WordsAtScale #43: From 0 to 3X: Real SEO data from a CBD store

Author

Vlad Ivanov
April 09, 2025

Welcome to the WordsAtScale Newsletter #43!

Hey Guys! 👋 Vlad here.

This week, we dive into niche storytelling, AI-powered content strategies, and the power of structured SEO!

🌿 Niche of the Week: Old School Football Horror Stories
Step into the eerie, nostalgic world of football’s darkest tales—from cursed matches and stadium tragedies to ghost stories and hooliganism of the '70s–'90s.

🎉 SEO Case Study: 3X Growth in CBD
A struggling CBD Shopify store skyrocketed in Google rankings by restructuring an old affiliate content network into a commerce-focused topical map.

✍️ AI Humanization Spotlight: GenSpark’s Content Gap Mastery
Using GenSpark, a strategist built a 6,500-word blog post that crushed competitors on “how to avoid AI content detection.”

Niche of the Week [ai sleep tracking]

Niche Insights [YT]

The old school football horror stories niche thrives on nostalgia and the intrigue of real-life drama, violence, or eerie coincidences in the world of football. These stories often revolve around infamous matches, intense rivalries, tragic events, or mysterious incidents that have become part of football folklore. This niche appeals to both long-time football fans and younger viewers fascinated by the "darker" side of the sport.

Keyword List

Get you list of low competition keywords here [N/A]

Topics to Explore

  • Tragic or cursed football matches

  • Stadium disasters (e.g., Hillsborough, Heysel)

  • Haunting tales from derbies and rivalries

  • Football hooliganism stories from the 70s–90s

  • Dark side of football culture (superstition, curses, corruption)

  • Player and fan ghost stories or strange post-match events

  • Interviews or retellings from fans who experienced these events

Email Marketing

Email marketing can serve as a tool to build a community around this niche. Think weekly storytelling newsletters, behind-the-scenes extras, and early access to new videos. Segment audiences by interests (e.g., team, region, type of story) and promote exclusive content like "Top 5 Darkest Moments in Football" or "Unseen Footage of Forgotten Matches."

Promotable Products

Vintage football memorabilia, books on football history or dark stories in sports, paid podcast or video series subscriptions, merchandise with iconic retro designs or references to legendary matches. Price range: $15–$200 depending on rarity and exclusivity.

Digital Products

E-books like “10 Football Matches That Changed the Game Forever (and Not in a Good Way),” premium video series or narrated audio tales, or a mini-course for YouTubers on "Storytelling in Sports Content Creation." You could even offer themed digital art or wallpapers inspired by legendary moments.

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SEO Case Study [3X growth in CBD]

🎯 Situation

An e-commerce site built on Shopify was struggling to grow its search rankings. It had no backlinks and its content lacked function, experience, or perspective—things Google now looks for, especially after AI content updates.

📋 Task

The goal was to improve the site's visibility on Google by making its content more useful, more connected, and better structured for search engines.

⚙️ Action

So, what did they do? A few key things:

  • Reused a content network originally made for an affiliate site but restructured it for the e-commerce model.

  • Built a topical map (a structured list of content topics and connections).

  • Made sure the content had functionality—like search, add-to-cart buttons, or interactive elements—to meet Google’s new rules about “real usefulness.”

  • Turned informational content (e.g., "What is CBD oil?") into commercial content (e.g., "Buy CBD oil now").

  • Focused heavily on internal linking to connect high-quality pages together, making the site easier for search engines to crawl.

  • Used semantic SEO strategies (writing content in a way that makes sense to both humans and search engines).

  • Tracked results using Google Merchant Center and added verified reviews and shipment tracking to build trust.

🏆 Result

  • The content started ranking much higher on Google.

  • Traffic more than doubled over time—even without running backlink campaigns.

  • The website was seen as a trustworthy source, not just a basic store.

  • It earned better visibility across Google surfaces like Shopping, Knowledge Graph, and even Amazon.

💡 Key Takeaways

  • Topical authority matters more than ever. If you want to rank, you need to structure your site’s topics in a way Google understands.

  • Functionality is key. If your site doesn’t “do” anything (like let users shop, compare, or interact), Google may lower your rankings.

  • Don't give up on old domains! With the right structure and signals, lost traffic can come back.

  • Think like a source, not just a site. You’re building a reputation, not just writing pages.

AI Writing Techniques [genspark content gap]

🎯 Situation

A digital educator and content strategist wanted to help their community outrank top competitors on Google by writing smarter, more complete articles. The topic? How to avoid AI content detection.

📋 Task

The goal was to build a repeatable writing workflow that:

  • Finds content gaps.

  • Uses AI tools for deep research.

  • Generates a strong article outline.

  • Creates a long, helpful blog post.

  • Adds infographics for extra value.

⚙️ Action

They followed these smart steps:

  1. Start with a keyword
    The chosen keyword was: "how to avoid AI content detection."

  2. Use AI for deep research
    Tools tested: ChatGPT (with deep search), Gemini, GenSpark, and Perplexity.
    ✨ Best performers: ChatGPT, Gemini, and GenSpark gave the most accurate info by analyzing actual top-ranking pages.

  3. Run a custom prompt
    A detailed prompt was used to:

    • Break down competitor content (headings, visuals, word counts).

    • Evaluate search intent (what readers really want).

    • Spot content gaps and opportunities.

  4. Create a powerful outline
    GenSpark helped create a 12-step outline—stronger than competitors' 7–9 step articles.
    Sections included:

    • Prompt engineering

    • Manual rewriting

    • AI humanizer tools

    • Sentence variation

    • Ethical tips

    • And more!

  5. Write a full article with a long-context AI
    Used tools like Claude 3.5 or ChatGPT 4.5 to turn the outline into a 6,500-word article with examples and emojis to keep it engaging.

  6. Create visual content
    Used ChatGPT to pull data and make 12 custom infographics, one per strategy, then refined them in Canva.

🏆 Result

🚀 A high-quality blog post and visual assets that:

  • Beat competitors in length and depth.

  • Hit the right search intent.

  • Provided practical value for readers.

Relevant Video of the Week

🚨 MY FREE TOOLS:

All the best,

Vlad

P.S. I ❤️ you, I 🙏 you, and I’ll 👀 you soon