Disclaimer: This article discusses content that mentions abuse and domestic violence.
We spend a lot of time at Eleven digging through SERPs to better understand Google and users. We’re always looking for outliers — companies that do well in the wake of Google updates, which so often hit small- and mid-size companies hardest.
In this case, we unearthed a fascinating tale of success from the marketing team at the Newport Institute (not an Eleven client), an organization that supports individuals struggling with mental health and substance abuse.
Take a look at their organic traffic graph from the past 15 months:
![Ahrefs organic traffic graph for newportinstitute.com, showing a traffic increase from 150,000 to 320,000.](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/62fcc3b5e3bdda3ad0d34c11/66a0a3b03e77d971601305ba_AD_4nXcw0VgecETF5dNvgcK0z5bGHJfcWci3PNMRlXXK72osDtYytCJleAcrLiKwRU9_7qzwKeKCRlsGFd_44t_c8uxWK5uZkA7YB8_aieiLkiPuD_HnlH6uMmSqnW6-zXCnEyZGt1Ys8z0iEo4nV0fvKsN65DMJ.png)
Ahrefs estimates Newport Institute’s organic traffic increased from 111,567 to 264,128 clicks in six weeks.
But how did organic traffic increase by 120% in such a short time?
I discovered that just one blog post was responsible for this exponential growth.
![Screenshot of Newport Institute’s blog post on gaslighting, featuring a photograph of a man pinching the bridge of his nose.](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/62fcc3b5e3bdda3ad0d34c11/66a0a3b03a24e50b5526087f_AD_4nXcTOGqLdMxWC5ZYjHraPd78iXk0X2fgHkXboRq_7okHbysB3sKffqYcypbEFA6sSikZNHas7jBZ7mEKj4UjW0Mzw8lLkivEWwtUvkSj2YxVTFKpmV5F0utiXs0D8VW7C9iu7BDVJGW0WbRM2C4Itf_AAHnh.png)
On May 12, 2024, Identifying Gaslighting: Signs, Examples, and Seeking Help had an estimated organic traffic of 27,864 monthly clicks. The chart below shows that this estimate has grown to almost 220,000 clicks.
![Ahrefs organic traffic graph for “Identifying Gaslighting: Signs, Examples, and Seeking Help” on newportinstitute.com, showing an increase from 27,858 clicks to nearly 220,000.](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/62fcc3b5e3bdda3ad0d34c11/66a0a3b0a6456a6fe1ebd0ba_AD_4nXeOU67L-hgEp1qJJmUjeeqK5ot1qVOBZp2Bvbu2pvDem13SL5USJazG5DWBr7QMqEW5PaDX08pyFQGItZ0Bm3PR0r_jxQRi0mtgftI8I9-pexBC6BaKmC5oraw-F9_RAEAW_1P1FN0V4oXvI_jqqLBUS2Ae.png)
As you can see from the above, traffic was in steady decline for around a month before it exploded upward. Following a deep dive into the website, I’m pretty confident a content refresh was the reason for this spectacular growth.
The Internet Archive has this snapshot from May 12, 2024:
![Internet Archive snapshot of a blog post from newportinstitute.com titled, “How to Tell If Someone Is Gaslighting You.”](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/62fcc3b5e3bdda3ad0d34c11/66a0a3b03b8bb809fb7d4dbe_AD_4nXeiVap1sGFTHDU8b1o3M4KwrySG84qwYhjWjPIEXJ2A5Bvd8E3CuxWvdhGnc-kDpLqYE2bhOtit5vt-zp35eHBD_lohbHiFWGMWiM0a3UP9NtyJkpbwOqDyU8alxxfXzb7HDhHR2L-kRezEs4P7wn2LeK4.png)
By May 29, the content had changed:
![A screenshot of an updated blog post, “Identifying Gaslighting: Signs, Examples, and Seeking Help,” from newportinstitute.com.](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/62fcc3b5e3bdda3ad0d34c11/66a0a3b09f1665f250af550f_AD_4nXd5vac7uBooVzRbPSd_R8OKn0yBn-5lmMhuCWhU62_Bgfu-LluvQruYirl7oMoNgdGI-rfZltwZ57Df8ZLSsXBG95-J_vHU_TNugYE8M3j4UfQVZrAYoriz9cRyxjCx842velo-s8cKwNeNOG36wuhugoBw.png)
In this case study, I’ll cover the 6 things Newport Institute changed and how they helped the blog article regain the first position for a highly competitive keyword.
