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Table of Contents
I. SEO and tools.........................................................................................................................3
1. SEO (Search Engine Optimization).................................................................................3
2. SEO tools............................................................................................................................3
II. The business and its SEO strategy...................................................................................3
1. Business Overview.............................................................................................................3
2. Website................................................................................................................................4
a. Performance.....................................................................................................................4
b. SEO strategy....................................................................................................................4
III. Audience analysis...............................................................................................................5
1. Demographics and Psychographics..................................................................................5
2. Geographics........................................................................................................................6
3. Traffic sources....................................................................................................................6
IV. Keyword Analysis..............................................................................................................8
V. SEO Analytics.......................................................................................................................11
a. On-page SEO....................................................................................................................11
b. Off-page SEO...................................................................................................................13
b.1. Website speed................................................................................................................13
b.2. Backlinks.......................................................................................................................14
VI. Reference..........................................................................................................................15
VII. Appendix...........................................................................................................................18

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 I. SEO and tools
1. SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

SEO empowers businesses to organically attract customers searching for relevant keywords and
brands, ensuring businesses appear prominently in search results when users query related terms,
boosting website traffic and brand awareness (Setiawan et al 2020). Effective SEO strategies
elevate search engine rankings on SERPs and establish a consistent search presence, ultimately
improving web reputation (Bhandari 2017). The evolving nature of search algorithms requires
businesses to adopt sustainable and regularly updated SEO strategies (Confetto and Covucci
2021).

2. SEO tools

In audience analysis, by leveraging SimilarWeb to understand user behavior and conducting

relevant keyword research aligned with user queries, we can tailor website content to resonate
with our target audience and improve organic search visibility (Theuring 2021). In return, SEO
tools streamline business operations by automating time-consuming SEO tasks like keyword
research and data analysis (McVittie 2011).

II. The business

1. Business Overview

The Ordinary offers a growing collection of skincare solutions leveraging established

professional techniques. Their mission is to elevate industry standards for both cost-effectiveness
and ingredient transparency, fostering a new wave of informed consumerism (Ordinary n.d.).

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The Skincare Hero study reveals that The Ordinary tops the skincare brand search list in over 40
countries.

2. Website
a. Performance

With a domain authority of 74% and 145,000 backlinks, the website has a strong reputation and
is widely linked to by other relevant and authoritative websites (Ahrefs n.d.). Over the last three
months in 2024, theordinary.com's global ranking has decreased from 17,277 to 16,839
(Similarweb n.d.). In recent years, not only has The Ordinary witnessed a rise in eCommerce net
sales, but they also attracted 10.56% more organic traffic last month alone, indicating a positive
user experience (Figure 1, 2).

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 b. SEO strategy
The Ordinary's ingredient-focused product naming integrates with core SEO principles and
positions its products for high visibility in search results when beauty consumers seek specific
ingredients (Ford 2020). For instance, The Ordinary dominates search engine results for
"Niacinamide," capturing half (5/10) of the first page with links to their products (Appendix 1)

III. Audience analysis

1. Demographics and Psychographics

While SimilarWeb data indicates a 67.9% female user base, The Ordinary's gender-neutral
marketing, and monochromatic packaging strategically target all genders, aligning with their
product line's appeal to avoid avoids overly feminine or masculine imagery.

Millennial targeting requires a strong online presence as they prioritize personalized and
interactive online experiences via mobile apps and social media (Bewicke 2024). Unlike

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traditional advertising, these digital touchpoints are crucial for reaching this tech-savvy
generation. Furthermore, The Ordinary target audience in the age range (18-35) struggle with
product selection, highlighting a need for tools that simplify brand and product differentiation
(Enohnyaket et al., 2024). To cater to this demand with its focus on transparency and price-
consciousness, attracting both skincare enthusiasts and budget-minded consumers. Notably,
Similarweb’s data reveals that theordinary.com's visitors also frequent CeraVe and Paula's
Choice websites (Figure), indicating a potential audience overlap in the broader skincare market.

2. Geographics

Since theordinary.com’s visitors come from the US (38.67%), The Ordinary can leverage
location-specific keywords within its content strategy and highlight geo-targeted promotions and
discounts on the website.

