Melissa Salons

Results are *a cut above* for Melissa Salons.

Local SEO and redesigned service pages that took a multi-award-winning Manchester salon to the top of local search and grew appointment bookings by 80%.

The numbers
77%
Increase on YoY traffic
19
New #1 keyword rankings YoY
80%
Increase in appointment bookings YoY
37
New top 10 rankings
02 / 06
The challenge

An award-winning salon, *ready for the next level.*

Melissa Salons is a multi-award-winning hairdresser in the heart of Manchester, voted Best UK Salon in 2023. It is known internationally for precision cuts, balayage and curly and textured hair.

Since opening in 2016, the salon has built a loyal following and won awards for cut, colour and customer care. It was time to take the business to the next level.

When Ascensor joined forces with Melissa, we developed an SEO strategy to extend its reach across Manchester and turn online conversions into in-person appointments. It had four aims: increase appointment booking conversions, attract local organic traffic to the service pages, drive customers to the city centre salon, and promote the salon's services and inclusivity.

Sector
Hair & beauty
Services
SEO
DIGITAL MARKETING
WEB DESIGN
Audience
People in Manchester looking for a hair appointment in the city centre
  • UK-wide brands competing for the top search spots
  • Local traffic to win for each service
  • Inclusive services to promote online
  • Online visits to turn into in-person bookings
03 / 06
The B2B lead generation system

The parts of the system we used.

This project used two parts of the system. Local SEO brought people searching for hair appointments in Manchester to the salon's service pages, and a service page redesign led them to book.

The system diagram is drawn here by the page script, lighting the parts that have copy below.
01

Platform

The heart

A redesigned service page template with a clean, modern layout that leads visitors to the Book now button, plus a restructured service menu for quick navigation. The layout can be rolled out to future service pages.

02

CRM & data

The brain

03

Reactive

Availability

Keyword research into how people search for hair appointments in Manchester city centre shaped new and optimised service pages, including inclusive services, with content re-optimised regularly over the year to boost rankings.

04

Proactive

Broadcast

05

Thought leaders

Personal brand

06

Citations

Third-party proof

04 / 06
What we did

From local search *to the salon chair.*

Square 1:1
Step 01

Research what Manchester searches

Thorough keyword research came first. We uncovered exactly what potential clients type into Google to find hair appointments in Manchester city centre, so that people in the city could find a leading salon for their next appointment.

Local keywords have a lower search volume than their nationwide counterparts. But the strategy was tightly focused on clients ready to book an appointment, which gave it great potential for ROI.

  • Keyword research
  • Local SEO
Square 1:1
Step 02

Write for every service

Our copywriters created content for each new service page and optimised the existing pages. Clear, engaging copy highlights the benefits of each service and the team's expertise, creating a smooth user journey that leads prospective clients to book an appointment.

Content also targeted specific services for clients who benefit from the salon's inclusive approach: gender-neutral pricing, wheelchair access, a private top floor for hijab-wearing clients and a team trained in all hair textures. It reflects the salon's values, so clients can trust they are in safe hands: stylists who understand every hair type and the importance of a hijab-friendly space.

  • Copywriting
  • Inclusive services
Square 1:1
Step 03

Redesign service pages

A service page redesign gave the new content a striking, clean layout that reflects the in-salon environment and Melissa's enthusiasm for modern hairdressing and the latest techniques. The design leads visitors to the Book now button and can be rolled out across the site for future service pages.

We also restructured the service menu around the new pages for quick, easy navigation, and re-optimised content regularly over the following year.

  • Service page design
  • Menu structure
  • Re-optimisation
05 / 06
In their words

Ascensor have been at the heart of our approach to gaining clients once hair salons were allowed to re-open on July 4. Many salons have been quiet after the initial rush of clients coming back to have their hair cut and re-styled following lockdown. However, thanks to Ascensor’s very practical and hands-on help and advice on website enhancement, SEO and social media promotion, our team of nine stylists have been at full capacity for the last four months.

Melissa Salons
Melissa Timperley
Owner
·
Melissa Salons
06 / 06
The results
What changed for
Melissa Salons

Melissa Salons now competes with, and usually outranks, UK-wide hairdressing brands in local search. Appointment bookings rose 80% year on year. We have helped cement the salon's place as an outstanding Manchester hairdresser and showcased its specialisms and inclusivity across the UK.

R01
77%
Increase on YoY traffic

Organic traffic rose 77% year on year. More than 20% of the salon's 100+ five-star reviews in the past year mentioned its curly hair expertise or the private space for hijab-wearing clients.

R02
19
New #1 keyword rankings YoY

19 new number one rankings and 37 new top 10 rankings for the salon's services put it at the top of local search results.

R03
80%
Increase in appointment bookings YoY

Local rankings transformed the business, with appointment bookings up 80% year on year.

In short

Online reach, turned into *in-person appointments.*

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