Exitwise, a company that helps founders build the perfect M&A team for a successful business exit, teamed up with our team at TrioSEO to improve their SEO content.
Over nine months, our strategy brought huge results, significantly growing Exitwise’s traffic and online presence.
Key Wins
- 50+ monthly leads
- 660% more organic clicks
- 760% increase in daily users
- 6K monthly organic traffic
- 50 #1 rankings on Google
- 400+ top 10 rankings
Google Search Console: January 2024 through September 2024 compared to the previous year (before working with TrioSEO)
When Exitwise first approached us, it had a low domain rating of 8 and wasn’t seeing much organic traffic, even though its valuation calculator was a strong lead magnet.
We quickly identified key issues and opportunities, creating a plan focused on high-intent, bottom-of-funnel (BOFU) content to reach founders and business owners looking to sell.
TrioSEO’s Approach
- Competitor Analysis: Strategically placed Exitwise to outrank competitors
- Keyword Research: Targeted high-intent BOFU content to attract ideal leads
- In-depth Site Audit: Spotted underperforming content & upgrade areas
- Content Creation: Produced 8 SEO-optimized articles per month
- Content Clean-up: Removed low-traction content.
How We Made it Happen
Our team honed in on industry-specific, high-intent keywords, ensuring Exitwise’s content was front and center for founders seeking M&A advice.
We also created middle-of-funnel (MOFU) content to support the valuation calculator and improve authority in Google’s eyes. Internal linking across articles helped build stronger connections and drive traffic.
Business Impact
- Lead Generation: Exitwise has more leads thanks to SEO content.
- Brand Authority: Exitwise is now a go-to resource in the M&A space
- Sustained Growth: Their SEO growth didn’t just spike—it stayed consistent, even through major Google algorithm changes.
In short, we turned Exitwise’s website into a magnet for high-intent traffic, attracting the right customers through targeted SEO content and organic search.
By focusing on the exact needs of their ideal audience, Exitwise not only saw a surge in qualified leads but also grew its newsletter, driving long-term engagement and positioning them as a go-to resource in the M&A space.
Letter from Founders
Hey there, we are Nathan, Steven, and Connor.
Thanks for reading our case study about how we grew Exitwise’s SEO to 50 number 1 rankings, a 760% increase in daily users, and 50+ monthly leads.
Exitwise interviews, hires, and manages your M&A dream team to create the exit you deserve. Their team has worked with TrioSEO for 9 months (still ongoing) at the time of writing this case study.
Want to work with us? Sign up for a free SEO audit and consultation.
If we work together, our team will look under the hood of your website to identify potential issues and areas of opportunity.
We’ll share the results with you and then jump on a call to answer any questions about SEO and growing your website’s organic traffic.
Cheers,
Steven Schneider
Owner & CEO, TrioSEO
The Results
Before we dive into the specifics, here’s a snapshot of their results:
- 660% increase in clicks
- 306% increase in impressions
- 760% increase in daily users
- 50 number 1 rankings
- 400+ top 10 rankings
- 97 key events in 1 month
- 6K organic traffic per month
Google Analytics growth since working with TrioSEO
Google Analytics – Jan ‘24 through Sept ‘24 Organic Traffic (30K)
Ahrefs – Number 1 Rankings (+50Keywords)
Ahrefs – Top 10 Rankings (+444 Keywords)
Google Analytics – Monthly Newsletter Signups (+16)
Google Analytics – Organic Search Valuation Calculator Downloads (+55)
Google Analytics – Valuation Calculator Submissions – Main ICP (+3 and growing)
Google Analytics – Premium Valuation Calculator Submissions (+4 and growing)
Review from Brian Dukes, Managing Partner at Exitwise
Want to see Brian’s video testimonial? Click here to watch his 60-second review.
Now, with that said, let’s dive into how we made it happen for their SEO.
Where Did Exitwise Start?
Exitwise was in a unique situation:
- Domain Rating: 8 out of 100
- Backlink Profile: Some, but not many
- Website Experience: Good, clean, and fast
- SEO Traffic: About 50 daily visitors from organic search
- Concerns: Low domain authority in a competitive niche
- CRO Set Up: 1 primary lead magnet (valuation calculator)
- Opportunities: Lots of bottom-of-funnel (BOFU) blog content
When the Exitwise team came to us, they knew the importance of investing in SEO.
They had previously worked with an SEO agency but struggled to find a partner who tackled topics confidently and could be an out-of-sight, out-of-mind solution.