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 3. Traffic sources

Figure 4 revealed that paid search comprised the largest traffic source with about 36%, followed
by organic search. In 2024, 69.1% of visitors were accessed through the phone whereas 30.9%
through the computer. Furthermore, high organic search ranking enhances user perception of
website credibility and trust (Dunlop 2024). This shows a strong focus on customer acquisition
over retention and its unsustainable traffic over the long term. High organic search ranking
indicates strong comparability between a website's content and user search intent, which leads to
higher user engagement rates and ultimately, conversions (Faustino 2023).

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Analysis of referral data (Figure 5) reveals YouTube and Reddit as The Ordinary's primary
sources of engagement, where Gen Z, or Millennials, make up around two-thirds of users and
vary in age from 18 to 35 in 2023 (Appendix 2). Additionally, about 78% of worldwide visit
time to Reddit is done on mobile devices, further aligning perfectly with its target audience
(Statista 2024). Reddit's unique value proposition is a vast, user-generated content repository,
functioning as a "front page of the internet" through its link aggregation system (Herrman 2023).
This platform, combined with its highly targeted user base and community-driven nature,
positions Reddit as an ideal platform to drive website traffic, enhance brand visibility, and
potentially improve search engine ranking through organic growth (ANHJ, 2023).

The Ordinary's mobile-first approach, which prioritizes website convenience for on-the-go
consumers, aligns strategically with the dominance of US mobile users exceeding 96% in 2023
(AMS 2023; Statista 2024). Recognizing the influence of YouTube and TikTok, short-form
video formats become the ideal marketing strategy to capture the attention of younger audience
(Ljunggren 2023). With the highest viral score, The Ordinary remains the leading skincare brand
on TikTok in 2023 (Appendix 3).

IV. Keyword Analysis

Despite low search volume, long-tail keyword optimization is more targeted for higher
conversion rates (Barysevich 2021). When your content is showcased as a featured snippet, it
often receives a higher volume of organic visitors and gains a competitive advantage over other
results since it provides users with a direct solution, increasing click-through rates compared to
traditional search results (Wicker 2023). Keyword selection should follow three main principles:
content relevance, large search volume with less competition level and avoiding overly generic
keywords (Ahrefs n.d.).

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 Keywords Stage of search Query type Question-based Volume -
Difficulty
“the ordinary Retention How 6,110 – 40%
skincare routine”
“cruelty-free Awareness Which 20,180 – 24%
brand”
“skin type test” Awareness Informational What 5,040 – 36%
“product for Awareness Which 17,030 – 27%
sensitive skin”
“niacinamide Awareness What 4,270 – 43%
serum benefit”
“the ordinary Consideration Are 2,050 – 34%
pregnancy safe”

Table 1: Keyword suggestions (SEMrush n.d.)

1. “product for sensitive skin”: Compared to broader keywords like "skincare" or

"moisturizer," "product for sensitive skin" has a slightly lower competition level. Users
are likely in the later stages of the buyer's journey, already aware of their needs and
actively seeking solutions, a valuable opportunity for The Ordinary to capture potential
customers who are close to making a purchase decision.

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 2. “the ordinary skincare routine”: The Ordinary's new feature for better customer
experience "Regimen Builder" could improve brand visibility in search results,
particularly when targeting broader terms like "the ordinary skincare routine", the brand
will earn less competitive results

URL: https://theordinary.com/en-us/skincare-guides/regimen-guide.html

3. “niacinamide serum benefit”: This keyword is highly relevant to its product offerings.
The Ordinary has capitalized on Ingredient Led Beauty, with its ingredient-based product
names pushing it toward the top of Google searches. With the rise of consumers' pre-
purchase research habits, increased online research empowers them to better understand
their skincare needs, leading to ingredient-led searches increase (Stelmaszczyk, 2022).
However, despite using this brand naming strategy, The Ordinary still needs to refine its
approach to compete more effectively with rivals like L'Oreal and La Roche-Posay.

URL: https://theordinary.com/en-us/category/skincare/shop-by-ingredients/niacinamide

4. “cruelty-free brand”: 84% of US survey respondents refused to buy cosmetics from

companies that had been tested on animals (Consumer Insight 2023). Proactively
showcasing commitment to cruelty-free practices through certifications and clear
communication can attract a loyal customer base that prioritizes ethical sourcing and
responsible beauty choices (ECC, 2024).

URL: https://theordinary.com/en-us/deciem-animals.html

While focusing solely on branded keywords offers cost-efficiency, it risks overlooking potential
customers in the early research phase of the buyer's journey. An effective digital marketing
strategy necessitates a balance between branded and non-branded keyword targeting.

