A European pharmaceutical company launching a new direct-to-consumer (DTC) brand needed a high-performance Shopify e-commerce store and a complete SEO strategy to compete with established industry leaders and build a strong digital presence from day one.
A European pharmaceutical company was launching a new direct-to-consumer (DTC) brand into a market dominated by several well-known competitors. To enable online sales, we developed a custom Shopify e-commerce store for the brand. The client, however, had no prior experience in search engine optimization (SEO), no dedicated SEO team, and no supporting digital marketing specialists. Two of the main competitors – established, world-recognized brands with a strong presence in the German market – consistently held the top positions in Google search results for the main product keywords, each attracting between 30,000 and 40,000 monthly visitors. The client required a complete SEO strategy, from keyword research and content optimization to technical configuration, to effectively compete in this landscape.
From the outset, we designed and developed the Shopify e-commerce store with SEO as a core priority – implementing technical SEO best practices, optimizing for site speed, and setting up ongoing performance monitoring. Our team conducted in-depth keyword research and built a comprehensive semantic core to guide content creation and on-site optimization.
Recognizing the client’s need for clear planning and accountability, we prepared a detailed project budget, traffic forecast, and roadmap with defined deliverables and milestones. We believe SEO should be guided by measurable metrics and KPIs rather than treated solely as an empirical process, so every activity was tied to specific performance targets.
To drive organic growth, we developed a content marketing strategy and a structured content plan, leveraging leading SEO tools such as Ahrefs, NeuronWriter, and other AI-driven services. We integrated Google Search Console, Google Analytics, and Matomo Analytics for robust data tracking. Given the client’s limited internal content capacity, we engaged an external content agency and provided topic-specific content briefs, including keyword lists and usage guidelines, to ensure consistency and quality.
In parallel, we partnered with a link-building agency to establish a strong backlink profile – addressing one of the two primary SEO growth drivers alongside high-quality content. Finally, we implemented a regular monitoring and reporting process to transparently track progress and showcase results over time.
The project faced its share of challenges, including the client’s limited internal capacity to review and approve content on schedule, as well as significant Google algorithm updates in January 2025 that affected search traffic (as shown in the screenshot to the right).
Despite these hurdles, after 12 months we achieved measurable growth: an estimated 15k monthly visits according to Ahrefs, 5k clicks in Google Search Console, and 3.3k active users in Google Analytics.
The most remarkable result came in months 13-16, when all SEO activities were paused due to a business decision. Even without new optimizations or PPC ads, organic traffic continued to grow – reaching 26k estimated monthly visits (Ahrefs), 8k clicks in Google Search Console, and 4.7k active users in Google Analytics by the end of month 16. This represented an average organic increase of 50% during the pause, demonstrating the strength and sustainability of the SEO strategy.
Additionally, the brand secured top positions in Google search results for the most competitive product keywords, appearing ahead of the two established, world-recognized competitors dominating the market.
This outcome confirms that the strategy was well-designed and executed at a high level – delivering lasting results in a complex, highly regulated market.
Explore other impactful solutions we’ve delivered for clients facing similar challenges.
Get in touch with B2X Software — we’ll walk you through the entire process, answer all your questions, and support you with expert guidance at every step.
