SEO Case Study: How an HR Software Company Increased Trial Requests by 280%
On March 11, 2025, an HR software company headquartered in Lehi, Utah partnered with Goforaeo because their site was getting attention, but not enough trial requests. The product was solid, but search visibility was spread across mixed topics, and buyers were not reaching the trial page at the right time.
This case study covers the campaign from March 11, 2025 to November 21, 2025. It includes monthly work, monthly numbers, and the exact SEO moves that pushed trial requests up by 280%.
Company Snapshot: What they sell and who they serve
This client is a SaaS company offering HR software for small to mid sized businesses. Their main challenge was not product quality, it was making Google understand the product clearly, and guiding visitors toward the trial in a natural way.
Key areas the platform covered:
- Employee onboarding workflows
- Time tracking and attendance
- PTO and leave management
- Performance tracking and reviews
- HR reporting and basic compliance support
Their buyers were typically founders, HR managers, and operations leaders. These buyers often search using problem focused terms first, then switch to comparison terms when they are ready to choose.
What counted as a trial request in this project
We counted a trial request only when someone fully completed the free trial start flow. That included the form submit, email verification, and reaching the trial confirmation step, so the number stayed clean and honest.
Tracked trial sources included:
- Organic search sign ups from the website
- Organic landing pages that led into the trial flow
- Trial confirmations matched inside the CRM and analytics
We did not count partial steps like clicking pricing, opening a chat, or starting a form without completing it.
Baseline Results: The before picture in March 2025
In March 2025, the site had content, but most pages were not built for SaaS buying intent. Some posts were getting impressions, yet they did not push users toward product pages, and the product pages did not target clear keyword groups.
Baseline numbers for March 2025:
- Organic sessions: 2,850
- Google Search Console clicks: 640
- Google Search Console impressions: 58,300
- Average position across tracked non branded terms: 28.6
- Trial requests from organic search: 20
- Organic trial conversion rate: 0.70%
This baseline mattered because it set the true starting point for the before vs after proof.
Strategy Overview: The simple plan behind the growth
We did not chase random traffic. We focused on keywords and pages that match a buyer journey, so the same person could go from learning to comparing to starting a trial without getting lost.
The strategy was built in a logical order: fix technical and tracking issues first, then rebuild page structure, then publish high intent content, then improve conversions. That sequence helped growth stay steady instead of spiking for one month and dropping the next.
Tools used for tracking, auditing, and execution
We used tools that helped us measure trial growth properly and make SEO decisions with evidence.
Tracking and reporting tools:
- Google Analytics 4: events, funnels, conversions
- Google Search Console: clicks, impressions, indexing, queries
- Looker Studio: monthly reporting dashboards
- HubSpot: CRM tracking for trial quality and lifecycle stages
SEO and performance tools:
- Screaming Frog: crawls, metadata checks, internal linking audits
- Ahrefs and Semrush: keyword research, gap analysis, link review
- PageSpeed Insights and Lighthouse: speed and Core Web Vitals checks
- Hotjar: session recordings and form drop off patterns
The core SEO pillars we applied
We kept the plan simple, but strong, because SaaS SEO works best when the site is organized around intent.
Main pillars:
- Technical cleanup: remove crawl waste and fix index signals
- Product led structure: feature pages, solution pages, integration pages
- Decision stage content: comparisons and use case pages that convert
- Strong internal linking: clear paths from content to trial pages
- Conversion improvements: fewer doubts, fewer steps, cleaner CTAs
Implementation Phases: What we changed and why it mattered
We split the campaign into phases so every change had a purpose. The early phase was about removing blockers, the middle phase was about building the right pages, and the later phase was about improving performance and conversion rate.
Each phase below includes what we did and the reason it helped trial requests grow.
Phase 1: Technical SEO and tracking cleanup in March 2025
The first weeks were about fixing hidden issues that limit growth. The site had repeated metadata, thin pages competing with each other, and internal links that were not guiding users toward product pages or the trial.
