How We Helped a Crypto Media Platform Climb to the Top: TheCryptoBasic SEO Case
What does it take to make a crypto media site stand out in one of the most competitive niches on the internet? In this case study, I’ll walk you through how our team at Ninja Promo took on the challenge of helping TheCryptoBasic.com—a fast-growing crypto news outlet—reach new heights in organic search. You’ll see exactly what kind of SEO problems they were facing, how we built a strategy to overcome them, and what results we achieved together.
You’ll learn:
- Why even high-authority websites can struggle with visibility;
- What technical pitfalls can quietly kill your rankings;
- How we untangled duplicate pages, optimized structure, and launched an aggressive link-building campaign;
- And most importantly—how all of this translated into measurable growth.
This isn’t just a “before-and-after” success story. It’s a behind-the-scenes look at real-world SEO in action—from audits and indexing issues to internal linking strategies, strategic content tweaks, and long-term trust with the client.
If you’re a crypto company, a media platform, or simply curious how SEO really works under pressure—this story is for you.
What the Client Came With
When TheCryptoBasic came to us at Ninja Promo, they were already a strong player in the crypto news niche. With decent domain authority and solid organic traffic, they had the momentum—but they wanted more. Specifically, they aimed for stable growth in rankings for key tag pages like Bitcoin News, Ethereum News, and other top crypto topics.
When TheCryptoBasic approached us, they weren’t starting from scratch. They were already an established crypto media outlet with a decent domain authority and a steady flow of organic traffic. But despite their strengths, they were struggling to achieve visibility where it mattered most—on their tag pages.
Bitcoin News tag page
These tag pages—such as Bitcoin News, Ethereum News, Shiba Inu News—were central to their navigation and content strategy. Each one was meant to act as a thematic hub, collecting all news articles related to a specific cryptocurrency or topic. In theory, these pages should have ranked well. In practice, they didn’t. Many of them weren’t ranking at all, while others were being outranked by random news pieces, even from their own site.
The client had a clear and ambitious goal: rank tag pages in the top 5 of Google’s search results.
Especially for high-volume keywords like Bitcoin News—a fiercely competitive space dominated by industry giants like CoinDesk, Forbes, and Google News.
But the problems ran deeper than rankings alone:
- Indexing issues: Pages would appear in Google’s index briefly, then disappear—sometimes within days.
- Duplicate content: There were multiple tag pages for the same topic (e.g., up to ten variations for Bitcoin News), causing cannibalization and confusion.
- Thin or missing on-page content: Many tag pages had no descriptive content, just a list of articles, which made them weak from an SEO standpoint.
- Title tag display errors: Some pages had issues with how titles were rendered in SERPs, reducing click-through rates.
- Declining traffic trends: Organic traffic was volatile, heavily influenced by news cycles, and lacked consistent long-term growth.
In addition, there was a structural split in how the site organized its taxonomy:
- Categories for broad themes like “Crypto Exchanges” or “Blockchain Regulation”
- Tags for more specific topics like “Bitcoin”, “Shiba Inu”, or “Ripple”
The focus of the project was on improving visibility and performance of these high-priority tag pages, which were prominently featured in the site’s top navigation and header.
The client was also concerned that the traffic was going primarily to individual news articles rather than to evergreen tag hubs, which made long-term SEO growth harder to sustain.
That’s where we came in—to bring clarity to the structure, strengthen weak spots, and help their content work smarter, not just harder.
Where We Started
Like any complex SEO challenge, we began by laying the groundwork with a comprehensive audit and strategic planning phase. TheCryptoBasic came to us with a clear mission—but before we could move forward, we had to fully understand the state of the website under the hood.
1. Technical Audit
We dove deep into the site’s infrastructure. What we found was a mix of strengths and serious inefficiencies:
- Thousands of low-quality or duplicated tag pages, many auto-generated and offering no SEO value.
- Multiple H1 headers on key pages, including the homepage—confusing both for users and search engines.
- Broken or irrelevant internal links, weakening crawlability and page authority distribution.
- Missing metadata and inconsistent title formatting across pages.
- Slow load times, particularly on mobile devices, which negatively affected Core Web Vitals and user experience.
Technical audit: duplicates and non-relevant pages
We flagged all critical issues and prioritized fixes that would deliver quick wins without requiring massive development work.
