Case study
Beyond Winter: Rhythm Snowsports' Strategy for Year-Round Growth.
Established in 1985 in Cooma, NSW, Rhythm Snowsports has grown to become Australia's largest snow sports store, committed to providing top-notch gear and expert advice for snow enthusiasts. Starting as a small shop attached to a service station, Rhythm now operates year-round, catering to the international snow sports community and mountain bike enthusiasts. With six departments—including snowboard, ski, and cross-country shops—Rhythm offers over 200 brands, ensuring customers can access the best equipment available.
4.1%
142%
53%
Increase year-on-year in organic revenue.
Increase year-on-year in blog sessions.
Surge year-on-year in product sessions.
01 The challenge
Rhythm Snowsports, known for its strong reputation in Australia's snowsports market, faced several challenges as it sought to expand its online reach and drive demand outside of the Australian snow season.
Seasonality of the Brand
Rhythm Snowsports has established a strong reputation in the winter sports sector. However, the challenge was to capture and engage an audience during the off-season by promoting summer sports like mountain biking and those travelling overseas for the snow. This challenge required a strategic approach to maintain year-round interest and visibility.
Competition in the Market
Capturing search volume for relevant terms outside the peak snowsport season posed a significant challenge. The online market is highly competitive, and we needed to ensure Rhythm's brand stayed visible and attractive to potential customers throughout the year.
Cannibalisation with Paid Search
Another challenge was to reduce cannibalisation with paid search campaigns. We needed to create a harmonious strategy that allowed both organic and paid search efforts to complement each other, maximising overall visibility and conversions.
By understanding and addressing these challenges, we devised a comprehensive strategy that preserved Rhythm Snowsports' strong winter sports presence and paved the way for their successful entry into the summer sports market.
To address Rhythm Snowsports' challenges and achieve their growth objectives, our approach focused on three key strategies:
Seasonality Planning
Recognising Rhythm Snowsports' highly seasonal nature, we timed our changes to be implemented ~3 months before the expected peak traffic periods. This proactive strategy ensured the site was optimised and ready to capture increased search interest well before the snow season.
Highlighting Unique Selling Points (USPs)
Rhythm Snowsports is a customer-centric brand; visiting their Cooma store is a unique experience. We brought this aspect to the forefront of our campaign, emphasising the personalised service and expertise that customers can expect through content. This approach differentiated Rhythm from competitors, reinforced their brand identity and helped to build authority with search engines.
Expanding Beyond Winter Sports
To develop sales outside the Australian snow season, we targeted the summer sports market, particularly mountain biking, and appealed to skiers and snowboarders travelling overseas. By broadening their market focus, we aimed to drive year-round sales and establish Rhythm Snowsports as a versatile destination for outdoor sports enthusiasts.
02 Our approach
To achieve our strategic goals for Rhythm Snowsports, we implemented the following actions:
Collaborative Efforts with Email Agency
We worked closely with a paid email agency to enhance overall performance. We maintained a dynamic and integrated approach by aligning SEO strategies to improve quality scores and leveraging paid search to cover terms where SEO needed to be stronger. This ongoing collaboration ensured continual adjustment and optimisation across all channels.
Investment in Blog Content
We invested in creating new and enhancing existing blog content, mainly targeting the off-peak season. This action improved organic search performance and provided valuable information to engage customers year-round.
Increased Visibility of Summer Sports
To diversify Rhythm Snowsports' market presence, we focused on increasing the visibility of summer sports, especially mountain biking. This involved targeted SEO efforts and promotional strategies to capture the interest of summer sports enthusiasts.
Creation of New Information Pages
We developed new information pages better to explain Rhythm Snowsports' services and unique selling points, further supporting our broader marketing efforts.
Product Visibility Optimisation
We optimised meta titles and descriptions to improve product visibility in search results. This technical SEO effort ensured potential customers could discover Rhythm’s extensive product range more easily.
Enhanced User-Centric Information on Collection Pages
We provided more detailed and user-centric information on collection pages. This approach improved the overall user experience, making it easier for customers to find and understand the products they were interested in, ultimately driving higher engagement and sales.
03 Actions taken
04 The result
Significant improvements were observed across various metrics in analysing the collaborative efforts between MindArc and Rhythm Snowsports.
Google Analytics (GA4) Insights
For the period from March 1st to May 31st, comparing the previous three full months YoY, the focus remained on organic (search only) traffic, revealing promising outcomes:
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Organic Revenue: A notable 4.1% increase YoY was recorded, indicating a positive trend in revenue generation through organic search channels.
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Engaged Sessions: Engaged sessions surged by 4.9% compared to the previous year's performance, demonstrating increased user interest and interaction.
Traffic Acquisition Highlights
Among the different landing page types, specific segments showed remarkable growth, elucidating the effectiveness of the strategies implemented:
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Blogs: A staggering 142% YoY increase in sessions was observed, with over 3,000 sessions recorded in 2024, underscoring the amplified traction garnered through blog content.
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Products: Sessions directed to product pages witnessed a commendable 53% YoY surge, translating into a substantial 29.7% revenue escalation, indicative of enhanced product visibility and conversion optimisation efforts.
Overall Channel Performance
A holistic evaluation of all channels reflected nuanced trends:
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Despite a slight dip of 7.9% in engaged sessions across all channels, the organic segment exhibited resilience with its positive growth trajectory.
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On the other hand, revenue experienced a notable uptick of 5.5%, signalling a robust financial performance driven by strategic initiatives.
In summary, while facing constraints in historical data comparison, the collaboration between MindArc and Rhythm Snowsports has yielded tangible outcomes, particularly evident in the organic search domain and highlighted by substantial increases in engaged sessions and revenue across key landing page types. These results underscore the efficacy of the joint efforts in enhancing online visibility, user engagement, and, ultimately, revenue generation for Rhythm Snowsports.
The MindArc and Rhythm Snowsports partnership successfully tackled challenges in diversifying into summer sports, boosting online presence and revenue. We expanded Rhythm's appeal year-round by strategically planning for seasonality and emphasising unique selling points. Our collaborative efforts increased organic traffic, engagement, and revenue, evidenced by rising blog and product page visits. Despite data constraints, these outcomes demonstrate the effectiveness of our strategies. Our ongoing partnership ensures continued growth and innovation, securing Rhythm's status as a top destination for outdoor enthusiasts.
05 Conclusion
Naomi Nevin
E-Commerce Manager at Rhythm Snowsports
Working with the MindArc team offers access to a diverse set of skills across our digital platforms. The nature of our business is heavily driven by seasonal demand so ensuring we are front and centre of our customer's minds when searching for our products and services. The team have also worked hard to look for opportunities in our quieter months and bring our organic traffic up and broaden our reach across outdoor enthusiasts.
The MindArc team took a holistic approach in reviewing our site, identifying opportunities and ensuring that new projects meet a high standard for SEO.
Fiona Mellink
Senior SEO Account Manager at MindArc
Naomi and the Rhythm Snowsports team are incredibly passionate and knowledgeable about their work, it's sometimes hard to do it justice online. Their approach goes beyond simply selling products on an eCommerce platform; it's about offering the complete "Rhythm experience" and all the additional benefits it entails. They are genuinely dedicated to ensuring their customers enjoy exploring the outdoors and consistently go above and beyond to achieve this. We are thrilled to be a part of their journey and support their mission.
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