Assertive Media

Case Studies

Sykes Dream Cottages

Dream Cottages are Dorset’s largest holiday cottage agency with over 300 properties. Dream Cottages were independent up until their recent acquisition by Sykes Cottages. Established over 30 years ago, Dream Cottages have

  • Integrated New Functionality
  • Produced All New Site Content
  • Delivered a Comprehensive SEO Strategy
All case studies

Bounce Rate

Dream Cottages are Dorset’s largest holiday cottage agency with over 300 properties. Dream Cottages were independent up until their recent acquisition by Sykes Cottages. Established over 30 years ago, Dream Cottages have an extensive array of properties across Dorset from Weymouth to Lyme Regis.

Dream Cottages approached Assertive in 2014 looking for a new SEO agency to deliver an SEO strategy. After subsequent website auditing, it was clear that Dream Cottages needed a new website.

  • Designed & Built A New Intuitive, Mobile First Website
  • Integrated New Functionality
  • Produced All New Site Content
  • Delivered a Comprehensive SEO Strategy

Challenge

The challenge for Assertive was to deliver a new website and SEO strategy for Dream Cottages. Upon the initial website audit, it was clear that there were significant issues with the website relating to poor mobile user experience, poor page-level engagement, clunky menu and more.

It was essential for the website to rank and for end-users on the website to find it easy to find properties, book and pay online.

The challenge was to deliver a completely new website on a budget that was manageable for the client.

  • Research holiday cottage competitors
  • Increase rankings for all relevant top-level Dorset cottage searches as well as location + property searches
  • Increase total online bookings & online revenue
  • Produce wireframe/schematic for new website layout
  • Plan out a new website content profile & new, dynamic navigation
  • Re-build API for Booking Platform
  • Produce new landing page content
  • Trial new page layouts
  • Improve user experience cross-browser / cross-device
  • Improve site speed
  • Improve organic keyword coverage
  • Improve local SEO performance

The Goals with Sykes Dream Cottages

  • Improve Organic Rankings for Relative Keywords (Local and Non-Local Commercial Terms)
  • Increase Website Engagement
  • Increase Website Conversion Rate
  • Reduce POGOing (returning to Google)
  • Increase Volume of 1st to Last Interaction
  • Increase Client Ability to Self-Manage Website
  • Move Client away from Bespoke CMS to Industry Standard CMS
  • Integrate New Booking Functionality
  • Increase Brand Awareness

The Strategy

The strategy for Dream Cottages was to use existing user performance/user behaviour data along with click & heat mapping to produce a new, user-friendly, mobile-first design that kept simplicity at heart. Collecting user behaviour data, we were able to ascertain what site visitors were doing, from first to last session interaction.

Our strategy was to deploy a new website that was faster, lighter, easier to use with far better mobile accessibility. We also incorporated easy access to content with site layering & enhanced internal linking coupled with intuitive navigation for both desktop and mobile devices.

Assertive combined comprehensive user behaviour data, heat mapping & click data to formulate wireframes & design concepts that took into consideration what people liked and what made the website easier to navigate / properties easier to book.

Once the new website had been designed, built, tested and deployed, we worked on a link building and ongoing user experience strategy. Over time, leveraging Google optimise, we were able to improve landing page performance, increase CTR and reduce bounce rate.

Ready to talk results?

Tell us about your business we'll respond within 1–2 working hours.

Market Intelligence

From the Assertive blog

Field notes on AI search, technical SEO and paid media - written by the people delivering the work.

View all insights
AI SEARCH

How to Check What Google & LLMs Sees in Website HTML

In an age of modern JS based websites, there has never been a more important time to actually validate what your website HTML looks like to crawlers/user agents. In this article we look at how.

Daniel Foley Carter

Daniel Foley CarterSEO Specialist

30 September 2026

SEO for Manufacturers ExplainedSEO

SEO for Manufacturers Explained

Historically, most manufacturers built their business on trade shows and referral networks, and those channels definitely still hold a lot of value. They matter for closing deals and doing in-person product demos because, at the end of the day, you rarely seal a large contract until the client gets a real feel for the product.

Ben Flynn

Ben FlynnSEO Content Writer

28 September 2026

How AI Overviews Affect Online Retail Click-Through RatesSEO

How AI Overviews Affect Online Retail Click-Through Rates

Google search is changing for e-commerce websites because of Google AI Overviews. In the past, ranking high in organic search meant consistent, reliable website traffic, but AIOs are affecting online retail click-through rates (CTR) in many ways.

Hannah O'neill

Hannah O'neillSEO Copywriter

28 September 2026

SEO for Universities and Training Providers: What Works in 2026?SEO

SEO for Universities and Training Providers: What Works in 2026?

SEO is still a core marketing strategy for universities and training providers in 2026 looking to attract their next cohort of students. But the landscape has changed. Gen-Z audiences are tech-savvy, and many are turning to AI tools instead of traditional search to find their further education establishment.

Hannah O'neill

Hannah O'neillSEO Copywriter

27 September 2026

Why Accounting Firms Need SEO to Build Online TrustSEO

Why Accounting Firms Need SEO to Build Online Trust

Today, even word-of-mouth recommendations are only the starting point of the typical client journey, with Google searches, AI queries, and verified reviews as core factors in the decision-making process. That's why SEO is an essential investment for accountancy firms. In this guide, we'll explore why SEO matters for accountants and top strategies for sustainable growth.

Hannah O'neill

Hannah O'neillSEO Copywriter

23 September 2026

How SEO Helps Mortgage Brokers Generate Qualified LeadsSEO

How SEO Helps Mortgage Brokers Generate Qualified Leads

The housing market runs on intent and careful deliberation because we are dealing with a lot of money here. It is highly unlikely that a borrower will just wake up and take on a massive home loan without prior thought. They will spend significant time researching, and that process will almost entirely involve searching online.

Ben Flynn

Ben FlynnSEO Content Writer

23 September 2026

SEO Strategies for Estate Agents and Property DevelopersSEO

SEO Strategies for Estate Agents and Property Developers

SEO strategies for estate agents and property developers have transformed from a siloed process to a multi-faceted discovery engine in 2026. Whether you sell properties, provide letting services, or develop projects, understanding the modern search journey is central to your success.

Hannah O'neill

Hannah O'neillSEO Copywriter

16 September 2026

Why Property Companies Need SEO to Stay CompetitiveSEO

Why Property Companies Need SEO to Stay Competitive

When we look at why property companies need SEO to stay competitive, it really comes down to one simple truth. Almost everyone starts their journey online today. Think about your own habits and how your first instinct when looking for a service is to do a quick search online before you even make a phone call. The real estate industry is no different. 

Ben Flynn

Ben FlynnSEO Content Writer

13 September 2026

The Importance of E-E-A-T in Finance SEOSEO

The Importance of E-E-A-T in Finance SEO

Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T) matter in finance SEO because of the sector's complexity.

Hannah O'neill

Hannah O'neillSEO Copywriter

12 September 2026

How AI Search May Impact Law Firm MarketingAI SEARCH

How AI Search May Impact Law Firm Marketing

AI search is changing how people look for and find law firms. In the legal sector, user behaviour is shifting from organic search dominance to getting instant answers generated by AI Overviews and LLMs. With higher rates of zero-click queries reducing website traffic, your law firm's marketing strategy must change from simple keyword research to active AI optimisation.

Hannah O'neill

Hannah O'neillSEO Copywriter

7 September 2026

Stay up to date with the latest SEO & digital marketing news

Join our newsletter for SEO tips, tricks, guides & more.