HotSprings.co | Niche SEO Content Case Study
Campaign Overview
HotSprings.co is a niche content site dedicated to helping travellers discover the best hot springs, wellness resorts, and thermal destinations around the world. The site officially launched in January 2023 and kicked off an aggressive SEO content campaign designed to build topical authority and attract organic traffic quickly.
At the time, HotSprings.co was part of the CI Media portfolio, a network of affiliate-driven brands that had previously collaborated with our agency. This project marked a new chapter in that relationship. It was the first time our agency’s founder was brought on before launch, allowing us to shape the strategy from the ground up.
Over the course of the campaign, we wrote 108 of the 218 total blog posts on the site, contributing more than half of its published content. That foundational work helped position HotSprings.co as one of the fastest-growing niche travel blogs of the year.
The Goal
The goal of the campaign was to scale content in a way that appealed to search engines while keeping audiences engaged. Since the plan was to monetize through affiliate links, it was important to create content with a strong conversion-centric focus.
Unlike previous campaigns where our role was focused mainly on writing, this time we were involved much earlier. We helped shape the foundation by creating templates for pillar pages and blog clusters, and we also put together internal style guides that made it easier for other writers to follow a consistent structure and tone. That early work gave us the opportunity to build scalable systems that other contributors could use as the site grew.
The goals of the campaign were to:
- Build strong topical silos around hot springs and thermal destinations
- Provide detailed destination guides for key regions, states, and countries
- Publish informational posts on the science, geography, spiritual, and health aspects of hot springs
- Drive affiliate conversions by matching content closely to reader search intent
CI Media’s vision for HotSprings.co was clear: create a trusted, search-optimized resource for hot spring and wellness travel. Here’s how we delivered.
The SEO Content Approach
HotSprings.co was a bit different from some of our other growth studies. It didn’t require complete content strategy work, that was handled by their in-house team. At the same time, it was more than a simple content writing job.
They knew what they wanted to rank for, but not the how. That is where Kurt’sCopy came in. Given simple direction, our founder crafted a comprehensive content structure that supported the site’s long-term content architecture.
1. Strategic Planning from the Ground Up
Unlike previous CI Media campaigns, we were brought in for the creation of the first batch of pages and blogs. That early involvement gave us the opportunity to design a content system built for SEO success right from the start.
These included:
- The creation of pillar page templates that were reused throughout future content silo initiatives
- Developing the initial cluster structure for key hot spring regions and themes
- Creating internal formatting and optimization guidelines for cluster posts to ensure consistency across all future content
This initial work allowed us to create a replicable, search-optimized framework that every piece of content could plug into, leading to a scalable approach that satisfied both readers and search engines.
2. SEO-Driven, Reader-First Content
Once the structure was in place, the next step was content production. Every post we created was built to perform across two fronts. We wanted it to rank well in search engines while also engaging real readers to encourage affiliate conversions.
We started with an audience-first approach. Using audience personas as our guide, we wrote content that spoke directly to our readers. The audience was primarily travel-based, so we used a lot of imagery to depict idyllic thermal escapes they’d want to visit.
We anticipated common questions and concerns they might have and responded to these directly in the content. The result was engaging copy that inspired wanderlust and guided readers further along their journey, with CTAs and internal links leading to high-converting pages.
Once the writing was in place, we optimized each post for search. That included:
- Using keywords naturally in headings and subheadings
- Structuring content to win snippets with lists, FAQs, and clear formatting
- Linking to related posts and pillar pages within the same cluster
- Breaking up text into short, scannable paragraphs
- Adding conversion-focused CTAs aligned with affiliate goals
By balancing SEO best practices with a human-first writing style, we created posts that consistently attracted traffic and kept readers engaged — ultimately increasing affiliate conversions.
3. Organized by Region, Theme, and Intent
HotSprings.co was never built around standalone articles. From the start, the focus was on building topical authority through organized content silos. We did this by grouping content based on region, experience type, and search intent.
To help establish that authority, we built ecosystems of a main hub page, supporting posts, and broader informational content. Early on, our founder was tasked with creating the first pillar page template — starting with “Hot Springs in Alaska.”
Once that template was in place, the same format was applied to each U.S. state, followed by detailed cluster posts for individual hot springs featured within those guides. This created strong regional and thematic content silos that were later replicated across countries and experience types around the world.
The structure made it easier for readers to explore the site and gave Google clear signals about HotSprings.co’s depth of coverage.
Below is an example of one of these content silos, featuring only content completed by Kurt’sCopy.
Content Writing and Cluster Samples
Content Writing and Cluster Samples
The Results
By November 2023—just 10 months after launch—HotSprings.co had gone from zero traffic to tens of thousands of monthly visitors. Here’s what the growth looked like, tracked through SEMrush:
- Monthly Organic Traffic—62,349
- Ranking Keywords—16,239
- Top 3 Rankings—895
- SERP Feature Wins—503
Over the span of 10 months, Kurt’sCopy contributed 108 of the 218 published posts — more than half of all the content on the site. These posts helped:
- Build strong regional and thematic clusters
- Capture high-value informational and commercial keywords
- Earn hundreds of SERP features across guides, lists, and FAQs
- Establish the site as a go-to resource for hot spring travel planning
HotSprings.co grew fast — and it wasn’t by accident. It was the result of strong SEO foundations, a consistent publishing system, and content that actually helped readers.
We didn’t just chase rankings. We earned them.