Giles Foreman Centre for Acting · London & Paris

Month one

The get-in.

In theatre, the get-in is when the set goes up and the lights are hung, before anyone rehearses.

The first of three months' work on both websites: switching on the measurement, repairing what the move from the old website broke, and setting up what comes next.

A report for Giles Foreman by Calum McKay · 27 August – 23 September 2026

Two GFCA actors rehearsing a scene in warm studio light

In rehearsal at GFCA.

In brief

London & Paris

The groundwork is done.Now the numbers can mean something.

What was done

  • Switched on the measurement for both websites and the Paris enrolment site. Searches, visits, enquiries and applications are now recorded every day.
  • Put up 26 signposts for old web addresses that were sending people from Google to error pages.
  • Gave all 14 pages a clear name and description in Google, and described every photo.

What was learned

  • Paris is already on Google's first page for nine course searches, such as "acting school paris".
  • London is chosen almost only by people who know its name. It shows up for some general searches, but few of those people click yet.
  • The forms are busy. 26 people registered interest in a London course and 9 wrote to GFCA Paris.

What comes next

  • New pages for what people actually search for: the method, international students, alumni successes.
  • Taking charge of the Google Maps listings for both studios, once the sign-in is done.
  • The Paris diploma page into Google, with its next start date.
26

people registered interest in a London course

3

applied to London through the website

9

people wrote to GFCA Paris through its forms

21+

people completed an application on the Paris enrolment site

A baseline: these count everyone who got in touch, however they found GFCA, so they are the starting line for later months rather than a result of this month's changes. Enquiries counted from each site's own record of form submissions, 30 Aug – 23 Sep. The Paris application figure comes from Google Analytics, which only sees visitors who accept cookies, so the true number is higher.

02

An empty stage lit by a single caged bulb on a stand

I · Setting the stage

The lightsare on.

Until late August, none of the available measurement was working. There was no way to say how many people found GFCA through Google, which pages they read, or where an enquiry came from.

Now recorded

  1. 01How often GFCA appears in Google, and for which searches
  2. 02How many people visit, and how they found the site
  3. 03Enquiries and applications, on all three websites
  4. 04Whether Google has each page in its catalogue

03

I · Setting the stage

What was found

What was foundwhen the lights came up.

01
A door standing on its own with nothing behind it, beside a signpost

Old addresses leading nowhere

When the sites moved from the old websites, dozens of old addresses stopped working. Google was still sending people to them, and they landed on an error page.

02
An empty picture frame hanging on a nail

A diploma page Google couldn't see

The page for the Paris one-year diploma, the course that matters most, was not in Google at all.

03
Three stage doors, the third half hidden behind a curtain

Applications on a third website

Paris applications happen on gilesforeman.fr. Nothing was measuring it, so nobody could see how many people applied or how they got there.

04
A row of identical posters, with a new one being pasted over the middle

The same name on every page

In Google's results most pages carried near-identical slogans such as "Enhance Your Acting Skills Today", so nothing told a searcher what each page was for.

Found in the audits of both sites, 29 August – 13 September.

04

I · Setting the stage

What was changed

Every old address,now signposted.

26 signposts (in web terms, redirects: 11 for London and 15 for Paris) now cover every old address Google was still showing. Anyone following an old link lands on the right page instead of an error.

Google revisits old addresses slowly, a few each week, so this takes time. The share of GFCA's appearances in Google that point to an old address has fallen from about 1 in 3 to 1 in 4 in Paris, and from 1 in 7 to 1 in 12 in London. Part of that is Google dropping old pages by itself; the signposts make sure the rest lead somewhere.

Share of each site's appearances in Google that pointed to an old address, by week. The last week has four days of data so far, and the first Paris week six.

05

I · Setting the stage

What was changed

Every page now sayswhat it is.

The name Google shows for a page is often the first thing a future student reads. All 14 pages now carry a name written for the people searching, instead of one shared slogan.

Paris now leads with what makes it different: an acting school in Paris, taught in English. "Giles Forman" was also corrected to "Giles Foreman" in the page descriptions.

Google re-read the Paris homepage on 21 September, so its new name may already show. The other two haven't been re-read yet; Google usually gets to them within a few weeks.