2. Competitive Analysis & Structural Review
We benchmarked their site structure and tag logic against top-performing competitors in the crypto news space. The findings were clear:
TheCryptoBasic had content volume, but lacked SEO-friendly architecture.
Competitors were leveraging tag pages as optimized content hubs—with intro text, contextual linking, and clearer hierarchy. TheCryptoBasic’s tag pages, by contrast, were often:
- Barebones (just headlines, no supporting content)
- Internally underlinked
- Lacking contextual relevance cues for Google
We also noticed they used the same anchor text—“Bitcoin News”—all across the site for internal links. This over-optimization diluted their authority signals and limited the chances of individual pages standing out.
Part of a link-building strategy for thecryptobasic.com
3. Custom 3-Month SEO Plan
Based on these insights, we delivered a bespoke 3-month SEO roadmap, breaking down actions into digestible sprints:
- Month 1: Deep audits, cleanup of duplicate tags, metadata corrections, basic technical fixes
- Month 2: Internal linking improvements, added descriptions to key tag pages, speed optimizations
- Month 3: Launch of a targeted link-building campaign, reinforcing tag pages with high-authority backlinks
This plan wasn’t static. As we progressed, we adjusted and reprioritized tasks based on performance, client needs, and real-time data.
Adapting Along the Way
SEO is never a straight line. Even with a solid roadmap, real-world projects evolve—and TheCryptoBasic was no exception. One of the biggest reasons this collaboration worked so well was our ability to stay agile and adapt quickly to changing priorities, unexpected challenges, and client feedback.
Evolving Priorities
Initially, the client’s primary focus was on boosting the visibility of tag pages like Bitcoin News and Ethereum News. But as the project progressed, they brought a new site into the picture—a second crypto media platform (ABBA) with nearly zero organic visibility. Rather than treating this as a distraction, we adjusted our workflows to accommodate both sites.
We split our resources and time strategically:
- 50% remained focused on the original goals for TheCryptoBasic
- 50% was reallocated to kick-start the second project
This rebalancing didn’t slow us down—it actually strengthened the client relationship by showing that we could scale with them.
Working With (and Around) Technical Limitations
While we had access to their CMS and could implement many SEO fixes directly, there were still bottlenecks on the development side. For example:
- The homepage still had multiple H1 tags, something we flagged in month one and repeatedly brought up—but couldn’t fix without developer involvement.
- Some tasks required changes to the template or codebase, which the client was hesitant to touch.
Rather than wait, we focused on what we could control:
- Creating and adding optimized descriptions to tag pages ourselves
- Fixing redirects, meta tags, and internal links within the CMS
- Submitting cleaned-up pages for reindexing via Search Console
Optimizing meta tags
When we needed to go beyond our technical access, we provided the client with clear, actionable instructions so they could forward requests to their devs—minimizing friction and delays.
Our ToR for one of the pages
Communication & Trust
From the start, communication was key. We held regular check-ins (typically weekly), but kept things flexible—if there wasn’t anything urgent, we updated the client via Slack or email instead of holding unnecessary calls.
The client trusted us enough to grant full CMS access, which made a massive difference. Instead of writing long specs and waiting for implementation, we could move fast, test ideas, and keep momentum up.
As priorities shifted or performance insights emerged, we updated the SEO strategy accordingly. This flexibility allowed us to stay in sync with the client’s real goals—something many rigid SEO plans fail to accommodate.
Being a Strategic Partner
Beyond executing tasks, we acted as strategic advisors. For instance, we recommended creating long-form, evergreen content hubs for each major coin (e.g., “Bitcoin Price Forecast”), but the client chose to pursue shorter-term news pages instead. Even though they didn’t follow every piece of advice, they appreciated the depth of our suggestions—and in some areas, adjusted their approach based on our feedback.
In short, we didn’t just tick boxes. We listened, adapted, and responded—which is what made this collaboration successful, even when not everything went according to the original script.
Execution
Ranking Improvements for Tag Pages
One of the client’s main goals was to get tag pages (like Bitcoin News, Shiba Inu News, XRP News) into the top 5 search results—a tall order, given that these keywords are dominated by SEO powerhouses like CoinDesk, Google News, and Forbes.
While some of the highest-volume keywords like Bitcoin News remain fiercely competitive, we achieved measurable wins:
- Pages like Shiba Inu News showed clear upward movement, jumping multiple positions and gaining visibility.
