In this remade case study, we’ll explore the innovative strategies Hawthorn Mall employed to boost its organic traffic to over a quarter-million visits in just five months. This deep dive offers actionable insights while crediting the original creators for their inspiration.

About Hawthorn Mall

Hawthorn Mall, located in Vernon Hills, Illinois, has been a cornerstone retail destination since 1973. Under the ownership of Centennial, the mall underwent a $50 million renovation and launched a game-changing eCommerce platform, Shop Now!, in 2020.

This platform allows shoppers to browse and purchase products from their favorite stores online, seamlessly bridging the gap between physical retail and eCommerce.

Historical Performance: Setting the Stage

Initially, Hawthorn’s online presence was modest, averaging 21.2K organic visits per month on its former domain, shophawthornmall.com. A domain migration in May 2023 marked a pivotal moment for its digital growth, redirecting traffic to the new domain, visithawthorn.com.

Within five months, this strategic move resulted in a remarkable surge to 252K organic visits, thanks to a series of carefully implemented SEO strategies.

The Catalyst: Key SEO Strategies

Hawthorn Mall’s meteoric rise to 252K monthly organic visits in just five months is a testament to the power of three foundational SEO strategies. Let’s take a closer look at these approaches and why they worked so effectively.

1. Website Migration with Seamless Redirects

Migrating a website is one of the most challenging SEO tasks, as it involves preserving the equity of an established domain while ensuring a smooth user experience. For Hawthorn, the transition from shophawthornmall.com to visithawthorn.com was a masterclass in precision and planning.

Steps Taken:

• 301 Redirect Implementation:
  Hawthorn used 301 redirects for all pages on the old domain, pointing them to their corresponding pages on the new domain. This ensured that search engines understood the change as a permanent move.
• Content and URL Mapping:
  Before migration, a comprehensive audit was performed to map old URLs to new ones, ensuring no content was orphaned or misplaced.
• Pre-Migration Testing:
  Hawthorn conducted extensive testing to identify and fix potential errors before going live, minimizing risks of broken links or 404 errors.
• Post-Migration Monitoring:
  After the switch, analytics tools were used to track performance, ensuring that traffic and rankings were being maintained or improved.

Why It Worked:

• Preserved Existing SEO Value:
  By redirecting traffic and link equity from the old domain to the new one, Hawthorn retained its hard-earned SEO momentum.
• Ensured Continuity for Users and Search Engines:
  Both users and search engine bots were seamlessly guided to the correct domain, reducing the risk of traffic loss or user frustration.

Takeaway:
Website migrations are high-stakes events that require meticulous planning. Invest in a well-structured redirect plan and thorough testing to retain SEO equity, avoid traffic drops, and set the stage for future growth.

Bonus Tip:
Tools like AIOSEO’s Redirection Manager can simplify the migration process by automating 301 redirects.

2. Building Out an eCommerce Platform

The launch of Hawthorn’s Shop Now! eCommerce platform was a transformative step. By adding over 51,000 product description pages (PDPs) in just one month, Hawthorn significantly expanded its digital footprint.

What They Did:

• Massive Content Expansion:
  Each PDP was carefully crafted to include product details, availability at Hawthorn stores, and affiliate links to purchase directly from retailers’ websites.
• Keyword Optimization:
  Hawthorn targeted both branded and non-branded keywords, ensuring their content captured diverse search intent, from loyal customers to first-time visitors.
• Dynamic User Experience:
  The platform allowed users to search for products, check stock availability, and explore related items, creating a seamless and engaging shopping journey.

Results:

• Keyword Rankings Tripled:
  Hawthorn’s rankings soared from 326K to 746K keywords, providing more entry points for organic traffic.
• Significant Traffic Growth:
  The influx of unbranded keyword rankings allowed Hawthorn to attract a wider audience beyond its local loyalists.

Why It Worked:

• Scale and Relevance:
  Adding thousands of PDPs expanded the site’s relevance across a broad range of search queries.
• Broader Audience Reach:
  By optimizing for non-branded terms, Hawthorn broke free of its reliance on existing brand recognition, allowing it to appeal to a national audience.

Takeaway:
A content-rich eCommerce platform is a goldmine for SEO. Focus on building out pages that serve user intent, target relevant keywords, and provide value to both local and broader audiences.

Bonus Tip:
Use topic clusters and keyword research tools like AIOSEO’s TruSEO Analysis to identify and optimize content opportunities that align with your audience’s needs.

3. Leveraging Google Images

Google Images played an unexpected but significant role in Hawthorn’s traffic growth, accounting for over 312.7K keyword rankings in October 2023.

What They Did:

• Alt Text Optimization:
  Hawthorn ensured that images on the site had descriptive alt text incorporating primary keywords.
• High-Quality Visual Content:
  Each PDP featured high-resolution product images, enhancing their appeal and relevance for Google Image searches.

Why It Worked:

• Image Search as a Traffic Driver:
  Google Image searches are a largely untapped source of traffic, and Hawthorn’s optimized images positioned them to rank well in this segment.
• On-Page SEO Synergy:
  Strong on-page SEO practices complemented their image optimization efforts, further boosting visibility.

Takeaway:
Don’t overlook the potential of image search as part of your SEO strategy. Optimizing alt text, file names, and image schema can open new pathways for traffic.

Bonus Tip:
Automate your image optimizations with tools like AIOSEO’s Image SEO feature to save time and maintain consistency.

Standout SEO Wins

Hawthorn’s additional SEO strategies further cemented its success:

1. Product Schema for Rich Results:
   • Product schema enhanced their visibility with rich snippets showing details like price and availability.
   • Tip: Implement product schema using tools like AIOSEO’s Schema Generator.
2. Knowledge Panel on Google:
   • A knowledge panel ensured essential business details were readily accessible, reinforcing trust and authority.
   • Tip: Optimize your business information for Google’s Knowledge Graph to increase your chances of securing a knowledge panel.

Key Takeaways for Your SEO Strategy

Top 3 Strategies to Emulate:

1. Execute domain migrations carefully with a robust 301 redirect plan.
2. Expand your content with well-optimized product pages targeting unbranded keywords.
3. Leverage image SEO to drive traffic from image search results.

Bottom 3 Strategies to Reconsider:

1. Over-reliance on branded keywords—focus on broader terms to scale traffic.
2. Neglecting schema markup—it’s a game-changer for rich results.
3. Ignoring local SEO—small adjustments can make a big difference in local search visibility.

We received assistance from AIOSEO to create this case study. We made it more creative and informative for you. If you have any questions about this review or are interested in publishing your successful marketing case study, please drop us a message.

Related: E-Commerce SEO Success Story: From 100 to 81,000 Monthly Visitors