Short on time? Here are the key takeaways
- Newport Institute changed the title of the blog post to better align with search intent by including key terms like “signs” and “examples.”
- It also added a “key takeaways” section to the article, enhancing readability and the user experience.
- Newport Institute updated the introduction and added new sections to keep the content current and comprehensive.
- Additionally, it introduced new subheadings and edited existing ones for better readability and SEO value.
- Finally, Newport Institute included an FAQ section — with correct schema — to boost visibility.
1. Page title change: Aligning with search intent
Newport Institute changed the title of this blog post from “How To Tell If Someone Is Gaslighting You” to “Identifying Gaslighting: Signs, Examples, and Seeking Help.”
Why I think this works
To understand the impact of this page title change, we need to look at the SERPs (Search Engine Result Pages) for the main keyword.
The main keyword for this blog post is “gaslighting,” an extremely competitive keyword with 537,000 searches per month on Google.com.
![Ahrefs keyword data for the keyword “gaslighting,” showing a keyword difficulty of “79: super hard” and a search volume of 537K.](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/62fcc3b5e3bdda3ad0d34c11/66a0a3b068b391e6ebd3bc80_AD_4nXfxy6pzCdl9CbhZPQQX66mrrhF9k0yx5zQAER7WZblfs2X5gpK3rm6SbkrLnI6w37QP20yp2A_7P9jlYC2bJKxO0Iy_pKwx2DWE21aqXrWcJUsErC6fHUH2sezrnGxKVeCFT39HVw3KUIMmM1CPy3hGXOA.png)
At the start of 2024, Newport Institute ranked number one for this keyword. A gradual decline followed, and the site languished in position 12 before the content refresh.
![Newport Institute’s keyword rankings fluctuation for “gaslighting,” which improved from 14th position in May 2023 to 1st position in July 2024.](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/62fcc3b5e3bdda3ad0d34c11/66a0a3b03f27f0e12446337b_AD_4nXfDLHVORAla-YrF0Npg8-gSfX_2DnNW9DkrF9ajH8lh1BRRwddOrkeqZ2v71izua3MQqMFrTvJImEk3g-WKiAMPY7o81ZLDjA_73KOi43ATpaGRy8ka2RYIKrcbX2R7qYH0AHUU5xodjk53VJ3YAXpeNMQ.png)
To understand Newport Institute’s changes, we need to examine the search results for May 12, 2024.
![Search results for the keyword “gaslighting” on May 12, 2024, showing Newport Institute in 12th position.](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/62fcc3b5e3bdda3ad0d34c11/66a0a3b0b7860d9e3969bed0_AD_4nXclsgSwqmFhxks6dUrOhhgMuqX_nZZwB72vVzdAIxuC_ZSx12bSRvdV5ztaw0yNgk6FHXgNAPW1hAR8pxlKTZowKpZhpl2vutqmNDOmtqz7MJqS8x3wvrO6nDioW2Zh-ZpQ_8_2ZNFTP0myXnUsAJq4PVtI.png)
The top result and three others start with “What Is Gaslighting?” This is a slightly different search intent to Newport Institute’s original page title, “How To Tell If Someone Is Gaslighting You.”
Two more keywords these other titles use are “examples” and “warning signs.” Therefore, it makes sense for Newport Institute to update its title to incorporate these themes. It did so in a very subtle, original way:
![A snippet from Google’s search results, showing Newport Institute’s update page title for its blog post on gaslighting.](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/62fcc3b5e3bdda3ad0d34c11/66a0ad8a9303f6bfde7ffa32_AD_4nXey6KvtpLGlzU9H3TZGit-4xYZVJfGtPyFgtH8Pc62LLyD-1FVLm9HM23TNHoT6wpAoBdJWzabPM5k09fhIp8bTD9QIGNOhpZiMc9eQaKjIGV8ClM-_q5qH05bBZYrQhh10t0j3y6cExWkrSjWmXOJH7ECG.png)
Instead of using the generic “What is…”, Newport Institute correctly assumed Google would know that “Identifying” means the same thing.
I also like how Newport Institute added “Seeking Help” to the end of the title. It shows the article is comprehensive and promises extra value for the reader. It also ties in with Newport Institute's target audience: people seeking treatment.
2. Addition of “Key Takeaways”: Enhancing user experience
One of the biggest changes between the updated version and the original is the addition of a “Key Takeaways” section.
