SEO STRATEGY 
 
 
 
May 2020 
 
 

   

 
Created by Spark, St. Lawrence College 
www.sparkslc.ca 
  
 
Executive Summary 3 

Current Situation 3 
Background 3 
Industry Overview 3 
Current Offerings 4 
Unique Selling Point 5 
SWOT Analysis 5 

Competitors 7 
Visit Kingston 7 
Downtown Kingston 8 
City of Kingston 8 
Kingston Canada 9 
Beautiful Kingston 10 

Goals & Objectives 10 

Overall Goal 10 
Business Objectives 10 
SEO Strategy Objectives 11 

SEO Strategies 11 

On-Page SEO 11 
Off-Page SEO 13 
Technical SEO 13 
 

   

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Executive Summary 
Possible Made Here is a one-stop hub of information created by The City of Kingston as 
a result of the Workforce Development and In-Migration Strategy aiming to attract 
qualified and young professionals to Kingston. With its modern and interactive website, 
Possible Made Here provides a number of useful resources such as the Cost of Living 
Calculator, Interactive Map, and Find a Job Tool, making it easier for its target markets 
to make a decision during the research process of moving to Kingston.  
 
What distinguishes Possible Made Here from its competitors is that they focus on 
showing Kingston as a place to live, not as a travel destination. The site highlights the 
advantages that will motivate prospective residents to make the decision of relocating 
to Kingston. Therefore, all of its content and resources are geared to attract and 
collaborate with those thinking about or in the process of moving to Kingston. 
 
Possible Made Here seeks to drive targeted and organic traffic to their website and rank 
higher in search engines by meeting their audience needs with helpful and practical 
tools. With the following SEO content strategies developed by Spark at St. Lawrence 
College, Possible Made Here will have the tactics required to improve their search 
engine optimization and ultimately reach their goal of becoming a leading authoritative 
resource to retain, equip and grow Kingston’s workforce. 

   

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Current Situation 
Background 
Possible Made Here is a website created to showcase Kingston's advantages such as 
career opportunities, cost of living, entertainment options, and neighbourhoods in order 
to attract skilled workers to the city. It provides all kinds of resources that someone new 
to the city or currently thinking about moving might need. Possible Made Here is a result 
of Workforce Development and In-migration Strategy acknowledging Kingston's 
slow-growing population rate.  

Industry Overview 
According to the Population Housing and Employment Projections1, published by 
Kingston in May 2019, the city faces two current challenges: an older population base 
and a slow population growth rate. Possible Made Here was created to help solve these 
challenges. 
 
The Greater Kingston area grew by 1% from 2011 to 2016 but its population grew even 
less, by 0.4%2. Also, according to the 2016 Census from Stat Can, 27.3 % of Kingston's 
population is over 55 years of age and it is expected to increase to 37.4% by 20363. 
Kingston was also hit hard by the national housing shortage4, with low vacant rates 
because of the growing student population. 
 
Despite that, the city can count on St. Lawrence College, Queen's University, RMC and its 
hospitals as companies that offer a large number of qualified job opportunities within 
the education and health sector. We can add this aspect with the fact that Kingston, for 
being smaller than metropolises close to it such as Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal, is a 
safe and welcoming community. 
 
Possible Made Here explores Kingston’s job opportunities and culture along with quality 
of living to attract prospective skilled professionals or couples looking to relocate to 
Kingston. 

1
https://globalnews.ca/news/5470834/city-launches-website-skilled-workers-kingston/
2
​https://globalnews.ca/news/5470834/city-launches-website-skilled-workers-kingston/
3
​https://www.cityofkingston.ca/documents/10180/1239330/Profile+of+Older+Adults/62f5ea0a-20d0-4872-95dc-b0dfd15b2287
4
​https://globalnews.ca/news/5051066/kingston-housing-crisis-discussion/

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Current Offerings 
Possible Made Here is a one stop hub of information that users will need when 
considering moving to Kingston. The three main pages live, work, and play offer various 
articles and tools to ease the transition of relocating. 
 
Live​: This section includes helpful tools like the Cost of Living Calculator and 
Neighborhood Finder. Blogs and articles outlining the beautiful neighborhoods 
and family life that Kingston has to offer. Also has links to calculate commute 
times, and a tool for comparing commute times between two cities (External 
linking to high domain authority job hubs). 
 
