{"id":159686,"date":"2023-05-22T00:22:43","date_gmt":"2023-05-22T05:22:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/?p=159686"},"modified":"2024-03-18T08:03:45","modified_gmt":"2024-03-18T13:03:45","slug":"linktree-seo-case-study","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/linktree-seo-case-study\/","title":{"rendered":"Linktree SEO Case Study: The Rise, Fall, &amp; Future"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"intro-txt\">Linktree\u2019s organic growth has been impressive over the last few years, but its organic traffic has dipped recently. What\u2019s changed?<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s find&nbsp;out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"intro-tok\" id=\"intro_tok\" style=\"display:none;\"><div class=\"intro-title\">Contents<\/div><a href=\"#\" class=\"expand-dots\"><span><\/span><span><\/span><span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"What is Linktree\" data-section=\"what-is-linktree\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is Linktree?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1195\" class=\"wp-image-159725\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image25-3.jpg\" alt=\"Linktree's homepage\n\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image25-3.jpg 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image25-3-680x407.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image25-3-768x459.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image25-3-1536x918.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Linktree says it has over 35 million users.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It built its brand by creating a platform where content creators can share multiple links to their social media accounts or websites through a single bio&nbsp;page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/site-explorer\">Site Explorer<\/a>, the website receives ~2.7 million monthly organic traffic and has a <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/domain-rating\/\">Domain Rating<\/a> (DR) of 93, making it a high-authority site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1032\" class=\"wp-image-159726\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image6-5-1.jpg\" alt=\"Overview of linktr.ee\/, via Ahrefs' Site Explorer\n\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image6-5-1.jpg 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image6-5-1-680x351.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image6-5-1-768x396.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image6-5-1-1536x793.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The idea behind Linktree isn\u2019t new\u2014websites like about.me started offering similar products a few years&nbsp;ago.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Linktree grew faster than these platforms, though, once influencers began using it as their preferred link in the&nbsp;bio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, here\u2019s The Rock, Dwayne Johnson, linking to his Linktree account on a major social network\u2014Instagram.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1386\" height=\"496\" class=\"wp-image-159727\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image21-3.png\" alt=\"Example of a celebrity Linktree profile, via instagram.com\n\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image21-3.png 1386w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image21-3-680x243.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image21-3-768x275.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1386px) 100vw, 1386px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>And here\u2019s what his Linktree profile looks&nbsp;like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1708\" height=\"1570\" class=\"wp-image-159729\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image12-5.jpg\" alt=\"Example of a celebrity Linktree profile\n\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image12-5.jpg 1708w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image12-5-462x425.jpg 462w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image12-5-768x706.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image12-5-1536x1412.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1708px) 100vw, 1708px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>We can see that this content is clear and well presented.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But it\u2019s worth noting that there are only six links to The Rock\u2019s suggested sites, a profile photo, and some social media links\u2014there\u2019s just not much here. And this type of content forms the bulk of Linktree\u2019s pages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Linktree\u2019s strength is that it solves a pain point of social media for many content creators\u2014you can only have one link on most social media networks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another strength is that you don\u2019t need to be a techie to set up a profile, making it attractive to social media influencers.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And as you can see from the screenshots, Linktree has spent a lot of time ensuring the design and user experience are&nbsp;good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Linktree's rise\" data-section=\"linktrees-rise\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Linktree\u2019s rise<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Now that we know a bit about Linktree, let\u2019s look at its organic traffic in Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/site-explorer\">Site Explorer<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To do this, I\u2019ve entered Linktree\u2019s domain into the search bar, scrolled down to the overview, and selected \u201cAvg. organic traffic.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We can see the organic traffic rise and fall. Let\u2019s look at the rise&nbsp;first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1348\" height=\"756\" class=\"wp-image-159731\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image23-3.png\" alt=\"Linktree's organic traffic performance, via Ahrefs' Site Explorer\n\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image23-3.png 1348w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image23-3-680x381.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image23-3-768x431.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1348px) 100vw, 1348px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The site had a bump in organic traffic around March\u2013April 2020. The traffic peak was in August 2022, reaching ~6.5 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What\u2019s driving the traffic?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If we look at the site in the <strong>Top pages<\/strong> report in <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/site-explorer\">Site Explorer<\/a>, we can start to understand where the traffic is coming from.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s start with the basics\u2014we can see that the website has a&nbsp;blog.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1342\" height=\"388\" class=\"wp-image-159733\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image26-3.png\" alt=\"Blog highlight, via Ahrefs' Site Explorer\n\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image26-3.png 1342w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image26-3-680x197.