What is Web3 SEO Agency & How to Choose One for Your Web 3.0 Project?

Larisa Avagyan

Key Takeaways

The next generation of the internet, also called Web3, is changing the way businesses operate online. Web3-powered projects, decentralized technologies, blockchain-based systems and tokenized ecosystems have unique requirements for an SEO strategy to set them apart in such an ever-evolving space. That is why there is a need for specialized web3 SEO agencies that focus on getting your project seen by the target audience while tackling the peculiarities of this nascent industry. 

Web3 is all about visibility. Most of the projects strongly market themselves online, so as to attract investors, users and collaborators. SEO can help Web3 projects rise above the noise and connect with their target audiences by improving their rankings on search engines. Also, having strong visibility builds credibility. High placement conveys an air of trustworthiness to the Web3 audience, which makes this especially important for the blockchain space that is rife with scams and disinformation. SEO also enables educational outreach, helping users discover and engage with substantive material about your project from trusted sources and inspiring them to know more. 

What is a Web3 SEO Agency

Web3 SEO agency is a company that specializes in search engine optimization for Web3 projects. In comparison with regular SEO agencies, these specialists know how to get the most out of the decentralized web, optimizing as much for blockchain-based search engines like Presearch, privacy-focused ones like Brave as for regular Google or Bing search.

Web3 SEO agencies promote projects like dApps, cryptocurrencies and exchanges, NFT marketplaces, metaverse and other web3 platforms. These agencies develop SEO strategies that are aligned with Web3 standards, irrespective of the project type, be it DeFi, GameFi, NFTs or crypto.

What Do Top Web3 SEO Agencies Offer

A Web3 SEO agency is more than just an organic traffic generation method for your website. Such agencies usually function in the intersection of blockchain technology and digital marketing space. Typical responsibilities of such companies involve researching relevant keywords, writing useful content that educates and engages the Web3 community and making the website SEO-friendly from a technical perspective. In addition, they also generate links to your project from authoritative Web3 and blockchain websites, giving your project authority and trustworthiness. Such companies also know how essential credibility is in the web3 world and use tactics such as publishing technical papers or gaining endorsements from reputable sources to spread their name. In summer, these agencies also assist in obtaining visibility in generative engines like chatGPT, Perplexity or Google AI Overviews for your web3 project.

Services Offered by Leading Web3 SEO Agencies

Top Web3 SEO agencies provide an all-encompassing range of unique services:

Differences Between Web3 SEO Agency vs. Traditional SEO Agency

Web3 SEO is very different from traditional SEO, because it is geared toward unique audiences that are highly interested in crypto and blockchain-based platforms, as well as decentralized search engines. Web3 search marketing strategies include a deep understanding of the technical nuances of blockchain protocols, optimizing the content relating to smart contracts and utilizing token incentives to encourage user participation. While traditional SEO has certain well-defined practices, Web3 SEO methodology is much less defined, meaning there are tons of new approaches to experiment with and measure your ranking impact. 

With this being said, web3 search optimization introduces several criteria for successful agencies:

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Best SEO Strategies for Web3 Projects

Performing Keyword Research on Web3 Projects

When conducting keyword research for Web3 projects, a thorough grasp of technical  terminology is essential. Web3 audiences seek very niche-specific terms, such as “smart contract development,” “yield farming strategies” or “DAO governance tools.” Sometimes regular keyword research tools might show zero search volume, but such keywords can still be found by utilizing niche forums, technical whitepapers and industry reports. Long-tail keywords that speak the language of the user’s intent — “how to create an NFT collection,” for example — will do a better job of pulling in engaged users, thus driving quality traffic to your platform. Search queries like “best layer-2 solutions for Ethereum” or “blockchain interoperability protocols” may be highly targeted niche queries, designed to help your users find your in-depth, actionable information. Here are some groups of web3 seed keywords for your research:

Blockchain Technology

Cryptocurrency

Decentralized Finance (DeFi)

Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs)

Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs)

Web3 Development

Security and Privacy

Education and Tutorials

Organizing your keyword strategy around these seed keywords allows you to target specific user segments and include all possible variations to maximize potential search volume.