BeforeNow
GFCA Parishttps://www.gfcaparis.com
Giles Foreman Centre For Acting Paris | Acting Training
→
GFCA Parishttps://www.gfcaparis.com
Acting School in Paris, Taught in English | GFCA Paris
Rigorous, international acting training at GFCA Paris. English-first workshops and a one-year diploma for actors aiming at the global stage.
GFCA Parishttps://www.gfcaparis.com › part-time
Part time | Enhance Your Acting Skills Today | GFCA Paris
→
GFCA Parishttps://www.gfcaparis.com › part-time
Evening Acting Classes in English, Paris | GFCA Paris
Flexible part-time acting courses in Paris for actors at all levels, offering evening classes and professional training to fit your schedule.
GFCA Londonhttps://www.gilesforeman.com › workshops
Workshops | Enhance Skills—Join Now | GFCA London
→
GFCA Londonhttps://www.gilesforeman.com › workshops
Acting Workshops and Intensives in London | GFCA London
Intensive acting workshops in London: scene study, audition technique and professional development, for aspiring and working actors alike.

Three of the fourteen, as Google will show them once it re-reads each page. The GFCA logo is now each site's icon too, in place of Squarespace's default. Wording from the live pages on 23 September.

06

I · Setting the stage

What was changed

The rest of the set,built and checked.

One main heading on every page

Each page now has a single headline, so Google can tell what it is about. Two Paris pages picked up extra headings in newer edits; those will be tidied in October.

Every photo described

Every photo on both sites now has a written description, which Google reads and screen readers speak aloud.

Both broken links repaired

"Explore the Programmes" on the London About page, and the ASIC accreditation link on the full-time page, both led to error pages. Both now work.

Cookie banner and privacy policies

Both sites now ask before tracking anyone, and each links to its own privacy policy, as UK and French law require.

Enquiries and applications tracked

Every form on both sites, and the application pages on gilesforeman.fr, now report to Analytics. It only sees people who accept cookies, so the forms are also counted directly each month.

Paris marked as a school

The Paris site now tells Google, in its code, that it is an acting school at 7 Rue Alexandre Parodi. London's plan blocks this for now.

Every change is logged with its date and the reason for it, so each can be checked in later reports.

07

I · Setting the stage

Complications

What got in the way,and what was done about it.

The problemWhat it meansWhere it stands
Google Maps listingsSigning in to GFCA's Google Business Profiles needs a code sent to GFCA's phone.Needs a short call with you
An older Google accountGoogle's records suggest the sites were in an older Search Console account in 2024–25, which hasn't been accessible.Worth finding, if it exists
The Paris diploma pageGoogle hasn't added the page to its results yet, despite two requests.Next: links to it from other pages
Google takes its timeMost renamed pages haven't been re-read by Google yet, so the new names aren't showing everywhere.Expected over the coming weeks
London's website planLondon's Squarespace plan blocks the code that marks it as a school in Google.A workaround to test in November
Cookies hide half the visitsAnalytics only counts people who accept cookies, about half of all visitors.Forms now counted directly each month
A form in the wrong columnParis contact messages were being counted as applications.Fixed on 23 September
Automated visitsA machine visits the Paris homepage at 2pm several times a week.Left out of every figure here

None of these stopped the rest of the work. Two need a few minutes from you and one is a quick question; all three are on page 16.

08

II · The first numbers

Where you appear in Google

Paris is already on page one.London has further to go.

Google's first page is the first ten results, and it is where almost every click happens. Each label is a search, placed by where GFCA appeared for it on average.

Someone looking for a courseSomeone looking for a name: GFCA, Giles, or the Drama Centre tradition

The number on each label is GFCA's average position. Searches where GFCA appeared at least twice, 7 – 20 September. 11

II · The first numbers

The August plan

The plan from August,step by step.

15

steps done in month one

3

ready once GFCA can help

From the August planStepsWhere it stands
Images and page weightEvery photo on both sites described, for Google and for screen readers. The Paris homepage is now about 40 KB (it was 300 KB) after GFCA's own edits.
Measurement, properly set upSearch Console and Analytics on both sites, Analytics on the enrolment site, and a written baseline.
A full pass over every pageA new name and description in Google on all 14 pages, headings fixed and spelling corrected.
Keyword research, per market62 searches picked for London and Paris, and tracked every day. Next: how often each is searched, which needs your Google Ads access.
Internal linkingBoth broken links repaired: a button on the About page and the ASIC accreditation link.
Language and region signalsLondon now tells Google it is written in British English, as Paris already did. French pages Google can find: your call (page 16).
Structured dataParis tells Google it is an acting school, with its address.
Google Business ProfilesReady to start as soon as the sign-in is done. Next: the sign-in code from GFCA's phone.
Done besidesEvery old address signposted · the GFCA logo set as both sites' icon · the Paris enrolment site measured, with its developer · cookie banner and privacy policies on both sites · real enquiry counts checked against the forms
DoneNeeds something from you

From "More of the right actors finding you", 17 August 2026. Four steps were rescheduled to October and November (page 14). 12

The same stage with working lights up and chairs set out for rehearsal

III · Months two and three

Next:rehearsals.