During our first meeting, they explained that their valuation calculator was their primary lead magnet.
Why was this important?
Because all content linked back to this calculator ultimately drives leads and supports its page rank.
But it didn’t seem like a straight path to the finish line.
Exitwise had a domain rating (DR) of 8, which is very low, especially in finance (or so we thought). When we audited Exitwise, we noticed that Google loved its valuation calculator, ranking it top 5 on the first page.
Top rankings come with trust, and trust comes with authority.
Those rankings gave us confidence that content would perform well, so we created our first 90-day sprint in January 2024, with plans to publish 8 articles per month.
What Was Our Strategy to Grow their SEO?
Before jumping into SEO content, we did an in-depth analysis of:
- Current Content: Expert SME written, but not SEO-friendly
- Keyword Research: Tons of BOFU content first to target ICP
- Competitors: Small-to-mid level domain authority
- Business Model: Formed M&A teams for founders
- ICP: Founders and owners, with EBITDA $5m+
Next, we met with their team and discussed their roadmap (24 topics).
Our strategy: Target extremely high-intent topics about “XYZ Business Valuation” or “How to Sell XYZ Business” that would connect them with their ICP in the right industry.
Beyond BOFU guides, we also sprinkled in some middle-funnel (MOFU) content about exits, valuations, mergers, and M&A to support the valuation calculator.
Why was this important?
- Google trusted Exitwise’s domain
- We wanted to grow their relationship.
More content = more authority = better rankings.
Here are some keywords we decided to go after together:
We also suggested cleaning up some existing content.
Attempting to target specific industries, their team had previously created 100+ pages that gained zero traction.
They agreed that those industry pages weren’t helping, so they ultimately decided to sunset them so Google could focus on our content.
With our strategy in place, it was time to execute.
How Was it Implemented?
Our team got to work once the strategy was analyzed and agreed upon.
We created 8 monthly articles (+3 as a signing bonus) and ensured each article was 100% optimized when Google indexed it.
Titles were engaging, meta descriptions were well crafted, and headings were optimized. We added a TL;DR (too long; didn’t read) summary snippet to the top of each article, included relevant images with rich alt-text, and prioritized user experience from start to finish.
Internal linking content was (and always has been) one of our biggest strengths.
We linked relevant content categories as each article went live and supported the valuation calculator with internal links.
With each passing month, Exitwise had a growing library of content that spoke directly to its ideal customer, their experience, and their pain points and offered a solution to their needs.
Throughout everything, we kept their team updated with weekly emails.
How Fast Did the Client See Results?
In our first 90-day sprint, the results for Exitwise were very promising.
Reviewing a 3-month comparison of data:
- 98% increase in clicks
- 12% increase in impressions
- 107% increase in organic traffic
- 0.8% increase in clickthrough rate
Have you ever heard people say, “SEO growth compounds over time?”
Exitwise did just that—their growth had exploded by the end of the second sprint.
- 212% increase in clicks
- 177% increase in impressions
- Another 0.8% increase in clickthrough rate
- 200% increase in organic search traffic
Here’s a nice note we got from Brian in July around this time.
How Did it Impact the Client’s Business?
The goal of SEO is threefold:
- Attract new leads and customers to your website
- Establish subject matter expertise in your niche
- Educate your ideal customer on problems your business solves
For Exitwise, we’re happy to say that we achieved all three:
- Build a library of high-intent content that generates passive leads
- Use content to grow brand awareness and topical authority
- Leverage organic search for a variety of sign-up events
Even after 9-months of working together, Exitwise continues to see its SEO growth month over month.
Exitwise saw growth during major Google algorithm updates, proving that high-quality, authoritative content wins every time.
Want Our Team to Tackle Your SEO?
We would love to have you as a client and treat your site like ours.
At TrioSEO, we take great pride in communication, customer service, and results.
Want to start immediately?
Choose your desired package, then contact Nathan Hirsch or schedule a call to get everything in motion.
Why People Trust TrioSEO
Below are a few testimonials from TrioSEO clients. For more insight, watch a video testimonial from Brian Dukes, Managing Partner at Exitwise.
Who We Are
Hey there. We are Nathan, Steven, and Connor. We have scaled multiple businesses to 6, 7, and 8 figures utilizing SEO, with an exit to The Hoth in 2019.
SEO is the cornerstone of any business we build, and we are on a mission to offer the exact strategies we use to help you grow your business.
Contact Nathan Hirsch, and let’s put your next 90-day sprint in motion.
