Top 1 in the "Footwear" Category — No Magic, Just SEO
How INTERTOP became a leader in one of the market's most competitive categories
Client
INTERTOP
Niche
Fashion
Service
SEO Optimization
Tools
Ahrefs
Google Analytics
Google Search Console
Serpstat
SE Ranking
in-house tool:
AI META Generation
SEO Copywriter Brief Generator
SEO AI Backlinks Calculator
Client
INTERTOP is one of the largest fashion retailers in Ukraine and a multibrand online marketplace that brings together top global and local brands of clothing, footwear, accessories, and cosmetics. The company stands out for its carefully curated assortment and strong focus on the needs of the modern consumer.
Task
Initial Data
INTERTOP's long-term strategic goal was to rank #1 in search results for the "Footwear" category (the complete semantic core included over 45,000 queries). This objective had remained out of reach for years due to intense niche competition, technical limitations, and other factors.
At the start of the project, it was clear that the entire "Footwear" section needed a complete overhaul — from page structure to content, technical health, and external optimization.
Most importantly, the strategy used by the previous SEO provider, in our view, was ineffective for promoting a marketplace. To achieve such an ambitious goal, it became clear that a comprehensive SEO approach was required — with clear prioritization of key areas.
A systematic analysis became the starting point for reaching what once seemed unattainable: Top 1 in the "Footwear" category in one of the most competitive segments of Ukrainian e-commerce.
Solution
To reach the #1 position in the "Footwear" category, we had to begin by building a new, effective, and scalable SEO strategy focused on promoting a full-fledged marketplace — not just a typical online store. This required a different approach to site structure, content, and link profile, considering the broader product range, filtering capabilities, brands, and dynamic page behavior.
Special attention was given to budget optimization. The main goal was to achieve maximum efficiency from every unit of invested resources. Our proprietary in-house tools played a key role here, not only speeding up processes but also significantly reducing client costs:
We approached the "Footwear" section comprehensively — from a new structure, meta tags, and texts to a dedicated link-building plan. All actions were integrated into a single strategy with a clear KPI: dominance in the "Footwear" category in organic search.
Result
1. Starting Point (August 27, 2023)
The first cut of positions by full semantics was recorded on August 27, 2023. This indicated a great potential for growth, but also a serious need for systemic SEO optimization. The distribution of positions at that time was as follows:
These numbers reflected a decent presence in the visible segment of search results but also highlighted substantial room for improvement. The main objective was not just to maintain positions but to push competitors out and elevate as many queries as possible into the Top 1.
2. Positioning Among Competitors at the Start
At the beginning of the project (August 2023), the website intertop.ua had a visibility score of 45.6%, placing it only 4th among its closest competitors in the fashion niche. For comparison:
- Shafa.ua — 56.9% visibility, 87.2% in the Top 10
- Kasta.ua — 47.3% visibility, 47.1% in the Top 10
- Rozetka.com.ua — 93.7% visibility, 92.3% of queries in the Top 10
At that time, INTERTOP was a well-known brand but was losing the SEO race due to a lack of optimized site structure, weak internal linking, and the absence of a systematic SEO approach.
3. Current Position — INTERTOP Ranks #1 in the "Footwear" Category
As of May 26, 2025, INTERTOP holds the #1 position in search visibility for the "Footwear" category, with a visibility score of 76.8% — the highest among all major competitors in Ukraine's fashion retail market. For comparison:
- Rozetka — 69.5%
- OLX — 32.4%
- Miraton — 18.7%
- Puma UA — 18.3%
Back in August 2023, Rozetka had a commanding 93.7% visibility in the "Footwear" category — nearly double that of INTERTOP. By May 2025, the situation had shifted dramatically: INTERTOP rose to first place with 76.8%, while Rozetka dropped to 69.5%. This indicates a significant share of the search market has moved from Rozetka to INTERTOP.
The website has not only reached the top but has consistently maintained its leadership in one of the most competitive categories, showing steady week-over-week growth (+1.7% WoW), while most competitors are losing ground.
Position Distribution
Leadership in Both Visibility and Quality of Presence. The chart shows that INTERTOP.UA demonstrates:
- One of the highest average positions within the Top 10 — around 3.5, indicating not just wide coverage but high-quality visibility across key search terms;
- The largest number of keywords in the Top 10 among competitors — over 45,000.
Thanks to a systematic approach and the effective execution of the SEO strategy, INTERTOP achieved not just strong rankings — but true dominance in the category.
Key achievements:
- Visibility increased from 45.6% to 76.8% — a +33.2% growth that propelled the site to #1 among competitors
- Average position improved from 15 to 3 — indicating widespread entry of key queries into the Google Top results
- Number of keywords in Top 1 doubled — from 6,212 to 12,318 (+6,106), significantly increasing traffic-driving positions
- Top 3 coverage: Over 24,000 queries now rank in Top 1–3, forming the core of INTERTOP's SEO traffic
Chart Dynamics:
The visualization shows that even during short-term technical setbacks (late December to February), rankings recovered quickly thanks to agile monitoring and response by the team. The overall trend reflects steady and continuous growth in both visibility and share of Top 10 results.
How Visibility Growth Translated into Real Business Results
Search rankings are just the tip of the iceberg. To understand the true impact of our SEO efforts, we analyzed actual data from Google Analytics for the "Footwear" category.
What makes these results especially impressive:
- The entire project period coincided with a full-scale war, during which overall demand for fashion products was declining
- The comparison period (2021–2023) included stable, "peaceful" years with high consumer demand and a growing market
Visibility in Action: What the Results Look Like in Search
To illustrate how improved visibility translates into tangible outcomes, here are examples of INTERTOP's positions in search results for high-frequency queries in the niche.
These are commercial search terms with clear purchase intent — the kind that drive the most traffic and conversions.
Below are examples from Google search results showing INTERTOP consistently ranking at the top for queries such as:
- "женская обувь" (women's shoes)
- "мужская обувь" (men's shoes)
- "чоловіче взуття" (men's footwear)
INTERTOP holds a stable Top 1 position across all of these queries.
Conclusion
This case is a clear example of how systematic SEO — grounded in deep analytics, smart prioritization, and a focus on business goals — can elevate a brand to leadership even in an extremely competitive niche.
We didn't just improve the website — we rebuilt the entire foundation of its growth: a new strategy, restructured architecture, proprietary automation tools, and a focused effort on the "Footwear" category, combined with close collaboration with true professionals — the INTERTOP team. The result? Top 1 in organic search, +95% organic traffic, and over +80% revenue growth in the "Footwear" category.
This is a case about how a shift in approach, strong team synergy, and clear market understanding can drive strategic success — even under the toughest competitive conditions.
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