Technical On-Page SEO for Web3 Platforms

Technical SEO is essential for high rankings of Web3 platforms in search results. Dapps or blockchain-related websites have typical technical challenges like longer load times because of decentralized hosting or complicated navigation due to Dapp functionality. Fixing these issues is a multi-layer process that consists of optimizing for website speed, cutting unnecessary navigation, improving crawlability and ensuring compliance with Google’s technical recommendations. Here are some specific technical pieces of advice to focus on for web3 projects:

Blockchain-hosted Websites

Readable URLs

Dynamic Content Rendering

Mobile-First Optimization

HTTPS

Lightweight Code

Content Delivery Networks (CDN)

Robots.txt Configuration

XML Sitemaps 

Canonicalization

Core Web Vitals

Improve Minimal Latency

Blockchain-Specific URLs

Dynamic Addresses and Transactions

Another key factor is utilizing structured data markup for blockchain content. For instance, with structured data in place, search engines can understand token listings or DeFi metrics better, increasing the likelihood of your platform showing up in search results. Here are some types of data (schemas) that you could leverage to optimize your content for the search engines:

Token Listings

DeFi Metrics

Cryptocurrency News or Announcements

Blockchain Events

Token Prices or Historical Data

Blockchain Explorer Data

While using these structured data types effectively, your web3 platform can provide rich results, increase visibility and enhance understanding of your content by search bots.

Creating High-Quality Content That Aligns With E-E-A-T

Content is king in Web3 SEO. Quality content has a significant effect not only on boosting your project in search rankings, but also in positioning it as the authority in the web3 ecosystem. 

The main content requirement in web3 SEO (and in overall SEO, as well) is to align it with the user’s search intent. In addition, such content must be thoroughly infused with signals of expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness. Quality, research-based content that accurately portrays and presents current understanding of web3 technologies showcase your expertise. Instilling technical depth and case studies allows readers to have a better grasp of topics such as blockchain, DeFi, NFTs or smart contracts.

Establishing authority requires you to use references to industry leaders, case studies or data points that back up your statement. Your content must focus on the project’s influence in the web3 ecosystem, showcasing performance, partnerships or innovative use cases to highlight its status as an authority. Prevent sensationalist content, instead set realistic expectations, particularly for crypto or blockchain investments. When a web3 platform is transparent in its disclosures, its content is written in an easy-to-read way, all the important policies are disclosed, then readers know that what they are reading is trustworthy. 

Off-Page Factors & Backlink Generation for the Web3 Niche

When SEOs discuss off-page optimization, they usually work on improving factors that are not tied with the website itself. Off-page factors are usually summarized into a metric that is called “domain authority”, although Google explicitly told that such metric doesn’t exist (in comparison with PageRank algorithm that was used in Google’s systems earlier). To improve this so-called domain authority, one of the proposed ways is to get high-quality backlinks to your website from relevant Web3 platforms.

Such backlinks need to possess good SEO metrics. Links need to be obtained from publishers with also high domain authority. Sometimes SEOs evaluate publishers with citation flow (CF) and trust flow (TF), these are backlink quantity and quality metrics developed by a company called Majestic. The main question is how to motivate established blockchain/web3 media, crypto news outlets and influential web3 industry blogs to link to your website. Methods like link exchange are directly forbidden by Google’s Spam Policies, but a good web3 SEO agency will have contacts with relevant media in this niche. They’ll have a list of journalists or contributors that are accepting pitches.

According to my experience, it is better to get links from websites with a MOZ domain authority that is above 50 and a Majestic trust flow that is above 30. This is very empirical, sometimes links from websites with lower metrics but more relevant topically can work extremely well.

Social Mentions

To be an authoritative website, you’ll also need coverage on web3- or crypto-specific sites (Bitcointalk, Ethereum StackExchange, etc) and social media (related Twitter threads, Discord channels and Reddit subreddits). All links pointing to your website from these platforms are “nofollow”, but in my experience this still contributes to your domain authority and search rankings. Strong social signals are serving as a litmus test of project credibility and community interest, and search engines understand this. 