Shiba Inu News page SERP results
- In many cases, tag pages began outranking their own news articles—solving a key issue where article URLs were cannibalizing evergreen tag pages.
- For mid-competition tags, we secured page 1 rankings and significant gains in impressions and clicks.
Better Indexing & Stability
One of the early frustrations was that tag pages would briefly appear in the index, then drop off. Thanks to our work on consolidation, internal linking, and content enrichment:
- Pages stayed indexed longer, with far fewer drop-offs.
- We reduced cannibalization by merging duplicate tags and reinforcing the preferred canonical versions.
- Even new tag pages started to index more reliably, setting the stage for long-term traffic growth.
Organic Traffic Growth
While the site already had a decent organic presence, it was highly volatile and news-driven. Our work brought structure, predictability, and compounding growth:
- Over time, we saw a steady increase in organic sessions across target pages.
- Especially for tags supported by strong link-building, traffic increased by up to 35–60% depending on the topic.
Tag pages search traffic results- The improvements to Core Web Vitals and page speed also helped with bounce rates and dwell time.
Here’s what made the biggest difference:
- We shifted traffic from short-lived news articles to evergreen tag pages.
- We boosted the visibility of high-intent keyword pages with better architecture and authority signals.
- We laid the groundwork for consistent performance, regardless of the news cycle.
The Results
Client Satisfaction
The ultimate indicator of success? The client stayed with us. In fact:
- They renewed the SEO contract twice, each time expanding scope or budget.
- They entrusted us with a second website project.
- They left positive feedback on platforms like Clutch and Google.
Most importantly, they trusted us with access to their CMS, which allowed us to move fast and execute efficiently without layers of approval.
“We’re seeing real progress and are happy with the direction things are going,” — the client told us during a renewal call, which led to an extension of the contract and increased monthly investment.
What Made the Difference
So what separated this campaign from the thousands of SEO projects that fall flat?
Yes, we followed technical best practices. Yes, we executed link-building and fixed metadata. But that’s just the baseline. What really moved the needle in this case was a combination of strategy, flexibility, speed—and trust.
Let me break it down.
A Laser-Focused Strategy, Not Just a Checklist
From day one, we weren’t just going through the motions of a standard SEO retainer. Every decision we made—whether it was merging duplicate tag pages or rewriting internal anchor text—was tied directly to the client’s stated goals: get the tag pages ranked, stabilize indexing, and boost traffic in a sustainable way.
We didn’t waste time on generic tactics that weren’t aligned with what would actually move the client toward their objectives.
We prioritized:
- Technical cleanup with real impact (duplicate tags, thin pages, crawl waste)
- Structural improvements that guided users—and Google—to the right content
- Quality over quantity in link-building, with handpicked opportunities tailored to crypto audiences
Smart Use of Internal Resources
We also leveraged our own blog as part of the strategy, which is something many agencies overlook.
Our blog at Ninja Promo ranks well for competitive marketing topics. We selectively updated relevant articles (like top crypto news sites, blockchain content guides, etc.) to include links to TheCryptoBasic’s tag pages. These weren’t low-value backlinks—they were from articles with real traffic, written for a relevant audience, and placed with context.
In other words: we didn’t just build links—we built visibility.
Agility and Customization
One of the biggest reasons this project succeeded was because we treated the plan like a living thing. If something wasn’t working, or if priorities shifted on the client’s side, we adjusted.
No rigid contracts. No “we’ll add that in the next quarter.” Just a responsive, adaptive workflow that met the client where they were—week to week, month to month.
Even within a three-month plan, we:
- Reprioritized based on performance trends
- Split focus when a second website was introduced
- Expanded link-building toward newer, more promising tag opportunities
Trust and Direct Implementation
Perhaps the biggest game-changer was trust.
The client gave us direct access to their CMS. That meant no waiting for developers, no back-and-forth over implementation, no lost momentum.
We could:
- Write and publish optimized content blocks directly
- Fix metadata and internal links in real time
- Monitor results and submit reindexing requests on the fly
This cut our feedback loop in half, allowing us to execute fast and adapt even faster.
Expertise Without Ego
Lastly, we didn’t force our clients into cookie-cutter decisions. Yes, we recommended evergreen content strategies and long-form pages. But when they opted to stay news-focused, we pivoted. We worked within their model instead of fighting it—finding opportunities for SEO impact within their editorial flow, rather than asking them to change their business model.
That’s what partnership looks like.
Ready to experience the same success?
