Nova Scotia Winery Directory
Overview
Overview
The Nova Scotia Winery Directory is a web project I designed and built as a practical way to learn modern tools, AI assisted coding, and real world SEO. It is a simple, search friendly directory that helps people discover wineries across my province of Nova Scotia.
The live site is published at NovaScotiaWineryList.ca
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Learning and technical approach
I built this project as a full workflow practice environment.
I used Cursor as my main editor and connected it to OpenAI Codex to help write and refactor code. Cursor is linked directly to GitHub, which allowed me to manage commits, branching, and version control from inside the editor.
The site is deployed on Vercel using the free plan. A GitHub push automatically triggers a new Vercel build, so changes move from Cursor to live production instantly. This setup gave me hands on experience with a realistic development and deployment pipeline.
On the analytics and search side I used Google Search Console, Google Analytics, and some Google Ads testing to understand how Google indexes new content and how keyword ranking responds over time.
SEO structure and ranking progress
A major focus of this project was improving search ranking through clean structure and content optimization.
When the site first launched it appeared around page nine for searches such as Nova Scotia winery. Through ongoing improvements such as:
• clear page titles
• readable URLs
• internal linking between wineries, regions, and articles
• a breadcrumb navigation system
• consistent headings
• targeted keywords
• readable URLs
• internal linking between wineries, regions, and articles
• a breadcrumb navigation system
• consistent headings
• targeted keywords
the site moved from page nine all the way to page one, and now appears in the top six results for several Nova Scotia winery related keywords.
The breadcrumb system was a key change. It helps Google understand how regions relate to wineries and how blog posts support the main content cluster.
Content structure
The directory is intentionally simple and easy to navigate.
Each winery profile includes:
• name and region
• short description
• standout details
• link to the winery’s official website
• short description
• standout details
• link to the winery’s official website
Alongside the directory I write blog posts that support SEO and help visitors learn about Nova Scotia wine regions. These articles use the same breadcrumb and internal linking system which helps Google understand the topical hierarchy of the site.
Design approach
The design is minimal, open, and clean. It uses calm spacing, simple typography, and a focus on readability. A small hero section at the top introduces the project and provides context before visitors scroll into the list of wineries.
The visual tone is influenced by Nova Scotia’s coastal and valley landscapes so the site feels connected to the region it represents.
Photography and future plans
The directory is designed so I can incorporate my photography in future updates. As I capture more images of vineyards, landscapes, and wine regions across Nova Scotia, they will be added to profiles and blog posts.
Future additions may include travel routes, maps, and expanded winery profiles.
Outcome
The Nova Scotia Winery Directory has been my hands on project for learning:
• AI assisted coding using Cursor and Codex
• GitHub version control
• Vercel hosting
• Real SEO improvement
• Google Search Console and Analytics
• Structured content and breadcrumb navigation
• GitHub version control
• Vercel hosting
• Real SEO improvement
• Google Search Console and Analytics
• Structured content and breadcrumb navigation
It also serves as a useful resource for visitors exploring Nova Scotia’s wine regions, and a clear demonstration of how I build structured, search focused web projects from idea to deployment.
Link
View the live directory at
www.novascotiawinerylist.ca
www.novascotiawinerylist.ca
