How a Local Diving Center in Saskatoon Reached the Top of Google

Search Results Underwater

The Diving Center Saskatoon approached us with a classic case of digital dilemma. The Diving Center Saskatoon was virtually invisible on the web despite being Saskatoon's leading destination for diving gear, certification courses and aquatic adventures. During our first consultation, the owner George admitted that although they offer the best diving lessons in Saskatchewan, no one can find them online unless you already know their name. "Our competitors, even those that have been in business for half as long, are appearing everywhere on local searches." The website was old, hard to navigate and wasn’t generating new business. They had a large customer base, but it was getting harder to attract new students and buyers of equipment. This was a serious threat to their growth in an industry that heavily relies on seasonal interest and acquiring new customers.

Digital Depths as a Starting Point

We found some serious problems with their online presence.

• The website was clunky, mobile-unfriendly and had painfully slow loading speeds.


• There was no e-commerce capability, even though the retail store has over 200 SKUs.


• In 2023, course registration required phone calls or visits in person.


• Not ranking at all for local diving keywords


• Google Business Profile was not optimized


• Zero schema markup for local business or products.


• Missing from most local business directories


• The content was purely informative and minimal, without any strategic keyword targeting

The monthly website traffic was dismal, with only 145 visitors and an 82% bounce rate. Online inquiries? Virtually none. The majority of new customers were referred by word-of-mouth or came to their location accidentally.

The Rescue Plan—Comprehensive Digital Transformation

We outlined a plan for an 8-month period to transform their online presence. This was based on two intensive strategy sessions. The goals were ambitious, but achievable.

• Build their entire website using WordPress and WooCommerce integration


• Create a seamless course registration system


• Create a fully functional online store for diving equipment


• Implement comprehensive local SEO to dominate Saskatoon diving searches


• Generate at least 15 new course registrations monthly through the website


• In 6 months, increase e-commerce revenues to $5,000/month.

The team's enthusiasm was tempered by a realistic approach: "We have tried working with other marketing companies, but no one really understood our niche. We hope that you can help us reach the right people."

Phase 1: Creating a Custom Website that Converts

We began with a full WordPress rebuild focusing on aesthetics as well as functionality.

• The design is clean and modern, with images of underwater life that show the excitement of diving.


• The intuitive navigation is based on their three core offerings - Courses, Travel, and Equipment.


• Mobile-first design (more than 70% of the target audience searched on mobile devices)


• Page load time optimized to less than 2 seconds


• Strategically placed call-to-action buttons throughout the site


• The integrated course registration system includes a calendar and payment processing.


• WooCommerce integration for their equipment store including:
  
  
  
  • Filtering and custom product categories
  
  
  • Integration with their inventory management system
  
  
  • Calculations for shipping to Saskatchewan
  
  
  • Special order functionality for custom equipment
  
  
  
  

We took extra time to review their course pages because we knew that these courses were the most profitable. Each certification course had its own page, complete with bios of the instructors, prerequisites, materials included, and pricing. You couldn't miss the "Register Now", even if you tried.

Phase 2: Comprehensive SEO Strategy

After the site was live, our focus shifted to ensuring it was found. Our SEO strategy was multi-faceted.

Keyword Research & Content Development

We have identified more than 75 local keywords that are a perfect blend of search volume, competition and value.

• "scuba certification Saskatoon"


• "Diving Lessons Saskatchewan"


• "buy diving equipment Saskatoon"


• "PADI certification courses Saskatoon"

We then developed content around these keywords:

• Comprehensive course description pages


• Equipment category pages with detailed buying guides


• Local diving spot profiles: Diefenbaker Lake and Last Mountain Lake


• Diver safety information specific to Saskatchewan's lakes


• PADI Instructor profiles that highlight their certifications and experiences

Technical SEO Implementation

• Complete schema markups for local businesses, courses, and products


• Title tags and meta descriptions that are specific to a location


• Custom XML sitemap prioritizing high-value pages


• Internal linking structure focusing on course conversions


• Image optimization with descriptive Alt Text


• Structured data for course dates and pricing

Local SEO Dominance

• Complete Google Business Profile optimization with weekly posts and photo updates