Play​: Articles and blogs showcasing the fun things to do in Kingston as well as 
an interactive map that lists all of Kingston’s neighborhoods with such amenities. 
  
Work​: Tools for finding available jobs in Kingston and information about 
co-working spaces in town. 

 
Unique Selling Point 
Possible Made Here is an informational hub that collaborates with Kingston's 
community leaders to consolidate information that will help retain, equip and grow 
Kingston’s workforce. 

   

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SWOT Analysis 
Strengths  Weaknesses 
● Well designed user experience  ● Poor readability rating on content 
● Strong programming on site   ● Lacking domain authority 
● Proprietary tools such as the Cost  ● Blog page formatting is not 
of Living Calculator and  optimal - spacing is off 
Neighbourhood Finder  ● Not having "Kingston" in the name 
● Only one website with all the  like its competitors 
information and resources new   
and prospective residents will need   

Opportunities  Threats 
● Kingston is the eighth best city in  ● Kingston's housing shortage 
Canada for millenials to live5    ● More than common problems with 
● St. Lawrence College, Queen's,  drug addiction and homelessness 
RMC and KGH create several 
qualified job opportunities 

   

5
​https://globalnews.ca/news/3971716/kingston-makes-top-10-list-of-best-places-for-millennials-to-live/ 

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Target Audience 
Possible Made Here’s primary target audience are established professionals curious 
about relocating to Kingston. While this is an effective primary target market, the 
following segments are also strong target markets that should be considered.  

Partners - Monica and Brian 

Monica is a medical professional (RN) that has accepted a new position at KGH. Brian 
is unemployed but has a diverse skill set and can work within a variety of industries. 
They are busy people looking for a hub of information that includes available jobs and 
content that showcases all that Kingston has to offer. 

Demographics 

Location: Toronto, ON  Occupation: Monica is an RN - Brian is unemployed. 

Age: Monica is 32 - Brian is 35   Income: $65,000/per year 
Gender: Male and Female 

Online Behaviour and Social Media Usage 

● Monica and Brian use Facebook and Instagram daily to stay connected to their 
family, friends and communities. 

● Both rely on influencer blogs, reviews and information hubs to help determine 
what they will do with their spare time.   

Needs and Motivation 

● Brian needs a reliable resource to help him find meaningful work. 

● A growing and lively city where they can raise a family and build on their careers. 

● Information to help them determine the cost of living in Kingston. 

Pain Points and Concerns   

● The housing market is competitive so they need to know if buying a house will be 
affordable for them. 

● They are looking for neighbourhoods that are best to raise their family.   

● There might not be enough work available and the job market is competitive.   

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Employers - Alex 
Busy professionals looking for a user friendly hub that provides quick access to the 
information they need to grow and equip their workforce. Possible Made Here has an 
opportunity to become the go-to source for this segment due to the competitors lack of 
consistency and easy access to key information.  

Demographics 

Location: Kingston, ON  Occupation: Executive Director 

Age: 43   Income: $175,000/per year 
Gender: Male 

Online Behaviour and Social Media Usage 

● Alex uses email more than any other tool. They use social media to stay 
connected with their communities and to better understand trends and culture.   

Needs and Motivation 

● A convenient hub of information to help recruit, grow and equip their workforce.  

● They want to avoid using resources that are not consistent or reliable.   

Pain Points and Concern 

● There are too many resources relating to the City of Kingston. Alex is not sure 
where he should be spending his time looking for new employees.  

● Finding diverse and skilled workers within a small community.    

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Competitors 
Visit Kingston 
www.visitkingston.ca 

Visit Kingston is another website that has a similar concept to Possible Made Here, but 
it’s target is tourism. It has become a good resource for Kingstonians, tourists and 
people looking to spend time in Kingston. The content is consistently being updated, 
and there’s great videos highlighting key aspects of Kingston such as the talented 
Makers within the city. The overall layout is modern but is a little cluttered making it 
difficult to navigate.  

The website features: 

● Eat & Drink 

○ Featuring Restaurants & Eateries, Wineries & Breweries, Pubs & Nightlife, 
Cafes, Food Tours etc. 

● See & Do 

○ Featuring Historic Sites, Cycling, Top Attractions, Arts & Museums etc. 

● Stay 
○ Featuring Hotels & Motels, Historic Inns and B&Bs, Seasonal 
Accommodations etc. 

