How a Refurbished Tech Marketplace Grew Traffic by 2,040% in 6 Months
https://reebelo.com/
Stats
5K to 106.5K Monthly Visits
Industry
Ecommerce & Retail
Niche
Tech
Reporting Date
December 2023
The global refurbished electronics market was valued at USD 48.29 billion in 2023 and is projected to reach $94.10 billion by 2030.
And with business booming comes competition.
Enter Reebelo, an online marketplace for refurbished tech and lifestyle products.
They've recently skyrocketed website traffic from 5K to 106.5K monthly visits, and we're telling you exactly how they did it.
Join us as we decode this SEO success story and share insights for replicating their growth on your site.
In This Article
About Reebelo
Reebelo is an online marketplace for refurbished technology and lifestyle products. They sell mobile phones, laptops, gaming consoles, cooking appliances, and more.
While most products are refurbished, some are new.
Apple is their most popular brand. They offer iPhones, Airpods, Macbooks, and other Apple products.
Rebeelo follows a business-to-consumer (B2C) model, selling used products at a discounted price. They partner with local vendors to ensure the trustworthiness and quality of goods.
Today, Reebelo has over 29K reviews on Trustpilot and averages a 4.7-star rating.
Historical Performance
Reebelo was founded in October 2019.
2020 was the website's first full calendar year, bringing on average 3.4K organic visits per month.
This number quadrupled in 2021.
Then, in 2022, Reebelo experienced its first real traffic spike. April 2022 was the highest traffic to date, with 24.3K visits.
Unfortunately, it was short-lived.
Traffic fell to 147 visits in August.
For the next 7 months, Reebelo's organic traffic stayed below 3K visits per month.
Spring and summer of 2023 brought a slight uptick in traffic. Then, September marked the beginning of unprecedented growth.
By December 2023, Reebelo had reached a new level of online popularity. They experienced an all-time high of 106.5K organic visits.
This surge more than quadrupled their previous traffic peak (April 2022, 24K visits).
So, what happened to finally unlock the 100K monthly traffic milestone?
Let's find out.
The Catalyst: How Reebelo Achieved 2,040% Growth in 6 Months
Reebelo.com grew its organic traffic by performing the following:
- Expanding its product catalog and collections
- Leveraging images to stand out on the SERP
- Winning product snippets
We’ll explore each of these strategies in detail, starting with Reebelo’s new content.
1. Expanding Its Product Catalog and Collections
In 2022, Reebelo operated with less than 1,000 live pages on its site at any given time.
January 2023 was rather low, with a mere 343 pages.
However, the following months highlight a remarkable shift in Reebelo's SEO content strategy.
By August, the page count had surged to approximately 1.2K pages. Then, it doubled the following month.
This push in content production set the stage for December's explosive growth. The numbers below demonstrate this strategic move and its effect on organic traffic.
| Month | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pages on Site | 1,012 | 1,064 | 1,221 | 2,685 | 4,603 | 6,332 | 8,734 |
| Worldwide Traffic | 4,974 | 5,603 | 10,609 | 18,064 | 41,946 | 66,721 | 106,454 |
As for the content of these new pages, Reebelo built out its product catalog and collection pages.
Here’s an example of one of the collection pages for Apple iPads:
And a closer look at one of the product detail pages (PDP) for a refurbished iPad Mini 6:
Adding new product is to be expected from eCommerce businesses, but it’s what Reebelo did with these pages that won more traffic.
Reebelo went beyond the standard SEO best practices, like optimized H1s, title tags, and URLs.
They also included additional copy to dive deeper into product specs.
In the screenshot below, we see how Reebelo discusses the iPad Mini 6's improvements over past models, display features, and chip performance.
As for their collection pages, we noticed that Reebelo frequently implements FAQs. This approach addresses common user queries and adds depth to the content.
Take the screenshot below as an example.
Here, we see how Reebelo guides users on their buying journey. They provide context to the collection as a whole and highlight specific products to help users decide which is best for their needs.
