Revitalising and supercharging Stagecoach Performing Arts' local SEO strategy to boost rankings and increase visibility in SERPs

Stagecoach Performing Arts is a renowned international network of performing arts schools, catering to children and teenagers interested in acting, singing, and dancing. With multiple branches worldwide, Stagecoach provides a platform for young talent to develop their artistic skills and confidence.

Stagecoach approached us looking for support to increase their organic traffic and bookings. The team wanted to boost visibility in local search results, making it easier for potential students and parents to find nearby branches. The client aimed to streamline all its branches under a single account for effortless management and consistent changes across all locations.

Our SEO team identified some challenges which could cause hindrances to the implementations:

There were limitations around the current platform and the team were only able to make certain amendments to the on-page copy for local website pages.

All locations weren’t in a centralised account due to the franchised nature of the business.

Franchisees weren’t aware of SEO best practice literature around building citations and maintaining local listings.

To combat the challenges, the SEO team developed a comprehensive two-fold SEO strategy to address the challenges and meet the client’s goals. The strategy included optimising Stagecoach’s location pages on the website, whilst targeting its Google Business Profile.

To begin, the SEO team conducted an audit of all Google Business Profiles for Stagecoach branches. We implemented changes on scale,

ensuring consistent and accurate data across all profiles. This involved cleaning up and standardising data across 334 locations in the UK to enhance consistency. By implementing these changes, we not only improved user experience but also enhanced the trustworthiness of the brand’s online presence.

The second solution was based on local landing page optimisation. These pages were designed to holistically improve the local SEO performance by including relevant keywords, location-specific information, and engaging content. This approach not only boosted rankings but also provided a richer user experience.

Finally, the team educated and empowered franchisees to ensure they could contribute to their own local SEO efforts. We created a comprehensive set of best practice guidelines. These guidelines emphasised the importance of local citations, the role of keywords, and the impact of user reviews. By sharing these resources, franchisees gained a deeper understanding of local SEO and were better equipped to contribute to their schools’ online visibility.

The SEO team accelerated implementations for 334 local franchises over a timeline of 3 months and yielded impressive results securing:

A remarkable 335% increase in direct searches, reflecting the number of times customers found Stagecoach listings by searching for the business name or address on Google Search or Maps.

An 18% increase in discovery searches, which indicates the number of times users found the listings by searching for specific categories, products, or services in Google Search or Maps.

A significant 106% increase in directions requests made from the Google Business Profiles, indicating that the optimised profiles were driving more potential customers to the physical locations.

The collaboration between Stagecoach Performing Arts and The PHA Group exemplified the power of a strategic approach to Local SEO. By unifying and optimising Google Business Profiles, creating tailored local landing pages, and educating franchisees, Stagecoach experienced remarkable growth in visibility, engagement, and discoverability.

 

335%

increase in direct searches

18%

increase in discovery searches

106%

increase in direction requests from Google Business Profiles

"The PHA Group made sure they understood our business model very well before producing a very detailed report with recommendations for our local pages and Google Business Listings. Our team thoroughly enjoyed working with the SEO team on this project would highly recommend them!"
Dijana Radisevic
Head of Marketing
Get in touch with the team