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It's challenging to get traffic from Google when you start a new website.
Even if you've done great keyword research or written content that's better than the top results, the chances of outranking established sites are very low.
The SEO Avalanche framework
The SEO Avalanche framework, created by Chris Carter, focuses on targeting keywords for which you have a realistic chance of ranking. As your site starts getting traffic, you gradually target more competitive keywords that have higher potential.
What are traffic tiers?
Traffic tiers are where Google thinks your site belongs.
In the SEO Avalanche framework, you need to master your tier (determined by your organic traffic) before you can go on to the next one.
I’ll dive deeper into how to calculate your tier below.
For reference, here are the traffic tiers in the SEO Avalanche framework.
What are power boosts?
The SEO Avalanche framework creates a stable foundation by focusing on content that ranks without any other factors.
These factors, called power boosts, mean your site is ranking higher and getting more traffic than it naturally would.
Power boosts aren't permanent which is why relying on them is risky. For example, Google could update their algorithm or social platforms could start restricting external links.
Here are a few different factors that can give you a power boost.
- Domain age
- Domain authority
- Backlink profile
- Social signals (from Twitter, Linkedin, etc)
- Pagespeed score
- On page SEO
- Google trust factor
- Google quality rater team
How to apply the SEO Avalanche framework
Find your traffic tier
To find your traffic tier, calculate your site's average daily organic traffic over the past 3 months.
For instance, if your site gets an average of 40 visits a day, you belong on the 20-50 traffic tier.
A key aspect of the framework is that while you use your daily organic traffic for finding your traffic tier, the keywords you target need to have that number as their monthly search volume.
For example, if you get 90 visits every day, you'll target keywords that have a search volume of 50-100 every month.
Find keywords using the Keyword Golden Ratio technique
You can combine your normal keyword research method with the Keyword Golden Ratio (KGR) technique.
KGR is a data driven approach to finding long tail, low competition keywords on Google.
To calculate the ratio, search for the number of results that include the exact combination of your keywords in their meta title.
You can do this easily with the allintitle search operator on Google.
Here's an example. If your keywords are "business credit card for startups", it returns 94 results.
Next, find the search volume using a tool like Ahrefs, SEMRush, or Keywords Everywhere.
The Keywords Golden Ratio is calculated by dividing the number of allintitle results by the search volume.
For instance, if "business credit card for startups" has 94 results and a 1000 search volume, the KGR is 94 divided by 1000 and equals 0.09.
Here’s a breakdown of different KGR ranges:
- Over 1: These keywords are difficult for new websites to rank.
- Between 0.25 and 1: Consider creating content for these keywords if their search volume is below 250.
- 0.25 and under: Ideal keywords since you’re likely to rank in the top 100 results quickly.
To effectively use the Keyword Golden Ratio (KGR) method, start by creating a list of 30 keywords.
Focus on those with a KGR below 0.25, as they are more likely to rank quickly. If you can't find enough keywords in this range, broaden your search. Include keywords with a KGR under 1, giving priority to those with a search volume below 250.
This approach balances competitiveness with the potential for traffic.
Write and publish content regularly
Commit to publishing an article every day for 6 months.
It’s a significant undertaking, but let’s look at some quick math to find traffic potential using the SEO Avalanche framework.
The traffic to your site will compound each month as you continue to publish. For example, after a month, you’ll get anywhere from 0 to 300 visits. After the second month, you’ll get 300 as well as 600 from the next tier, and so on.
If done right, you should be getting around 26,400 visitors from Google after six months.
Even if you get only half of that because of external factors, you’d still be getting 13,200 visits per month.
Interlink content
Links from pages that already rank well and are getting traffic from Google are valuable.
If you have content that isn't ranking in the top 10 results, build internal links from your top performing pages to these lower ranking pages. This leverages the authority of your best pages to support and elevate other pages on your site, and gives them a chance to break into the top 10 results.
Track your rankings
Before publishing your content, add your keywords in a rank tracker (Ahrefs, SEMRush, SERanking etc) to monitor where your content shows up in search results. As you track your rankings over time, you’ll develop a sense for your natural tier, which is where your content ranks without any power boosts.
Move up to the next tier
After a month, you should start seeing an increase in traffic to your site. If your average organic traffic surpasses the level of your current tier, it’s time to do more research. Identify keywords from the next tier and add them to your content calendar.
Conclusion
SEO Avalanche is a robust way to increase traffic to your site and establish a strong foundation. It’s a lot of work but it weathers external factors like algorithms particularly well – and that’s why it’s my go-to framework for new websites.
Tip: SEO Avalanche can be used for established websites too. If you're targeting a competitive term in your industry but lack supporting content that demonstrates topical authority, you might struggle to rank. Use the SEO Avalanche framework to build this scaffolding.