Why this matters:
For online businesses, the number of pages on a website might seem like a mere statistic.
But in reality, growing your site is one of the best ways to:
- Provide a comprehensive user experience.
- Show authority to search engines and users.
- Rank for more keywords and win more traffic.
After all, every page is an opportunity to introduce your product to new users and rank.
Reebelo used this tactic to offer its customers more products. And it won them more rankings in search engines.
We see this growth in the chart below.
In December, Reebelo ranked for 58.4K keywords. That’s an incredible 1,055% increase over 6 months prior (June).
How to find new ranking opportunities for your site:
Identifying new content opportunities starts with keyword research.
This keyword research guide demonstrates how to do it using popular SEO tools.
Here’s a quick overview of the process:
- Start your search with a broad term. (For example, if you’re an apparel eCommerce, you may start with “jackets.”
- Find related keywords.
- Export all keyword ideas into a spreadsheet.
- Rinse and repeat steps 1-3 for new terms.
- Organize keywords using topic clusters to build your content strategy.
Then, once you’re ready to start creating your content, you’ll want to optimize it for users and search engines.
This SEO Checklist has 50+ items you need to optimize for maximum reach.
Tools for keyword research and content optimizations:
As we just saw, ranking for new keywords is a two-fold process. Let’s look at two WordPress tools that streamline both parts.
- All in One SEO (AIOSEO) Keyphrase Suggestions make it easy to do keyword research in WordPress. This tool connects with your Semrush account to generate keyword ideas directly in the WordPress editor. It uses your focus keyphrase (primary keyword) to select results.
Here’s an example of keywords it generated for the focus keyphrase “wool coat.”
- Next, the TruSEO Analysis tool will check your content optimizations for your new keyword. You’ll get easy-to-understand checklists that help you see how your content stacks up against critical SEO checks.
The image below shows the Focus Keyphrase Checklist, which lets you know if you’re using your keyword in the right areas.
Now that we understand how Reebelo created and optimized new pages for its site, let’s look at how it uses images to rank higher.
2. Leveraging Images to Stand Out on the SERP
One of the most impressive transformations on reebelo.com regards its presence on the search engine results page (SERP).
At the end of 2023, Reebelo experienced significant growth in rich snippets.
Most notably, they ranked for 22.4K keywords with image rich results in December.
Rich snippets are enhanced search listings that display more information than standard search results.
These results can include star ratings, breadcrumbs (site hierarchy), images, and more.
For Reebelo, images were the most frequently occurring rich results. Below is an example.
Why this matters:
Rich snippets take up more space on the SERP, earning more attention from users.
They boast a higher clickthrough rate CTR at 58% compared to standard listings with a 41% CTR.
Because of this, they’re a powerful way to drive more organic traffic to your website.
How to optimize images for rich snippets:
Now, here’s the thing with Reebelo: they didn’t exactly optimize all that well for these rich results.
However, they do follow some basic image SEO guidelines.
For example, they adhere to the following optimizations:
- Include your focus keyword in the image file name.
- Write SEO-friendly alt text.
Their on-page SEO is also relatively strong, which provides additional context for search engines to rank their images.
For your site, we recommend using more thorough image optimizations, such as:
- Use image title tags to provide users and search engines with more information.
- Implement image schema markup to better your chances of winning a rich snippet.
- Prune image file names to be search-friendly.
Note: Following these guidelines doesn’t guarantee a rich snippet. Google generates these enhanced listings based on the search and their own criteria.
Tools for image SEO:
Image SEO can be labor-intensive when you don’t have the right tools.
At AIOSEO, our Image SEO feature minimizes the manual work of image optimizations. You can use smart tags to automate the following image attributes:
- Title
- Alt text
- Caption
- Description
- File name
See the example below for setting the image title in AIOSEO.
As for schema markup, our Schema Generator can implement image schema for you.
