How Duett Increased SEO Performance by 1.3k% with a Rebrand & SEO Overhaul

It’s no secret that a brand’s messaging is probably the most important vehicle for the relationships it builds with its audience. The way you communicate the heart of what you do dictates how you connect, relate, and engage with your people. 

But, when your messaging lacks specificity and your content just isn’t resonating with your ideal audience — it’s time for a revamp. Allea Grummert, email marketing strategist and owner of Duett, came to me for this very thing. 

Allea was stepping on to new stages (literally!), appearing as a guest on a ton of new podcasts, and being recognized by industry leaders like ConvertKit. And, she knew that her services were rock-solid sellers (with a long list of client successes to boot), with a hyper clear picture of her ideal client — so, she knew it was time for a brand message that really reflected the level of her expertise and spoke directly to her ideal audience. 

Design Partner | Karlie Svebakken

Meet Duett, Email Marketing for Bloggers & Content Creators!

Allea’s business, Duett, specializes in email marketing strategy, copywriting, and (!) automations for bloggers and content creators. But like so many of the brands I work with, communicating the heart of their message was somewhat of a struggle. On top of that, between managing a team, client work, and speaking engagements Allea had no time to dedicate to a whole overhaul in addition to her new rebrand and website!

She knew her content and messaging felt flat on her current site, did nothing for her SEO, and lacked a focused conversion strategy, and needed help turning it around. She also spent quite a bit of time on the regular hopping on discovery calls with unqualified leads, so she needed copy that also helped weed out individuals who weren’t quite ready for her services just yet.  Even more challenging was the need to transition from a personality-driven brand – built around Allea’s unique voice – to a consistent brand message with brand voice copywriting appealing to her refined target audience.

“I needed someone to help me organize all of my thoughts, but more importantly I needed someone NOT ME to create a flow of content that makes sense on a website,” Allea remarked. She added, “While I could DIY it, now (with a new site) was not the time for me to try — it would have taken too much effort/energy/time and I just needed to know that the structure of the copy/site was set up by a professional.”

Our Goal for Brand Voice Copywriting, Brand Messaging, & Content Marketing

Our goal was simple — craft a brand messaging strategy, alongside an SEO and content overhaul, that truly resonated and related to her people — bloggers and content creators! 

This wasn’t just about generalized brand messaging — it was about speaking the language of bloggers, addressing their unique challenges, and offering tangible solutions. Our shared goal was to craft content that resonated with Duett’s ideal audience.

Audience Research: My Favorite Part!

What I LOVED about working with Allea was that I met my match when it comes to audience research obsession. Allea loves learning about her people — the actions they take, the results they see, the reasons they relate to her content, and so much more. 

Her team had years of audience survey data, voice of customer research reports, client surveys, and testimonials to literally sink myself into. I was in research heaven!

“Oh man, it is RICH with SEO copy and the VoC data I gathered from client interviews and questionnaires. It speaks so clearly to who I want to attract and work with, so if these words get me ranking and showing up in front of the right people on Google, it’ll surely speak to them when they click through and read the site.”

From the surveys and case studies to testimonials and more, I found so many golden nuggets of insights I was able to weave into her brand. I started to understand the bigger picture of a blogger’s universe — their fears, objections, wins, goals, and the language they comfortably resonate with when it comes to connecting with their audience. This research phase was pivotal in shaping the brand’s new messaging.

Duett’s New Brand Messaging: Speaking the Bloggers’ Language

Duett’s new brand messaging is an extension of Allea’s core values and personality traits, so this was an incredibly fun project to dig into. Three main focuses we highlighted were: 

1. Authenticity Over Aesthetics: Duett’s brand voice isn’t just about sounding polished or sophisticated. It’s about genuine connection. The revised voice aims to resonate with the emotions, aspirations, and challenges of bloggers, transcending the transactional aspects of the business-client relationship.
2. Approachable Expertise: Allea wanted Duett to be seen as an expert in the email marketing realm for bloggers but didn’t want to sound overly technical or distant. Thus, the brand voice merges professionalism with approachability, ensuring bloggers feel welcomed, seen and empowered.
3. Clear Not Clever: Taking cues from Allea’s preference for clarity over ornate language, Duett’s brand voice prioritizes clear and concise communication. While the tone can occasionally dip into playful hints (and a few boy band references), the primary focus remains on being easily understood.

Speaking to Allea’s Audience’s Biggest Frustrations

The refreshed messaging spoke to several main paint points — pain points we identified during the audience research phase. Her audience and previous clients were feeling:

• The rut of outdated email sequences.
• The aspiration for authentic subscriber connections.
• Nagging doubts about the real power of email marketing.

