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 wasn’t just narrow — 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 invisible—or worse, punished—by search engines.
But here’s what most people don’t realize:
SEO today is not just optimization. SEO is brand building.
Step 1: Brand First, Then Keywords
We didn’t start with keywords or tools.
We started with the business — and its positioning.
We asked:
Is this simply “luxury fashion,” or something more meaningful?
We defined the brand as Heritage Luxury — 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 didn’t just write content.
We produced luxury fabrics just to tell better, more authentic stories.
Step 2: Content Distribution as Brand Amplification
You don’t grow a brand in silence.
We didn’t just publish content. We distributed it holistically — 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 — making every page the final destination, not a pit stop
- Omnipresence — optimizing not just for Google, but for social search, AI overviews, and LLMs
- Business KPIs, not vanity metrics — because SEO is a revenue channel, not a traffic game
- Industry expertise embedded in every decision — 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 — don’t make users go elsewhere
- SEO is everywhere now — think beyond Google: LLMs, TikTok search, YouTube, Reddit
- Tie SEO directly to your business goals, not just rankings
- Lead with brand and expertise — the algorithms will follow
Want growth that lasts?
Build your brand. Shape your strategy. Execute like a category leader.
That’s what we do at Shape Communications.
