Blitzsport.com, the UK’s leading martial arts equipment and clothing store, partnered with Polaris to deliver a complete 360° digital growth strategy. By aligning SEO, PPC, affiliate marketing and conversion rate optimisation into one joined-up plan, we increased visibility, improved efficiency across paid channels, opened new revenue streams and optimised the onsite experience to maximise every customer opportunity. The result was sustained multi-channel growth, market share gains across multiple martial arts disciplines and a significant uplift in weekly revenue.
POLARIS unlocked performance at every stage of the customer journey for Blitz, from awareness campaigns utilising PPC, SEO and Affiliates to conversion strategies through CRO studies and checkout optimisation.
Our 360 approach to developing a D2C channel strategy was recognised at the Drum Awards and UK Search Awards as finalist for best digital strategy.
The Challenge
Blitzsport already had brand authority but it was concentrated mainly within karate. This left untapped potential in other martial arts categories and limited the brand’s reach across the wider sector. Paid search campaigns were underperforming, there was no affiliate programme in place to reach new audiences, and the checkout process was losing potential customers due to distractions during purchase.
Polaris was brought in to consult, create and execute a fully integrated digital strategy that could:
Expand organic reach into multiple martial arts categories
Improve paid advertising efficiency and ROI
Launch and scale an affiliate programme for incremental revenue
Optimise the onsite journey to convert more visitors into customers
SEO
We began with a complete backlink audit to remove low-quality and irrelevant links, strengthening domain trust. Technical SEO updates ensured the site performed well across all language versions. Our keyword strategy targeted high-intent terms in the UK, France and Germany, expanding the focus from karate to taekwondo, Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ), jujitsu and boxing. This not only increased market share but also positioned Blitzsport as a credible authority across the martial arts sector.
PPC
A deep audit of the Google Ads account revealed opportunities to cut wasted spend and improve targeting. We added negative keywords, refined bid strategies for match types, tested ad variations for higher engagement, and segmented campaigns for better budget control. This created a leaner, more effective paid search programme.
Affiliate Marketing
We established Blitzsport’s first affiliate programme with a leading UK network. By recruiting and managing a mix of content, PPC and media affiliates, we expanded reach into new customer audiences, securing placements that delivered sales without increasing fixed marketing costs.
Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO)
Using Hotjar to analyse user behaviour, we identified significant drop-offs during checkout. Customers were being distracted by navigation links and leaving before completing their purchase. We redesigned the checkout to remove all non-essential navigation, keeping customers focused on completion. This change alone added £16,000 per week in revenue.
Rather than running each channel in isolation, all elements of the strategy were delivered in parallel and informed by shared data.
SEO growth fed more qualified traffic into the optimised checkout journey
PPC captured high-intent buyers more efficiently and drove immediate sales
Affiliates brought in incremental customers from trusted third-party sources
CRO improvements ensured that traffic from all channels converted at a higher rate
This unified approach meant that every part of the digital strategy contributed to the same overarching growth goals.
“From start to finish POLARIS have delivered a coherent and successful formula for Blitzsport.com to advance further in our marketing and sales online. The return POLARIS have acquired for us far exceeds the cost; our only regret is that we wish we had done this sooner.”
SEO
- Priority keywords moved from unranked to position one in Google UK, France and Germany
- Expanded rankings across taekwondo, BJJ, jujitsu and boxing, increasing market share beyond karate
- Improved click-through rates and domain authority
PPC
- Average CPC reduced by 18% in the first month
- Clicks increased by 24%, adding nearly 8,000 more visits month-on-month
- Higher quality scores improved ad placement and reduced costs
CRO
- Navigation removed from checkout, streamlining the purchase process
- £16,000 additional weekly revenue generated post-implementation
Overall ROAS Impact
- Paid campaign ROAS improved to 8.8:1, generating £8.80 in revenue for every £1 spent
- Significant uplift in total online sales revenue driven by combined channel performance
Uncovering growth opportunities for owner managed business is great because we are all closer to the impact. This is what we enjoy most.Amo SokhiManaging Director
