Client: Asterra
Services: Strategy, SEO
Building Search Demand for a Technology No One Knew to Look For
Who is ASTERRA?
In 2016, ASTERRA introduced groundbreaking satellite-based radar technology that detects underground water leaks from space. They created a system that pinpoints leaks in critical water systems like sewers, dams, and levees—revealing in hours what ground crews might never find. It was a remarkable advance in leak detection technology, which had been static for 80 years.
For nearly a decade, ASTERRA faced a major challenge: its technology was so innovative that the people who needed it most didn’t know it existed. As a result, they were struggling to drive organic traffic with conversion intent—they needed a strategy to create demand and educate the market.
The Organic Search Challenge
When our team started working with ASTERRA, no one was searching for “satellite leak detection” because no one knew it existed.
Even the more standard industry terminology had very low monthly search volume (MSV), making it difficult to target high-converting keywords. With no established organic presence, the website was barely visible in search results. Keyword rankings were poor across the most relevant topics. And the technology was so novel and complex that simply explaining it clearly was a challenge unto itself.
Key Results
226%
Increase in impressions, from 72k to 235k
275%
Increase in monthly search volume for ASTERRA’s primary keyword “satellite leak detection”, from 40 to 150
67%
Increase in Year-over-year organic clicks, from 2.22k to 3.7k
8
Spot rise in average keyword position, from 24.3 to 16.7
VSSL’s SEO Strategy
Since no one was searching for bottom-funnel keywords, our strategy would have to be as innovative as the product. We identified high-intent, industry-specific keywords and developed and optimized content based on user intent and target keywords.
Content
Our strategy produced 7 of ASTERRA’s 10 highest-clicked pages on Google. Knowing that ASTERRA’s technology can help detect water seepage and prevent dam failures, we created the most informative resource online about these disasters. Our blog analyzing five major dam failures and their lessons was designed to be the go-to educational piece for those seeking solutions in the wake of such events. Traffic to that page now spikes whenever a dam failure makes the news, ensuring that when disaster strikes, people looking for answers find ASTERRA’s insights and solutions when they’re needed most.
Technical Health
Technical improvements to the ASTERRA website were also part of the strategy. Site speed had to be addressed since faster sites are more attractive to Google. We built up the number of internal ASTERRA site links and focused on meta optimizations, including title tags, meta descriptions, header tags, and other elements.
Backlinks
Approximately 100 relevant, high-quality backlinks were used among the different blogs to add authority to each page. And we continually monitored individual page performance with Google Search Console and analytics tools, making adjustments as the data indicated.
Our Results: ASTERRA’S Organic Search Growth
By implementing a strategic, data-driven SEO approach, we significantly improved ASTERRA’s online visibility and search performance. The impact of our efforts is reflected in the following key metrics:
- 67% increase in Year-over-year organic clicks, from 2.22k to 3.7k
- 226% increase in impressions, from 72k to 235k
- 8-spot rise in average keyword position, from 24.3 to 16.7
- 275% increase in monthly search volume for ASTERRA’s primary keyword “satellite leak detection”, from 40 to 150
These results not only improved ASTERRA’s visibility in search but also positioned them as the authority in satellite-based leak detection. By ranking for key industry terms and attracting relevant audiences, ASTERRA is now reaching more potential clients at critical decision-making moments.
Our robust SEO strategy established a foundation that unearthed ASTERRA’s potential, improving organic traffic, brand awareness, and an understanding of this groundbreaking tool.