Month one built the stage. Months two and three put things on it: new pages written for the questions future students actually ask, and GFCA's Google Maps listings brought up to date.

13

III · Months two and three

October and November

Months two and three.What goes on stage, and when.

New pages for what future students search, GFCA's Google Maps listings, and the Paris diploma page into Google. New wording comes to you before anything goes live.

October

Month two
  • The diploma page into Googlestart date and summary added, then Google asked
    Paris
  • A new page on the methodYat Malmgren, Christopher Fettes, Drama Centre
    Paris
  • The homepage opening rewrittenfor people searching "acting school Paris"
    Paris
  • The part-time page rewrittenfor adults looking for evening classes
    London
  • Google Maps listings completedfor both studios, once the sign-in is done
    Both

AlsoBing for both sites · two Paris pages back to one main heading · the diploma shortcut made permanent · London's page list re-sent to Google

November

Month three
  • A new page for international studentsfees, scholarships and visas, in one place
    London
  • Alumni successes, on their own pagethe old alumni page still ranks near the top
    London
  • Links between the course pagesso visitors and Google move from one to the next
    Both
  • Course details in Google's formatlength, fees and how to apply, shown in results
    Both
  • French pages Google can findif you want them: your call first (page 16)
    Paris

Alsoa speed check of every page · directory listings matched to Google Maps · London's school details, if its plan allows

The review

End of November

A review together: what moved, what it brought in, and what is worth doing next.

A theatre spotlight on a bar, its beam falling to the stage

Four steps first planned for month one (Bing, a speed check, links between the course pages and course details) were rescheduled here while month one went to measurement and the fixes the audit turned up. Order may shift as the numbers come in.

14

III · Months two and three

Ongoing work

Alongside, every week.The work that doesn't show up as a new page.

Every weekthe same five checks

  1. 1
    Google's reportserrors, dropped pages, broken links
  2. 2
    62 searches watchedwhen one moves, find out why
  3. 3
    Re-reads checkedevery changed page, nudged if needed
  4. 4
    Numbers refreshedboth sites and the enrolment site
  5. 5
    Every change loggedwhat changed, why, and what it did

Every month

  • Every enquiry countedand every application, straight from the forms
  • The sites re-checkedafter GFCA's own edits, which this month added extra headings
  • New workshops written upa clear name and description on each, as they are announced
  • Listings kept consistentacross Google Maps and the acting-school directories
  • This reportwith every number compared with the month before

What to expect

  1. Month one · doneMeasurement, fixes, page names and descriptions went live. Google has started to re-read the sites.
  2. Months two and threeFirst movement usually shows on specific searches: courses, methods, workshops. The Maps listings tend to bring the first extra enquiries.
  3. Beyond three monthsBroad searches like "acting classes london" are a slower climb, where long-established schools lead.

Positions in Google can never be promised; what can be promised is this work, done every week and reported like this.

15

III · Months two and three

What's needed from you

What's needed from you.Two things first; the rest over the next two months.

First, please

  1. A ten-minute call to sign in to Google

    The Google Maps listings for both studios need a code sent to GFCA's phone. Everything else about them is ready to start.

  2. The next start date for the Paris diploma

    The page already has the fees and an FAQ. The start date is the one thing people look for that it doesn't say, and it is holding up the page's way into Google.

Over the next two months

  1. Your sign-off on new wording

    Drafts of the method page, the Paris homepage opening and the London part-time page arrive in early October.

  2. The older Search Console account

    If there is one, perhaps set up by a previous web designer. It would show how the sites did before August.

  3. Which year GFCA was founded

    The London site says 2012 and the Paris site 2015. Google notices when facts disagree.

  4. Your OK for "How did you hear about us?"

    One question on the enquiry forms shows where every enquiry came from, without cookies.

  5. A word with the gilesforeman.fr developer

    A one-line change to show where applicants came from, and a monthly count of applications.

  6. Read-only Google Ads access, London

    It shows how often each search is made, and so which new pages matter most.

  7. French pages Google can find

    Today Google only sees the English pages. French pages of their own may carry a cost: is French worth it?

  8. And one quick question

    Does anyone run a website checker on the Paris site? Something visits its homepage at 2pm several times a week.

Replies to Calum at calum@clanmckay.com, or all of this can be covered on the sign-in call.

16

Giles Foreman teaching

Giles Foreman Centre for Acting · Month one of three

When the right actor searches,GFCA should be there.

Calum McKaycalum@clanmckay.com Next reportLate October 2026

17