![Key Takeaways from Newport Institute’s blog post on gaslighting. There are four bullet points in a blue-shaded box.](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/62fcc3b5e3bdda3ad0d34c11/66a0b28e473a71304471ab7b_AD_4nXfFWTdIVT_ra3IPpra7qnRSq0KvcF3wbohplzzsozv_p-omwMeR1zU3eHHSZRNZ9XtAaaxDhdVjWdmVJTg1XRS3uKAO5xme9_gDsOHl1KwPvK35ua14UIlgtLTws3wM-exvLlzRIfl648fK_yl8wpiWYkUR.png)
This has been manually added to the content with some shading to improve the page’s visual appeal.
Why I think this works
At Eleven Writing, we add “Key Takeaways” sections to the content we create for many of our clients. We do this because it improves the reader experience by providing value upfront. Readers can scan this section and determine whether the rest of the content will answer their query.
Adding “Key Takeaways” also helps Google’s web crawlers find pertinent information quickly and add it to enhanced search results.
For Newport Institute, the impact of adding a “Key Takeaways” section can be seen in the “People Also Ask” section for the main keyword, “gaslighting.” Google has quoted and linked to Newport Institute for the answer to this question:
![A screenshot of a “People Also Ask” question for the keyword “gaslighting” with content from Newport Institute’s blog post.](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/62fcc3b5e3bdda3ad0d34c11/66a0ace78505724b79c7c622_AD_4nXeaGRuUNCRNsaOGvZ5EWIHW1rbS6qbPpEXNOPY2D0b5reA2pR6MEEdUmZk_W6HLIE-GQKL6QYpOIh8yoobOJa8qWLfByLO5dS73BXNtCPFPy4N0UdPb2cHcSO6ZaoSKKCr69M8xrR3P2V8PWbP6fxhFk9GF.png)
The content for this answer is pulled directly from the “Key Takeaways” section of the updated article.
Interestingly, none of the competing pages in the “gaslighting” SERPs include a “Key Takeaways” section.
3. Adjusting and adding content
During the content refresh, Newport Institute changed the introduction and added new content.
Here’s how the introduction looked before:
And here’s how it looks after:
Newport Institute also added a new section covering the types of gaslighting:
![A screenshot showing the new copy added to Newport Institute’s blog post on gaslighting.](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/62fcc3b5e3bdda3ad0d34c11/66a0b2e74e86780244fbe75e_AD_4nXcHx5u7yrx7Mt5LMMZ_oVOA66A5aisWE1lIv-Fw46ZCDlbyFS29esZ8dUVfCAH7uP4hieGS8S3xyHLDJ9fHDBqQouZrbPeWO0bW48US9ls6Fb1uBoGa75lrMFBR84nOu0vba3OHuipvqb6RI0IE_AgCMw.png)
Why I think this works
These changes keep the content current and help Newport Institute provide a better search result for its main keyword.
The blog post was first published in 2021, when the miniseries Maid and the movie The Girl on the Train debuted on Netflix. Removing these “recent” references makes sense — as does incorporating a more current reference to the still-running series The Bachelorette and an evergreen reference to Merriam-Webster.
The section “Types of Gaslighting” provides more information on gaslighting, diving into details that Newport Institute’s competitors don’t. (None of the competing pages include a section like this!)
This is a recurring theme I saw with the changes Newport Institute implemented: The company made original changes instead of copying competitors.
A move like this is key to crafting helpful content that benefits readers and ranks well on SERPs. In fact, Google mentions these two points in its Creating Helpful, Reliable, People-First Content Guidelines:
- Does the content provide a substantial, complete, or comprehensive description of the topic?
- Does the content provide substantial value when compared to other pages in search results?
The new “Types of Gaslighting” section ticks both of these boxes.
The effect of adding this section can be seen in the dramatic change in rankings for the keyword “types of gaslighting.” After the new content was added, the keyword increased from position 88 to position 8.
![Graph showing Google rankings change for the keyword “types of gaslighting,” which improved from position 88 to 8.](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/62fcc3b5e3bdda3ad0d34c11/66a0a3b08e908b0a64de7a19_AD_4nXfoYl0vJMD4lpBzQST0-whGi_3cL0tSLzsb2tBEk3-dqAgCLrFcK4kau17ZczobfW88ZLOeZc3Uju_O3qB9oUt0n5nId-BJ3FSC9Smk0yDb3N1avx-lC8qWeDRyEUz56vXujB-4UZZBKRHy6BlATP2A4AW-.png)
There’s also been a significant increase in keyword rankings around the definition of gaslighting from the time of the content refresh.
