How SEO helps Go New Forest protect and promote a special place

Overview

To visit the New Forest is to step into another world. This is a place where nature reigns supreme and ancient customs hold sway; a place where tradition carries on, even as the years roll by. But for Go New Forest — the community interest company (CIC) that represents the region — the passing of time hasn’t diminished its overall aims and goals. As we’ll see, a knowledge of SEO serves as the foundation for the CIC’s operational strategy and — thanks to the SEO support the organisation receives from Simpleview, a Granicus company — Go New Forest is able to accomplish a mission that is as unique as the place it serves.

A threefold mission

Go New Forest has been an SEO client since November 2017. Since then, as Rachael Rogers, the CIC’s marketing manager explains, SEO has “become a key part of our content planning.” Rachael elaborates by explaining that, as a CIC that operates for the benefit of the wider community, Go New Forest’s mission is threefold. Firstly, the organisation seeks to “help people make excellent lifelong memories in the New Forest.” Secondly, Go New Forest endeavours to increase value for both those who visit the forest as well as members of the CIC. Lastly, she adds, the third goal is to grow and widen membership of the CIC all while strengthening the local visitor economy.

Rachael emphasises, “Every part of our digital activity has to support these goals.” For Go New Forest, the challenge is to ensure that SEO — particularly when implementing the actions suggested by the SEO services team — continues to play a vital role for the organisation. In practice, this means attracting visitors to its website as well as to the New Forest, showcasing local member businesses, and — above all — ensuring the CIC’s investment in SEO ultimately benefits the forest and its people.
 

Deploying a strategy for the benefit of a wider community…

Thanks to the support it receives, Go New Forest is able to tailor both its SEO strategy and the content of its website with a sense of ease and agility. As Rachael explains, this level of refinement “benefits our local businesses and the overall awareness of the New Forest.”

Emphasising the importance that SEO plays in the CIC’s operations, Rachael says, "SEO has become the foundation of our digital marketing. It informs our socials, it informs our newsletters and our content strategy, and our strong visibility for the New Forest continues to grow, bringing more people to the site, more people to the forest, and to our members. It’s a win-win for everyone.” Rachael adds that the SEO services team offer a different perspective on the subtleties of visitor search behaviour, providing a level of insight that has helped the CIC enhance the overall visibility of the New Forest as a destination.
 

…. And as a platform to amplify a message

While visibility is certainly key in attracting newcomers to the forest, SEO has also become a platform that enables the CIC to speak directly to would-be visitors, offering them a glimpse into the values and culture of this very special place via carefully tailored content.

A huge thing for us is responsible tourism,” explains Rachael, adding that because of the unique species found in the forest — especially its famous free roaming ponies — the CIC has placed an emphasis on highlighting the New Forest Code, a set of guidelines put into place to protect the region’s one-of-a-kind ecosystem.”

For Go New Forest, raising awareness of responsible tourism via its SEO performance has become a major project. By collaborating with the SEO services team, the CIC has been able to weave this messaging into the content of its site, highlighting its unique ethos and preserving the New Forest for generations to come. Rachael says that while SEO is one of Go New Forest’s largest investments, “it’s one of our best investments,” a solution that can be used to the benefit of the greater New Forest community.
 

Consistent growth from actionable insights

Speaking of the results gained from this partnership, Rachael says the CIC has seen consistent growth across all its metrics. In 2018 — the year in which Go New Forest initially began receiving SEO support — Rachael noted the organisation recorded approximately 3.7 million page views to its site. By 2024, that figure had exceeded 5 million page views. This, says Rachael, shows that “SEO is really important.” While the Go New Forest website has an engagement rate of approximately 73% — a statistic directly attributed to SEO — the organisation is always striving to improve its metrics.

As a case in point, Rachael explains that, in 2024, Go New Forest used SEO to amplify the reach of a campaign that centred around walking in the forest. With insight from the SEO services team, the CIC was able to refine its content to target and include certain key phrases. On the back of these efforts, “Our walking pages saw a 33% increase,” says Rachael, adding, “Our members benefit from the success of our SEO as well because some see that the referral click through rates’ cost per click are as little as 10 pence in comparison to Google Ads … so it's key for us to ensure that their investment in us is better value than they would get with such paid advertising."

But beyond this individual campaign, Rachael emphasises the detailed and actionable support that she and her colleagues receive from the SEO services team is essential to Go New Forest’s operations. “They keep us up to date on changes in Google algorithms and emerging trends. Their insight ensures that we stay proactive rather than reactive, and they really help us identify those keyword opportunities that we might not have noticed,” she says.

What’s more, the SEO services team have a true knowledge of SEO as it applies to the world of destination marketing, a point that Rachael describes as “invaluable.” All of this, she adds, “is integral to our success as a destination and I think our stats show that their expertise keeps us ahead of the trends. It supports our team’s learning, and it ensures that our website continues to grow in reach, engagement, and in impact.”

Season after season — year after year — time has served as the ultimate guardian of the New Forest, a place where nature and custom infuse every aspect of life, including every visit. Thanks to the knowledge acquired during this longstanding partnership, Go New Forest can carry on with its timeless mission of promoting and protecting this very special place for many generations to come.