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image26-3-768x222.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1342px) 100vw, 1342px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>We can isolate blog articles using a \u201cURL\u201d filter containing <code>\/blog\/<\/code>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1432\" height=\"950\" class=\"wp-image-159735\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image27-3.png\" alt=\"&quot;URL&quot; filter to isolate blog keywords, via Ahrefs' Site Explorer\n\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image27-3.png 1432w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image27-3-641x425.png 641w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image27-3-768x509.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1432px) 100vw, 1432px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Doing this reveals that the blog has ~500 pages and drives 76,100 organic traffic\u2014a fraction of the overall traffic.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So let\u2019s continue investigating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another popular folder in the <strong>Top pages<\/strong> report has <code>\/s\/<\/code> in the URL. Let\u2019s see what type of pages we can&nbsp;find.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1622\" height=\"1446\" class=\"wp-image-159737\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image13-6.png\" alt=\"\/s\/ pages with &quot;URL&quot; filter, via Ahrefs' Site Explorer\n\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image13-6.png 1622w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image13-6-477x425.png 477w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image13-6-768x685.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image13-6-1536x1369.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1622px) 100vw, 1622px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The <code>\/s\/<\/code> folder pages are general pages explaining Linktree and its services.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These pages drive slightly more traffic than the blog at ~117,000. But again, it\u2019s not that&nbsp;much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If we remove all the filters, return to the <strong>Top pages<\/strong> report, and click the August 22, 2022, performance graph, we can see the most popular pages during this period.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Perhaps, unsurprisingly, most of the top pages appear to be Linktree users\u2019 profile pages.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If we look at the <strong>Site structure <\/strong>report in Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/site-explorer\">Site Explorer<\/a>, we can confirm this.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1222\" height=\"784\" class=\"wp-image-159739\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image9-7.png\" alt=\"Site structure report, via Ahrefs' Site Explorer\n\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image9-7.png 1222w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image9-7-662x425.png 662w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image9-7-260x166.png 260w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image9-7-768x493.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1222px) 100vw, 1222px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Most user profiles follow this format: <code>linktr.ee\/username<\/code>. And we can see, using this report, that most of the traffic is coming from the home folder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The homepage is also popular. Here, 22.7% of the traffic is going to&nbsp;it.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1434\" height=\"1408\" class=\"wp-image-159740\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image20-5.png\" alt=\"Removed pages highlight, via Ahrefs' Site Explorer\n\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image20-5.png 1434w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image20-5-433x425.png 433w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image20-5-768x754.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1434px) 100vw, 1434px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>More interestingly, though, all of the highlighted top pages\u2014or user profiles\u2014have been taken down by Linktree due to \u201cinappropriate use of the service.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When clicking on these URLs in Ahrefs, I get the image below on Linktree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"982\" height=\"578\" class=\"wp-image-159742\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image15-5.png\" alt=\"Removed profile, via Linktree\n\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image15-5.png 982w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image15-5-680x400.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image15-5-768x452.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 982px) 100vw, 982px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This small sample of pages shows that these profiles collectively drove almost as much organic traffic as the homepage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Linktree's fall\" data-section=\"linktrees-fall\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Linktree\u2019s fall<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>So far, we\u2019ve looked at Linktree\u2019s rise. But why has its organic traffic dropped so&nbsp;much?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To understand this, we can compare the peak of Linktree\u2019s organic traffic to the present to see the extent of the banned profiles\u2019 impact on organic traffic.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019ve added a \u201cCompare\u201d filter in Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/site-explorer\">Site Explorer<\/a> to show the extent of the&nbsp;loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1914\" height=\"1022\" class=\"wp-image-159744\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image19-5.png\" alt=\"Traffic comparison, via Ahrefs' Site Explorer\n\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image19-5.png 1914w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image19-5-680x363.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image19-5-768x410.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image19-5-1536x820.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1914px) 100vw, 1914px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Using the \u201cCompare\u201d filter, we can see two things:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The loss of the top traffic-driving profiles has resulted in significantly lower traffic to the&nbsp;site.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Most of the removed user profiles are from Indonesia.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Traffic by country analysis&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>To look at the whole website\u2019s traffic, we can look at \u201cTraffic by country\u201d in <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/site-explorer\">Site Explorer<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"900\" height=\"550\" class=\"wp-image-159746\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image8-6.png\" alt=\"Traffic by country, via Ahrefs' Site Explorer\n\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image8-6.png 900w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image8-6-680x416.