Published by Sue Johns-Chapman
Published Date 27.04.2026 
One of the best – and hardest – pieces of advice is to admit that “I’m not sure,” and not limit strategies to only what can be “certainly” predicted or modeled.
It was precisely this that led to an experiment, thanks to which I have the great honor of representing myself as an independent SEO consultant alongside larger agencies among the finalists of the European Search Awards.
Thank you, and “Kiitos,” as we say in Finland.
About SEOhub
SEOhub is a Finnish one-woman consulting firm founded by Marinella Himari, based on high-quality data and SEO research. Her clients include medium-sized and large B2B, B2C, and SaaS companies operating in Finland and internationally.
Marinella has worked in the industry for over 18 years, testing and experimenting with different approaches, as no two SEO projects are alike.
As she likes to say: “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.” Through her competition entry, she has demonstrated that achieving world-class SEO results doesn’t require a massive budget.
All it takes is the freedom to implement a precise, human-centered strategy.
Zero to Hero project in seasonal SEO was based on strategic curiosity (in addition to data)
Although the most effective SEO is data-driven, sometimes you have to trust your instincts – especially when it comes to ICP profiles. My project was based on strategic curiosity; I wanted to challenge industry norms regarding informational search intent traffic and its placement in the sales funnel.
The nomination for Best Small Low Budget Campaign (SEO) is a testament to the bold and experimental seasonal SEO I implemented for a website offering creative writing courses.
I represent SEOhub, but I also represent Kirjoittaminen.fi. Both are my own companies, and this is a perfect example of what can happen when a consultant is given 100% freedom to carry out SEO work.
Precision over breadth – mapping intent in a competitive seasonal niche
The challenge was unique: my goal was to dominate a narrow, one-day seasonal window and its search field. Through keyword research and competitor analysis, I found a topic that could have great potential to convert site visitors into customers, even though the search intent was informational.
I tailored the experiment to appeal to a broad audience of people searching for poems related to a specific season – I had identified a sub-segment that, as I hoped, might have latent interest in learning to write poems themselves.
The SEO test was based on the value-driven Bridge strategy
Bridge marketing is about creating a perfect link between the target audience and the offer.
When you know your target audience, you know their challenges and desires. And when you truly know your target audience, you also know their dreams.
Tailoring content specifically to those dreams is one of the most effective ways to build your own brand image but also – ultimately – to provide a solution to achieving a challenge or desire, through nothing other than a dream.
In my experiment, I focused on a value-driven Bridge strategy, using a free poetry course as a hook to encourage website visitors to become students – that is, potential customers.
Experimental seasonal SEO generated 53,200 clicks for targeted audiences
The seasonal SEO test targeted people searching for inspirational content. This content was refined so that search engines focused exclusively on the core topic – meaning all unnecessary elements were stripped away.
I conducted a comprehensive analysis of user intent, considering why users end up on this page and what their next (creative) step might be.
Using this information, I created compelling meta tags that achieved a record-breaking 20.6% click-through rate (no, Google didn’t overwrite them).
One content generated a 407% ROI
The background research helped identify the need for a new type of seasonal SEO strategy that goes beyond mere clicks and focuses on value-driven conversion.
A seamless sign-up form for a free course was integrated into the page, which allowed me to turn a casual visit into a long-term learning relationship.
In the first year, we achieved a 217% ROI with a single informative article. The same article generated a 407% ROI the following year.
The quality metric: 42% customer retention
Additionally, 42% of the customers acquired through this content later purchased more writing courses, demonstrating that we weren’t just getting “cheap clicks.” The results show that the audience remained engaged with the brand long after the season ended.
With this campaign, I demonstrated that informative keywords can be a goldmine when the purchase journey aligns with the user’s intent, dream, and perfect timing.
What this nomination means to me
As a one-person powerhouse, every success is deeply personal. Thanks to an agile (because that’s exactly what it is in this case) approach, I was able to find solutions tailored to Kirjoittaminen.fi and achieve goals that many would consider impossible on a small budget.
It is a great honor to receive recognition from the European Search Awards in the form of this nomination. I look forward to congratulating the other nominees in all categories and celebrating the innovations that continue to drive the development of our industry. See you all in Porto in May!
Author credit and bio
As Finland’s #1 SEO influencer (Favikon) on LinkedIn and a Semrush Ambassador, Marinella “Monni” Himari is one of Finland’s leading SEO consultants, with over 18 years of professional experience. As a technical SEO professional, she identified a global indexing error in Google Search Console. A published author and creative writing teacher, she specializes in blending data-driven SEO with human-centric storytelling.