![Ahrefs data for Newport Institute's keyword rankings, showing significant increases for high-volume keywords.](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/62fcc3b5e3bdda3ad0d34c11/66a0a3b04e86780244f1aa99_AD_4nXc2wkdtJUAI1kkVfcjweCqf40fLdQ-Vf3z056VRbex0TdQ_GjtJX9hC20ivAacFVhXjYzc5d4SKrFiSDkh9wD6AipXfga7yhIBEBtZUEe2LlZHVYpU4_XNWwBstxqnfofhUS_Bqo0UwsVARZbZWbkqbAQF7.png)
“Gaslighting” has a high search volume, and this blog post has significantly improved its rankings for keyword variations that attract tens of thousands of clicks.
Additionally, the blog post has started ranking for new keywords like “gaslighting examples” and “what is an example of gaslighting,” which Newport Institute wasn’t ranking for on May 12, 2024.
4. Improved structure: Enhancing readability and SEO value
Before the content refresh, Newport Institute used bold text at the beginning of each paragraph in the section titled “5 Ways to Counteract Gaslighting Abuse Symptoms.”
![Excerpt from the previous version of Newport Institute’s blog post on gaslighting, showing bolded words at the start of paragraphs.](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/62fcc3b5e3bdda3ad0d34c11/66a0a3b03a594f44a41e931e_AD_4nXdilwtn2JkzDnw0oge-2WDG7zFWh-Q2ZCtAi55MzXKkQ1ELjjFjavVk39l6rCFW2j_Gwjn8jgSraRJyp5s24KdRPUJ98SjdadjJQV_qSqaDPcvwPiX8hVOFNO-81RzYk4WIIvZn1lM6mI8gufhHfbp9Ng.png)
As part of the update, Newport Institute changed the bold text to H3 heading tags.
![Heading tags from Newport Institute’s blog post on gaslighting that show relevant H3 subheadings nested under the main heading.](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/62fcc3b5e3bdda3ad0d34c11/66a0a3b07c0fbe08909e6eaa_AD_4nXfAHIEgklTa24lOCRjPFYp5U98N2GzDpkI02PuWlQxUqUolOrZpDO_8uBOJE5WoZbUWMXh6NmK94q9urzQ4aQfYLDwdWQSFTmjkZ210pIufYcalQmsYFsmjtm3F1Lt2rcDnBlpYHX6hfthUANqI9XNF8eUT.png)
Why I think this works
This is an interesting change because many websites use a bold font instead of a header tag for stylistic purposes.
However, heading tags emphasize keywords more than bolded text. They help establish topical relevance by helping Google’s machine-learning algorithms understand the content more easily. Additionally, using more subheadings for longer passages makes the content easier for readers to digest.
If you look further down the search results for “gaslighting,” you’ll find a lot of pages that don’t have their heading tags in order.
For example, the Cleveland Clinic is in position 37 with its blog post “What Is Gaslighting? Signs and How To Respond.” This article is over 1,000 words, but the heading tags lack detail compared with Newport Institute’s article.
![Heading tags from a clevelandclinic.org blog post on gaslighting that are not shown in a logical hierarchical order.](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/62fcc3b5e3bdda3ad0d34c11/66a0a3b0f0e3725f8d491207_AD_4nXfsT6GETdO1rv6GN4Mb72FrxMP_73fJzpZqwgB0NBBFNv5UJwftYkZcqzvXsQcHjarlZWqzRC0ozEKRwGgXtw9Co_tvZTXNzNbhbwHn-x__BTIUGCUS0c12clp1PCjscUZN-KSZiOkJ8iqwlxwLIaefCYjI.png)
5. Edited subheadings: Better context and flow
Newport Institute also made two noteworthy changes to subheadings during the content refresh:
- It took the copy in the section that used to begin with the subheading, “What Is Gaslighting Abuse at Work and in Society?” and separated it into two new sections: “What Is Gaslighting Abuse at Work?” and “Racial and Gender-Related Gaslighting.”
- “10 Signs of Gaslighting in a Relationship” became “10 Examples of Gaslighting.” The copy remained the same.
Why I think this works
Change 1
Splitting “What Is Gaslighting Abuse at Work and in Society?” into “What Is Gaslighting Abuse at Work?” and “Racial and Gender-Related Gaslighting” helps Google better determine the page’s context. “Gaslighting at work” and “racial gaslighting” are different topics with different Google entities.
Additionally, separate, better-focused headings can show Google that Newport Institute is an authoritative source on multiple aspects of gaslighting. Authority is a key component of E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trustworthiness), which Google considers the building blocks of valuable content.