Press-releases 

Press-releases distributed through crypto news outlets (ex: CoinDesk, CoinTelegraph, etc) also in my experience contribute to search rankings, even if they don’t have “dofollow” links in them or no links at all. There is a big discussion in the SEO community about whether Google is listening to mentions without links, and I think that this is the truthful fact.  

Influencer Marketing 

If your project is mentioened by web3 thought leaders, this can benefit your authority in the niche. Such influencers not only drive traffic, but also improve your project’s trustworthiness. No matter what it is: backlink opportunities or non-linked mentions on their websites or social media, anyhow this is going to be useful. Here is the list of most popular ones: 

Directory Listings and Niche Citations

Promoting your project on web3-relevant directories and aggregators improves its authority and trustworthiness. Platforms such as CoinMarketCap, DappRadar or DeFi Pulse usually are good sources of both backlinks (even “nofollow”) and referral traffic.

Reputation Management

Your online reputation matters especially in the web3 niche. It helps manage perception of your brand and establishes you as an authority in your niche, indirectly influencing off-page SEO by monitoring and responding to reviews, comments or discussions about your project on review platforms. Examples of such platforms to track include:

SEO Best Practices for Different Web3 Platforms

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to SEO for web3 — strategies need to be customized to individual project goals and audience. However, the below best practices can help a “typical” DeFi platform, NFT marketplace or DAO website maximize search visibility.

DeFi Platform Optimization

Due to the decentralization of the industry, DeFi platforms’ SEO strategies would focus on unique financial products that include regulations you cannot find in traditional finance. You can start with niche words such as “yield farming strategies” or “low-fee stakes providers” that might resonate with crypto-enamored audiences. Users can also gravitate towards educational material about your platform, such as tutorials or blogs clarifying DeFi concepts. 

Technical SEO is equally important. Thus, optimize your platform for both speed as well as functionality as your users should be able to make transactions in real time without any lag. Structured data like your APR rates and other liquidity pool statistics should show up in search results. Detailed information is a must for authority, including documentation and audit reports. Secure HTTPS connection is also essential for search engines to feel peace of mind.

NFT Marketplace SEO Strategies

With the NFT marketplaces, where the market is becoming increasingly crowded, search visibility is extremely important. If you’re looking for a way for collectors to find you, it’s a good idea to optimize for keywords like “buy rare NFTs” or “minting guide” to help encourage searches from both collectors and creators. Curating trending collections or featuring similar artists can also boost engagement.

Content strategy plays a crucial role here, too. Position your NFT platform by providing tutorials or tips for new NFT platforms when creating, purchasing or trading NFT assets. A mobile-optimized experience with fast load times is also something you need to consider in order to capture individuals who are browsing through NFTs on the go.

DAO Website Optimization Techniques

The balance between technical perfection and community bind is required for DAO websites. From governance to voting to allocating funds, transparency and accessibility are key SEO strategies. Terms such as “how DAOs work” or “participate in DAO voting” are able to yield niche traffic.

Guides on your DAO’s purpose, governance structure and how users can get involved are some of the content you should include. Write blogs about campaigns that worked well or display local involvement. SEO-wise, optimize your website for speed, clean navigation and add elements of social proof such as testimonials from DAO members that can provide further validation and credibility.

Selecting the Right Web3 SEO Agency

Choosing the suitable web3 SEO agency can make or break your project. As discussed above, their expertise should extend beyond traditional SEO approaches to encompass the unique challenges and opportunities of the web3 environment. Agencies often think of SEO in a 3-dimensional way, as a combination of technical, content and off-page, but agencies who truly excel in this niche, understand that web3 SEO requires much more than traditional SEO workflows.