It’s as simple as uploading your image in the schema settings, answering a few easy questions, and we’ll format it for search engines.
Next, we’ll look at another type of rich result recently acquired by Reebelo: product snippets.
3. Winning Product Snippets
In October 2023, Reebelo received its first product snippets (1K ranking keywords).
November and December multiplied this number by sixfold.
Our earlier screenshot of an image rich result was also a product snippet, but let’s take a look at another example.
The image below points to specific attributes exclusive to product snippets. This includes the following information:
- Average seller rating
- Shipping and returns
(It also includes an image and breadcrumbs, but these are not exclusive to product snippets)
Now, typically, you get this type of result when you use product schema markup on your website. However, we were surprised to learn that Reebelo doesn't use it.
In fact, the only type of schema markup we found was website schema.
As it turns out, Reebelo is a Google Merchant. This suggests that they likely uploaded their product information into their Google Merchant Center account, making it accessible to search engines without relying on traditional product schema.
Why this matters:
All eCommerce businesses should implement product schema markup on their websites. It's a core component of SEO and helps you win rich snippets.
And even though Reebelo is a Google Merchant, we were surprised to find out that they didn't use the appropriate structured data on its site.
Google also recommends using structured data markup for Merchant Center.
Luckily, Reebelo still received new product snippets. And that’s the most important. These results contribute to a stronger presence on the SERP and more traffic.
How to implement product schema on your eCommerce site:
This tutorial demonstrates three methods for adding schema markup to WordPress without a plugin.
Each requires some coding knowledge and uses JSON-LD.
You can also read Google’s directions for implementing product structured data.
Finally, for Google Merchants, here are Google’s guidelines on how to set up structured data in Merchant Center.
Tools for product schema:
Schema generator plugins are the easiest way to add schema markup to your WordPress site.
Plus, you don’t need any coding knowledge to use them.
AIOSEO’s Schema Generator automatically formats structured data for you. All you have to do is pick product schema (or any other desired schema markup) from the Schema Catalog.
Click the + button, fill out a few information fields, and that's it!
Standout SEO Wins
Before we conclude, we’d like to highlight an additional SEO technique at reebelo.com.
1. They use canonical tags on product variation URLs.
When browsing a product, users can customize settings to shop items with their desired specs.
Below, we see how users can choose from the following criteria:
- Carrier
- Storage
- Color
- Condition
Each time a user changes one of the options, it generates a new URL.
For example, the above selection generates the following URL:
https://reebelo.com/collections/apple-iphone-13-pro?serviceProvider=Unlocked&storage=128GB&color=Gold&condition=Pristine&mvno=&replacedFromCondition=However, if we change the color to silver and the condition to excellent, we get the following URL:
https://reebelo.com/collections/apple-iphone-13-pro?serviceProvider=Unlocked&storage=128GB&color=Silver&condition=Excellent&mvno=&replacedFromCondition=This is standard practice for eCommerce websites that have product variations.
The problem?
They can come with potential duplicate content issues.
When multiple URLs point to the same page, search engines don't know which one to prioritize or rank.
A canonical tag allows you to tell search engines which URL is your preferred version. This helps the primary URL rank in search results and avoids issues with duplicate content.
Reebelo implements canonical tags generously on its site.
Let’s look at an example.
In the image below, we see how the gold variation has the URL with the customized criteria. And just below it, we see the canonical tag pointing to the main version of the URL (/apple-iphone-13-pro).
This means Reebelo is telling search engines to index the main iPhone 13 Pro URL and not the gold variation specifically.
Note: The above screenshot was taken from the All in One SEO Analyzer. This free Chrome Extension makes it easy to analyze competitors’ websites or your own.
Tool: Canonical tags tend to confuse new website owners, but they’re not hard to set up. In WordPress, you can customize canonical URLs easily in the AIOSEO settings. Just enter the preferred URL of the page, save, and you’re done!
Takeaways
In our analysis of reebelo.com, we’ve uncovered how new content and rich snippets contributed to its explosive organic growth.
