This dual case study compares link building strategies for two multilingual sports betting sites – one brand new, the other established – targeting Tier 2 markets.
New Site (0 to 1K Pages): Slow, homepage-focused links (2-3/month) + gradual multilingual trust-building led to stable growth in 8+ months.
Established Site (1.4K to 4.1K Pages): Slightly more aggressive homepage link building (8-10/month) + pillar page boosts drove immediate traffic spikes (3.6K peak).
Key insights? New sites need patience; established sites thrive on speed. Both demand geo-precise links, smart anchor ratios, and pillar page leverage.
Overview
Two multilingual programmatic sites targeting Tier 2 markets with identical structures but different starting points:
Case Study 1: The New Site
The Challenge
- Zero existing authority in high-competitive niche
- Needed to establish multilingual trust signals
- Risk of sandbox effect in Tier 2 markets
Our Phase-Based Strategy
Months 1-3:
- Focused on guest posts (70% of links)
- Built 2-3 homepage links/month with:
– 50% brand anchors
– 15% naked URLs (“example.com“)
– 35% keyword variations
Months 4+:
- Shifted to 50% homepage links
- Added pillar page links (juice distribution)
- Strict language/country pairing (e.g., .pt links → .pt content)
The Results
Gradual climb from 0 to 1.0K organic pages over 12 months:
- 1.0K+ organic pages indexed
- Stable traffic levels after 8 months of phased link building
- Stable rankings across all language versions
Case Study 2: The Established Site
The Advantage
- Already had 1,451 organic pages ranking
- Existing international backlink profile
Our Approach
- Homepage Priority (60% of links):
– 1-2 homepage links/week (vs. 1-2/month for site from Case Study 1)
– Brand anchors for trust consolidation - Pillar Page Optimization:
– Links to pages with extensive internal links
– Result: 4.1K organic pages - Multilingual Leverage:
Used existing links to boost commercial pages
The Results
Sharp spikes correlating with homepage link campaigns
- 4.1K organic pages (vs. 1.0K for Case Study 1)
- 3.6K peak traffic vs. gradual growth for Case Study 1
- Faster ROI: First improvements in <30 days
Key Comparative Insights
What Worked for Both
✅ Pillar Page Links: both sites benefited from strategic internal linking
✅ Language Matching: strict geo-linking prevented ranking dilution
✅ Maintained Natural Profile with:
- 50% brand anchors
- 15% naked URLs (“example.com“)
- 35% keyword variations
✅ Gradual Velocity Increase: both sites scaled link building slowly (site from Case Study 1) or in focused bursts (site from Case Study 2)
Critical Differences
Lessons Learned
- New Sites Need Patience:
– Site from Case Study 1 took 6x longer to show results - Established Sites Crave Homepage Links:
– Site from Case Study 2’s 60% homepage links drove 80% of growth - Pillar Pages Are Force Multipliers:
1 pillar page link = 3x impact of normal internal links
Final Takeaway
These twins reveal how link building must adapt to site maturity. New sites thrive on gradual homepage authority, while established sites demand a more aggressive internal linking – both guided by pillar pages and geo-linking precision.