Moreover, this change improves readability and the user experience. Readers often scan blog articles; shorter, more focused sections can help them more quickly find the information they’re interested in.
Change 2
As discussed earlier, Newport Institute changed the title of this blog article from “How To Tell If Someone Is Gaslighting You” to “Identifying Gaslighting: Signs, Examples, and Seeking Help.”
This change was likely made to better match the change in search intent. At the time of the content refresh, the top result in Google was “What is gaslighting? Examples and how to respond.”
The keyword “examples” didn’t appear within the blog post before the content refresh. This was addressed by adjusting “10 Signs of Gaslighting in a Relationship” to “10 Examples of Gaslighting.”
Doing so helped Newport Institute snag the featured snippet for the keyword “what is an example of gaslighting?”
![Google featured snippet for the keyword “What is an example of gaslighting?”, showing an excerpt from Newport Institute's blog article.](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/62fcc3b5e3bdda3ad0d34c11/66a0aff799476e28af324b51_AD_4nXfaap81OzUFFSC0BoOqHXtwJgQv_ZkWZAVRK5LByUEAD6WlSGko_s5T03n98O5hIbO6A_zZm0y0q6I5eeYj-g3USDNxJMRwKu669RymjkQ-Wyx-pClac1GUBTlWi0Ul7amsSuU8-VIEBly0x_KBvO3m-Vbb.png)
Newport Institute also scored a featured answer in the “People Also Ask” section for this keyword:
![“People Also Ask” answer for “What is an example of gaslighting?” showing content from Newport Institute's blog post.](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/62fcc3b5e3bdda3ad0d34c11/66a0b0293a594f44a427aa93_AD_4nXfWvWWy79CyENfWfqkKZuaMUrhWOFTvxTrofGBVBBMM-qsEQa0pN4FWivpj-wtVByk_Wo9xzq4mH2ZPVkL997jMS_HqJrOjlIzKP_wwoyeCqmTqES2fERijt0c-wifsAVq_xBDP-xz52at8_OESGcCSTtwK.png)
6. FAQ section: Boosting visibility and user engagement
Finally, Newport Institute added a “Frequently Asked Questions” section featuring five questions and answers in a user-friendly accordion display.
![The FAQ section from Newport Institute’s blog post on gaslighting, showing the accordion feature.](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/62fcc3b5e3bdda3ad0d34c11/66a0a3b0ecdae58efdfe8d2d_AD_4nXeTUKxA3PEpDzNDu4u4_Lcuh-lvCTEe0XKjP5pMvPuUamWm-27TuCbuAwugaLPDzw3mD67SUI4qiJMCT5TasU4itmjvz20fZCNYKu8lQye4wmknFA7ctGNO1Siv_BfaJ8q_vOzwvo6mcMAY5B9ER6DTR9c.png)
Why I think this works
Google uses its algorithm to populate the “People Also Ask” snippets with popular questions users have searched for related to the main keyword. I always advise googling your main keyword and checking if your page covers the visible questions to ensure it’s well-aligned with search intent.
Care is needed here, though, as a dedicated FAQ section might not always be necessary. The topic might be relatively straightforward, and an extra section may be redundant. However, I always say, “Let the SERPs guide you,” so it’s worth checking if the top search results include this section.
Before Newport Institute’s content refresh, Medical News Today’s article “Examples and signs of gaslighting and how to respond” was the top result for the keyword “gaslighting” and included an FAQ section. However, I believe Newport Institute’s recently published FAQ section is better for three reasons:
1. It includes two more questions
Medical News Today’s FAQ section has just three questions. This might be enough for some topics, but usually, I see three to five in the top-ranking search results.
2. It concisely answers the question
In my experience, answers of around two to three sentences work well in FAQ sections. This is about the length of these snippets in the SERPs, and it helps the reader get to the answer quickly.
Newport Institute’s FAQs are nice and concise, while the FAQs from Medical News Today are around four to six sentences long.
Another tactic I find works well is having the first sentence of each answer paraphrase the question, which Newport Institute does.
![Excerpt from Newport Institute’s blog post on gaslighting showing the answer references the question.](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/62fcc3b5e3bdda3ad0d34c11/66a0b1cad1907856e5fd7c4c_AD_4nXfHfBbqmoL9UC8d2T_HxkUP3LS9CG7wJKBoOyZKYzEoPIbg78fg11yWA88JHTtKo33Ch5AX3GxAtdJ8pO9i0u8q5U_ph6lJPj2KNvcs0xsNQ6JmrL5wy8MfBRpUW8EDVNNctdOZnz2zFCURF8vUIrm-OlE.png)
This is believed to help Google’s natural language processing (NLP) algorithm, BERT, more easily discern the meaning of each answer.
