Pipedrive was already excelling at top- and middle-of-funnel content, building awareness and authority in the sales space. But with Grizzle’s help, they adopted a more balanced strategy by focusing on bottom-of-funnel content to unlock new growth opportunities.

The result was a 200% increase in search visibility and a 33% boost in sign-ups.

In this case study, I’ll walk you through our proven organic growth methodology that drives more demos, trials, and sign-ups. You’ll also learn how to scale content production to amplify these results.

Traffic and educational content build awareness, which is critical for long-term growth. However, Pipedrive’s immediate goal was driving demos, trials, and user sign-ups.

To achieve that, I helped them shift focus toward engaging more high-intent buyers at the bottom of the sales funnel—people who already know they need a CRM, understand their options, and are ready to convert.

Bottom-of-funnel (BOFU) content builds trust and guides in-market buyers toward taking action, like booking a demo or signing up for a trial. While top-of-funnel content contributes to sign-ups, their impact is gradual. That’s why TOFU content generally has low direct — or first-touch — attribution and conversion rates (a topic that this Cognism case study explores in depth).

Here are some of the BOFU formats we implemented:

• Comparison pages: Compare tools or products to help users make informed decisions (e.g., Pipedrive vs. HubSpot).

• Alternative pages: Suggest alternatives to popular tools for users exploring different options (e.g., Salesforce alternatives).

• Product listicles: Highlight the best tools in a category to guide users (e.g., 15 best CRM tools for business growth).

• Customer stories: Showcase real-world examples of how Pipedrive helped customers (e.g., How Pipedrive helped Truescope triple its team size).

• Jobs-to-be-done content: Teach users how to solve specific problems with and without your product (e.g., Building a sales pipeline).

These formats helped us address objections, establish trust, and show users why Pipedrive was the best option for their needs.

Take this sales planning software listicle from Pipedrive’s blog:

Sales leaders looking for a planning tool can quickly compare the features and capabilities of various platforms, with Pipedrive positioned as the best option. This BOFU article bridged the gap between Pipedrive’s top-level content and converting organic traffic into trial users.

To convert prospects with content, it’s essential to understand what your ideal customer profile (ICP) wants to achieve. This allows you to:

• Create content that ranks for relevant, high-intent keywords

• Address your buyers’ challenges and priorities, building trust and encouraging action

This approach is how we helped Pipedrive increase search visibility and user sign-ups.

Pipedrive serves various industries with unique needs, so we created highly targeted content for different audiences. For example, real estate professionals researching CRMs need solutions for organizing buyer and seller data. We developed a real estate CRM landing page that speaks directly to this need.

Similarly, manufacturing businesses prioritize supply chain efficiency. So, we built a manufacturing CRM page that targets high-intent keywords like “CRM for manufacturing companies.” This content addresses profitability challenges and attracts in-market buyers.

When researching their options, people typically use product-based keywords, like “CRM for [activity or industry]” or “[competitor tool] alternatives.”

We also targeted other high-intent keyword types, such as:

• Research-based terms: Keywords used to guide purchasing decisions (e.g., “CRM evaluation checklist”)

• Jobs-to-be-done (JTBD) terms: Keywords used to solve specific problems or learn how to complete a task (e.g., “how to automate an email marketing campaign”)

When creating JTBD content, we focused on balancing helpful DIY solutions with demonstrating how Pipedrive’s features simplify the process. This built trust and demonstrated the platform’s value to potential customers.

We aligned content formats with search intent to attract users at every buyer journey stage — top, middle, and bottom of the funnel. Google knows what users want for a given query, so similar content often ranks on page one.

To truly stand out, you must provide fresh insights that competitors overlook. This “information gain” improves SEO and delivers more value to users.

Here’s how we tailor content formats for different buyer stages:

Top-of-funnel (TOFU) content formats

TOFU content helps attract and educate a broader audience. At this stage, potential customers are becoming aware of their problems, so your goal is to capture their interest.

Some top-of-funnel content include:

• Educational blog articles offering strategic or tactical guidance (e.g., Pipedrive’s A Beginner’s Guide to Creative Content Marketing)

• Infographics and videos simplifying complex information (e.g., Pipedrive’s Email Delivery Infographic: How it Works and Why it Fails)

• Listicles that are easy to digest and refer back to (e.g., Pipedrive’s 20 Most Important KPIs for Sales Teams to Track)

• Storytelling content that positions your brand as a thought leader (e.g., Pipedrive’s Women in Sales: It’s Time to Smash Clichés)

• Original research and data that provides unique insights (e.g., Pipedrive’s, The State of Sales and Marketing)

Middle-of-funnel (MOFU) content formats

MOFU content engages prospects evaluating their options and learning more about their challenges.

Examples of middle-of-funnel content include:

Articles guiding readers through the consideration phase (e.g., Pipedrive’s CRM Evaluations: How to Choose the Perfect System)

Ebooks offering detailed industry insights (e.g., Pipedrive’s The Call Center Management Guide)

Webinars on specific topics that encourage engagement (e.g., Pipedrive’s, Maximize Your Sales Engine)

Case studies explaining how your product solves relevant challenges (e.g., Pipedrive’s 7 CRM Examples and Use Cases to Build a Better Business)

Bottom-of-funnel (BOFU) content formats

BOFU content is for prospects who are ready to make a decision. It’s designed to overcome objections and demonstrate the value of your solution, helping convert leads into paying customers.

