About the Client
Total Risk Administrators (TRA) is a supplementary health insurance provider in South Africa, offering a focused range of products, including gap cover, to close the shortfall between medical aid payouts and private healthcare costs.
They have carved out a name for themselves with straightforward benefit structures and a people-first approach. Their commitment to consumer education and product simplicity has helped them earn the trust of thousands of South Africans.
The Challenge: Zero Domain Authority & Fierce Competition
In 2021, TRA came to BaseCloud after some volatile website changes resulted in them losing all their domain authority and, as a result, their SEO traction. A year later, we achieved a full domain rating recovery and a ranking on page one for their focus keyword. However, at the start of 2023, a Google penalty caused by technical server issues knocked their rankings once again. What they needed wasn’t just SEO. They needed a long-term strategic partner that could evolve with them, predict trends early, and execute with consistency and precision.
The 4-year Roadmap: Trials & Successes
- Started simple with one new piece of content + one content edit per month to begin building content relevance and search visibility
- Tracked and adapted to Google’s algorithm updates, pivoting quickly to stay competitive
- Evolved the strategy over time by introducing long-tail keywords, competitor targeting, and high-intent search terms
- Established monthly strategy sessions for proactive alignment with the client’s goals
- Levelled up our SEO package to include Google My Business optimisation, two additional content pieces, strategic backlink building to prioritising brand authority and AI-first search strategies
From Zero to #1 in Organic Search
What started as a low-visibility brand now dominates national rankings and AI search results.
From September 2021 to August 2025:
- Daily Impressions: 3,000%+ growth
- Monthly Organic Purchases: +525% YoY (As reported by the client)
- Google Ranking for “Gap Cover”: Page 3 to #1 in targeted locations and then remaining in Top 3 search results nationally
- CTR: <1% – 4.45% (445% increase), showing that searches are interested in their offerings
- AI Citations: 86 across Google AI Overview, ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity & Copilot
The Big Wins
- #1 for “Gap Cover” in targeted locations
- Remaining top 3 search results nationally for high-value keywords
- Featured Search Engine Snippet for “Best gap cover in South Africa”
- 5,300% increase in “gap cover” clicks
- SEO now drives 49% more traffic than paid search!
- First-mover advantage in AI platform optimisation
- Weekly performance jumps: +675% week-on-week click growth
Why It Worked
We weren’t just doing “SEO”. It was a true partnership where the client leaned in, stayed engaged, and understood that Google evolves, and so should we. That gave us room to think of the big picture, catch trends early, pivot fast and build with long-term momentum in mind.
What they’re saying
“I think a major part of our success as a business is due to BaseCloud’s involvement, specifically with keeping us at the top of SEO rankings. Big thanks to BaseCloud, definitely.” – Warren Gates, TRA
Play The Long Game, Invest in SEO
SEO requires clients to invest their time in the long game as it’s a space that is constantly changing. This case proves that with the right strategy, consistent alignment, some out-of-the-box thinking and a team that’s in it with you, smaller industry players can outrank the titans when partnered with a team like BaseCloud.
Want to explore what BaseCloud could do for you? Get in touch!
