Client: Payroll Solutions

‍Page: https://payroll-solutions.co.uk/payroll/how-to-get-a-p45/‍

‍Focus: On-Page SEO Optimisation (OPR)

‍Comparison Period: 24 February 2025 – 23 August 2025 vs 24 August 2025 – 23 February 2026

Overview

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I optimised the “How to Get a P45” page to improve search visibility, expand keyword coverage, and capture high-intent informational traffic.

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Within six months, the page moved from limited visibility to becoming a strong page-one performer across the P45 keyword cluster.

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Objective

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• Increase organic traffic
• Improve rankings for core P45 queries
• Capture long-tail informational searches
• Expand keyword footprint
• Strengthen topical authority

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What I Did

Expanded and optimised the page inline with competitor coverage (while keeping the content unique) to better match search intent and improve topical authority.

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• Added a last published date and improved internal linking (including a link to the HMRC starter checklist page)

• Strengthened semantic keyword coverage (e.g., emergency tax code, national insurance, payroll system, income tax)

• Added new sections to capture key queries:
  • What does a P45 look like? (Parts 1, 1A, 2, 3 and who they go to)
  • P45 and emergency tax (W1/M1/X codes and how it’s corrected)
  • P45 vs P60 (leaving employment vs end-of-year summary)
• Expanded existing sections to include what’s on a P45 (NI number, pay-to-date, tax-to-date, personal details) and what to do if an employer can’t provide one (including escalation to HMRC)

• Added context on using a P45 for benefits/Jobcentre Plus

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Results (6 Months After Optimisation)

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📈 Traffic Growth

• Clicks: 416 → 1,600
  +284% increase
• Impressions: 89K → 368K
  +313% increase

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📊 Ranking Improvement

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• Average Position: 23.1 → 4.7
  Moved from page 2–3 into strong page 1 rankings

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Major Keyword Wins

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The page now ranks highly for competitive P45 terms, including:

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• “p45” → Position 2 (previously 45)
• “what is a p45” → Position 2
• “p45 document” → Position 3
• “how to get a p45” → Position 6
• “p45 form” → Position 6
• “where can I find my p45” → Page 1

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New Keyword Growth

One of the biggest wins was expanding the keyword footprint.

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The page now ranks for 1,300+ queries, including many new terms that previously generated zero clicks.

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Newly captured traffic-driving queries include:

• “how do I get my p45 online”
• “lost my p45”
• “copy of p45”
• “request p45 from previous employer”
• “can I get my p45 online”
• “where can I find my p45 online"

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This shifted the page from ranking for a handful of terms to dominating the full P45 topic cluster.

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Impact

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• Nearly 3x increase in clicks
• More than tripled impressions
• Multiple top 3 rankings
• Strong page-one visibility across high-intent payroll queries
• Expanded topical authority in the payroll space

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Conclusion

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Through strategic on-page optimisation and keyword expansion, the P45 guide evolved into a high-performing organic asset.

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The growth wasn’t just from ranking higher for one keyword — it came from capturing a wide cluster of new, relevant queries that now consistently drive traffic.