%
Course Organic Traffic
Reduction on Reliance of Paid Ads
%
Increase in Paid Ad Enquires
Aurora Training: Mastering Essential Community Jobs
Aurora Training is a leading recognised Registered Training Organisation (RTO) in South East Queensland, offering an extensive range of certifications and diplomas. With world-class trainers, and both on-campus, on-the-job and online study options, anyone can get the skills they need to start a new career or upskill their experience. However, they were ready to level up, expanding to a more diverse range of students in Australia, which is when they contacted Digital Surfer
Client Goals & Challenges
The Goal
Aurora Training is an Australian Registered Training Organisation (RTO) that offers nationally recognised Certificate and Diploma qualifications both online and on campus. Their core courses, including Certificate III in Individual Support and Certificate III in Early Childhood Education & Care. Which help students build the skills needed for essential community careers.
Aurora partnered with Digital Surfer orginally to strengthen its organic visibility and maintaining paid traffic. The goal over 12 mongths was to increase organic visability to reduce reliance on paid traffic.
Their goals were clear:
Increase overall organic traffic by 20% and course-specific organic traffic by 75%.
Lift enquiries for Individual Support and Early Childhood Education courses by 50%.
Optimise content to appear more frequently in Google’s AI Overviews, positioning Aurora as an authoritative education provider.
- Reduce 100% reliance on paid ads as their only online lead generation startegy.
The Strategy
Our approach built on Aurora’s paid ads success — applying the same data-driven focus to organic growth while keeping the two channels working together.
We concentrated on the courses that mattered most to the business: Individual Support and Early Childhood Education. By refining the SEO focus and improving key course content, we aimed to dominate the SERPs for these areas across both general and location-based searches.
Our strategy included:
1. Course Led SEO Framework
We completely overhauled the core course pages to target both course names and codes, optimising for students ready to enrol. Each page was rewritten in clear, accessible language with details on entry requirements, delivery options, start dates, and outcomes making them easy for both users and Google to understand.
2. Category Level Content
We created course category pages for major study areas, designed to attract users searching more broadly (e.g. “disability support courses” or “childcare qualifications”). These pages helped guide visitors toward the right program and supported stronger site architecture.
3. Blog Content & AI Optimisation
A series of informational blog articles was developed to capture top-of-funnel traffic and improve Aurora’s visibility in AI Overviews. Topics such as “How to Become a Support Worker” and “What Qualifications Do You Need to Work in Early Childhood Education?” aligned with common user questions and positioned Aurora as a trusted expert.
4. Localised SEO Expansion
We built location based course pages (e.g. “Individual Support Course Gold Coast”) and optimised Google Business Profiles across Aurora’s three campus areas. This boosted visibility for local intent searches and improved call and enquiry rates from nearby students.
5. Integrated Paid & Organic Strategy
While the SEO campaign gained traction, Google Ads continued to support Aurora’s visibility on high-intent keywords. Ads targeted course codes and names not yet ranking organically. As organic results grew stronger.
Our Strategy & Direction
Campaign Results
The Results
The campaign delivered outstanding results, outperforming every target and transitioning Aurora to a sustainable organic lead model.
Organic Growth
Overall organic traffic increased by 42%, rising from 5,115 to 7,278 sessions.
Focus course traffic (Individual Support & Early Childhood) surged by 166%, from 378 to 1,007 sessions.
Conversions
Organic enquiries and calls from focus courses increased by 127%, jumping from 22 to 50 per month.
AI Overview Visibility
New blog and course category content led to greater inclusion in Google AI Overviews, improving exposure for long tail and location based search terms.
Stopped Paid Ads Campaigns
- Aurora successfully paused Ads in mid-2025, relying solely on organic search to drive enquiries, a major milestone for reducing spend and increasing ROI.
Paid Ads Performance (prior to ceasing paid ads)
Before the SEO growth phase, Google Ads campaigns consistently generated a 34% increase in enquiries and a 22% decrease in cost per conversion. The transition from paid reliance to organic dominance demonstrates the campaign’s long-term success and efficiency.
The Outcome
Aurora Training now ranks prominently for its most profitable courses, achieving record organic enquiry levels and maintaining a strong presence across AI generated results.
By focusing on fewer, higher value courses and combining SEO, local strategy and AI optimised content, Digital Surfer helped Aurora become a leading education provider in its space, with an online presence that performs as well as its programs.
With Digital Surfer
What would a 54% increase in calls do for your business? If you like what that picture looks like, it’s time to talk to our digital marketing specialists about levelling up your marketing and business.
With tailored campaigns specific to your goals and business, we focus on getting you results that actually impact your revenue. Contact us today to see how we can help you reach your business goals.