trust evidence: added real production lines, laboratories and shipment records to establish E-E-A-T evidence;
- Build content clusters: used a buying guide as the hub, with spoke pages answering long-tail questions on size, wattage and certifications.
05How the Numbers Moved
Data source: Google Search Console. Company names and part of the commercial data are anonymised to protect client privacy.
| Metric | Project start | Month 5 | Month 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decision keywords ranking | XX | XX | XX |
| Impressions (monthly) | XX | XX | XX |
| Qualified Leads (monthly) | XX | XX | XX |
06Client Feedback
We always assumed we had to fight the big manufacturers for head terms. Three months in we realised nobody was paying attention to us. Once we shifted to decision-stage long-tails, the quality of our inquiries actually went up.
S
Client SSales Director · Solar Panel Manufacturer · USA
At the client's request, the company name and personal names are anonymised.
07Key Takeaways From This Case
- A new site should not collide head-on with head terms, Win the low-competition, high-conversion decision long-tails first;
- A product page earns its keep not by listing complete specs but byAnswer the buyer's 'why you' question;
- Factory photography and shipment records are the cheapest and most effective trust assets an export site can have.