How We Helped DreamGen Drive 14% Signup Conversion from Organic Traffic in Just 6 Months

DreamGen is an AI-powered role-play and story-writing platform that empowers users to create immersive, unrestricted narratives. They came to us in November 2024 with no existing content, no organic traffic, and a clear goal: build a high-converting SEO engine from the ground up.

What we'll cover in the case

• Launching an SEO strategy from zero in a competitive AI niche
• How we ranked for high-intent keywords like “character AI alternatives” and “best AI roleplay apps”
• The exact pages that delivered 13K+ visitors and a 14% signup conversion rate in 6 months

The problem - standing out in a crowded, NSFW-adjacent market

By late 2024, the AI role-play and story-writing space was already packed with established platforms like Character.AI, NovelAI, and AI Dungeon. These competitors had strong domain authority, extensive content libraries, and loyal user bases, making it tough for new entrants to gain organic visibility.

DreamGen offered a unique value: an uncensored, open-source platform that empowered users’ creativity without restrictive filters. However, the challenge was twofold. 

• First, they were starting from zero, little to no organic traffic, no SEO content, and a low Domain Authority.
• Second, their brand operated near the NSFW space, which required careful messaging to attract a broad audience without crossing exclusively into explicit content.

They needed an SEO strategy that would help them:

• Break through the noise in a saturated market
• Highlight their open and creative approach without triggering NSFW penalties
• Build trust and authority quickly from a clean slate

The solution - A tailored SEO strategy to conquer a niche AI market

To help DreamGen stand out in a competitive and sensitive niche, we crafted a multi-phase SEO strategy that emphasized targeted content and thoughtful audience engagement. 

Targeted keyword research & topic mapping

We focused on keywords that closely matched DreamGen’s unique strengths, AI role-play, story-writing, and creative freedom. Rather than avoiding suggestive language entirely, we strategically chose keywords that subtly implied mature themes without being direct or explicit.

• Examples include “Best AI Character Apps,” “Most Popular Female Anime Characters,” and “How to Jailbreak ChatGPT.”
• We mapped keyword clusters to specific content formats such as how-to guides, product listicles, reviews, and comparison articles.
• Topics were prioritized to balance strong search volume with manageable competition, enabling quick traction and sustained growth.

Content creation & optimization with brand sensitivity

We developed clear, friendly, and concise SEO content that reflected DreamGen’s brand values, diverse user base, uncensored creativity without explicit focus.

• Created versatile content: from detailed blog posts updating existing comparisons to new landing pages targeting product categories.
• Emphasized storytelling and user benefits, avoiding NSFW language while acknowledging suggestive themes where appropriate.
• Optimized on-page SEO elements, including meta titles, descriptions, headers, and internal linking, ensuring both user and search engine clarity.

Strategic link building & community engagement

Recognizing DreamGen’s open-source positioning, we leveraged relevant communities and partnerships to build authoritative backlinks and brand trust.

• Secured backlinks from respected AI, fan-fiction, and open-source technology blogs, prioritizing sites with strong domain authority.
• Engaged with specialized forums and subreddits like /r/localllama and /r/sillytavernai to build awareness and encourage organic mentions.
• Developed content collaborations and guest posts that showcased DreamGen’s unique features, encouraging natural backlinks from related sites.
• Continuously monitored backlink quality to avoid spammy links, ensuring a healthy and sustainable domain reputation.

Ongoing data-driven optimization & agile updates

Over the 6-month period, we continuously analyzed performance metrics and adjusted tactics to maximize growth and conversions.

• Regularly refreshed content based on emerging trends and keyword shifts in the AI storytelling space.
• Prioritized pages with high traffic but low conversions for UX and copy improvements.
• Collaborated closely with DreamGen’s product and marketing teams to align SEO with broader business goals.

The results - rapid growth and high-impact conversions in just 6 months

In just half a year, our focused strategy fueled meaningful growth, expanding DreamGen’s user base and driving significant increases in product signups.

14% conversion rate on organic traffic leading to 13,100+ product sign-ups

Between November 2024 and May 2025, the targeted SEO pages we developed attracted over 13,100 visitors. Impressively, 14% of those visitors converted into product sign-ups, meaning more than 1,830 new users joined DreamGen’s AI role-play and story-writing platform thanks to our focused SEO efforts.

Organic traffic surged to 24,000+ monthly visits with 6.8K ranking keywords

DreamGen’s organic traffic grew rapidly to over 24,000 visits by May 2025, supported by more than 6,800 keywords ranking in Google’s top 100 results. This broad keyword footprint positioned DreamGen as a leading voice in the AI storytelling niche, especially for competitive queries like “character AI alternatives” and “best AI roleplay apps.”

Ranking top 3 for “Best Character AI bots for roleplay”, beating major competitors

In just 6 months, DreamGen ranked #2 on Google U.S. for the highly competitive keyword “best character AI bots for roleplay”, behind only a Reddit thread and ahead of Character.AI, Janitor AI, and others. This win drove qualified traffic and solidified DreamGen’s authority in the AI roleplay niche.

Key takeaways

• Intent Over Volume Drives Growth: Focusing on mid-funnel, high-conversion keywords outperforms chasing broad traffic, especially in saturated niches.
• Niche SEO Needs Depth, Not Just Breadth: Winning in competitive markets isn’t about publishing more, it’s about publishing better, with tailored angles and structure.
• Early Wins Compound Fast: When executed well, SEO can go from zero to high-converting traffic in months, not years, especially when paired with conversion-focused content.

Want results like these?

At Embarque, we help product-led companies grow through high-intent, scalable SEO strategies, without relying on gimmicks or fluff. Whether you're launching in a crowded market or repositioning a mature product, we can build you a content engine that drives traffic and signups.

Let’s talk SEO that actually converts.