Case Studies

Ecigone

Ecigone, voted the UK’s best online vape store, is a leading retailer of smoke-free alternatives such as vapes and e-liquids. In February 2024, Ecigone chose Searchflex as their dedicated SEO agency for their extensive e-commerce platform, with the goal of enhancing online visibility, overcoming technical SEO obstacles, and deploying revenue-focused SEO strategies. With stringent advertising laws limiting marketing capabilities, SEO is the cornerstone of their strategy – making our partnership essential to their growth

Feb 2024 - Jan 2025
UK
Shopify
Technical SEO + Content Strategy
Ecigone

SEO Visibility

Vapes E-Liquids Vape Brands

Position 1–3 Keywords

+92%

Increase · Over 12 months

Data verified by
Search Console GA4 Shopify Ahrefs

Results over 12 months

All metrics sourced from Shopify ,Google Search Console & Ahrefs, Feb 2024 – Jan 2025

92%

Increase in position 1-3 keywords

90%

Increase in page 1 keywords

43%

Increase in year on year organic revenue

52%

Increase in Black Friday revenue

67%

Increase in total online purchases

24%

Increase in site conversion rate

The Challenge:

When we began working with Ecigone, the site faced a range of technical SEO challenges. Outdated Shopify themes and ineffective third-party apps had caused issues like misconfigured meta tags, broken schema, content cloaking, and structural inconsistencies – significantly hindering SEO performance.

Adding to the complexity, strict advertising restrictions in the industry ruled out Google ads and social media campaigns, leaving SEO as the sole driver of online visibility. With a vast inventory spanning thousands of URLs, Ecigone required scalable, low-risk solutions to ensure smooth, revenue-safe execution during large-scale site optimisations.

misconfigured meta tags broken schema & content cloaking ineffective Shopify SEO apps improper URL structures advertising restrictions thousands of URLs to optimise scalable, low-risk SEO required

Our Approach:

We tackled Ecigone’s challenges with a mix of immediate fixes and a long-term strategy. Pressing technical SEO issues like duplicate meta tags, faulty schema causing content cloaking, and improper URL structures were quickly resolved, while ineffective Shopify SEO apps were removed to streamline operations.

Priority brands, categories, and top-selling products were optimised for high-impact keywords that could lead to the quickest ROI. Our long-term approach included in-depth keyword research aligned with revenue-driving goals, creating high-value content to enhance authority, and leveraging in-house AI tools for scalable solutions – such as automating metadata updates and generating alt text for over 17,000 images.

PHASE 01
Technical SEO Fixes - Initial Optimisation

Resolved duplicate meta tags, faulty schema, content cloaking issues and improper URL structures affecting Ecigone's Shopify site.

PHASE 02
Shopify SEO Clean-up - Site Optimisation

Removed ineffective third-party Shopify SEO apps and streamlined the site's technical setup to create a stronger SEO foundation.

PHASE 03
Revenue-Focused SEO - Priority Pages

Optimised priority brands, categories and top-selling products around high-impact keywords with the strongest potential for ROI.

PHASE 04
Scalable SEO — Ongoing Growth

Used in-house AI tools to automate metadata updates and generate alt text across more than 17,000 images, alongside ongoing keyword research and high-value content creation.

The Results:

Our partnership with Ecigone delivered transformative results, driving significant growth across key performance metrics. High-ranking keywords surged, with a 92% increase in position 1–3 terms and a 90% boost in page 1 visibility.

These gains translated into a 43% rise in organic revenue and a 67% increase in total online purchases. Ecigone’s site performance also improved, with conversion rates climbing by 24%, culminating in a record-breaking 52% growth in Black Friday revenue. These achievements underscore the impact of our tailored SEO strategy in fostering sustainable, long-term success for markets hindered by advertising regulations.

🏆 New Top 3 Rankings — Commercially Critical Keywords

Vape Kits 12K monthly searches Position #2
Pods 8.5K monthly searches Position #3
E-liquids 6.2K monthly searches Position #1

Project Timeline

FEBRUARY 2024

SEO Partnership Begins

Searchflex begins working with Ecigone to improve organic visibility and address technical SEO challenges across the Shopify platform.

MARCH – MAY 2024

Technical SEO Fixes

Resolved duplicate meta tags, faulty schema, content cloaking, improper URL structures and issues caused by ineffective Shopify SEO apps.

JUNE – SEP 2024

Revenue-Focused Optimisation

Optimised priority brands, categories and top-selling products around high-impact, revenue-driving keywords.

OCT 2024 – JAN 2025

Scalable SEO Growth

Expanded keyword and content strategies while using AI tools for scalable optimisation, including metadata updates and alt text generation across 17,000+ images.

Ecigone

*****

“Super Professional, Very organised with strategies and briefs, and already seeing a huge rise in our SEO in just a couple of months, they really know their stuff! Highly Recommend.”
ER

Ellie Revell

Owner

Common questions about this project

What made SEO especially important for Ecigone?

Strict advertising restrictions within the industry limited Ecigone's ability to use Google Ads and social media campaigns, making organic search a critical source of online visibility.

What technical SEO issues were affecting Ecigone?

The site had issues including duplicate meta tags, broken schema, content cloaking, improper URL structures and structural inconsistencies caused by outdated themes and ineffective third-party apps.

How did Searchflex handle SEO across thousands of URLs?

The strategy focused on scalable, low-risk optimisation, prioritising important brands, categories and top-selling products while using AI tools to automate tasks such as metadata updates and image alt text.

How many images were optimised?

Searchflex used in-house AI tools to generate alt text for more than 17,000 images, allowing the optimisation to be implemented at scale.

How did the SEO work affect Ecigone's revenue?

Organic revenue increased by 43%, while total online purchases increased by 67% over the 12-month period.

Did the improvements affect conversion rates?

Yes. Ecigone's site conversion rate increased by 24%, alongside the growth in organic revenue and online purchases.

What happened to Ecigone's Black Friday performance?

Black Friday revenue increased by 52%, contributing to the overall growth achieved through the SEO strategy.

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