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Moreover, the actual content of the page body should naturally include your main keyword and
distribute effectively on the important HTML tags.

V. SEO Analytics
a. On-page SEO

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URL: SEOptimer n.d indicated the homepage contains URLs that are not SEO friendly, webpage
URLs should avoid special characters and prioritize clarity after the domain name to enhance
readability and search engine ranking.

Title tag: A well-optimized title tag that contains pertinent keywords can help visitors
understand what a page is about.

Meta description: A well-crafted call to action can enhance user engagement and click-through
rates. Excluding calls to action fails to capitalize on the opportunity to engage potential
customers.

H1, H2: Neglecting H1 and H2 tags and solely optimizing for H3 tags represents a strategic
oversight represents a strategic oversight. While increased keyword volume can be generated,
search engines may struggle to comprehend the website's content hierarchy and user experience
(Akbar et al. 2022).

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 Keyword analysis reveals "skincare," "regimen," and "builder" as strong performers
across long-tail queries. These terms strategically replace previously used keywords in
the page title and meta description for optimal impact. The H1 tag serves as the
webpage's primary headline, conveying the most crucial content, and its tags and page
titles frequently share keywords for thematic consistency (Bin et al. 2018).

Keyword analysis highlights customer interest in The Ordinary's product benefits,

routines, and skin-type guides. The H2 sections complement the H1 theme ("integrity,
formulation, skincare") by providing informative content that directly addresses these key
search queries.

Title tag The Ordinary: Clinical Formulations with Integrity

Meta Build your skincare routine with The Ordinary! Explore high-quality,
description affordable ingredients and effective clinical formulations

H1 Integrity Formulations Skincare

H2 - Our products
- Buid your regimen
- Blog
- About us
- Find us

Table 2: The Ordinary’s homepage recommendation

b. Off-page SEO
b.1. Website speed

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The ideal loading time is between 0-2 seconds, with 40% of users leaving websites exceeding 3
seconds in loading time. Furthermore, each second of loading time can incur a 7% decrease in
conversion rates, highlighting the impact of website optimization (Sematext n.d.).

b.2. Backlinks

The sheer volume of backlinks to The Ordinary's website signifies not only the interest it
generates from other websites but also serves as a valuable trust signal for search engines when
evaluating website credibility (Content-Whale 2023).

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Healthline is an expert article about healthy lifestyles, with a domain authority of 91%. A
backlink from a high-authority website like Healthline this strengthens The Ordinary's SEO
strategy and elevates the visibility of their clinically-focused product line.

 Recommendation: "Top drugstore skincare products recommended by dermatologists":

co-branded content involves sponsored articles on Healthline featuring The Ordinary's
products. This aligns perfectly with the keywords “best affordable serum”

The Guardian is the most viewed broadsheet newspaper with diverse content categories that
contain US analysis and reviews from the company.

 Recommendation: Educational content marketing, with blog posts and informative

marketing copy, empowers brands to engage consumers throughout the entire customer
journey (NYTLicensing n.d.). Early-stage educational content can significantly influence
purchase decisions (Appendix 3). Moreover, a blog post can be built around frequently
asked questions by existing customers who have purchased from The Ordinary (Pascucci
2020). By providing valuable educational content, brands can position themselves as
trusted resources for the growing consumer demand for skincare education and consistent
routines, potentially driven by quality (Decipher 2024).

The top anchor text is theordinary.com.

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VII. Appendix

Appendix 1: Google search results traffic for “niacinamide” (Ford O 2020).

Ford O (13 October 2020) ‘Capitalising on Search Trends and The Ordinary’s Claim To Fame’,
Foundation, accessed 18 April 2024. https://foundationagency.co.uk/blog/capitalising-on-search-
trends-niacinamide-and-the-ordinary/

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 Appendix 2: Reddit user growth in popularity (Marketing Charts 2024)

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Marketing Charts, accessed 18 April 2024. https://www.marketingcharts.com/digital/social-
media-231591

Appendix 3: Viral Tiktok Skincare brands overal scores (Bigblue 2023)

Carpetta C (17 November 2023) ‘The Ordinary: Viral TikTok Skincare with Over 1.3M
Followers’, Big Blue, accessed 17 April 2024. https://www.bigblue.co/blog/the-ordinary-viral-
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