Overview
Students on Broadway is an on-tour ground management for arts-inspired student groups. Many band directors and educators already have too much on their plates and shouldn’t have to carry the burden of planning a big student trip alone. In addition to the word-of-mouth referrals that bring in clients, developing an automated, predictable inbound system that combines organic & paid strategies and website improvements is necessary for scalability. The overall goal is to increase website traffic and deliver educational value to plan a successful trip, building long-term, high-quality lead generation.
Problem
Currently, Students on Broadway relies heavily on word-of-mouth and referrals to bring in leads. Unfortunately, despite positive testimonials from past clients, Students on Broadway's lead generation can be unpredictable. There is a loss of control in building and owning a predictable, proactive lead generation system. Students on Broadway relies on external support, which affects its ability to forecast or scale.
Key Insights
To establish a clear baseline for the Students on Broadway homepage’s user experience, we conducted a homepage audit and gathered feedback from 20 students to assess core clarity.
The audit revealed that relying 100% on passive word-of-mouth and referrals has masked a severe gap in clarity and conversion. Currently, website visitors must dig deep and read long blocks of text to learn about the company’s core offerings.
Furthermore, the existing conversion path creates friction: the primary "Request a Quote" call to action demands a high-commitment, bottom-of-funnel action from day one.
By prioritizing only users ready to book immediately, or by forcing users to be ready, the current homepage layout fails to capture and nurture low- to medium-commitment visitors—such as educators in the early planning phases—resulting in lost opportunities and high bounce rates.
Solution
Students on Broadway need a comprehensive 360-degree approach to building EEAT, not one that relies solely on word-of-mouth referrals.
To drive sustainable, high-quality lead generation, Students on Broadway should invest in a holistic digital strategy that includes creating valuable, experience-driven content, optimizing the website for search engines and conversions, implementing strategic paid advertising campaigns, and continuously improving the user experience on their website.
Organic Strategy
Built a content calendar using Google Sheets, including keywords relevant to the buyer journey, topics for the content plan, & competitive analysis.
To capture band directors and parents right when their intent shifts from dreaming about a trip to worrying about the logistics, we wrote an SEO-optimized blog titled How to Plan Safe, Memorable Student Travel Programs for Large Groups. Designed specifically for the consideration phase, utilized
SEMrush to identify high-impact long-tail keywords and boost search visibility.
To keep bounce rates low, we used internal links to direct users to “Request a Quote” and “Download the Travel Guide” to thank users and show a sample itinerary with photos of how past student groups in NYC enjoyed their trips.
To capture top-of-funnel search intent and establish immediate trust, we developed a search-optimized video asset titled "Top 5 Mistakes to Avoid When Planning Student Travel” for band directors to help them save time, effort, and money by avoiding potential mistakes.
The purpose of the video is to raise awareness of Students on Broadway, put a human face on the company, and showcase their expertise and experience in on-the-ground management of arts-inspired student groups.
To optimize for generative search engines (GEO) and directly address the primary friction points for performing arts educators, we will establish a centralized 'Trip Planning Hub' on the website and use a Q&A and checklist structure for quick mapping & comprehensive answers.
Paid Strategy
The core objective of the paid media strategy is to increase brand visibility for Students on Broadway through search, display, remarketing, and YouTube skippable ads, while avoiding Performance Max due to a strict budget.
Current customers = 100% word-of-mouth
Search traffic = almost zero → major growth opportunity
Due to high-intent queries like “plan student trip,” this strategy aligns perfectly with the educational content offered, keeping CPC low.
To maximize the paid search strategy, actively capture band, choir & theater directors, principals, and student program organizers who are searching high-intent keywords such as “student travel programs” in cities where Students on Broadway operates: NYC, Orlando, Chicago, Honolulu, and LA for tailored itineraries, 24/7 support, licensed operators, and arts-focused travel.
To ensure Students on Broadway remains top-of-mind throughout the long educational travel buying journey, we deploy a remarketing and contextual display strategy across YouTube and other websites questions regarding student travel, trip itineraries, or even trip tours
Website Improvement
Before
After
What Changed?
CTA: Request a Quote/Contact → Calculate my Quote
The Price Calculator allows band directors to provide the principal with an estimate for a trip proposal or to get an idea of service costs for themselves without committing or feeling pressured. Afterward, if they choose to proceed formally, they can request a quote.
Hero Image: Red Jacket Team → Happy Students
The Red Jacket Team is essential to the on-tour ground management, but showing previous clientele and the types of activities planned helps them to instantly see the end emotional result of working with Students on Broadway.
Intro Copy: Wall of text → Keyword Strategy Optimized
Explore the complete presentation below for the full project scope.
Search Marketing Final by Ama Achampong, Matthew Liou, Xin Huang, Habiba Gaber