What to Look for When Choosing a Web3 SEO Agency

To begin with, your potential agency’s expertise in web3 should be thoroughly examined. Look into their previous projects in the niche and ask them about some of the successful strategies they ran in the web3 field. Here is something that will give you a glimpse into their past work: case studies, client testimonials or screenshots from Google Search Console or Google Analytics with SEO performance metrics.

Secondly, check their technical expertise. Web3 platforms come with complex architecture that needs deep technical SEO expertise around site speed, crawling, indexing and integration of SERP features. 

Take Your Web3 Site to the Next Level

Book a session with Andrei to discover powerful Web3 SEO techniques that drive organic growth and improve your site’s search engine visibility.
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Thirdly, check how they deal with off-page SEO. The best agencies will know exactly how to get web3-relevant backlinks pointing to your site. Also, they need to demonstrate that they will manage your visibility on social media, forums and review platforms with discussions involving your project. There are also off-page SEO methods such as partnerships, influencers and directory listings, and it’s better if the agency provides such services, too. 

Lastly, communication and reporting transparency matter. The agency should establish SMART goals with timelines and realistic but measurable milestones, while regularly updating the client about their ongoing progress. They should provide clear reporting that, at a bare minimum, includes current keyword rankings, organic traffic (branded vs. non-branded), conversions affiliated with SEO and tasks performed during the reporting period.

Questions to Ask Potential SEO Agencies about Your Web3 Project

Make sure to ask specific questions that will help you assess their knowledge and approach when speaking with SEO experts for your Web3 project. 

Weeding through such questions can reveal whether this agency is qualified enough for your web3 project’s goals and challenges, simply by asking the right questions.

FAQ

Can Web3 SEO agencies help with token visibility on DEXs and crypto aggregator platforms?

Web3 SEO plays a crucial role in improving token visibility on decentralized exchanges and aggregators. Agencies definitely can help web3 projects in this regard by improving their documentation and technical specifications, optimizing smart contract metadata and ultimately improving visibility in search results. Tactics also include proper implementation of blockchain-specific meta tags, verifying smart contracts, keeping up with relevant schemas and others.

How do Web3 SEO agencies adapt to algorithm updates that might affect my website’s performance?

Apart from their actual service duties, web3 SEO agencies keep an eye on the Google Search Status page, so that no Google update goes unnoticed. They focus on creating a solid foundation with valuable, relevant content and ethical SEO practices to reduce the impact of updates. By utilizing data-driven insights and analytics, they are used to constantly fine-tuning tactics to keep or improve website performance. In addition, good agencies avoid spammy tactics that might trigger a manual action from Google after yet another Spam Update.

Can I switch to a new SEO agency without losing my current rankings, and what does the process involve?

If handled step-by-step, switching to a new SEO agency can be a smooth and efficient process. This usually includes a complete audit of your current SEO strategy, the transfer of access to important tools and platforms, and a clear handover of active projects. Certainly, the new agency should preserve past work, existing backlinks, technical optimizations and gradually roll out their own strategies to keep things consistent. The ability for both agencies to effectively communicate and collaborate, particularly during this transition period, is critical to ensuring there is, at most, a negligible impact on rankings.

Larisa is a digital marketing specialist and content creator. Since 2019, she's created an educational YouTube channel that has gained over 10K subscribers and 1 million views.
Since 2022, she has been working as a Digital Marketing Specialist, with expertise in content writing, SEO, email marketing, and SMM. Having written over 70 SEO-friendly articles and run 400+ email campaigns, she's increased brand visibility in industries like marketing, crowdfunding, and tech.
In 2023, she earned her bachelor's degree in Management. She's currently pursuing a master's degree in a double-degree program in IT Management at two universities: the Armenian State University of Economics and the West Saxon University of Applied Sciences of Zwickau in Germany. Her studies focus on combining business expertise with technology and bringing innovative approaches to the digital world.
Since 2023, she started freelancing, writing articles and blog posts on topics such as technology, digital marketing, travel, and startups. In 2024, she expanded her expertise by creating marketing strategies for clients in industries like AI, fashion, and real estate. At the same time, she also contributed to investor outreach.
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