* NOTE: Due to the nature of the project and the sensitivity of the industry, the client's identity has been withheld from public view.
1. The Context
Relevance in a market ruled by legacy and perception
In a space dominated by the Big Four and firms with decades of authority—where digital visibility often correlates with perceived credibility—a boutique consultancy specialized in Corporate Finance, Legal & Tax Advisory, and Interim Management set out to strengthen its positioning through digital channels.
Their offline reputation was impeccable, built on a combination of deep expertise, senior-level involvement, and close client relationships grounded in trust. But were those same qualities resonating with equal strength online?
We began by analyzing the competitive digital landscape to understand where the firm stood—and where the real opportunities were. Where could we position ourselves digitally? Could we reflect the firm’s real-world authority in the digital space as well?
The client had the kind of depth and integrity that, if well represented, we knew would resonate. Our approach was simple: listen, learn, iterate—again and again—until the digital expression matched their real-world excellence.
2. The Challenge
What was the real context for activating our services?
Could we realistically compete—digitally speaking—with firms holding such consolidated domain authority as Garrigues, Deloitte, or PwC, backed by massive volumes of content and decades of brand presence?
To uncover real opportunities, we needed to deeply understand:
– Where are our potential clients when the need arises?
– How do they search for the services they will later require?
– What terms do they use, and what intent lies behind each one?
What does it feel like to be in a CEO’s shoes at a critical decision point?
What emotions do they experience—before, during, and after launching a complex operation?
What cognitive, emotional, or relational barriers might delay or accelerate their process?
What would make them choose a boutique firm over a large consultancy?
And above all: what real opportunity did we have to deliver tangible value through digital—beyond noise or empty visibility?
3. Sketch of a Strategy
Hiring decisions rarely begin directly—they’re often triggered by an informal reputational due diligence process, where Google usually acts as the first credibility filter. That’s why we anchored our strategy there.
In a landscape dominated by major players, we couldn’t—and didn’t aim to—compete on domain authority or brand awareness. Our value proposition lay elsewhere: high-level consulting delivered through a boutique, specialized, and deeply human approach.
While others win through scale, we chose focus and tailoring to the decision-makers needs
During our competitive analysis, we identified a vertical opportunity: the chance to focus on specific subtopics—aligned with the subservices we aimed to consolidate—within a broader category. These were high-intent areas, yet surprisingly underexplored and not fully tailored to the real decision-making needs of our target segments.
We chose a more human, more specialized approach. From the outset, it was clear that our strength wouldn’t lie in technical execution alone, but in strategy, real-world experience, and the ability to connect.
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4. Grounding the Strategy
Deep audience understanding
Together with the client, we uncovered the emotional and behavioral patterns of key decision-makers. We mapped their journeys, aligned insights with keyword intent, internal interviews, and desk research—and then validated everything with Hotjar and Google Analytics, refining both language and structure to meet real user needs and decision-making logic.
SEO strategy rooted in intent and precision
To position the firm’s core services, we identified the most relevant Google searches—analyzing query types, timing within the user journey, and underlying intent.
Rather than chasing volume, we focused on high-intent, low-competition keywords that reflected the behavior and needs of our ideal client segments.
Turning expertise into strategic narrative
The consultants had already produced extremely high-quality content—our task was to organize, structure, and expand it with real user doubts, and to address the underlying concerns revealed through feedback. The goal was to turn the website into a truly consultative platform.
Together with the consulting team, we worked toward that goal. Our hypothesis was clear: in an industry we believed to be saturated with institutional tone and marketing jargon, this contrast would be hard to ignore.
Highlighting what truly sets them apart
Now it was time to communicate what truly set our client apart: their ability to support CEOs through highly specific, sensitive, and complex processes—always with maximum confidentiality and a nuanced understanding of each business context. (Their boutique approach.)
5. Iterative Execution
Where Content Meets Behavior
Page-by-page SEO & UX Strategy
We applied a modular approach: each service or subservice page—such as Corporate Finance in the first round, or Financial Restructuring in later iterations—was treated as an independent unit—designed, tested, and refined individually before moving on to the next. This allowed us to build learning and refinement into every step of the execution.
Each page was built on hypothesis-driven intent analysis, identifying strategic search opportunities in a space still dominated by large firms. Content was designed to directly address the specific pain points and motivations of decision-makers. This allowed us to build learning and refinement into every step of the execution. Each core service was approached with a strategy rooted in user journey dynamics.
Semantic expansion & behavioral feedback loops
We continuously iterated based on behavioral insights. When we noticed high traffic on advisor profiles, we expanded them.
We enriched service pages with industry-specific scenarios—such as interim management in industrial vs. tech companies—based on browsing patterns, Hotjar recordings, and Google CTR data.
Each new insight became input for the next refinement, creating a dynamic loop where behavior actively shaped content, structure, and prioritization.
Impact
+20 keywords ranked #1 for high-impact search terms
Including high-value generic queries such as ‘consultora m&a’ and multiple geolocated variations of key terms.
21% organic visibility reached for strategic business terms
Outperforming top firms like KPMG, Deloitte, and Garrigues—who stayed below 3%—in specific high-impact searches, (See IMG point 6.)
Quality traffic grew significantly—leading to international conversion
Organic search drove 63% of traffic, with 40% new users and 60%+ meaningful engagement—leading to qualified leads and proving that behavior-driven content converts, even in complex B2B.(See IMG point 5).
6.Two reminders I like to come back to
At its core, Google is a platform built to deliver relevance based on user experience. In that sense, SEO is a behavioral discipline—it requires understanding the needs, intentions, and emotions behind each search, and anticipating them at every stage of the journey.
Tools like Hotjar and Google Analytics don’t just provide metrics—they reveal patterns, friction points, motivations, and signals that help fine-tune the experience in real time. Iterating based on real behavior allows us to move with clarity, reduce friction, and build messages that align with how people actually think, feel, and decide.
An Outstanding Team
I approached this project as part of a team I shared nearly four years of my life with.
