Case Study: Fly ALS – Holistic SEO That Took Flight

Industry: Aviation (Airline)
Services Provided: Holistic SEO – Basic Plan (15 Keywords) + Website Rescue, Performance Optimization, Content Marketing & Schema Integration

Background & Objectives

Fly ALS, a prominent regional airline in Kenya, needed more than just SEO—they needed a complete digital rescue. Their website was slow, underperforming, and losing visibility to dominant competitors like AirKenya and SafariLink.

Their goal: to build long-term search authority, increase organic bookings, and strengthen their presence across key domestic routes—all without relying on expensive PPC and Social Media campaigns.

The Challenges

Fly ALS’s challenges were layered: poor hosting made their website sluggish and vulnerable, while their on-site SEO and content were outdated. Competitors dominated the digital space for vital keywords like “Flights to Diani”, “Domestic Flights Kenya”, and “Flights to Masai Mara.” Their sales funnel lacked targeted content that could attract, engage, and convert at eachcustomer journey stage.

Our Strategy – The SMART Framework in Action

We kicked things off with an in-depth SEO audit to diagnose the site’s technical, content, and keyword gaps—laying the foundation for a precise roadmap. (If you’re wondering where your site stands, get a free SEO audit here!)

S – Speed & Security: We rescued the website from a low-grade hosting provider and migrated it to our high-performance servers. We implemented advanced caching, optimized code and images, and integrated Cloudflare CDN, achieving a seamless, lightning-fast user experience. (Curious how your site stacks up? Get a free performance audit here!)

M – Market Alignment: Through a deep-dive workshop with Fly ALS’s team, we mapped out their core customer segments, clarified pain points, and identified peak-season opportunities—like focusing on Diani from Oct–Jan and then shifting gears in Feb to target Masai Mara in preparation for the high safari season from July to October.

A – Authority Building: We rewrote key site content with optimized keywords, meta descriptions, and headers, and enhanced the internal linking strategy. Foundational backlinks and directory placements further cemented Fly ALS’s digital authority.

R – Rankings & Relevance: We targeted 15 high-value keywords including “Nairobi to Diani flight”, “Domestic flights Kenya”, and “Flights to Masai Mara.” Rankings steadily improved, outpacing major competitors for critical routes.

T – Tracking & Transparency: Detailed monthly reports tracked everything from traffic to keyword movements, providing clear visibility on ROI and strategy tweaks.

Content Marketing, Schema & AI Visibility

To fuel Fly ALS’s sales funnel at every stage, we created blog articles and helpful content that broadened their reach and established them as an authority in Kenya’s domestic aviation sector. These articles didn’t just target keywords—they answered real customer questions and aligned with Google’s E-E-A-T principles (Experience, Expertise, Authority, Trustworthiness). The mix of informative content and commercial intent pages ensured a steady flow of qualified traffic, nurturing visitors from awareness to conversion.

We also implemented advanced schema markup—including FAQs, Breadcrumbs, and Article schema—which enhanced their visibility in search results and provided richer snippets that outperformed competitors. Most notably, Fly ALS’s website now consistently appears in Google’s AI Overviews, a cutting-edge feature that many of their rivals are still struggling to crack. This leapfrogged their visibility, proving that in a world where Google evolves with AI—so do we!

One key learning moment came when Fly ALS wanted to pivot focus back to Diani just two days before Easter for a short sales push. We reminded them that SEO is not designed for knee-jerk reactions—it’s a strategic, well-calculated art that requires foresight and patience. Our February pivot to Masai Mara was a prime example: even though the high season wouldn’t arrive until July–October, we had already laid the groundwork months in advance to secure top rankings when demand would peak. This kind of foresight comes from 20+ years of hands-on experience and a deep commitment to E-E-A-T values, ensuring clients benefit from sustainable growth, not short-term band-aids. (We wrote about this experience here to help others avoid the same pitfall!)

Key Metrics & Performance Scores

Results & Impact

Fly ALS now operates with a fast, secure, and search-optimized website that attracts and converts customers efficiently. Their dominance for key domestic flight keywords like “Flights to Diani” and “Domestic flights Kenya” has strengthened their market position—and their visibility in Google’s AI Overviews has pushed them even further ahead. The brand has grown its digital authority, proving that holistic SEO, when done right, delivers sustainable, high-ROI results well into the future.

What the Client Said

“SEO Smart didn’t just optimize our site—they transformed our whole approach to digital marketing. We’re now ranking where it counts and seeing real business growth, all without pouring money into ads. Their expertise in AI-driven SEO is exactly what we needed.”