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image8-6-768x469.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 900px) 100vw, 900px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>We can see that Indonesia has by far the most significant drop, followed by the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If we click on Indonesia in <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/site-explorer\">Site Explorer\u2019s<\/a> <strong>Overview<\/strong> report, it will update the organic traffic graph to only show the organic traffic from that country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1750\" height=\"1392\" class=\"wp-image-159748\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image1-10.jpg\" alt=\"Indonesian traffic rise and fall, via Ahrefs' Site Explorer\n\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image1-10.jpg 1750w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image1-10-534x425.jpg 534w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image1-10-768x611.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image1-10-1536x1222.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1750px) 100vw, 1750px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This graph shows that the Indonesian market is primarily responsible for the rise and fall in organic traffic across the&nbsp;site.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So what happened?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">My theory: risky (now removed) user profiles <em>were<\/em> driving the most traffic<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Although it\u2019s not clear at this stage why the top profiles were banned, it\u2019s noticeable that most of the remaining top traffic-driving profiles are sharing NSFW&nbsp;links.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, here\u2019s what the highest traffic-driving, non-banned user profile looks&nbsp;like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1342\" height=\"1320\" class=\"wp-image-159750\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image17-4.jpg\" alt=\"Example of an NSFW Linktree user profile, via Linktree\n\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image17-4.jpg 1342w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image17-4-432x425.jpg 432w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image17-4-768x755.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1342px) 100vw, 1342px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The majority of links here are for 18+ NSFW content. (My guess is that this is probably not what Linktree wants to be known&nbsp;for.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Returning to the comparison we ran earlier, we can see that one of the top keywords is \u201ckinghorsetoto.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1902\" height=\"552\" class=\"wp-image-159751\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image10-6.png\" alt=\"Example of a high-traffic user profile on Linktree that's now removed, via Ahrefs' Site Explorer\n\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image10-6.png 1902w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image10-6-680x197.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image10-6-768x223.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image10-6-1536x446.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1902px) 100vw, 1902px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s cautiously Google this phrase to see what comes&nbsp;up.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1149\" class=\"wp-image-159752\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image3-7.png\" alt=\"Indonesian casino site that was in the top traffic drivers list for Linktree\n\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image3-7.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image3-7-680x391.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image3-7-768x441.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image3-7-1536x883.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Well, it\u2019s an Indonesian casino site. Given the niche, it\u2019s possible the site violated Linktree\u2019s community standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After another search on Google, I discovered this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vice.com\/en\/article\/jgmjpk\/linktree-banned-removed-inappropriate-use-sex-work\">Vice article<\/a>, which suggested that Linktree removed sex workers from the website in early&nbsp;2022.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The reason for the ban is explained below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"small\"><div class=\"quote-content\">\n\n\n\n<p><em>Per our company\u2019s policies, the Linktree accounts banned stemmed from sharing a URL which violated Community Standards by sharing advertisements for the sale of real-life sexual services.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div><div class=\"quote-info clearfix\"><div class=\"quote-photo\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Marlene Bonnelly\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Image-from-iOS-2-2023-05-19-at-12.03.56-AM.avif-1200\u00d71479-Google-Chrome.jpeg\"><\/div><div class=\"extra-box\"><span class=\"quote-author\">Marlene Bonnelly,<\/span> <span class=\"quote-author-job\">Head of Trust &amp; Safety<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>This ties in with our dates, so it\u2019s possible that these banned profiles are a mix of sex workers\u2019 profiles and anyone else who jeopardizes Linktree\u2019s brand safety, like our Indonesian casino site example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the Vice article, Linktree was popular with sex workers because their content could often be removed from websites without warning, meaning that a third-party site like Linktree would enable them to have multiple backups if their content was removed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As well as the mass removal of high-traffic user profiles, there also seems to be a correlation with the <strong>August 2022 Helpful Content Update.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1152\" class=\"wp-image-159753\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image7-6-1.jpg\" alt=\"August 2022 Helpful Content Update, via Ahrefs' Site Explorer\n\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image7-6-1.jpg 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image7-6-1-680x392.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image7-6-1-768x443.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image7-6-1-1536x885.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>We have seen above that the majority of Linktree\u2019s pages are links to other destinations, with what is, on most pages, minimal content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although this content serves the purpose of helping you get from A to B, it may be possible that Google feels this doesn\u2019t fall under its definition of \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/developers.google.com\/search\/blog\/2022\/08\/helpful-content-update#avoid-creating-content-for-search-engines-first\">helpful content<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Room for improvement in&nbsp;SEO<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019ve looked at some of the bigger factors that could be responsible for Linktree\u2019s recent fall in traffic, but what\u2019s its SEO&nbsp;like?