● Plan 
○ Featuring Getting Around and Getting to Know Kingston, Downloadable 
Maps & Guides, Visitor Information Centre etc. 

● The Insiders 
○ Featuring Events & Happenings, Arts & Culture, Shopping & Lifestyle, 
Events, Sports & Outdoors etc. 

   

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Downtown Kingston 
www.downtownkingston.ca 

Downtown Kingston! Business Improvement Area (BIA) is an association with more 

than 700 businesses and property owners located in the core of Kingston. There’s lots 
of information about life in Kingston with a focus on tourism and entertainment, but 
they also offer resources for businesses and new residents such as real estate and 
development information. They make good use of Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, 
with regular posts and updates. 

The website features: 

● Shop (list of businesses) 

● Dine (list of restaurants) 
● Events (current and past events) 
● Get Here (parking and transportation details) 
● Features (events and important information) 
● Development (details and resources about projects, researches and businesses) 

City of Kingston 
www.cityofkingston.ca 

The City of Kingston website includes a variety of information for residents and visitors. 
It is a go to resource for local residents for paying tickets, garbage and recycling 
information, and transit passes. Most of their content is linked to a menu which lists the 
content within 4 categories: Resident, Explore, Business and City Hall. However, the 
overall look and feel is dated and the layout is a little confusing. 

The website features:   

● News & Notices 

● City Careers 
● Online Payments such as parking tickets and permits, and transit passes 
● Recreation and Events 
● Bylaws & Policies 
● Cannabis Information 
● Emergency Services 
● Licenses and Regulations 
● Property Standards 
● Public Health 

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Kingston Canada 
www.livework.kingstoncanada.com 

The Kingston Canada website is the most similar in concept to Possible Made Here. As 
the URL states, their goal is also to attract those looking to live or work in Kingston. 
They provide a wide range of useful information and resources about the city's 
economy, job opportunities, health, transportation and schools. However, the layout is 
outdated, their content lacks details (for example, the cost of living tab has only housing 
price and average income) and there are issues with links and the user experience. 

The website features the following categories: 

● About Kingston 
○ Featuring Cost of Living, Economy, Transportation, Climate etc. 

● Housing & Real Estate 

○ Featuring House Hunting, Rental Options, Taxes, Utilities etc. 

● Kingston is Hiring 
○ Featuring Resources for Job Seekers, Student Jobs, Start a business, 
Resources for Employers etc. 

● Health & Education 

○ Featuring Healthcare, Childcare & Preschools, Elementary & Secondary 
Schools, Post-secondary Education, Professional Development etc. 

● Lifestyle & Community 

○ Featuring Arts & Culture, Sports & Recreation, Faith Communities, Coffee 
Culture, Nightlife etc. 

● Moving to Kingston 
○ Featuring Relocation Guide, Connecting With Locals, Support 
Organizations, Housing & Real Estate, Events Calendar etc. 

 
 

   

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Challenges 
Possible Made Here has a few challenges with search engine optimization such as a 
high bounce rate and a slow page speed. Both will negatively affect Possible Made 
Here’s search engine ranking and must be adjusted in order to boost traffic and 
generate organic leads. 

 
Goals & Objectives 
Overall Goal 
Become a leading authoritative resource to retain, equip and grow Kingston’s workforce. 

Business Objectives 
1. Help employers showcase the most appealing workplaces and deploy 
recruitment and retention practices that will be outstanding in a competitive 
talent marketplace. 

2. Work collaboratively to integrate processes and navigation systems that match 

employers with talent, local employment and/or community services. 

3. Actively market “what it means to work in Kingston” – Kingston’s employment 

brand – through experiential branding, signature events and consistent 
messaging from multiple points of communication. 

SEO Strategy Objectives 

1. Increase organic traffic and unique visitors in the next three months by 
implementing white-hat SEO tactics. 

2. Encourage users to explore the website ultimately increasing page views and 
reducing bounce rate. 

3. Attain first-page status on Google for one keyword within 6 months of the 
website launch. 

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SEO Strategies 
On-Page SEO 
Spark has identified 260 keywords for Possible Made Here that have a strong 
opportunity to rank on a Google search. These keywords have been separated into 3 
categories: live, work, and play. Each of these keywords can be strategically integrated 
into the already existing content on the Possible Made Here website. 

