Project Snapshot
Client
Periodista.gr
Industry
Digital News Media
Challenge
Severe Google penalty impacting Search, Discover and News Visibility
Solution Timeline
Started SEO recovery in November 2023, saw significant improvements within 6-8 weeks. First Google update confirmed our approach was working.
Partnership successfully concluded in July 2024 with full visibility restored and growth targets exceeded.
Key Deliverables:
- Technical SEO Recovery Management
- UX Optimization
- Content Strategy
- Measurable Results
The Challenge
In November 2023, Periodista.gr faced a severe Google penalty, causing a sharp drop in visibility across Search, Discover, and News.
With a data-driven recovery plan, Datafunc combined technical SEO, UX optimization, and content strategy to restore rankings and engagement.
In just eight months, the site achieved +393% Google News growth, regained its presence in Discover, and significantly improved search visibility.
Datafunc turned a critical challenge into an opportunity for growth.
Their expertise in SEO and strategic thinking delivered results that exceeded our initial goals.
The Data-Driven Approach
A comprehensive three-phase framework focusing on
1. Technical Optimization
Comprehensive Audit
Conducted a full content audit, removing outdated pages and fixing 404 errors
Optimized Canonical Tags
Resolved duplicate content issues and streamlined indexing.
Crawl budget optimization
Fixed global template outbound issues
Core Web Vitals Enhancement
Improved load speed and overall performance metrics.
2. User Experience Optimization
A/B tested template improvements
Refined layouts to boost user engagement and readability
Advanced internal linking structure
Enhanced navigation and content discoverability
Engagement metrics enhancement
Focused on improving bounce rate and time-on-page
3. Content Strategy
SEO-Focused Editorial Guidelines
Aligned new and updated articles with user search intent.
Open Graph protocol implementation
Strengthened social media presence and click-through rates
Performance-based content optimization
Prioritized high-impact articles to drive traffic gains
Measurable Results
Our intervention delivered exceptional outcomes across platforms:
393%
Google News
120K clicks
Achieved a 393% increase in clicks (from 24.7K to 121.8K), with a CTR of 21.2%.
58,7%
Google Discover
1.8M clicks
58,7% growth in clicks, reaching a peak of 8.66M monthly impressions.
145%
Google Search
820K clicks
145% increase in overall impressions (from 340K to 834K) and significant SERP recovery
Optimized Performance Comparison Table
(Before vs. After SEO Recovery)
Metric |
Before(Nov 2023 – Jan 2024) |
After Recovery(Feb – Apr 2024) |
Increase (%) |
| Google Search (Non-Branded Clicks) |
44.7K | 88.8K | 98% |
| Google Search (Non-Branded Impressions) |
554K | 854K | 54% |
| Total Google Search Impressions | 980K | 1.37M | 40% |
| Google News Clicks | 24.7K | 121.8K | 393% |
| Google Discover Clicks | 532K | 1.84M | 246% |
| Google Discover Impressions | 236K | 9.70M | 4011% |
Impact
By combining strategic SEO, UX improvements, and robust content initiatives, we successfully restored Periodista.gr’s visibility, traffic, and engagement.
The holistic approach not only addressed the immediate crisis but also fortified the site against future algorithm shifts—demonstrating Datafunc’s commitment to sustainable growth.