For 15 years, the Comedy Clubhouse has been a growing Improv, sketch, and stand-up comedy theater in Chicago’s Bucktown neighborhood. Since the pandemic, the theater has had some challenges bringing the crowds back to the levels before 2020.
Part of the issue was how Search Engine Optimization (SEO) has changed since the site was redesigned in 2017. Many Google initiatives, such as “mobile-first” and an algorithm change called “BERT” had changed the landscape of how content should live on websites of today.
THE CHALLENGE: Enhance the content of the Comedy Clubhouse’s website to enhance organic search as an entertainment option in Chicago - especially with the local neighborhood - leveraging the current look-and-feel of the previous website.
Old website
Old website
SEO and ADA Comliant
The content from the old website was “meeting the needs” of answering consumer questions, however the content was often repetitive and long when it didn’t need to be. Not to mention most of the content was hard to read as it was floating on imagry making the site largely unreadable and scoring low with ADA compliance measures.
New website
New Website - SEO Optimized
As you might noticed from the two websites above, they may not look different… but that was not the goal. Leveraging the current branding, Mango was tasked with enhancing the look-and-feel without differentiating too much from the brand guidelines. The main task was to optimize the content and website architecture to improve natural seach results, and drive ticket sales for the Comedy Clubhouse.
New website
Improving the Website Architecture
As a theater, the number one objective was to ensure ticket sales were the priority. Throughout the site, consumers cannot miss a call-to-action that leads to tickets, including shifting “tickets” to the #1 spot in the global navigation. In addition, the Comedy Clubhouse needed to call out the many awards and earned media nods that were not a part of the old website. The new navigation calls out the Comedy Clubhouse’s many accolades, and offers a clear press kit for future PR opportunities.