Increasing global search visibility of Specsavers as Experts Who Care
CHALLENGE
Specsavers came to us with the goal of being as renowned for expert eye care in the future as they are for great value today.
Specsavers’ core challenge was that their presence in search results didn’t match their goal of being an authority on eye health and they weren’t showing up enough for problem-based searches relating to eye conditions.
Searches where people were seeking information on a change in their vision, looking for expert advice, and needing reassurance with clear next steps to help them decide on the best course of action. These searches needed expert answers from a trusted name who could also provide the in-person care and eye health solutions they needed.
The global nature of Specsavers’ business meant different markets had varying levels of quality content to address these queries. Topic coverage was inconsistent, content was often outdated, and standards of content length and quality varied between markets. There was also no unified keyword research or briefing process, no established approach to standardisation and transcreation, and page formats differed across regions.
Their team came to us for help improving and standardising content at a global level across 10 international markets, and Project Alphabet was born.
SOLUTION
Our solution, Project Alphabet, optimised existing clinical content and created new pages to strengthen Specsavers' credentials as "Experts Who Care" online, establishing them as the go-to authority on eye health.
To achieve this, we identified 40 priority informational eye health topics and developed a scalable content programme across Specsavers' markets: the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark.
We began with a thorough audit of existing content, alongside localised keyword research and competitor analysis tailored to each international market. This allowed us to identify content gaps, standardise topic coverage and create a consistent framework for producing high-quality eye health content at scale.
Our Organic Performance team of content strategists, SEO consultants and copywriters then worked closely with Specsavers' optometrists to research, brief and write content across a wide range of eye health topics. A custom briefing framework was developed for every page, integrating localised keyword research, tone of voice guidance and competitor insights to ensure content was both search-optimised and clinically accurate.
With efficiency and quality standardisation both a key focus, master English copy drafts were created for each topic before market-specific keyword research and clinical nuances were applied via a thorough localisation process. We then worked closely with the Northern European teams to ensure a clear handover of content for transcreation.
The goal was for every piece to provide genuine, expert-reviewed guidance with clear next steps for readers. Whether users were looking for reassurance, information on symptoms, or advice on treatment options, the content was designed to answer their questions while helping them understand when and how to seek professional eye care, including booking an eye test where appropriate.
Alongside content production, Specsavers' optometrists provided ongoing quality assurance and feedback throughout the process, ensuring every page met the highest standards of accuracy and expertise. We also provided large-scale implementation support to help markets roll out updated content efficiently and consistently.
In total, the programme delivered 200 fully written and search-optimised pages for English-speaking markets, alongside 200 detailed content briefs for non-English-speaking Northern European markets.
results
Traffic and engagement climbed sharply across every optimised market, with the gains translating directly into more people booking eye tests.
+178% increase in sessions for optimised pages (Global Average, All Markets)
+135% increase in search engine visibility of optimised pages (Global Average, All Markets)
+88% increase in eye test bookings from optimised pages (Australia)
+60% increase in eye test bookings from optimised pages (New Zealand)
The optimised content also started appearing far more often in AI Overviews, clear proof that Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) is already shaping how brands like Specsavers get discovered.
+97% increase in AIO desktop citations (Australia)
+188% increase in AIO mobile citations (Australia)
+298% increase in AIO desktop citations (Canada)
+301% increase in AIO mobile citations (Canada)
In New Zealand, 537 of 675 tracked search terms improved position, with 291 of those reaching the top three results. Individual terms saw dramatic movement too: in Australia, "What is astigmatism" climbed from position 20 to position 5.
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