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In my opinion, it looks like Linktree could benefit by improving its <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-basics\/\">SEO basics<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are a few examples of things that could be improved:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>First, looking at the homepage with Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo-toolbar\">SEO Toolbar<\/a>, I found that Linktree appears to not have a <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/how-to-create-a-sitemap\/\">sitemap.xml<\/a> file (at the time of writing).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"964\" class=\"wp-image-159754\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image18-5.png\" alt=\"Missing sitemap.xml file, via Ahrefs' SEO Toolbar\n\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image18-5.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image18-5-680x328.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image18-5-768x370.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image18-5-1536x741.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Second, navigating over to the <code>\/templates<\/code> page, you can see that it is using relative URLs for its canonicals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"522\" class=\"wp-image-159756\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image2-9.png\" alt=\"Relative canonical tag, via Ahrefs' SEO Toolbar\n\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image2-9.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image2-9-680x178.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image2-9-768x201.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image2-9-1536x401.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Although there is nothing technically wrong here, it\u2019s not usually considered best practice to use relative URLs in canonicals, and this has been confirmed by Google\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JohnMu\/\">John Mueller<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1170\" height=\"484\" class=\"wp-image-172955\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Screenshot-2024-03-18-at-12.27.40.png\" alt=\"John Mueller confirming that it\u2019s best practice not to use relative paths with the rel=\u201ccanonical\u201d link element.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Screenshot-2024-03-18-at-12.27.40.png 1170w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Screenshot-2024-03-18-at-12.27.40-680x281.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Screenshot-2024-03-18-at-12.27.40-768x318.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1170px) 100vw, 1170px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Third, clicking around the menu, we can see the <code>\/marketplace<\/code> page lacks a <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/canonical-tags\/\">canonical tag<\/a> completely. (This could be by design, but it seems a little odd to me if that is the&nbsp;case.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"636\" class=\"wp-image-159758\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image22-3.png\" alt=\" Missing canonical tag, via Ahrefs' SEO Toolbar\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image22-3.png 1920w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image22-3-680x225.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image22-3-768x254.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image22-3-1536x509.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Also, the \u201cDiscover\u201d menu links to pages with \u201cnoindex, nofollow.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1520\" height=\"694\" class=\"wp-image-159760\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image24-3.jpg\" alt=\"Linktree's &quot;Discover&quot; menu\n\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image24-3.jpg 1520w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image24-3-680x310.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image24-3-768x351.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1520px) 100vw, 1520px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>We can confirm this if we use the <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo-toolbar\">SEO Toolbar<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"772\" class=\"wp-image-159762\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image14-6.png\" alt=\"Example of &quot;noindex, nofollow,&quot; via Ahrefs' SEO Toolbar\n\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image14-6.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image14-6-680x263.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image14-6-768x297.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image14-6-1536x593.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Setting a page to \u201cnoindex, nofollow\u201d means that all search engines won\u2019t be able to index this page. Again, it\u2019s not particularly obvious why it did&nbsp;this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s clear there are a few issues to look at here on a quick spot-check. But if we wanted to discover all of this site\u2019s issues, we would need to run an audit using Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/site-audit\">Site Audit<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Linktree's future\" data-section=\"linktrees-future\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Linktree\u2019s future<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Prioritizing design over&nbsp;SEO?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In terms of the look and feel of the site, it\u2019s clear that Linktree has put a lot of effort into this aspect.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The site looks great. The design may have even inspired <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wise-seo-case-study\/\">Wise\u2019s<\/a> most recent redesign. (Sadly, though, Google doesn\u2019t rank sites based on the quality of the design.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"756\" class=\"wp-image-159763\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image4-7.png\" alt=\"Linktree's vs. Wise's design\n\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image4-7.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image4-7-680x257.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image4-7-768x290.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image4-7-1536x581.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\n<figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Spot the difference.