SEO and content support for Banham Zoo & Africa Alive
How practical SEO advice and a day of volunteering helped a Norfolk charity identify new opportunities
The client
Banham Zoo and Africa Alive are charitable wildlife organisations based in Norfolk.
Their work gives visitors the opportunity to see and learn about animals while supporting the wider work of the charities.
As a local organisation ourselves, we were particularly pleased to support them.
The relationship wasn’t driven by a traditional sales process. We reached out because we wanted to volunteer and offer some free guidance to a charity doing valuable work in our local community.
What they struggled with
The starting point was straightforward: identify SEO opportunities and create a useful framework for Banham Zoo & Africa Alive to improve their website visibility and content.
The website had areas where improvements could be made, but the most useful thing wasn’t simply handing over a list of technical jargon.
The team needed to understand what the issues were, why they mattered and what they could do about them.
There was also an opportunity to look beyond searches specifically mentioning Banham Zoo or Africa Alive.
Someone planning a day out might not start by searching for a particular zoo. They could be looking for “things to do in Norfolk” or asking a much more conversational question about days out, animals or family activities.
That meant there was an opportunity to think about the wider questions and searches the organisation could answer.
What we implemented
We took a practical, collaborative approach.
First, we looked at the website from an SEO perspective, considering both technical and content-related issues.
Then we translated those findings into recommendations the team could actually understand and use.
Alongside the audit, we developed potential blog topics based around relevant searches.
People can now ask AI tools such as ChatGPT detailed questions rather than entering a handful of keywords into a search box.
So we considered the kinds of questions someone might ask when looking for things to do in Norfolk, planning a day out or researching a zoo.
The useful thing is that content written to answer genuinely helpful questions can also have value in traditional search. The two approaches aren’t worlds apart.
The outcome of our partnership
A thorough SEO site audit
We reviewed the website to identify technical SEO issues, content gaps and areas where there were opportunities to improve search performance.
We then walked the team through the issues we found.
The aim wasn’t to leave them with a mysterious report full of red, amber and green boxes.
It was to make the findings understandable and give them practical next steps.
A list of content opportunities
We provided a long list of relevant blog topics based around what people are searching for.
These topics give Banham Zoo & Africa Alive ideas for future content that can answer useful questions and reach audiences searching beyond branded terms.
AI-driven search prompts
We also considered emerging search behaviour and how AI tools are changing the way people ask questions online.
The idea was simple: think about the actual questions a potential visitor might ask, then create content that provides a genuinely useful answer.
Collaboration with existing suppliers
Where technical SEO changes involve the website or external ticketing arrangements, we also identified the need to work with the existing ticketing agency.
That collaborative approach matters.
A good SEO recommendation isn’t much use if nobody can implement it.
And then we picked up a paintbrush
The digital work was only part of the story.
We also spent a day volunteering at the zoo.
There was fence painting.
There was stuff to unload from a lorry.
And, rather wonderfully, there were giraffes to feed.
It’s not something that appears in most SEO project plans.
But that’s exactly why we enjoyed it.
We’d originally reached out because we wanted to volunteer and support a local charity. Getting to combine that with the SEO work made the relationship feel much more human.
What they said:
As a charity, support from businesses like Smash Marketing is incredibly valuable to Banham Zoo and Africa Alive.
They have generously donated a significant amount of professional time and expertise, providing us with detailed insights into our website performance and SEO, which has been extremely helpful. Their advice has been professional, practical and genuinely beneficial to our organisation.
What has stood out most is their willingness to go above and beyond. In addition to their professional services, the team even joined us for a volunteering day at the zoo, giving their time to support our work firsthand.
We’re incredibly grateful for their support and would highly recommend them to any organisation looking for knowledgeable, professional and community minded partners. Thank you from everyone at Banham Zoo and Africa Alive!
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