We fixed crawl paths, improved indexing signals, and cleaned up tracking so trial requests were recorded correctly. This made future reporting accurate and helped Google understand which pages mattered.
Phase 2: Rebuilding site structure for product led search intent in April and May 2025
After the technical layer was stable, we rebuilt the page structure around how buyers search. The previous structure treated the blog like the main entry point, but buyers often want direct answers like features, integrations, and comparisons.
We created clear product paths so a visitor could land on a solution page, understand the product fast, see proof, then start a trial. This also gave Google better targets for ranking, instead of forcing blog posts to do the whole job.
Phase 3: High intent content production starting June 2025
Once the structure was strong, content started working better because it had somewhere useful to send people. We focused on topics that appear right before a trial decision, not just general HR education.
We built content around use cases, comparisons, and integration searches. These pages usually convert better because the searcher is already thinking about picking a tool.
Phase 4: Conversion improvements from August to November 2025
Traffic alone does not guarantee trials. We improved conversion rate by removing friction, simplifying trial steps, and answering doubts where users typically hesitate.
We used recordings and funnel data to find drop off points. Then we adjusted CTA placement, reduced form fields where possible, and improved trust content like setup help, onboarding support, and what happens after trial.
Monthly Execution and Results: March 2025 to November 2025
Below is the month by month timeline with the main actions completed and the tracked numbers. The goal of this section is to show how the work and the results moved together, month after month, without guessing.
March 2025: Foundation and measurement
We started on March 11, 2025, focusing on technical cleanup and reliable tracking. This month was about removing blockers and making sure trial reporting was correct before scaling content.
Work completed:
- Full technical audit and crawl cleanup
- Indexing checks and sitemap refinement
- GA4 and CRM event validation for trial confirmation
Monthly numbers:
- Organic sessions: 2,850
- GSC clicks: 640
- Impressions: 58,300
- Trials: 20
- Trial conversion rate: 0.70%
April 2025: Structure rebuild begins
April focused on building stronger product entry points and making navigation match search intent. This is where we started turning the site into a product led SEO asset.
Work completed:
- First feature pages created and optimized
- Internal links added from top posts to product pages
- Navigation and page headings aligned with real buyer terms
Monthly numbers:
- Organic sessions: 3,180
- GSC clicks: 720
- Impressions: 63,900
- Trials: 26
- Trial conversion rate: 0.82%
May 2025: Solution pages and clearer trial path
May was about explaining the product in use case language. We built pages that matched searches like onboarding software, PTO tracking tools, and time tracking workflows, then connected them directly to the trial flow.
Work completed:
- Solution pages for onboarding, time tracking, and PTO
- Pricing page cleanup for clarity and fewer questions
- Stronger CTA blocks added across key pages
Monthly numbers:
- Organic sessions: 3,760
- GSC clicks: 860
- Impressions: 72,400
- Trials: 32
- Trial conversion rate: 0.85%
June 2025: Integration pages and long tail growth
June targeted high intent integration searches. In HR software, many buyers search with another tool name included, and those searches often convert well.
Work completed:
- Integration focused landing pages built
- Internal linking between integrations and related features
- Keyword mapping to avoid page overlap and confusion
Monthly numbers:
- Organic sessions: 4,320
- GSC clicks: 1,020
- Impressions: 84,600
- Trials: 41
- Trial conversion rate: 0.95%
July 2025: Comparison pages and decision stage wins
July focused on decision stage keywords. Comparison pages worked well because the visitor already had purchase intent, so the goal was to be clear, helpful, and honest.
Work completed:
- Comparison pages published with balanced positioning
- “Best for” sections added to reduce mismatch leads
- Improved internal links into trial from decision pages
Monthly numbers:
- Organic sessions: 5,050
- GSC clicks: 1,210
- Impressions: 98,900
- Trials: 49
- Trial conversion rate: 0.97%
August 2025: Content refresh and speed improvements
August improved performance and reduced friction. We refreshed pages that already had impressions but weak click through, and we improved mobile experience so trial starts did not drop.