<\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The future for Linktree in terms of organic traffic feels uncertain at the moment. But with a bit of work on the <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-basics\/\">SEO basics<\/a>, it could be improved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Increased competition<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Another factor to consider is that Linktree will face increased competition from big social networks. For example, recently, <a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2023\/04\/18\/instagram-takes-on-linktree-and-others-with-support-for-up-to-5-links-in-bio\/\">Instagram has added support for up to five links in the bio<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1389\" height=\"781\" class=\"wp-image-159766\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image5-7.jpg\" alt=\"Meta links in profile, via meta.com\n\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image5-7.jpg 1389w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image5-7-680x382.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image5-7-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1389px) 100vw, 1389px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Although this doesn\u2019t destroy Linktree\u2019s business model, it may mean it loses some users who feel safer staying within the Instagram ecosystem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Saying that, it hasn\u2019t gone unnoticed by the Linktree Tiktok staff that Meta is still using a Linktree in its&nbsp;bio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-tiktok wp-block-embed-tiktok\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@linktr.ee\/video\/7223483784790822145<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Another factor to consider is its smaller competitors\u2014there are many of them&nbsp;now:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>later.com\/link-in-bio\/<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>lnk.bio&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>shor.by&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>tap.bio<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>feedlink.io<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>linkinprofile.com<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>milkshake.app<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>campsite.bio<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>bio.fm<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>url.bio<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>biolincs.me<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>beacons.ai<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Most offer a similar service to Linktree, so it must differentiate itself from its competitors moving forward, in my opinion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>How worried should it be about these smaller competitors? At the moment, not&nbsp;much.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If we put some of them into <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/site-explorer\">Site Explorer\u2019s<\/a> <strong>Organic competitors<\/strong> report, we can see that Linktree is way ahead of these smaller competitors in terms of organic traffic and organic traffic value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1292\" height=\"1000\" class=\"wp-image-159767\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image16-4.png\" alt=\"Organic competitors report, via Ahrefs' Site Explorer\n\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image16-4.png 1292w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image16-4-549x425.png 549w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image16-4-768x594.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1292px) 100vw, 1292px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>When it comes to other marketing channels, we can see it already has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@linktr.ee\">an active presence on TikTok<\/a>. This may be considered more important to its business than&nbsp;SEO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But saying that, at the time of writing, it appears that Linktree is looking to hire a new senior SEO strategist. So it is aware of the need for&nbsp;SEO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"898\" class=\"wp-image-159769\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image11-5.png\" alt=\"SEO strategist job ad, via Linktree\n\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image11-5.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image11-5-680x305.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image11-5-768x345.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image11-5-1536x690.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Maybe a renewed focus on SEO is on the cards for the future?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Final thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>SEO is a funny old world. When I started this case study, I didn\u2019t expect to be writing about sex workers and Indonesian casino websites. But here we&nbsp;are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Linktree\u2019s SEO needs a bit of a spring clean. But as we\u2019ve seen, the main fall in traffic is likely self-inflicted and due to the removal of \u201ctop traffic\u201d user profiles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Got more questions? Ping me <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/chris_at_b449?lang=en-GB\">on Twitter<\/a>. \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; Let\u2019s find&nbsp;out. Linktree says it has over 35 million users.&nbsp; It built its brand by creating a platform where content creators can share multiple links to their social media accounts or websites through a single bio&nbsp;page. According to Ahrefs\u2019<span class=\"ellipsis\">\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"read-more\">Read more \u203a<\/div>\n<p><!-- end of .read-more --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":178,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[335],"tags":[],"coauthors":[437],"class_list":["post-159686","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general-seo","odd"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Linktree SEO Case Study: The Rise, Fall, &amp; Future<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Our analysis on the rise and fall of Linktree&#039;s organic traffic, as well as some comments on how SEO can help shape its future.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/linktree-seo-case-study\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Linktree SEO Case Study: The Rise, Fall, &amp; Future\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Branching into the details.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/linktree-seo-case-study\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"SEO Blog by Ahrefs\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Ahrefs\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-05-22T05:22:43+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-03-18T13:03:45+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/image25-3.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Chris Haines\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"Branching into the details.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@chris_at_b449\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@ahrefs\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/linktree-seo-case-study\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/linktree-seo-case-study\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Chris Haines\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/9afb394ccc6e0e19c199d26984a8b0b2\"},\"headline\":\"Linktree SEO Case Study: The Rise, Fall, &amp; 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