Grammarly, a leading SaaS tool for grammar and writing assistance, has built a massive online presence through a well-structured SEO strategy. With over 30 million daily active users and an estimated 7.8 million monthly organic search visits, the company’s approach offers valuable insights for U.S. digital marketers and SEO professionals. This article examines the core components of Grammarly’s SEO strategy, including branded keyword optimization, content marketing, technical SEO, and user acquisition through free tools.
Introduction
Grammarly’s SEO success is built on a combination of brand recognition, strategic content creation, and technical optimization. The company’s primary challenge was driving traffic to its website while competing with its own convenience—users often access its tools through browser extensions or third-party apps without visiting the main site. To overcome this, Grammarly focused on branded keywords, content hubs, and free tools to attract organic traffic and convert users into engaged customers.
The source material highlights that 38.6% of Grammarly’s total organic traffic comes from branded search terms like “grammarly.” Additionally, the company leverages content marketing to target educational and writing-related queries, with over 2,150 blog and guide pages contributing to more than 6 million organic visits. These insights underscore the importance of brand visibility, high-quality content, and technical SEO in building a sustainable organic traffic engine.
Branded Keywords and Brand Visibility
One of Grammarly’s most effective SEO tactics is leveraging its brand name as a key traffic driver. The branded keyword “grammarly” alone brings in approximately 3.2 million monthly visits, according to Ahrefs data. This strategy is particularly effective for a SaaS company like Grammarly, which has already established a strong brand presence in the writing and grammar correction space.
Misspellings as Traffic Opportunities
Interestingly, misspellings of the brand, such as “grammerly,” also contribute to its organic traffic. These misspelled keywords rank well and capture users who may not have the correct spelling in mind. The source data indicates that these misspellings generate an additional 590,000 monthly searches, highlighting the value of monitoring and optimizing for common typos.
Social Media and Brand Presence
Grammarly’s social media presence further supports its SEO efforts by reinforcing brand visibility and improving search engine rankings. Although social signals are not a direct ranking factor, the increased brand recognition from social profiles can lead to higher search traffic. Additionally, links from social media platforms can act as backlinks, indirectly contributing to SEO performance.
Content Marketing and Educational Value
Grammarly’s blog and content hubs play a crucial role in its SEO strategy. The company’s content strategy focuses on educational topics such as grammar rules, writing techniques, and communication skills. These topics are highly relevant to its target audience, which includes students, content marketers, and professionals.
Content Volume and Quality
Grammarly’s blog contains over 2,150 pages, making up a significant portion of its indexed content. These pages are organized into content clusters, with internal linking between related topics to enhance topical authority and user navigation. For example, articles on “How to write a formal letter” and “Simple present tense” are interconnected, helping users explore related topics and stay on the site longer.
SEO Best Practices in Content Creation
To maximize the SEO potential of its blog, Grammarly follows established content marketing best practices:
- Keyword Research: The content is optimized for high-volume keywords with clear search intent. For example, a post on “How to write a report” may target users seeking step-by-step guidance on report writing.
- Headline and Subheading Optimization: Headlines are structured with appropriate HTML tags (e.g., H1, H2, H3) to improve readability and SEO performance.
- Meta Descriptions and Alt Text: Meta descriptions are written to encourage click-through rates, while image alt text includes relevant keywords for accessibility and image search visibility.
- Internal Linking: Related articles are linked internally to reinforce topical relevance and help search engines understand the site’s structure.
- Calls-to-Action (CTAs): CTAs are strategically placed to encourage users to sign up for a free account or access premium features.
These practices ensure that each blog post not only provides value to users but also aligns with SEO best practices, making it more likely to rank well and attract organic traffic.
Technical SEO and Content Management
In addition to content creation, Grammarly also focuses on technical SEO to ensure that its content is accessible and optimized for search engines. One of the key considerations is maintaining up-to-date and error-free content. The source material emphasizes that outdated or broken content can negatively impact user experience and SEO performance.
Content Audits and Maintenance
Grammarly’s blog and guide pages are regularly reviewed and updated to reflect the latest trends and user needs. This ongoing content management effort helps maintain the site’s relevance and authority in the writing and grammar niche. For example, updates to grammar rules or writing tips may be incorporated into existing articles to keep them current.
Indexing and Site Structure
The source data mentions that Grammarly’s website has 3,300+ indexed pages, with the blog and free tools making up a large portion. The site is structured to allow search engines to easily crawl and index its content. Internal linking and content clusters help organize the site into thematic sections, making it easier for both users and search engines to navigate.
Free Tools and User Acquisition
Another key aspect of Grammarly’s SEO strategy is its use of free tools to attract users and drive traffic. The company offers a range of free tools, including a grammar checker, plagiarism checker, citation generator, and AI writing tools for emails, cover letters, and social media posts. These tools serve as both user acquisition and SEO assets.
Free Tools as Traffic Drivers
The free tools are accessible without requiring users to sign up, making them highly attractive to a wide audience. For instance, students and professionals who need quick grammar checks can use the Grammar Checker without committing to a paid plan. This low barrier to entry helps Grammarly acquire new users and build brand trust.
Free Tools as SEO Assets
From an SEO perspective, the free tools are optimized for relevant keywords and are linked to from blog posts and other content. This cross-linking helps distribute link equity across the site and reinforces the relevance of each tool. Additionally, the tools themselves generate organic traffic by appearing in search results for queries like “free grammar checker” or “plagiarism checker.”
Traffic Distribution and the Pareto Principle
The source data also reveals that a relatively small number of pages drive the majority of Grammarly’s organic traffic. Specifically, 277 out of 2,468 pages account for 20.1 million monthly visits. This aligns with the Pareto principle (80/20 rule), where a small portion of content generates the majority of traffic.
High-Performing Pages
The high-performing pages include the homepage, which receives 6.6 million monthly visits, and various free tools and blog posts. These pages are typically well-optimized, have strong backlinks, and address high-demand topics. For example, the homepage targets the keyword “writing assistant” in its title tag and is responsible for 84.6% of all branded traffic.
Underperforming Pages
On the other hand, 543 of Grammarly’s 2,468 pages receive no organic traffic. These pages may be outdated, have poor optimization, or target low-volume keywords. The source material does not provide specific recommendations for improving these pages, but it does emphasize the importance of content audits and optimization to ensure all pages contribute to the site’s SEO goals.
Conclusion
Grammarly’s SEO strategy is a well-rounded approach that combines brand visibility, content marketing, and technical SEO to drive organic traffic and user engagement. By leveraging branded keywords, optimizing educational content, and offering valuable free tools, the company has built a strong online presence that continues to attract millions of monthly visitors. For U.S. digital marketers and SEO practitioners, Grammarly’s approach offers a proven model for building and sustaining organic traffic in a competitive market.
The key takeaway is that SEO success is not just about content creation or technical optimization—it is about aligning both with the user’s needs and the brand’s goals. By focusing on user-centric content, technical best practices, and brand visibility, businesses can replicate Grammarly’s success and improve their own organic traffic and conversions.