Case Study: Best Wetsuits For Surfing
The Project
Test and review over 25 different wetsuits to write The Best Wetsuits, a buyer’s guide article that combines real-world testing and an inside-the-industry perspective to help readers make an informed purchasing decision on one of the most important pieces of the surfing experience: the wetsuit.
Business Goal: Deliver high-quality content that will place the article high on Google Search for relevant queries.
The Challenge
Wetsuits are a complex subject. For cold-water surfers, the wetsuit you wear is almost, if not more important than the board you ride. If the suit doesn’t keep you warm, you won't be able to surf for very long. If the suit isn't flexible, you won't be able to surf your best. And if it starts leaking after your first session, you’ll be going back to the shop to buy a new one before the season is over.
With our readers at the top of my mind, I took into consideration price, warmth, flexibility/stretch, durability, and to a lesser extent, factors like the suit’s sustainability (a top-of-mind consideration, but one that is often outweighed by price and overall performance), notable features (nice to have but rarely essential), and how the wetsuit fit (important but very subjective), among other factors.
The Approach
I’ve always held that the key to success in affiliate reviews is to make authentic, useful content (as well as sticking to best practices), and the rankings and clicks will follow. Gaming the system might get you somewhere, but it won’t stand the test of time as readers (and Google itself) are savvy enough to sniff out good and bad content. Our reviews blend specific testing feedback and recommendations, as well as an extensive “Buyer’s Guide” section that takes a deep dive on some of the key factors in choosing a wetsuit.
Since hitting “publish” in 2021, it’s been my responsibility to keep this article well-maintained, stocked with current products, and constantly evolving with the goal of making the reader experience as user-friendly and helpful as possible. For example, in 2023 with the economic climate in mind, I specifically tested budget-priced wetsuits to present more low-cost products to our readers, I made sure to discuss the relative pros and cons/what you would be missing out in choosing one of those over one of the $500-dollar wetsuits on the list.
With this review and any of the reviews we work on, the goal is to present our readers with the most helpful information on the internet and aid them in making a purchasing decision. That’s why someone types into Google “Best wetsuits of 2024” or “What are the best wetsuits?” In our opinion, the answer of the best wetsuit depends on the readers themselves, so we aim in our articles to give a wide variety of recommendations to meet the needs of a wide and varied audience.
The Results
The Best Wetsuits for Surfing set the stage for a standard of high-quality, authentic, and authoritative gear reviews at The Inertia. And the quality shows, with the article ranking number 1 for searches such as “best wetsuits” for the past three years. It has also been one of The Inertia’s top-earning articles to date.
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