Now, let’s recap which strategies you can replicate on your site and others to reconsider.
Top 3 Strategies to Emulate
- Target more ranking opportunities with new content. Reebelo continued to add to its product catalog and collections. This keeps the website fresh and relevant, earning the attention of users and search engines. If you're not an eCommerce owner or don't have a steady flow of new product, look for other ways to build out your content. You can add a blog, glossary of industry terms, tutorials, etc.
- Use image SEO to create eye-catching search results. While Reebelo uses some image optimizations, we recommend being more thorough with image SEO on your site. You should optimize file names, alt text, titles, captions (when appropriate), and more. (Don’t forget image schema, too.) Strong image SEO improves your visibility with attention-grabbing rich results. It can also help you rank in Google image searches.
- Implement product schema to win product snippets. For eCommerce businesses, product schema is indispensable. It allows search engines to show product details like average rating, price, and shipping information directly on the SERP. This helps you claim more SERP real estate, earning more clicks and organic traffic.
Bottom 3 Strategies to Reconsider
- Not setting a meta description on every page. Many of Reebelo's pages are missing meta descriptions. This oversight can have negative effects on clickthrough rates. Instead, you should have a meta description for every indexable page. This copy acts like a preview of your content, compelling users to visit your page. When done well, it can boost your CTR and traffic. Plus, you don't even have to write them on your own. You can use a meta description generator to write them for you.
- Some pages exceed metadata character limits. Some of Reebelo's pages have meta titles and descriptions that exceed character limits. This can lead to truncated and incomplete copy on the SERP, diminishing its effectiveness. Optimize your metadata to align with search engine guidelines to get the most out of valuable SERP real estate. A SERP snippet tool can help you check how your page looks in search results before going live.
- Not leveraging schema markup on your website. Reebelo's limited use of schema markup presents an opportunity to boost its online presence even higher. Schema markup communicates important details about your page to search engines. It can also help you win rich snippets on the SERP. These results get more clicks than standard search listings, making them ideal for websites chasing more traffic. Use AIOSEO's rich snippet schema to easily add structured data to your site.
Steal Our SEO Winning Strategy: A Checklist for Your Website
Want to win the winning ranks of eCommerce sites like Reebelo?
This exclusive SEO Checklist has the steps to get you there.
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Grow Your eCommerce Website’s Traffic With AIOSEO
What if we told you that you could become your own SEO expert? No courses required.
That’s the power of All in One SEO (AIOSEO), the ultimate SEO plugin for WordPress.
With AIOSEO, you’ll get a suite of tools that empower you to optimize your site.
And they’re easy.
We don’t think a winning website should only be limited to the pros. That’s why we want to help you get the most out of your content with optimizations that actually make a difference. AIOSEO takes the guesswork out of ranking higher. Instead, you’ll get actionable insights to improve your content and win more traffic.
Here are some of our favorite features:
- Semrush Keyphrase Suggestions: Find new keywords without ever having to leave WordPress. AIOSEO pulls keyphrase suggestions from Semrush and serves them to you directly in the WordPress editor.
- TruSEO On-Page Analysis: Get an in-depth but easy-to-understand analysis of your optimization efforts. Each page includes an actionable checklist to help you maximize your content’s reach.
- Image SEO: Turn on automatic image alt text and title attributes with just 1 click. You’ll save time from manual entries while helping users and search engines understand your images.
- Rich Snippets Schema: AIOSEO offers various schema markup options to help you claim more rich results on the SERP. It’s as simple as choosing the schema you want; then, we’ll format the structured data for Google.
- AI Title & Description Generator: This time-saving tool creates compelling metadata for any page on your site. With the click of a button, you’ll harness the power of AI and get options for unique meta titles and descriptions.
- SERP Snippet: See how your metadata looks before publishing with the help of a SERP snippet preview. You’ll see if your content is the optimal length or needs tweaking.
