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When SEO traffic starts slipping and zero-click searches dominate, how do you fight back?
For this leading bakeware and cookware brand, organic search was becoming less reliable for bringing traffic to their site. Between AI Overviews, evolving ecommerce SERPs, and a competitive retail space, we had to double down on fundamentals and evolve with Google’s new direction.
In this case study, we’ll show you how leaning into product feed optimization, on-page content enhancements, and site quality improvements drove stronger organic visibility and helped our client claw back high-intent traffic.
📈 Quick Win: Non-brand traffic to category pages grew +54% YoY, and we’re earning 600–1,000 more transactional organic clicks per week.
When Organic Traffic Slows, It’s Time to Rethink the Fundamentals
If you're seeing declining organic traffic despite publishing quality content and maintaining SEO best practices, you're not alone. Many ecommerce brands are feeling the squeeze as Google transforms how users find and interact with products online.
Our client faced multiple headwinds:
- Google as the new homepage: Fewer users are clicking through from search as AI Overviews and rich results provide direct answers.
- LLMs are siphoning top-funnel traffic: Informational queries that once brought in awareness-stage visitors are now answered instantly.
- Shoppable SERPs are dominating: Google is increasingly showcasing product grids and third-party listings that reduce the need to visit brand sites.
- High competition in bakeware: Competing with both specialty retailers and big-box stores made visibility even harder.
Instead of chasing traffic that was disappearing, we refocused efforts to capture high-converting, transactional visits—and ensured Google had every reason to prioritize this brand in key product searches.
1. Doubling Down on Product Feed Optimization
Tip: “Treat your Google Merchant Center Feed as an SEO asset—not just a shopping tool for paid search.”
We embraced Google’s shift toward shoppable SERPs by making our product listings stand out:
- Refined product titles to match real search behavior (e.g., adding dimensions & more descriptive keywords)
- Enhanced product descriptions in the feed gave Google richer data to work with and improved visibility across surfaces.
- Continuous testing of feed elements let us stay agile and improve performance month-over-month.
📊 Result: +3,500 clicks from Google Merchant Center organic listings in just three months (YoY).
2. On-Page Enhancements for Transactional SEO Wins
Tip: “Your PLP pages are often the front door—make sure they say “welcome.”
We focused on category pages (PLPs) that aligned with high-intent, product-focused queries. Improvements included:
- Descriptive metadata written for both SEO and CTR.
- Intro copy and FAQs added at the top and bottom of category pages to provide clarity, improve dwell time, and answer common user questions.
- Internal linking updates to the top navigation and adding breadcrumb links to guide visitors from PLPs to relevant subcategories or products.
📊 Result: 600–1,000 more organic clicks/week to product and category pages vs. last year.
📊 Result: +54% YoY growth in non-brand category traffic (Feb–May 2025).
3. Improving Site Quality and Crawl Efficiency
Tip: “When in doubt, make it easier for Google to love your site.”
To boost overall domain quality and avoid SEO bloat, we cleaned up legacy and duplicate content:
- Removed duplicate product pages from Google’s index to reduce crawl waste.
- Added breadcrumb links and restructured top navigation to improve internal linking and user flow.
- Implemented CollectionPage schema to give Google structured signals about product groupings and enhance understanding.
📊 Result: Steady decline in duplicate indexed URLs and a clearer path for Google to prioritize high-value pages.
Navigating a New SEO Landscape—And Winning
As search behavior changes and AI eats away at traditional top-of-funnel traffic, ecommerce brands must adapt. This success proves that focusing on the basics—great product data, optimized entry pages, and crawl-friendly site structure—still works.
And those improvements are resulting in increases for both total site and seo revenue:
We’re closing the SEO revenue gap while overall performance trends up—proof that smart, focused SEO is still a growth engine.
Want to Future-Proof Your SEO Also?
Tired of declining performance due to changing SERPs and zero-click searches? We’re here to help.
👉 Book an intro with Uproer and let’s talk strategy.