• Citations built across 42 relevant local business directories


• Local backlink outreach for tourism sites, outdoor recreation blogs and adventure sports organizations


• Partnerships with complementary local businesses (local gyms, travel agencies, outdoor gear shops)


• No competitor had covered strategic content about "Diving in Saskatchewan"

The Real Business Impact of Rankings

The Diving Center Saskatoon has achieved impressive results after 8 months of concentrated work. The Diving Center Saskatoon's website traffic grew by 653% from 145 monthly visitors to over 1500 in just 8 months. They now ranked #1 for "scuba certification Saskatoon", and they rank higher than 30 other keywords.

The impact on business was significant:

• The number of course registrations has increased by 215% in the last year.


• The classes for beginners are now fully booked and there are waiting lists.


• E-commerce revenues reached $9,175/month. (Previously, less than $500/month).


• The cost of acquiring customers dropped by 78% when compared with previous promotional efforts


• The team has grown to include 2 part-time instructors, 1 full-time specialist and 1 equipment specialist


• Due to an increase in demand, we have introduced 4 new courses.


• Travel packages to tropical locations added as a service offering


• Reduced traditional advertising

Their operations manager said: "The last eight months have been our most successful ever. It's not even close."

Learn from this Dive

Each project has something to teach us. What we learned from The Diving Center Saskatoon's success

1. Niche businesses need specialized SEO approaches. "Scuba diving" was impossible to rank in Google for generic terms. However, "scuba diving certification Saskatoon", had lower competition as well as higher conversion rates.


2. Different conversion strategies are needed for product + service businesses. Equipment pages need to include detailed specifications and comparisons while course pages should emphasize instructor credentials and student experience.


3. Seasonal businesses require SEO planning throughout the year. For winter months, we created content focusing on travel planning, equipment maintenance and advanced certifications in order to maintain traffic during Saskatchewan's cooler seasons.


4. Local keywords outperform generic ones. The term "best diving instruction" was converted at 0.7%, while the phrase "Saskatoon dive certification" was converted at 4.3%.

What They Are Today

The Diving Center Saskatoon continues to thrive online, even several months after completing the initial project. The website attracts more than 1500 visitors per month and is ranked first for local keywords. The company has expanded its online store with exclusive equipment packages to their certification students. This creates a natural progression of sales from courses to purchases of equipment. Registrations for courses have been strong, even during traditionally slower seasons. Most impressively, their dependency on us has decreased - just as it should. As their digital foundation is rock solid, we only provide monthly maintenance and occasionally content updates. George (the owner of the company) recently said: "Before working with Luminary, I wasn't sure if we'd renew our lease for another five years. We're now looking to expand into the empty space next door. That's exactly the type of business problem that I enjoy."

Summary

The Diving Center Saskatoon's transformation from digital obscurity into local search dominance involved:

• Rebuild WordPress site with a focus on user experience


• WooCommerce integration is available for their online equipment store


• Registration system for courses streamlined


• Local keyword optimization


• Comprehensive technical SEO implementation


• Local citations and Google Business Profile Optimization


• Saskatchewan diving community targeted content development

Results after 8 Months:

• Increase in website traffic by 653% (245 to 1,845 monthly visitors)


• Ranking #1 for more than 30 local keywords


• Registrations for 34 online courses per month (up from zero)


• Online equipment sales now reach $9,175 per month (up from $500)


• Increase of 215% in the number of courses enrolled over the past year


• Reduced customer acquisition costs by 78%


• Expansion of 3 new staff members

We are a trusted web design agency in Saskatoon specializing in helping local service companies dominate their markets with strategic web design and online marketing. We understand the challenges faced by local businesses and create digital solutions to meet those challenges — starting with avoiding common SEO mistakes Saskatoon businesses often make.