Okta.com, a leading identity and access management platform, has seen impressive organic traffic growth in recent years. In October 2024, Okta.com received nearly 182.76 million visits, though this was a 5.28% decrease from the previous month 1. This article delves into the strategies Okta employed to achieve this success, examining their organic traffic growth, content strategy, link-building initiatives, technical SEO, social media strategy, and the influence of Google's core updates.
Okta.com's traffic has increased by 2.57% month-on-month up to their current organic search traffic 1. In addition, paid search traffic has increased by 60.84% up to current paid search traffic 1. However, in October 2024, the number of backlinks to okta.com dropped by 7.49% to 18.14 million, and the amount of referring domains dropped by 1.35% to 64.15k 1. This decrease in backlinks and referring domains may be correlated with the slight month-on-month traffic decrease observed in October 2024, suggesting that maintaining a strong backlink profile is crucial for sustained organic growth.
Despite this recent dip, Okta has seen significant year-to-date growth in 2024. Their website traffic increased by 28.22% to 1.9 billion visits compared to 1.5 billion visits in 2023 2. This impressive growth highlights the effectiveness of their overall SEO and marketing strategies.
To understand Okta's competitive landscape, it's important to consider their main competitors, which include Salesforce (CRM), Dropbox (DBX), Outbrain (OB), Slack (MSFT), and Atlassian (TEAM) 2. Analyzing the strategies employed by these competitors can provide valuable insights into Okta's own approach to organic traffic growth.
Furthermore, Okta recently launched a new brand awareness campaign, the biggest in the company's 15-year history 3. This campaign, with its focus on freedom and possibility, likely had a positive impact on their website traffic and brand visibility.
Okta appears to employ a robust content marketing strategy centered around building customer trust and security. They recognize that in today's digital landscape, where data breaches and security incidents are prevalent, customers are hesitant to share information 4. To address this, Okta focuses on creating content that emphasizes the importance of security and privacy in identity and access management. This approach not only differentiates them from competitors but also positions them as a thought leader in the industry.
Okta's link-building strategy seems to involve a strong focus on developer outreach and engagement. They provide extensive developer documentation and resources, including guides, tutorials, and API references 5. This approach encourages developers to integrate Okta's services into their applications, naturally generating backlinks to Okta's website and increasing its domain authority.
Okta demonstrates a commitment to technical SEO best practices, particularly in website security. They prioritize HTTPS, ensuring that data is protected with the Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol 6. This not only enhances user security but also improves their website's search engine ranking, as search engines favor websites with secure connections.
Okta maintains an active presence on social media platforms with a focus on security and developer communities. They utilize security and developer blogs to share valuable content, engage with their target audience, and promote their brand 7. This strategy allows them to reach a wider audience and establish themselves as experts in their field.
While specific details about Okta's paid media strategies are limited, the research provides insights into their social media activities and potential paid advertising approaches.
Okta's customers utilize various social media applications, including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Vimeo, Pinterest, AlertMedia, Yelp, Buffer, and Reddit 8. This suggests that Okta may be leveraging these platforms for social media marketing, content distribution, and audience engagement.
Okta also offers a range of pricing plans and options for its services, including B2C plans with features like custom tiers, social connections, custom domains, and user role management 9. This indicates that they may be utilizing paid advertising campaigns on social media and search engines to promote these plans and drive conversions.
Google's core updates aim to improve the quality of search results by rewarding websites that provide valuable content, excellent user experience, and adhere to ethical SEO practices. These updates can significantly impact website rankings and organic traffic.
One notable core update occurred in March 2024, targeting low-quality content and spam 10. This update likely prompted Okta to review and refine its content strategy to ensure it aligns with Google's guidelines. Analyzing how Okta adapted to this change can provide valuable lessons for other businesses seeking to maintain or improve their organic traffic.
Here's a timeline of some of the major Google core updates:
|
Update |
Date |
|---|---|
|
September 2022 core update |
September 12, 2022 |
|
May 2022 core update |
May 25, 2022 |
|
December 2024 Core Update |
December 12, 2024 |
|
November 2024 Core Update |
November 11, 2024 |
|
October 2023 Core Update |
October 5, 2023 |
|
March 2024 Core Update |
March 2024 |
High-intent keywords are crucial for attracting users who are more likely to convert into customers. These keywords often indicate a strong desire to purchase, sign up for a trial, or learn more about specific features or pricing.
Based on Okta's offerings and target audience, here are some potential high-intent keywords with their potential search intent and conversion:
|
Keyword |
Search Intent |
Potential Conversion |
|---|---|---|
|
Okta pricing |
Transactional |
Request a quote, compare plans |
|
Okta free trial |
Transactional |
Sign up for a free trial |
|
Okta demo |
Commercial |
Request a product demo |
|
Okta alternatives |
Commercial |
Compare Okta with competitors |
|
Okta integration |
Informational |
Learn about integrating Okta with other tools |
|
Okta login |
Navigational |
Access the Okta login page |
|
Okta verify |
Informational |
Learn about Okta's verification process |
By optimizing their website and content for these keywords, Okta can attract users who are closer to making a purchase decision.
Okta's impressive organic traffic growth can be attributed to a multifaceted strategy that encompasses content marketing, link building, technical SEO, and potentially paid and social media marketing. Their focus on customer trust and security, coupled with their commitment to providing valuable content and user-friendly experiences, has enabled them to establish a strong online presence and attract a large audience.
Google's core updates have likely played a significant role in shaping Okta's SEO strategies. By adapting to these updates and prioritizing high-quality content, Okta has maintained its visibility in search results and continued to grow its organic traffic.
Businesses looking to improve their own organic traffic can learn from Okta's success. Key takeaways include:
By implementing these strategies, businesses can enhance their online visibility, attract qualified leads, and achieve sustainable organic traffic growth.
Questions and Answers
What strategies contributed to Okta's organic traffic growth?
How did Okta's content strategy enhance customer trust?
What role does link building play in Okta's SEO strategy?
How does Okta ensure technical SEO best practices?
What impact did Google's core updates have on Okta's SEO approach?
Which high-intent keywords are important for Okta's conversion strategy?