Work completed:
- Updates to older pages: titles, headings, FAQs
- Image compression and script reduction for speed
- Cleaner CTAs on top landing pages
Monthly numbers:
- Organic sessions: 5,860
- GSC clicks: 1,420
- Impressions: 114,300
- Trials: 56
- Trial conversion rate: 0.96%
September 2025: Topic clusters and early authority building
September organized content into clusters so Google could see depth. This helped the site build topical trust around onboarding, time tracking, PTO, and HR basics.
Work completed:
- Topic cluster structure with hub style internal linking
- Supporting posts published for each main cluster
- Early outreach for relevant SaaS and HR links
Monthly numbers:
- Organic sessions: 6,740
- GSC clicks: 1,680
- Impressions: 132,500
- Trials: 63
- Trial conversion rate: 0.93%
October 2025: Higher clicks and better CTA placement
In October, we improved click through and trial flow placement. Some pages were ranking better but not getting enough clicks, so we rewrote titles and descriptions in a natural way.
Work completed:
- Title tag and meta description improvements for key pages
- CTA placement adjusted based on scroll and heatmaps
- More internal links from high traffic posts into trial paths
Monthly numbers:
- Organic sessions: 7,820
- GSC clicks: 1,940
- Impressions: 158,700
- Trials: 70
- Trial conversion rate: 0.89%
November 2025: Final refinements and peak results
November focused on removing the last bits of hesitation. Buyers often stop at the last step because of uncertainty, so we strengthened trust content and simplified the trial flow where possible.
Work completed:
- Trust sections improved: support, onboarding, setup time
- Trial form fields reduced and confirmation flow tightened
- Final refresh on top converting landing pages
Monthly numbers:
- Organic sessions: 8,900
- GSC clicks: 2,120
- Impressions: 176,800
- Trials: 76
- Trial conversion rate: 0.85%
Before vs After Proof: The 280% increase made simple
We compare the first tracked month to the latest month to keep the proof clear.
Before vs after:
- March 2025 trials: 20
- November 2025 trials: 76
- Net gain: +56 trials per month
- Growth: 280% increase in trial requests
Supporting growth signals:
- Organic sessions: 2,850 to 8,900
- GSC clicks: 640 to 2,120
- Impressions: 58,300 to 176,800
Why it worked: The real drivers behind trial growth
The main shift was moving from generic content to intent based structure. Google had clearer pages to rank, and visitors had clearer paths to trial, so the traffic became more qualified.
The campaign also worked because we kept improving what already had momentum. Instead of only creating new pages, we upgraded pages that already had impressions, then pushed those visitors into product pages and the trial.
Biggest drivers:
- Feature, solution, and integration pages that matched buyer searches
- Comparison pages that captured decision stage intent
- Strong internal linking from content to trial entry pages
- Faster pages and cleaner mobile experience
- Trial flow improvements that reduced drop off
Key takeaways for other HR SaaS companies
This campaign shows that SaaS SEO is not only about publishing blogs. The strongest trial growth usually comes from building the right page types and connecting them well.
If you are doing SEO for a SaaS product, the repeatable pattern looks like this:
- Fix technical and tracking first so growth is measurable
- Build product led pages for features, solutions, and integrations
- Create decision content like comparisons and use cases
- Improve trial flow so more visits turn into sign ups
Closing Summary: Timeframe, location, and outcome
This case study covers an HR software company headquartered in Lehi, Utah, working with Goforaeo from March 11, 2025 to November 21, 2025. Organic trial requests increased from 20 per month to 76 per month, which equals a 280% increase.
The growth came from clearer site structure, high intent pages, smarter internal linking, consistent content updates, and conversion improvements that made starting a trial feel easy and low pressure.