One of the primary reasons for the retailer’s declining organic traffic was the loss of high-performing product rankings. A significant downsizing of its furniture inventory led to a drop in visibility for high-value product-related keywords. Without these key product pages, the site no longer ranked for terms that previously drove substantial traffic.

Another contributing factor was the decline in designer collaboration traffic. The retailer had previously partnered with well-known designers, attracting their audiences through branded search queries. However, when these contracts ended, the site lost a crucial source of referral traffic and brand-driven search visibility.

The discontinuation of high-quality blog content further exacerbated the issue. The blog had once featured insightful interviews and articles on meditation and new-age topics, establishing the site’s authority in related search categories. When the retailer stopped publishing this content, it lost valuable rankings, credibility, and organic traffic.

In addition to content losses, the retailer’s product listing pages (PLPs) suffered from thin content and poor taxonomy. Many category pages, such as "Moroccan Rugs," lacked relevant descriptions or structured navigation. Meanwhile, competitors like Wayfair had well-optimized category structures, including SEO-friendly URLs and rich supporting content, which allowed them to dominate search results.

At the same time, competitors were gaining ground by capitalizing on informational content. While the retailer relied heavily on branded traffic, competitors were successfully targeting non-branded searches by publishing engaging, educational pieces like "The History of Persian Rugs." Compounding the issue, Google’s algorithm updates penalized the retailer’s thin content, causing further drops in rankings.

Finally, the site missed key opportunities to target high-volume non-branded keywords. With an over-reliance on brand-driven search, it failed to capture broader search intent, leaving substantial organic traffic on the table. Addressing these issues required a strategic SEO overhaul to regain lost rankings, improve content depth, and expand keyword reach.

To reverse the decline in organic traffic, a high-quality content strategy was implemented by relaunching the blog with fresh content focused on interior design trends, rug history, and home décor inspiration. Existing high-performing posts were optimized with updated keywords and structured data to improve visibility. At the same time, site taxonomy and category pages were revamped by refining product listing page (PLP) structures with SEO-friendly categories, such as “Area Rugs” > “Persian Rugs” > “Handwoven Persian Rugs”. Descriptive content was added to key category pages to enhance relevance and rankings.

In addition to content optimization, a non-branded keyword strategy was introduced by conducting a keyword gap analysis and optimizing pages for high-volume, non-branded terms. This included developing SEO-focused landing pages to capture traffic for categories and styles where competitors were ranking. To ensure long-term success, a sustainable SEO growth plan was implemented, involving close collaboration with content and product teams to optimize new inventory pages. Additionally, strategic partnerships with influencers and designers were suggested to help rebuild lost referral and search traffic, further strengthening the site’s authority and visibility.