Live:​ The keywords surrounding this section of the page are focused on 
informational and question/answer search queries such as: ‘kingston transit,’ 
‘kingston ca,’ ‘kingston canada weather,’ “cost of living kingston vs toronto,” and 
‘kingston healthcare.’ This will ensure the most relevant users who are interested 
in living in Kingston will find the content created by Possible Made Here. 

Work:​ The following keywords are focused on informational and Q&A search 
queries such as: ‘kingston ontario,’ ‘city of kingston jobs,’ and ‘kingston university 
jobs.’ Users who are seeking job opportunities as well as salary information will 
be able to connect with agencies, associations, and local job boards. 

Play:​ The keywords on this section are focused around Q&A and informational 
search queries such as: ‘kingston restaurants,’ ‘what to do in kingston,’ ‘kingston 
attractions,’ ‘kingston events,’ and ‘things to do in kingston.’ Those keywords are 
often used by new residents who are searching for activities in Kingston as well 
as the best restaurants, bars, and shopping. This will be a great opportunity to 
post all ongoing events around the city, including structured data (follow this 
guide). Also a great opportunity for back links from various food bloggers, local 
explorers, influencers and Possible Made Here's website itself. 

In the future, you can reference the keyword list for Possible Made Here and the Spark 
content writing section of our SEO Guidebook to create ongoing content that is 
integrated with the specific keywords. Releasing consistent SEO content will create a 
compounding effect, slowly but steadily increasing the domain authority, and therefore, 
the organic relevant traffic that Possible Made Here receives. 

Also, we will review and identify pages that should be linking to other pages from the 
website and recommend where those should be included for better ranking in Google. 
This would help people navigate the website by linking content with similar topics.  

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We also suggest linking content to the most efficient pages to give the site a better 
ranking on Google’s search engine. 

Some of our suggestions are:  

● Link ​Resources​ and E

​ mployers​ on ​Find a Job page​:  
At the bottom, add the text "​ Check out the ​resources​ the city has to offer 
and some of Kingston's bigger ​employers​"  

● At ​Interactive Map​ Page:  

Change the wording to "​ Are you looking for a ​restaurant​ in your 
neighbourhood? Do you want to go ​outdoors​ and practice ​sports​? Or are 
you into ​art galleries and museums​? Our Interactive City Map will get you 
anywhere you want in Kingston. 

● Link at the home page text: 

"​Kingston​’s vision of being a smart city is fast becoming reality. ​History​ and 
innovation thrive in our dynamic city located along the beautiful shores of 
Lake Ontario, an easy drive from Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal, in the heart 
of Eastern Ontario. With a stable and diversified ​economy t​ hat includes 
global ​corporations​, innovative startups and all levels of government, 
Kingston’s high quality of life offers access to world-class education and 
research institutions, advanced ​healthcare​ facilities, affordable l​ iving ​and 
vibrant e​ ntertainment.​" 

 
Off-Page SEO 
Spark has identified various link building opportunities through the multiple City of 
Kingston affiliate websites. It is recommended that these link requests are made 
internally via a city representative. In Google's eyes, good sites link to other good sites. 
By having the Possible Made Here website link posted on these external sites, we will be 
increasing Possible Made Here’s domain authority with Google (all identified 
competitors are link opportunities). 

It is also recommended that Possible Made Here participates in active guest posting on 
various Kingston lifestyle and travel blogs such as O
​ rganicroadmap​, s
​ truckblog​, and 
rosalyngambhir​. 

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Technical SEO 
Spark has written unique meta tag descriptions integrated with the identified rank-able 
keywords to be inserted to the back end of the Possible Made Here website. These 
meta descriptions will enable the Google search spiders to identify the most important 
content increasing relevant organic traffic to each section of the site. 

Spark can export, compress, and reupload all images present on the Possible Made 
Here website, as well as identify any dead files that are taking up space on the server. 
This will ensure that the page loads faster, improving the user experience, as well as 
improving the website in the eyes of Google search bots. Use the Spark Images Guides 
to ensure all future uploads are compressed and optimized. 

 
 
Conclusion 
By optimizing the website and implementing the suggested techniques, Possible Made 
Here will be well positioned on search engine tools' ranking and will be easily found by 
the target markets. Ultimately, with the help of this strategy, Possible Made Here will 
achieve its goal of becoming a leading authoritative resource to retain, equip and grow 
Kingston’s workforce. 

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