An SEO case study from Shape Communications
This is the story of how we helped build and scale MuslinDhaka, a heritage luxury fashion website, from a super-niche idea to one of the most recognized brands in its space.
The Challenge:
This niche wasnโt just narrow โ it was extremely premium, deeply rooted in heritage, and surrounded by myths. It was clear that without strong E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trust) signals, the website would be invisibleโor worse, punishedโby search engines.
But hereโs what most people donโt realize:
SEO today is not just optimization. SEO is brand building.
Step 1: Brand First, Then Keywords
We didnโt start with keywords or tools.
We started with the business โ and its positioning.
We asked:
Is this simply โluxury fashion,โ or something more meaningful?
We defined the brand as Heritage Luxury โ a rare positioning that connects deeply with cultural legacy, authenticity, and craftsmanship.
That insight shaped everything:
- Content strategy
- Visual language
- SEO architecture
- Topic clusters
We didnโt just write content.
We produced luxury fabrics just to tell better, more authentic stories.
Step 2: Content Distribution as Brand Amplification
You donโt grow a brand in silence.
We didnโt just publish content. We distributed it holistically โ across search, social, communities, and media.
Mentions became backlinks.
Branded search volume grew.
Even large language models (LLMs) started referencing our content.
Today, 13%+ of traffic comes directly, showing strong brand recall and awareness.
Step 3: SEO as Strategic Growth, Not Just Tactics
We approached SEO like a CMO would, not like a checklist.
We focused on:
- Topical authority, not just keyword targeting
- Intent satisfaction โ making every page the final destination, not a pit stop
- Omnipresence โ optimizing not just for Google, but for social search, AI overviews, and LLMs
- Business KPIs, not vanity metrics โ because SEO is a revenue channel, not a traffic game
- Industry expertise embedded in every decision โ no shortcuts, no shallow work
Final Advice for Founders & CMOs
If you’re serious about scaling SEO today, remember:
- Target topics, not just keywords
- Satisfy the search intent fully โ donโt make users go elsewhere
- SEO is everywhere now โ think beyond Google: LLMs, TikTok search, YouTube, Reddit
- Tie SEO directly to your business goals, not just rankings
- Lead with brand and expertise โ the algorithms will follow
Want growth that lasts?
Build your brand. Shape your strategy. Execute like a category leader.
Thatโs what we do at Shape Communications.
