

Boosting Mad Science of St. Louis’s Online Engagement with Strategic SEO
Since its inception in October 1998, Mad Science of St. Louis has been a premier provider of engaging and educational science experiences for children. Founded by Gavin Kark and Alan Simon in the Kark basement, the organization has grown exponentially over the past 25 years.
INDUSTRY:
Children’s Science Enrichment and Educational Programs
WEBSITE:
SERVICE:
Search Engine Optimization

About Mad Science of St. Louis
Since its inception in October 1998, Mad Science of St. Louis has been a premier provider of engaging and educational science experiences for children. Founded by Gavin Kark and Alan Simon in the Kark basement, the organization has grown exponentially over the past 25 years. Today, with over 50 dedicated instructors and office personnel, Mad Science of St. Louis operates throughout Eastern Missouri and Illinois from a spacious office in University City. Offering after-school programs, birthday parties, workshops, special events, and summer camps, Mad Science combines entertainment with education to ignite children’s passion for science.

Objectives
Mad Science of St. Louis partnered with Rank & Scale to enhance their digital presence and achieve the following primary goals:
01
Increase Website Traffic
Drive more organic visitors to the Mad Science website to raise awareness of their programs and services.
02
Improve Search Engine Rankings
Achieve higher rankings for targeted keywords to attract parents and educators seeking science enrichment programs.
03
Boost Program Enrollments
Increase the number of registrations for after-school programs, workshops, and summer camps through enhanced online visibility.

Challenges
Despite Mad Science of St. Louis’s strong reputation and extensive service offerings, they faced several challenges in expanding their online presence:
Highly Competitive Market: The children’s enrichment sector is competitive, with numerous organizations vying for visibility in search results.
Limited Previous SEO Efforts: Prior to partnering with Rank & Scale, Mad Science had minimal SEO initiatives, resulting in low organic traffic and limited online engagement.
Program Enrollments: With a wide range of services from after-school programs to summer camps, creating targeted content to effectively reach different audience segments required a comprehensive approach.
Consistent Branding Across Locations: Ensuring uniform brand messaging while catering to the unique needs of various communities added complexity to the SEO strategy.
Strategic SEO Solutions by Rank & Scale
To address these challenges and achieve Mad Science of St. Louis’s objectives, Rank & Scale implemented a multifaceted SEO strategy tailored to their specific needs.
The campaign began with in-depth keyword research to identify high-impact terms relevant to Mad Science’s offerings, such as “science after-school programs St. Louis,” “children’s science workshops,” and “summer science camps Missouri.” Existing website content was meticulously optimized by integrating these keywords into meta descriptions, headers, and throughout the site’s copy to enhance relevance and search engine friendliness. Technical SEO enhancements, including improving website load speed, ensuring mobile responsiveness, and resolving crawl errors, were prioritized to provide a seamless user experience.
Given Mad Science’s focus on the St. Louis area, optimizing for local search was essential. Rank & Scale enhanced Mad Science’s Google My Business profile with accurate business information, high-quality images, and regular updates. Consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number) citations were established across reputable local directories, strengthening Mad Science’s visibility in local search results. Additionally, strategies were developed to encourage satisfied parents and educators to leave positive reviews, thereby boosting Mad Science’s online reputation and credibility.
To enhance domain authority and drive referral traffic, Rank & Scale focused on acquiring high-quality backlinks from authoritative educational blogs, local business organizations, and industry-related websites. Guest posts and informative articles were published on these platforms, positioning Mad Science as a leader in children’s science enrichment. These efforts not only improved search engine rankings but also increased referral traffic to the Mad Science of St. Louis website.
Engaging and informative content was crucial to attract and retain visitors. A dedicated blog was launched, featuring articles on topics such as “The Importance of STEM Education for Children,” “Fun Science Experiments to Try at Home,” and “How Mad Science’s Programs Enhance Learning.” Service-specific pages were created and optimized for each of Mad Science’s offerings, providing detailed information and incorporating relevant keywords to address potential clients’ search queries effectively. Educational content helped establish Mad Science as an authority in children’s science education, fostering trust and encouraging program enrollments.
Complementing the SEO efforts, Rank & Scale coordinated social media campaigns to drive traffic to the website and engage with the local community. Regular posts highlighting science tips, program highlights, participant testimonials, and updates about Mad Science’s events helped foster a sense of community and kept the organization top-of-mind for parents and educators.


Results
After six months of dedicated SEO efforts, Mad Science of St. Louis experienced substantial growth across multiple key performance indicators:
- Organic Traffic: Achieved a 41% increase in organic website traffic, attracting more parents and educators to Mad Science’s online platform.
- Keyword Rankings: Secured first-page rankings for 18 high-impact keywords, enhancing visibility in local search results and attracting targeted traffic.
- Program Enrollments: Witnessed a 28% growth in program registrations, leading to increased participation in after-school programs, workshops, and summer camps.
- Local Visibility: Enhanced local search presence resulted in higher foot traffic to Mad Science’s physical locations, reinforcing their status as a trusted science enrichment provider in St. Louis area.
- Online Engagement: Increased engagement through the blog and social media channels, fostering stronger relationships with existing and potential clients.
Client Feedback
“Partnering with Rank & Scale has been a transformative experience for Mad Science of St. Louis. Their strategic approach to SEO significantly boosted our online visibility, making it easier for parents and educators in the St. Louis area to discover and engage with our programs. The remarkable increase in website traffic and program enrollments has directly impacted our growth, and we’ve seen a substantial rise in participant satisfaction. The Rank & Scale team was professional, responsive, and genuinely dedicated to understanding our unique needs. We highly recommend their services to any organization looking to enhance their online presence and achieve meaningful growth.”
— Gavin Kark
Conclusion
Rank & Scale’s tailored SEO strategies empowered Mad Science of St. Louis to navigate a competitive market and establish a robust online presence. By leveraging comprehensive on-page optimization, local SEO, quality link building, and engaging content creation, Mad Science achieved substantial growth in website traffic, search engine rankings, and program enrollments. This case study highlights the effectiveness of a strategic, data-driven approach to SEO in driving meaningful and measurable results for organizations aiming for sustained success and community impact.

