RRC Polytech – International Education Website Rewrite (2025)

Project Overview

Timeline: 4 weeks
Scope: 55+ pages rewritten, simplified, and SEO-optimized

RRC Polytech approached Ridge Marketing & Strategy with a tight, four-week deadline to rewrite and restructure their International Education website. The goal: transform 55+ pages of dense, outdated copy into clear, concise, student-friendly content tailored to non-native English speakers exploring studying in Manitoba.

The project required a web-ready content package, clean, consistent, SEO-optimized, and aligned with the College’s new site hierarchy, ready for immediate handoff to the web development team.

Challenges

• Extremely compressed timeline (30 days from kickoff to delivery).

• Highly verbose existing copy that needed to be simplified to a Grade 6 reading level.

• Complex and overlapping sources of information (current website + internal revision document).

• Need to deliver content that was:

• ESL-friendly

• Web-scannable

• Accurate and policy-aligned

• Optimized for SEO

• Required visual direction to support a consistent, welcoming, globally-inclusive design.

My Role

As the fractional marketing partner, I stepped in to lead and execute the full copywriting and content transformation process, allowing the internal team to continue focusing on other priority projects.

I provided:

• Full website content rewrite across all International Education pages

• Content consolidation from the existing site + internal documents

• Plain-language editing to improve clarity, readability, and structure

• ESL-friendly copywriting written for a Grade 6 reading level

• SEO optimization, including keywords, page structure, and metadata recommendations

• Suggested imagery and design direction to support global diversity and accessibility

• Page-by-page formatting for a clean handoff to the Web Presence team

Approach & Process

1. Content Audit & Alignment

• Completed a full review of all 55 existing pages.

• Evaluated redundancies, gaps, outdated policies, and student workflow.

• Reviewed the supplied outline to align with the new site hierarchy.

2. Rewrite & Simplification

• Condensed long, complicated paragraphs into web-friendly scannable sections.

• Standardized tone, language, and formatting across pages.

• Ensured accuracy based on IRCC guidelines and RRC Polytech program requirements.

3. ESL-First Strategy

• Reduced reading level to Grade 6 without losing meaning.

• Used short sentences, clear headers, accessible vocabulary, and action-oriented messaging.

• Ensured every page directly supported the student journey from “interest → application → arrival.”

4. SEO & Visibility Optimization

• Identified high-intent keywords and updated page titles, headers, and descriptions.

• Improved page structure for better search performance and accessibility.

• Recommended opportunities for internal linking across high-traffic pages.

5. Design & Imagery Guidance

• Provided direction for internationally-inclusive imagery.

• Suggested visuals highlighting:

• Campus life

• Student diversity

• Winnipeg/Manitoba lifestyle

• Hands-on learning

• Ensured images would complement the simplified content and help guide ESL readers.

6. Final Handoff Package

• Delivered a reorganized, developer-ready Word document with:

• Final revised copy

• Clear page structure

• Header hierarchy

• Notes for design and layout

• SEO recommendations