While Newport Institute’s answers mirror the phrasing of their questions, Medical News Today’s answers take a couple of sentences to refer back to each question.
3. FAQ schema is set up correctly
Correctly implementing FAQ schema helps maximize visibility, improve user experience, and stay competitive in search engine results. These days, schema is relatively easy to set up with Yoast Pro or AI tools like ChatGPT.
However, the mistake I often see during SEO audits is that people forget to validate their FAQ schema. That’s why I always recommend running published pages through Google’s Rich Results Test to check there aren’t any issues.
As shown below, Newport Institute has properly implemented FAQ schema for its blog article on gaslighting.
![A screenshot from Google’s Rich Results Test showing that Newport Institute has correctly implemented FAQ schema for its blog post on gaslighting.](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/62fcc3b5e3bdda3ad0d34c11/66a0a3b00d0f851b36a6f689_AD_4nXckcKFNkM2sBRsxD0oTig22NXUquvn1w4AC-1yBDxCu2RtigvCIBL4-VEt1mB_PVBofU7QWqZ7uMQnV-laD-BoVGgb3zZHt0NIenPlyz8z5yWsCSRwg0TVwalLs4h2E_cT_9p6XczPaFNCIaeKkzkCliy7G.png)
On the other hand, Newport Institute’s competitor in the search results, Medical News Today, hasn’t:
![A screenshot from Google’s Rich Results Test, showing invalid FAQ Schema for Medical News Today’s article on gaslighting.](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/62fcc3b5e3bdda3ad0d34c11/66a0a3b099476e28af29ee65_AD_4nXcOMBIDeQwUDHV8QlD1chLl7vxaA7BSxVl0AUd6ReABjJ9gDYV5M11fpI6w-_bhi3fRkge_Zqxt3XvkjSDqy_GUvPKZnbWiwSlQjjfOsx0yaCmxEy9PGpOykmlEysMqmxvJ9PbIIQJ-9WV4gZD19xlOpr2I.png)
What Newport Institute Was Already Doing Well
With this case study, I don’t want to suggest that the above changes are the sole reason this blog page is pulling in 220k visitors a month. The page previously ranked number one for the competitive keyword “gaslighting” before Google shook up the search results. This indicates Newport Institute was already doing things that Google liked.
Here are four things I think the company was doing well:
Optimizing for featured snippets
Nabbing the featured snippet for a keyword with 537,000 monthly searches is a big deal.
![The featured snippet for the keyword “gaslighting” in Google search, showing content from Newport Institute.](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/62fcc3b5e3bdda3ad0d34c11/66a0b3fa833c6bc86f452b55_AD_4nXeZX6_zcEcB4ch0rW6GYYKaAgFA3BAPee7nu3US8mEVVrLFMkC3UJGuJk6Z5QL2vXKfy5vadyJANxgrTpsShMklqhGo5b7gZNmsAs8n0E0AIMGFnFAk2hOIeg0MvjSWBdlZZtox8YqPoiq7STluhxCkqcg.png)
This snippet is from the “What is Gaslighting Abuse?” section of Newport Institute’s blog post — it’s the same copy as before the content refresh.
![An excerpt from Newport Institute’s blog post on gaslighting that matches the featured snippet.](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/62fcc3b5e3bdda3ad0d34c11/66a0b3cffe9731515816921b_AD_4nXfaoHXDsLSNmeeXNYjGM1uO-M86qcte6KOUPhfJ6kpCzDT-uoNHmckj_3OMm8zlv6wWRqfiI4GlJwok-treQ2opUGYSWCesFgpUy4BEFe_fMYkbUI4ZDKlipopN6Wxv2RAhnYmSvlm5G_91_seyAznEYWBh.png)
But this is just one of 249 featured snippets that this blog post ranks for, according to Ahrefs.
![Ahrefs keyword explorer, showing that Newport Institute’s blog post on gaslighting ranks for 249 featured snippets.](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/62fcc3b5e3bdda3ad0d34c11/66a0a3b06b0ba1ff0799f987_AD_4nXea1YkLc8e6RH5kJb-nMcCC4GBkLeBib26hoFIUbE3QK0dq5X6mLsqYPbsNbB0T_ilSJfen5hlnNqUz2yGW9yqpAx8CIBaZeCdFFa1l3LzpexgTEtgHh0nknYgxdzTkXz2oAv_kuXERQS7YGgnFsks8MrB7.png)
One reason Newport Institute is able to grab so many featured snippets is that the page is well-structured, with descriptive heading tags in logical order.
