Introducing Glacier Institute

Several months ago, we were engaged by Glacier Institute in Columbia Falls, Montana, to redesign their website and to provide them with extensive search engine optimization to help them rank better on Google. I’m proud to say that the results were a smashing success. Not only is their new website far more intuitive and easier to use than their old website, but they are now consistently at the top of Google for phrases such as “Glacier National Park hiking tours” or “Glacier Park guided hikes.” Glacier Institute’s website traffic and bookings for hiking tours and educational programs have skyrocketed due to our work together, and we all couldn’t be happier with the results. We love these guys! It’s super fun to visit them too 😉

In addition to website design, development, and SEO services, we also launched a Google Ads campaign for Glacier Institute perhaps two months ago to drive even more traffic. Google Ads is now the leading driver of traffic and bookings and boasts an 8x return on ad spend, which makes everyone happy.

Visiting Glacier National Park
On a related note, Anthony Nelson, the Executive Director of Glacier Institute, recently invited my wife, Kris, and me up for a week of hiking in Glacier National Park. We had a remarkable week, and if you ever have a chance to visit Glacier National Park, this is the way to go!

We were picked up by Glacier Institute staff at the Kalispell Airport in Montana. After a brief tour of their headquarters in Columbia Falls and a quick trip to the grocery store (beer), we were taken to Glacier Insitute’s Field Camp, just inside Glacier National Park, and escorted to our small cabin near the middle fork of the Flathead River. After settling in a bit and enjoying a cold one, Kris and I met several of our fellow hikers, along with the staff members and hiking guides, who we’d get to know much better over the course of the week. After Happy Hour, we were served up a simple yet delicious dinner before heading off to our cabin for a good night’s rest before our first big hike tomorrow.

On most days, we would wake up by 6:00 am, have breakfast at 7:00, and be on the road to our destination by 8:00 to beat the crowds. Getting up so early on vacation was a minor inconvenience but well worth it. Getting up early allowed us to have amazing hiking trails and jaw-dropping vistas in relative seclusion compared to later in the day, with crowds being at their worst. After a hot breakfast, we were taken to a different hiking trail every day in a luxurious Glacier Institute van, driven by our knowledgeable hiking guide or guides for the day. Every day we saw incredible mountains, lakes, glaciers, and an assortment of wildlife, including moose, mountain goats, big horn sheep, marmots, and deer. We learned about the history of Glacier National Park, geology, flora, fauna, and everything in between. It was an incredible experience that we will remember forever, and we look forward to our next visit.

A Super Simple Stress-Free Vacation
One of the biggest perks of our hiking vacation is that it was all-inclusive, and we didn’t have to plan anything beyond our plane tickets and what we wore. Glacier Institute provided daily guided hikes, transportation, all meals, and lodging. We didn’t have to plan our hikes, deal with parking, meals, or anything like that. This drastically reduced the amount of planning and stress compared to doing this all on your own. All we had to do was show up, which was awesome. Oh, and it was extremely affordable, so there’s that.

Finally, if you enjoy hiking and are considering visiting Glacier National Park, we strongly encourage you to visit GlacierInstitute.org for a guided hiking adventure you’ll remember forever. Beyond the week-long trip Kris and I experienced, Glacier Institute also offers guided day hikes, summer camps for kids, and dozens of educational programs about Glacier National Park. Visit GlacierInstitute.org to learn more, or call them at (406)755.1211 to get started on your adventure.