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Long Blond Hair

How a Calgary Salon Transformed Its Online Presence with Long-Term SEO

Client Introduction

When this established salon first reached out during the height of COVID-19, times were uncertain for local businesses. Despite nearly a decade in business, they had never invested in SEO or Google Ads. Their online presence relied mainly on social media, leaving them vulnerable in a crowded local market. With a limited budget, they needed a strategy that could steadily build visibility and translate into real revenue growth.

Challenges

  • Heavy reliance on social media with little search visibility.

  • No prior SEO, Google Ads, or structured local optimization.

  • Competitive salon industry with dozens of businesses targeting the same clients.

  • Tight marketing budget, requiring a slow-and-steady approach.

The Strategy

Applying a slow and steady approach for the longterm.

  • ​​Google Business Profile Optimization → Enhanced listings with complete service details, images, and updates.

  • Service Page Development → Built dedicated pages for high-value services to improve topical authority.

  • Technical SEO Fixes → Addressed crawlability, site speed, and structural issues for stronger performance.

  • Content Strategy → Published a new blog each month, properly interlinked to service pages.

  • Reputation Management → Every Google review was responded to promptly, helping grow trust and engagement.

  • Consistency Over Time → All progress came without backlinks or paid ads — only steady, long-term SEO execution.

Results After 3 Years

Revenue Growth​

  • $331,634 in 2021 → $690,862 in 2024.​

  • 108% increase in just three years.

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Organic Traffic Growth (Google Analytics Data)

  • Early 2021: ~1,600 users.

  • Early 2024: ~21,700 users.

  • 13.6x increase in total site traffic.

  • Organic search alone grew from 1,027 → 18,648 users (17x growth).

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Keyword Rankings (Ahrefs)

  • Jan 2021 → 5 keywords in top 3, 1 in positions 4-10, 5 in positions 11-20.

  • April 27, 2024 → 234 keywords in top 3, 704 in positions 4-1-, 1,039 in positions 11-20.

  • This represents an explosion in visibility across hundreds of service and branded search terms.​

hair-salon-seo-keyword-results-calgary.jpg

​Local Rankings

  • Secured and maintained the #1 Google ranking for their specialty.

  • Consistently in the top 3 for every major service offered.

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Reputation

  • Built a 4.7 star rating across nearly 300 reviews.

  • Prompt responses to every review strengthened trust and engagement signals for both clients and Google.

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Sustained Success

  • Even in one of the most competitive industries, their rankings and visibility have held strong for years.

women in hair salon in Calgary

Client Review

"Mindset Media has taken my online business presence to another level. Julian came highly recommended to me and all I can say is WOW! What a difference he’s made. My business is ranking higher and higher every month which is translating to more business. I appreciate everything Julian does for me and my business and if I can give 6 stars I would."

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- Owner, Calgary hair salon

Takeaway

This salon’s story proves that a fundamentals-first SEO strategy can double revenue and dominate local search without paid ads or backlinks. By committing to GBP optimization, service page creation, monthly blogging, and review management, they went from struggling during COVID to:

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  • Holding the #1 position for their specialty,

  • Achieving a 17x increase in organic traffic,

  • Ranking for over 1,900 keywords in the top 20,

  • And nearly doubling revenue in three years.

 

Consistency was the key — and the payoff has been lasting, measurable business growth.

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