Brand Voice & Tone Shifts

The messaging took a few sharp turns. Specifically, the tone and messaging shifted to focus on: 

1. Relatable Storytelling: Given that Duett serves bloggers—a group deeply entrenched in storytelling—the brand’s tone frequently utilizes narrative elements. This allows potential clients to see themselves in the stories Duett shares, fostering deeper connections with Allea and the heart of the work she would be doing for them as a client.
2. Solution-Oriented Optimism: While acknowledging the challenges bloggers face, Duett’s tone is perennially optimistic, always looking at the brighter side of things and focusing on solutions rather than problems.
3. Conversational Warmth: Embracing a conversational style, the tone avoids jargon or overtly promotional language. It’s like having a chat with a trusted friend—and a cheerleader supporting the reader’s individual desires and goals—who just so happens to be an email marketing expert excited to help them get there.

Duett’s Unique Value Proposition (UVP)

Now, Duett’s value proposition is redefined with promises of expert guidance, bespoke email sequences, and strategies to help their clients forge deeper, more meaningful subscriber connections.

“Having the clarity of who we are, who we serve, and what they’ll miss out on if they don’t work with us — was super helpful to the overall copywriting process… It reads more like me and how I want people to feel (at ease, comfortable, that I’m approachable) when they’re on my site. I’ve had friends and family attest to that too — that the site feels like how you would if you met me.”

The Heart of Duett’s Brand Messaging

With a deep understanding of the bloggers’ persona, Duett’s brand message was designed to be a go-to industry resource for:

1. Empowerment Through Education: Promoting the idea that effective email marketing isn’t just about sending emails, but about educating, encouraging and inspiring subscribers by adding value and building trust.
2. Personalized Strategies: Emphasizing that no two bloggers are the same, Duett’s messaging underlines the importance of tailored strategies—whether through storytelling or segmentation—over generic, boilerplate solutions.
3. Building Authentic Relationships: More than just growing subscriber numbers, Duett’s message stresses the importance of genuine connections, long-term loyalty, and community building for the long-term health and sustainability of their client’s marketing efforts.

Duett’s transformation wasn’t just about a fresh coat of paint; it was about building a bridge of trust and understanding between the brand and the blogger community. The newfound brand voice, tone, and strategic messaging ensure that every interaction resonates with purpose and passion, reflecting the very essence of what Duett stands for (and wants to support more of) in the blogging world.

SEO & Brand Messaging Strategy to Drive Organic Conversations

The mission for Duett’s SEO was simple — draw bloggers, food bloggers, and content creators, and engage them in meaningful ways. By focusing on specific keywords, from “email marketing for bloggers” to “food blogger email marketing,” my goal is for Duett to really stand out in this niche space. 

Allea’s content strategy featured a mix of pillar articles, supporting pieces, and optimized content, rolled out methodically over the months. We began with a cornerstone piece of content, The Ultimate Kick-Start Guide to Email Marketing for Bloggers. 

A cornerstone piece of content is your brand’s stage to shine, to show off expertise, and to pull readers into your world. It’s more than just a post:

1. Deep Dive Content: We’re talking rich, detailed, and the sort of content that answers not just the “what,” but the “how,” “why,” and “what next.” It’s like a buffet of information!
2. Always Relevant: The best part? It’s mostly evergreen. This piece is regularly and intentionally updated so it stays relevant and authoritative through the years. Hello, authority-building!
3. SEO for the Win: Choose your keywords right, and this content could become your golden ticket to the top of search results. 
4. Internal Linking: Cornerstone content serves as a hub. Related articles and posts should link back to this cornerstone piece, and vice versa. This not only helps with SEO but also provides a structured way for readers to navigate and understand the depth of content available on the topic.

Alright, But What Were the Results?

I always, always, always tell clients that copywriting, brand messaging, SEO (especially), and marketing are long-term games. Yes, you’ll likely see some immediate rewards, but more often than not the rewards compound over a period of time. However, Duett saw some crazy cool results right out of the gate!

A Crazy Increase in Organic Search Traffic

Quarter 2, only a few months after the site went live, saw a staggering 1303% increase in organic search traffic compared to Quarter 1 of 2023,which honestly made my eyeballs nearly fall out of their sockets! To be honest, I had to double check those numbers a couple of times just to make dang sure I wasn’t going crazy! 

To be honest, I had to double check those numbers a couple of times just to make dang sure I wasn’t going crazy! 

Engaging with Fewer Unqualified Leads

This doesn’t sound as sexy as a 1.3k% jump in search traffic, but if you’re a business owner you will absolutely be swooning when you hear that Allea has yet to receive an unqualified lead from her site. What?! This means that her copy does its JOB in speaking directly to her ideal audience, showing them how to self-vet, and laying out all the information needed to make an informed decision about choosing to partner with Duett. Yes!

What’s Next for Duett!

By understanding Allea’s audience, leveraging data, and being adaptable, Duett now features a brand that bloggers can truly resonate with, clearly see how their team can support them, and feel comfortable reaching out to book a discovery call. And if there’s one takeaway for businesses from this, it’s this: know your audience, speak their language, and build relationships by clearly communicating this on your website.

“Kaylan helped me get my big ideas in order for my new website in ways that I didn’t have the capacity (or skill) to. She took all of my audience research, my goals and my brand voice, and was able to organize it into ways I never would have imagined. My new website copy feels so true to my brand and is layered with voice of customer language that is undeniably clear about who we serve and want to attract as clients!” – Allea