Its body copy is also clear and to the point; in the “What is Gaslighting Abuse?” section, the copy answers the question immediately — explaining gaslighting in two brief sentences.
Implementing article schema is another factor that could have helped Newport Institute rank for all these snippets. Note that the implemented schema includes the rel=publisher tag.
![An excerpt from Newport Institute’s article schema, showing the rel=publisher section.](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/62fcc3b5e3bdda3ad0d34c11/66a0b41b7baaf7a52053923f_AD_4nXegElmxcPcN22rmzW2wI919AyeCzNNpUAuxaQ5ZgR6tTNDK5f5EH6cIg0CAX7XubKZ1mfvLBavN1-7DZt3xmmhjODI7csDBVsBT65b-HLjh4d-xK48-GguTCyaVtZXZe_8lfpitxBfNSWGzoi0EYoRImv40.png)
Adding this schema enhances credibility and signals to Google that a page is a worthy candidate for featured snippets. In the case of Newport Institute, it’s an extra level of detail that competitors like Psychology Today and The National Domestic Violence Hotline aren’t doing.
Using on-page elements
A consistent feature of both the original and updated versions of Newport Institute’s blog post on gaslighting is the inclusion of visually appealing on-page elements.
For example, Newport Institute highlights facts and quotes with different shaded boxes.
![A “Know the Facts” dark-blue content box from Newport Institute with statistics on female victims of domestic violence.](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/62fcc3b5e3bdda3ad0d34c11/66a0a3b0c4b243ee6d8c99dc_AD_4nXeDZmZ8yTSfqsurt3AlxSXhMElfva8OEfANh-6S9Po6awgzHEGYIjaSJ33Qr2LUZfkc_86SI3n-zh0M3k4r5nHePpR1UZRDVgdyGqxqppb5w_2EMHVH_hnAvJ62AgszGzLHc7bNBDW5uESVk81-sc94f6KE.png)
![A light-blue content box from Newport Institute with a quote from Dr. Robin Stern on gaslighting.](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/62fcc3b5e3bdda3ad0d34c11/66a0a3b090b767cd76d75f9c_AD_4nXc1utinLA8pdQyKlCtXovnJrpvpd4TpxKRvE0CK2i-lRoqFycv71aE15_IUwClF57fcVVORMBo7GePmFmYjQVG2q3cqUWdJEBaeJlNpNOqLbOJnmnrvSsTiGVUJ_a8OJrb_O_54updStUf7-1SwsMfg6GY.png)
It also uses different colored bullet points and numbered tips to help keep the reader engaged.
![A numbered list from Newport Institute showing signs of gaslighting.](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/62fcc3b5e3bdda3ad0d34c11/66a0a3b0c0c1ae6b5b54560f_AD_4nXfO6LaLFKM8NF554buI2cMuBoLgt39BfejyFI2xm_VIXc_mEWko096MMeiSLOC3787Oae_21qPauWxGblVReW5TopWIwf705JOMIpQEs2jBtSFbg0Dqcm6yrWgEa3ZLVpd6W74D2f5Oz7S6-FDd02AG_6DE.png)
Avoiding excessive, intrusive ads
One theory for sites falling in rankings after Google’s recent algorithm updates is that they had too many ads.
Given that Google generates most of its revenue from advertisements, it seems unlikely that ads themselves are the problem. Instead, the issue might be these ads’ negative impact on the reader’s experience.
Some of the competitors Newport Institute has overtaken in the search rankings have many ads. One example is “Examples and signs of gaslighting and how to respond” on Medical News Today. This page has ads in the header, the content, and the sidebar, distracting from the actual body copy.
![An excerpt from Medical News Today’s blog post on gaslighting, showing an excessive amount of display ads.](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/62fcc3b5e3bdda3ad0d34c11/66a0a3b0c9c1ddf65e6397f6_AD_4nXdM3liQ9o_-afp-RTwHRu5BG2W5Ao0KJ-or5Kyg9aWDTZ2z5RzPqLPRUOuzPndY1koEdylfLK3ylbEYAiEM1LMpR8eCsYnL180r0AFni8lF0jyC4GHs6B8tNhA4RSsTBy5wadtHf6HMSzdcl_4IFcLdIaQ0.png)
In comparison, both versions of Newport Institute’s gaslighting article are free of external ads. Both include a sign-up form, but this isn’t intrusive and is embedded in the content.
