In an era where digital visibility determines an organization’s ability to connect with clients and expand impact, purposeful optimization of search performance and user experience is essential. Over the past year, I had the privilege of partnering with the Center for Internal Change and The TEAM Approach on a comprehensive website strategy that delivered measurable improvements in search visibility, user engagement, and conversions.
The Center for Internal Change has been at the forefront of team development, leadership training, and organizational learning for decades. As a division of the Team Approach, the organization offers assessments and tools such as Everything DiSC, PXT Select, and comprehensive certification programs that enable individuals and teams to perform at their best. Its mission centers on empowering teams to work cohesively and organizations to harness behavioral insight in meaningful ways.
When I began working with the team, their digital presence had strong foundational content and a loyal audience, but several key opportunities existed to amplify visibility, improve user journeys, and drive conversions — especially among prospective learners, facilitators, and organizational clients. Over the course of a year, a structured, data-driven approach was implemented to address these opportunities and elevate performance.
Amplifying Search Visibility with Targeted SEO Strategy
The first priority was to increase the site’s visibility in search engine results through strategic SEO enhancements. This included optimizing on-page elements, refining technical SEO infrastructure, and aligning content with audience intent.
Key actions involved:
- Conducting comprehensive keyword research to identify high-impact terms related to behavioral assessments, certification training, and team development.
- Enhancing schema markup and metadata, and internal linking to ensure search engines better understood the structure and value of core site content.
- Prioritizing the visibility of flagship offerings like Everything DiSC Certification and Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team within search results to reach a broader audience of HR professionals, team facilitators, and organizational leaders.
These efforts significantly improved organic rankings across priority terms, resulting in a notable increase in search-driven traffic throughout the year. Elevating visibility was not just about attracting more visitors, however; it was about connecting the right audience with the right solutions at the right time.
Improving Site Engagement through User Testing and Heat Mapping Analysis
Increasing traffic is only half the equation; ensuring that visitors have a meaningful, frictionless experience on the site is equally important. To understand user behavior and identify areas of improvement, a series of user tests were conducted, capturing qualitative and quantitative insights into how visitors interacted with key pages.
User testing and heat mapping analysis revealed several opportunities:
- Navigation refinements to reduce cognitive load and help visitors discover relevant assessments and certification information sooner.
- Simplifying registration pathways for workshops and training, minimizing barriers to engagement.
- Optimizing key landing pages to better communicate value propositions and expected outcomes for users considering professional development opportunities.
By addressing these insights, the site’s user satisfaction scores improved substantially. Page layouts became more intuitive, calls to action were more prominent and compelling, and users were able to complete their goals with less effort — particularly when exploring training options or accessing resources.
Boosting Conversions with Strategic UX Enhancements
Conversion rate optimization (CRO) was another major focus area throughout the year. Beyond attracting and engaging visitors, the goal was to increase the percentage of site users who completed meaningful actions — such as signing up for training, requesting consultations, or subscribing to communications.
Key CRO initiatives included:
- Redesigning calls to action to be more visible and action-oriented across multiple page templates.
- Testing alternative layouts for certification program descriptions to emphasize benefits and reduce uncertainty.
- Refining form design to reduce friction, ensuring essential fields were concise and aligned with user expectations.
Through iterative testing and data-informed decision-making, conversion rates improved sharply across multiple focus areas. Prospective learners found it easier to understand program offerings and take the next step. Organizational visitors gained quicker access to consultation options. These outcomes translated into measurable business impact for the organization.
Sustained, Holistic Growth Across Metrics
Across search visibility, user satisfaction, and conversion metrics, performance improved consistently throughout the year. Organic traffic increased, engagement rates rose, and conversion paths became more efficient and user-centric. Perhaps most importantly, these improvements supported the mission of the Center for Internal Change — helping individuals and teams access transformational development tools and experiences more effectively.
This project was a testament to the power of combining technical SEO, user experience design, and conversion optimization into a unified strategy. It also underscored the importance of listening to real users, validating assumptions with data, and iterating toward solutions that meet both organizational and audience needs.
As the digital landscape continues to evolve and competition for attention intensifies, organizations that prioritize accessibility, relevance, and usability will be best positioned to serve their communities and advance their missions. I’m proud of the gains achieved with the Center for Internal Change and look forward to seeing continued growth and impact in the years ahead.