Case Study: How Lil’ Luna increased traffic by 85% with Raptive’s Luminary SEO solution

The benefits of partnering with Raptive go far beyond RPM. We invest in your long-term success and deliver innovative, personalized solutions to propel your business forward.  

Raptive creators of all levels benefit from our SEO solutions, from Topic briefs and self-guided resources to one-on-one sessions with our in-house SEO experts. 

Luminary creators who use our proprietary SEO services, content optimization technology, and customized audits drive an 8-26% organic traffic lift, translating to more than a 6% total revenue increase. 

Today we’re shining the light on the creator behind Lil’ Luna, who is seeing incredible results from our Luminary SEO solution!

Featured creator

Kristyn Merkley, Lil’ Luna

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Reviving a stale SEO strategy

Like many creators, Kristyn learned SEO early but didn’t have the capacity to keep up to date with evolving strategies. 

“We have always had a very SEO-centered strategy for the site, but with so many recipes, it was hard to stay on top of updating content on a regular basis as well as stay on top of Google’s continuous changes,” said Kristyn. 

When Raptive invited Kristyn and Lorin to participate in the new SEO solution for Luminary creators, they said yes immediately. 

“Almost everything Raptive has offered to us has become beneficial in one way or another. Having an SEO expert look at our site, who wouldn’t want to take advantage of that?”

A new way of looking at SEO

The Merkleys had one-on-one sessions with Hank Azarian, Raptive’s SVP of Audience Growth. Hank developed customized solutions for their site and a traffic and growth model for the year. They also began optimizing individual posts with Topic’s AI-assisted research and content grading features.

“Hank has helped us look at SEO in a different way and has essentially taught us how to work smarter – not harder. More than anything, he’s helped us create a strategy that makes our content better for the people who are looking for it.”

Kristyn Merkley

Hank introduced updated strategies, like looking at keyword clusters instead of high-volume keywords. “We learned to find strength in what we’re already ranking for, then build on that to create content that supports the clusters Google has already recognized us for as subject matter experts. ” 

As their new system clicked into place, they saw a difference right away. “We came into this thinking it would be a refresher on SEO. We didn’t expect the amount of growth that we had.”

Skyrocketing organic traffic

Lil’Luna saw an 85% increase in search pageviews from Q3 to Q4 in 2022, almost 5x greater than peers of a similar size and niche. 

“We have much more control over organic growth than we initially thought. Since we’ve started working with Hank, we’ve seen direct results from putting in place a strategy that is more focused and intentional, instead of a shotgun approach hoping that something gives us good results, not knowing how or why.”  

They now focus on working smarter by being strategic about what they publish and optimize rather than trying to do everything simultaneously. Having one-on-one time with an expert had huge advantages over a DIY approach.

“Hank made the information more accessible and more applicable. The customized, personalized aspect really helped us and gave us more motivation. Reading an article could never come close.”

Our Luminary SEO solution was designed with creators like Kristyn in mind, giving them the tools and expertise to get their businesses to the next level. While we focus on increasing revenue per session, creators use our SEO solution to grow their sessions exponentially—skyrocketing overall revenue. It’s one of many reasons Raptive creators take home more money than anyone else.  

“When we think about the value Raptive provides, this is the premiere thing that comes to our mind. This type of experience and personalized approach makes everything worth it.”