MAGIC SHUTTLE BUS
A Tour Operator in Traverse City, Michigan Providing Wine Tours, Brewery Tours, Adventure Tours, Private Party Buses, Wedding Transportation and More.

STANDING OUT IN A SATURATED MARKET

Client
The Magic Shuttle Bus
Sector
Tourism
Industry
Tour Operators & Ticket Sales
Services Provided
Digital Strategy, Search Engine Optimization, Pay-Per-Click Advertising, Conversion Rate Optimization
BACKGROUND
The Magic Shuttle Bus is a tour operator in one of America’s most popular tourist destinations; Traverse City, Michigan. The Company started as a Party Bus Rental and Transportation Service and wanted to expand into providing unique tour experiences to visitors who flock to the city during the summer months. The Company had already invested in digital marketing and search advertising but was struggling to make a meaningful impact on revenue.
THE CHALLENGE
The client wanted to grow their business but did not know which types of tours were most in demand. In our preliminary research, we discovered an opportunity with large search volumes surrounding terms related to wine tours. Since wine tours were the most significant market opportunity in the geographical area, it was also the most saturated and most challenging market to compete. Not because of other tour operators but because of the robust search presence of world-renowned wineries in the area. Visibility in search results and increasingly high pay-per-click advertising costs were the core challenges of this engagement.
Digital Strategy Consulting 86%
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Search Engine Optimization 95%
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Pay-Per-Click Advertising 85%
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Conversion Rate Optimization 75%
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OUR APPROACH & RESULTS 

W

e began by taking an audit of the client’s past performance, analyzing search engine result pages, and pay-per-click advertising to determine the basis of our strategy. In our research, we identified that outranking the wineries was an unlikely and risky proposition. Furthermore, we identified opportunities to “piggyback” on high-ranking tourism sites and local business sites that could compete with the high-ranking wineries. We sought to rank for specific keywords by leveraging “niche search engines,” which had enough authority to outrank the wineries.

We then created tour experience products for the client, which ultimately sold on these 3rd party sites. When creating the content for business profiles and experience products, we targeted specific keywords. The ultimate result was a #1 organic search position on the highest searched for terms relating to wine tours. On Google search, the client’s TripAdvisor profile and tour experiences outranked all competitors.

We were also able to rank the client’s website for secondary tour opportunities that led to new business, including brewery tours and pub crawls. We also utilized pay-per-click search ads to increase visibility and the likelihood of securing the highest percentage of search traffic. By implementing Google Ads extensions like promotional offers and location-extensions, we were able to double the size of the traditional text ads to take up more real estate on search results.

In addition to conducting SEO on terms related to experience tours, we also optimized the client’s website for search terms relating to their core services. The optimization work resulted in an over 300% increase in organic search traffic for the client’s core services (compared to the same period the year prior.) Additionally, the client reported a significant increase in call volume and newly closed business over the summer months.

In a single season, our SEO and PPC services led to 2,872 individual winery tour tickets sold as a direct result, and more than a 50% revenue increase within the client’s core services of party buses and wedding transportation (compared to the same period the year prior.)

1
A total of 2,872 individual tours sold in 3 months as a direct result.
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more than 50% revenue increase in client’s core services.
3
An awesome, 314% increase in organic search traffic in less than 120 days.
Services Provided
  • Digital Strategy Consulting
  • Search Engine Optimization
  • Pay-Per-Click Advertising
  • Conversion Rate Optimization
Client Feedback
“I have worked with a couple marketing and advertising firms throughout 7 years in business, and I have to say Cam Myers & Partners is the best. Very professional, and very thorough. They set up a plan of attack, and execute it exactly how they present it to you. I have seen a huge improvement in my online presence, and an even more dramatic boost in call volume. Even more so, their customer service is top notch when it comes to answers questions, dealing with concerns, as well as checking in with updates on the work completed.”
– Sean M.
Owner, The Magic Shuttle Bus