Case Study: Full SEO Website Build for The Mallorca Insider
How relocating to Mallorca and using WPMU tools, VAST theme, and zero initial assets produced a top-ranking travel guide site in six months.
🎯 The Mallorca Insider: A 6-Month SEO Success Story
- Client: The Mallorca Insider
- Note: This website was sold and the new owners are currently redesigning it to fit with their own Mallorca based business ideas.
- Sector: 🧳 Travel & Tourism (Mallorca)
- Duration: ⏳ 6 months
- Platform: WordPress with WPMU, VAST theme
- Starting Point: 🚫 No existing website, no content, no media
- Scope: 🛠️ Full-site build, SEO strategy, content writing, photography, and launch
Note: This website was sold in 2024 and is being redeveloped by the new owner in August 2025.
🔍 1. The Challenge
The client had the domain but nothing else—no site, content, images, or SEO foundation. To do this properly, I moved to Mallorca for six months to immerse myself in the destination and build the platform from the ground up.
- ❌ No website structure
- ❌ Zero written content or photography
- ❌ No technical SEO or analytics
🧠 2. The Strategy
Built SEO into the core from day one, combining WordPress with WPMU plugins on the VAST theme.
📂 A. Site Planning & Architecture
- Designed navigation around user interests (Destinations → Things to Do → How to Get There)
- Built topic clusters to support internal linking and search intent
✍️ B. Content Research & Writing
- Travelled across Mallorca to gather authentic tips
- Authored guides to towns like Palma, Deià, Valldemossa, Alcúdia, Portocolom
- Focused on conversational, travel‑friendly tone
📸 C. Photography & Visuals
- Took original photos throughout the island
- Optimised media for mobile performance, SEO-friendly filenames and alt tags
⚙️ D. Technical SEO & WPMU Setup
- Used WordPress with WPMU DEV plugins (SmartCrawl, Hummingbird, Smush, Defender)
- Implemented clean URLs, structured metadata, lazy loading
- Configured schema for attractions and FAQ content
- Tuned performance using Hummingbird and Smush to reduce load time by ~45%
📊 E. SEO Tracking & Launch
- Installed Google Search Console & Analytics
- Monitored indexation, crawl errors, and search performance from week one
- Refined content and internal links based on real user data and keywords
📈 3. The Results
🔎 Search Visibility
- 350+ pages indexed within 90 days
- Ranked for 120+ Mallorca-specific keywords (e.g. “Valldemossa guide”, “Cap de Formentor itinerary”)
- Secured top 10 rankings for multiple destination pages
👥 Traffic & Engagement
- 85% of traffic from organic search within six months
- Visitors from Germany, UK, France, Spain, Netherlands
- Bounce rate under 40%, average session time over 3 minutes
📷 Content Performance
- Unique photography increased credibility and time on page
- Interactive maps and local “insider tips” drove engagement
📨 Conversions
- Contact form submissions began by Month 2 and grew 110% by Month 6
- Local tourism businesses approached for listings and partnerships
💡 4. Lessons for Entrepreneurs
| 📌 Lesson | 💬 Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Build SEO from day one | Retrofitting SEO is less effective and more work |
| WordPress + WPMU is powerful | Smart plugins make technical SEO easier |
| Content + performance go hand in hand | Speed and clarity boost rankings and engagement |
| Immersion brings authenticity | First-hand experience creates content that resonates |
| Localised content scales | Each cluster page drove topic authority and growth |
🧾 Final Thoughts
This project shows how combining real-world immersion, thoughtful structure, and WPMU-powered WordPress performance can create a sustainable, high-ranking travel resource from nothing.
Moving to Mallorca, writing everything from scratch, and using the VAST theme with the right plugins didn’t just create a website—it created a trusted guide for travellers and local partners alike.
📝 Recap and Clarify: Post-Specific FAQs
What is The Mallorca Insider?
The Mallorca Insider is a tourism website built from scratch as an SEO project. It serves as a comprehensive travel guide for visitors to Mallorca.
How long did the project take?
The entire build, from site creation to SEO optimisation and content development, took six months.
What SEO tools were used?
Tools included WPMU SmartCrawl, Google Search Console, GA4, Hummingbird, Smush, and custom performance scripts.
Was WordPress used for the build?
Yes. WordPress with the VAST theme and WPMU plugin stack formed the backbone of the site’s structure and SEO readiness.
How was content developed?
All content was written after real on-location research, local interviews, and guided exploration of towns and attractions.
What made the SEO approach successful?
The SEO worked because it was built in from the ground up, using topic clusters, fast performance, proper metadata, and genuinely useful content.
Did the site gain traffic quickly?
Yes. By month three it was attracting traffic, and by month six it had over 120 keywords ranking and strong user engagement.
Was any paid advertising used?
No. All traffic was organic, earned through SEO, content quality, and user-focused optimisation.
Did the site get backlinks?
No formal link building was done, but natural backlinks began to appear by month four due to the usefulness of the content.
Can this model be repeated?
Yes. With the right process, tools, and dedication, this is a repeatable SEO model for launching niche tourism websites successfully.
Video Recap – 🌴 The Mallorca Insider: 6-Month SEO Success Story (WPMU Site Build)
Six months. One travel site. Zero shortcuts. Here’s how The Mallorca Insider went from a new domain to a genuine SEO success story – and what you can learn from it.