Examples of bottom-of-funnel content include:

• Product comparisons pitting your product against competitors (e.g., HubSpot vs. Salesforce vs. Pipedrive: Comparing 3 CRM Solutions)

• Success stories demonstrating how your product helps businesses achieve their goals (e.g., How Network Streamlined Operations and Boosted Efficiency by 50% with Pipedrive)

• Evaluation checklists that guide buyers through their decision-making process (e.g., Create Your CRM Checklist: A Comprehensive Guide)

While BOFU content drives sign-ups and trials, Pipedrive’s top-of-funnel (TOFU) content is essential for building brand awareness, capturing leads, and guiding them through the buyer journey.

These are the ingredients of great TOFU content to stand out from generic articles in the SERPs:

Use examples

Examples make abstract ideas relatable and concrete. They help readers understand how your product or service solves their problems. For example, Pipedrive’s sales pitching guide uses real-world examples to illustrate tactics, build social proof, and make the advice more actionable.

Create product-led content

Product-led content shows readers how to achieve their jobs-to-be-done (JTBD) using your product. For example, Pipedrive’s sales techniques guide explains how to use the company's features to implement the advice, offering step-by-step guidance on setting up automation or workflows within the platform.

Implement content design

Custom graphics, CSS styling, and videos make content more digestible. A well-structured hierarchy with headings and subheadings also improves the narrative flow. Pipedrive enhances readability with interactive design elements like tables, recommended reading, and FAQs to break up long-form content.

Here’s an example of a table component in a TOFU post on average order values:

There are also components for “recommended reading” links, quotes, and frequently asked questions (FAQs).

Apply content writing best practices

Concise, clear writing keeps readers engaged. Avoid jargon and complex sentences to ensure accessibility. Tools like Grammarly and Hemingway help maintain readability scores that match your audience’s reading level. For Pipedrive, we aimed for grades 8 to 10, ensuring the content resonates with a wider audience.

Ensure accuracy and data hygiene

Accurate information builds trust and reliability. Pipedrive’s content guidelines require studies to be no older than three years old, from reputable sources, and cited correctly. They also use owned data, like their annual State of Sales and Marketing reports, which provide original insights while attracting backlinks and boosting authority.

Content audits measure every stage of the content journey to identify issues and opportunities to improve or defend traffic and conversions.

Here’s a breakdown of our content audit process:

Gather performance data

Collect performance data from various sources such as Moz, Google Analytics, and Google Search Console.

This data allows us to measure:

• SERP performance (Google Search Console and Moz’s Explore By Keyword)

• On-page SEO issues (Moz Site Crawl)

• Keyword performance (Moz’s Explore by Keyword )

• Traffic and conversions (GA4)

• Distribution and backlinks (Inbound links feature on Moz)

Tools like Moz can help track keyword clusters and individual rankings, while Google Analytics provides insights into engagement, page views, and conversion rates.

Organize performance data

Organize the data in a spreadsheet, categorizing by format (blog posts, landing pages), performance metrics, and publication date. Use a “red amber green” (RAG) system:

• Red: Content needing significant work

• Amber: Content at risk or needing updates

• Green: Healthy, high-performing content

Here’s an example featuring dummy data:

Analyze and diagnose

Analyze patterns in traffic and keyword performance to identify outdated content, underperforming pages, or areas where new keywords could generate more leads.

For example, refreshing an outdated sales management software page helped Pipedrive reclaim a top ranking and generate more leads.

Prioritize and plan resources

Based on your findings, prioritize which content to update, rewrite, or prune. Some may need light edits, while others need a complete overhaul to fit current search intent and brand objectives.

For instance, we updated Pipedrive’s sales calendar article with fresh event info and a new tone, improving user experience and SERP rankings.

Content refreshes are a large part of Pipedrive’s SEO strategy.

There are many ways to optimize content, but here’s the process we’ve found most impactful at Grizzle:

Use data-driven tools to improve relevancy and inject important themes

I rely on tools like Moz and Clearscope to show which themes Google prioritizes for specific topics. This helps me understand what’s missing and what updates are necessary to keep the content relevant.

For example, when refreshing a 2017 sales tools listicle, the data might show that search intent shifted to AI sales tools—something irrelevant back then. I’d weave in a new section and update the rest of the content to fit the current landscape.

Increase content quality and value while fulfilling information gain

Not all content needs the same level of attention, so I use this system to prioritize:

Editorial: Minor tweaks like fixing typos, adding links, or improving readability.

Updates: Substantial changes such as adding sections, updating stats, and optimizing for new keywords.

Rewrites: Overhauling the content completely to align with SEO best practices.

Track and measure the impact of my optimization efforts

After every refresh, I make sure to track performance:

• Traffic and engagement: I monitor page views, bounce rates, and session duration.

• Keyword rankings: I check if the rankings for target keywords improved.

• Conversion rates: I evaluate if the refreshed content drives more conversions, like sign-ups or downloads.

Optimizing and prioritizing bottom-of-funnel content can transform your SEO strategy from merely attracting traffic to contributing directly to core business objectives.

The methodologies in this article are proven to work, as evidenced by Pipedrive’s impressive results — a 200% increase in search visibility and a 33% increase in user sign-ups.

To replicate Pipedrive’s success, start with a comprehensive content audit, use data-driven insights to refresh existing content, and scale your production efforts with a focus on quality.