Case study
Protein category from 24 to 11 with compliance-safe placements
24
New links
24→11
Position move
7
Reclaims
+ 38 %
Session lift
Challenge
The plant protein category ranked at average position 24 with thin unique copy and a toxic mix of supplement directories plus expired coupon placements. Medical-adjacent claims on older guest posts created compliance risk the brand wanted cleaned up before scaling outreach.
Approach
We audited and disavowed the worst neighborhoods, reclaimed 7 unlinked mentions, and placed 24 new editorial links into fitness education, dietitian resources, and selective roundups while keeping health-claim language inside approved boundaries.
Interactive outcomes
Toggle each metric to compare the starting baseline against the measured result.
24
19 flagged
Baseline
Campaign timeline
Select a phase to see what shipped and why the sequence mattered.
Phase 01 · Weeks 1–3
Flagged toxic directories, briefed legal on claim language, and shipped a cleaner category template before new outreach.
Phase 02 · Weeks 4–10
Sixteen placements into training education and dietitian resource lists with branded and partial anchors.
Phase 03 · Weeks 11–16
Remaining roundups closed while seven unlinked brand mentions were converted separately from the counted total where noted.
Full narrative
A US plant protein brand on Shopify Plus had a category at position 24 and a polluted referring-domain set. Prior vendors had chased directories. Legal wanted claim language controlled before any scale.
Cleanup first, then education and resource placements, then selective roundups. Exact-match commercial anchors under 8 percent because the vertical is claim-sensitive. Median DR of new domains: 49.
Position moved to 11. Flagged toxic domains in the active profile fell from 19 to 4. Non-brand sessions rose 38 percent year over year at month four, with copy changes as a co-variable.
Services used
Turn existing brand and product mentions into links. Efficient when mentions already exist; not a substitute for net-new editorial outreach on competitive categories.
Contributor placements on publishers with real traffic and topical fit. Built for category and buying-guide URLs, not marketplace articles with three advertiser links.
Utility citations from resource lists, university pages, and association directories. Built for durable buying guides, not thin product grids or directory spam.
More evidence
Next step
Send your domain, primary money pages, and current monthly organic sessions. We reply within two business days with a gap note and a fit recommendation.
After you submit, a strategist reviews your referring domains and replies with whether we can help, and at which tier.
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