Turning SEO debt into measurable organic growth

For a global health research organisation aiming to reach a wide range of audiences, visibility is critical. If key topics cannot be discovered, impact is reduced. The objective was to stabilise performance, strengthen organic reach, and ensure the new platform launched clean. That required a clear SEO strategy built around discoverability, content creation priorities, and realistic opportunities for growth.

Ahead of the website launch, Burnet Institute needed to address a significant backlog of technical SEO issues without carrying them into the new platform. Organic visibility across priority health themes was also being limited by unclear keyword ownership and overlapping content competing for the same searches. Without a clear view of page performance and priorities, these issues risked constraining future growth.

We implemented a structured 12-month SEO strategy focused on impact. A comprehensive technical audit identified the backlog, which we triaged and resolved by priority to prevent issues carrying forward. In parallel, we optimised priority theme pages, assigning one primary keyword per page to remove cannibalisation and sharpen search intent. We also reviewed how different content types, including core information pages and supporting blog posts, contributed to visibility across key topics.

Technical issues were reduced by 94%. Across 10 priority health themes, organic page views increased by 182%, with average organic engagement improving by 1.7%. Certain themes saw organic views grow by 615%, alongside an engagement lift from 58% to 87%.

This SEO case study demonstrates how resolving technical issues, improving reporting, and clarifying keyword ownership helped build stronger foundations for content creation and long-term organic growth.