How a $3,500 Domain Acquisition 10x’d Their SEO Revenue (But Risks Loom)
Today I watched an insightful Ahrefs video where Sam Oh interviewed Alex and Andra, a husband–wife duo behind a software review site. Their journey felt deeply relatable as someone working in SEO, especially with the looming threat of Google updates hanging over all of us.
Their site pulls in over $800,000 a year, mainly from programmatic SEO pages comparing different software tools. But here’s the kicker – 70% of their traffic is from Google. Anyone who understands SEO knows what that means: it’s a ticking time bomb.
The Hidden Secret Behind Their Growth
While they believed programmatic SEO was the main driver, it turns out their explosive growth came after they bought a domain with powerful backlinks from sites like Zapier, New York Post, and Webflow. Instead of lazily redirecting everything to their homepage, they smartly redirected each old URL to the most relevant pages on their site.
This strategy 10x’d their revenue from $7,000 to over $70,000 monthly after a single $3,500 acquisition.
But here’s what struck me. Despite this impressive SEO strategy, their traffic graph is now flat lining. And we’ve seen what happens next – a single Google update could wipe it all out. If you’ve read my recent thoughts on what’s left for SEOs in the age of AI, you know exactly what I mean.
Their Risk Mitigation Strategy
Sam, advised them to:
- Double down on what’s working – Most of their traffic comes from “best of” listicles. Expanding these into other software categories will spread their risk.
- Use ChatGPT for topical ideation – Generating seed keyword categories and expanding them into profitable “best of” keywords is smart. I’ve shared similar approaches in my guide on optimizing ChatGPT outputs for accuracy.
- Diversify traffic sources – Beyond YouTube, he suggested LinkedIn (perfect for B2B software) and Reddit. For Reddit, instead of randomly posting, identify which Subreddits and threads already rank for target keywords, then join the discussion with authority.
If your entire income stream is from Google, you’re gambling. This is exactly why I advocate diversifying with Google Business Profile SEO or by deploying cold outreach hacks to build brand presence outside search engines.
The Migration Risk
Finally, they revealed plans to relaunch their site. Sam immediately flagged the risk – migrating a high-traffic site without meticulous redirect mapping and internal link auditing could tank rankings overnight.
Key takeaway for anyone planning a redesign:
- Crawl your site before and after.
- Compare internal links, status codes, indexation, and ensure no critical links are lost in the process.
My Reflection
What I loved most was seeing their mindset. Even with the risk of losing it all, they chose not to exit because their business isn’t just about money. They genuinely love software and helping people choose the right tools.
I’ve personally seen sites crash after relying solely on Google traffic. That’s why in my consulting projects, I always integrate organic, outreach, and platform-first strategies to build a resilient traffic ecosystem.
💡 What’s Your Plan B?
All of this can go away tomorrow. What’s your backup plan if Google pulls the rug under your business? Drop your thoughts below, or reach out to discuss building a future-proof SEO and outreach strategy.