That said, the Internet Archive shows Newport Institute used to have the sign-up form as a pop-up window that appeared only seconds after opening any blog post. This stopped showing shortly before the content refresh. I can only guess that Newport Institute tested this and felt the embedded contact form works better.
![A pop-up that used to show on Newport Institute’s blog posts to get readers to sign up to their newsletter.](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/62fcc3b5e3bdda3ad0d34c11/66a0a3b0e524607047367e51_AD_4nXcA7EWTJxu6plYHL2N0q8P0e2tYN1KSlEqodA0-OHZGYjIQaWRKMLoFx2RnyTjyT23tm3o5ZLJb6McsSW5fRh2ejOvNYx1hfkwISmvoVrwBnpT54-z8GAgb0bby6yVlf2wRybBeAwehmU67jz7GihTY7Tz6.png)
Maintaining a strong backlink profile
Lastly, it would be remiss of me to discuss a website’s search rankings without discussing backlinks. At the outset of this article, I shared an image from Ahrefs that showed the target keyword for Newport Institute’s gaslighting article was “super hard.”
![Keyword data from Ahrefs for the “gaslighting” keyword, showing that backlinks from 329 referring domains are needed to rank in the top 10 search results.](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/62fcc3b5e3bdda3ad0d34c11/66a0a3b068b391e6ebd3bc80_AD_4nXfxy6pzCdl9CbhZPQQX66mrrhF9k0yx5zQAER7WZblfs2X5gpK3rm6SbkrLnI6w37QP20yp2A_7P9jlYC2bJKxO0Iy_pKwx2DWE21aqXrWcJUsErC6fHUH2sezrnGxKVeCFT39HVw3KUIMmM1CPy3hGXOA.png)
Ahrefs estimates a piece of content would need more than 329 referring domains to rank for this keyword. Newport Institute’s blog on gaslighting exceeds this amount and has a historically strong backlink profile.
USA Today — which has a Domain Rating (DR) of 92 — cites and links to Newport Institute in its blog article on gaslighting.
![An excerpt from USA Today’s blog on gaslighting showing highlighted backlinks to Newport Institute’s blog post.](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/62fcc3b5e3bdda3ad0d34c11/66a0b928fe1bf0cadd4b5b10_AD_4nXchbV0ATeydtgeum00_jbdYrmXhlFyZ2G-nwMjnC06fA5wsMRDmfuXDdu_7qo3C4PngwRmoDoNqeFzDDw-fjmZpC9t8qBb3PRX45JqTT6evHp5wSklYSnQf7DfULrD8tW6CHXzTCxte2yOupFSmEVJWHouX.png)
This looks to have been syndicated and brought in more links from The Courier-Journal (DR 81), Democrat & Chronicle (DR 79), Naples Daily News (DR 78), and many others.
Newport Institute’s backlink profile strengthens daily as other writers source links from the pages in the top positions.
If we look at the top 10 results, we see that although Newport Institute’s page doesn’t have the most referring domains, it has more than the average, as suggested by Ahrefs.
The one notable exception is Wikipedia, which has a lot of overall domain authority.
![A screenshot from Ahrefs keyword Explorer for “gaslighting” showing the high number of referring domains from the top ten search results.](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/62fcc3b5e3bdda3ad0d34c11/66a0a3b0b88ba66f5fb58fc4_AD_4nXcHNtXiEyfF7qjoHTsJHQsAGDCs_4BTfqSHHPxyqX81rWNc0ueaohhmGUpTc5F1N7azNDn9XVNPOZfLv8lSBA9l_-UzbJvLDKwFctp-4b3qXZ3ets6z2-GIZhjFBaViuev4FwmWJT0tdRGu4IXI6lTcLYAa.png)
In other words, unless you’re Wikipedia, the chances of ranking for this competitive keyword without the foundation of a few hundred referring domains is very unlikely.
This doesn’t necessarily mean that every website leverages the “power” of these backlinks to its full potential — and this is where great content makes a difference!
Conclusion
This case study shows that it’s possible to quickly reverse declining search traffic by performing a content refresh. I’m really impressed not only with the results but also by how Newport Institute went about the refresh.
It seems that after Newport Institute realized the search intent had changed, it made changes that weren’t just blindly copying what its competitors were doing. There are clear signs that Newport Institute has tried to provide the best possible answer for the “gaslighting” search query. It added original content that its competitors haven’t and ensured its on-page SEO was on point.
By focusing on user experience and addressing search intent, Newport Institute successfully revitalized its organic traffic.
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