SEO Agency South Africa

Guess what: we have customers who don't have to cold call at all. All their customer enquiries come from the fact that their website ranks organically in Google! This is called Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).

Our SEO agency in South Africa knows SEO, and we know what works.

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About our SEO agency South Africa

Our agency was founded in 2011 by Dylan Kohlstadt, who wanted to create the perfect digital marketing agency - a friendly, knowledgeable digital agency that delivers amazing results every time and gives clients the ROI they need.

We love SEO because we've seen it deliver those results for clients across industries worldwide.

At Shift ONE, we use strategies such as keyword optimisation, content creation, technical website fixes, link-building, and local SEO to help your business rank higher in search. The ultimate goal:  attract more organic traffic and drive sales or conversions.

What is SEO?

Google's algorithm is a tricky beast, but ultimately, Google wants to give users exactly what they want. If it thinks your content matches a user's search intent better than other websites' content, then it'll reward you by bumping up your website/page.

There's nothing more frustrating than searching for something and not finding what you're looking for. That's why Google makes sure you don't find a camera site when searching for umbrellas.

Why SEO matters in 2025

49%

of marketers report that organic search has the best ROI of any marketing channel

99,000

searches happen on Google every second.

75%

of users never go past the first page of search results.

"SEO is one of the most important aspects of a business' online presence. It can be the difference between being found by customers and being lost in the crowd."

- Dylan Kohlstadt, CEO.

What are the benefits of SEO?

Greater Website Visibility - SEO helps your website appear at the top of search results, making it easier for South Africans and global audiences to find your business. You never want to be on page 2; no one bothers to look there. You need to be on page 1 and position 1.

Attracts Quality Traffic - By targeting the right keywords, SEO ensures your site gets visitors who are genuinely interested in what you offer. It's about getting the right people to your website. It's all about search intent and ensuring your content matches the searchers' intent.

Cost-Effective - Compared to traditional advertising, which stops adding value as soon as you switch off your ads, SEO delivers long-term value without breaking the bank. It's perfect for small businesses and growing enterprises.

Boosts Local Business - With local SEO, your business can shine on platforms like Google Maps. This is especially important if you have a brick-and-mortar business.

Builds Credibility and Trust - Ranking high on search engines makes your business appear trustworthy and reliable to potential customers.

24/7 Marketing Power - Your optimised website works for you around the clock. Potential customers can find you any time, day or night, and you don't need to monitor ads or throw more money at your campaigns.

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"SEO is the best way to generate a consistent stream of leads for your business."

- Dylan Kohlstadt, CEO.

Services from our SEO agency South Africa

The sooner we get started, the sooner your business can start ranking and attract audiences. Here are the SEO services we recommend:

Audit and analysis

We start with a deep dive into your website. Our audit identifies technical issues, evaluates on-page and off-page performance, analyses your competitors' SEO efforts, and offers prioritised recommendations for improvements.

Keyword research & strategy

We find the keywords your audience is actually searching for —high-value, long-tail, and local terms. We'll examine competition, search volume, search intent, and cluster these keywords by service or topic before recommending next steps.

On-page optimisation

We optimise your website’s content and structure to make it search-engine-friendly. From meta tags and headers to internal links and keyword placement, we make sure every page answers users' queries and supports your business's SEO efforts.

Technical SEO

Behind the scenes, we make sure your site is technically flawless. We fix crawl errors, improve site speed, ensure mobile responsiveness, and implement structured data so search engines can easily navigate, understand, and rank your site.

Link building

We build a strong, trustworthy backlink profile by securing quality links from reputable sources. Through outreach, guest posting, and link monitoring, we boost your site’s authority without risking penalties.

Local SEO

If you want to dominate in your area, we’ve got you covered. We optimise your Google Business Profile, gather reviews, and create location-specific content so you rank in “near me” searches and attract local customers.

E-commerce SEO

For online stores, we optimise product pages, categories, and the user experience. We also implement schema markup to showcase your products in search results, helping you stand out and sell more.

Reporting

We track everything. From traffic and rankings to conversions, we provide regular, detailed reports that show what’s working and where we can refine your strategy.

B2B client testimonials

Happy clients = happy us

"I've worked with Dylan since she started Shift ONE digital and I must say that I can't imagine working with anyone else. She treats my business as if it were her own. She's knowledgeable, passionate, creative and innovative. I can highly recommend Shift ONE for all your above and below-the-line marketing requirements."

Karin Chisholm, CEO, Career Planet

"Working with the staff at Shift ONE has been seamless. Their innovative ideas, attention to detail, and quick turnaround time have helped elevate our business to the next level. Their detailed report-back sessions make it easy to stay informed and on top of everything."

Lecico

"Just a quick to note to say thank you to you and team for building such fantastic momentum over the past two weeks. Great engagements, powerful brainstorming sessions and very thought-provoking and crucial conversations! So glad you’re here!"

MOYO

"We deeply appreciate how you roll with us and our madness and all-over-ness. It is deeply appreciated. You really understand the rhythm of our business incredibly well."

Aephoria

"High praises for TDT and EAP home page and video. No changes to the layout structure or video!"

THT

"Super happy with the wireframe for ISS! You have a good reputation and you are experts in your fields, so I'm confident in leaving the heavy lifting to you. I can't wait to see everything come together."

ISS

"Thank you for the professional video shoot organised at our CT offices."

Mobius

"The Mining Indaba was a great event, great contacts and flyers were top notch."

Kuchera

"For the new look and feel of our website, we love it!"

CEO of Sirdar

"The social media looks great, love the theme! Its amazing how you guys can make it so distinguishable from other posts but still so similar to everything you've done before!"

IPT

"I actually love the article! The tone was spot on!"

Nadia

"It was a pleasure working with you and Michelle was a superstar!"

Dell

"I've received the updated Facebook cover image. It looks fantastic! I really appreciate the work you've put into it."

Ashleigh De Wet, Seeff

 

"Thank you for the stunning article!"

Merchant Factors

 

"Thank you so much for the outstanding website! We appreciate the effort."

Egen Holdings

 

Why choose a South African SEO agency?

Local expertise

Whether it’s understanding South African search habits, navigating local languages, or knowing what appeals to Joburg vs. Cape Town audiences, we know how to connect with the right people.

Cost-effective

South African agencies deliver high-quality SEO strategies at competitive prices. You get top-tier expertise without the hefty price tag you’d pay in the UK or USA.

Adaptable

South African agencies are well-versed in navigating local challenges, like spotty internet in certain areas or ensuring fast-loading websites for mobile users. We’re problem-solvers.

FAQs about a SEO agency South Africa

SEO is a long-term strategy, and results typically start to show within 3 to 6 months. However, the timeline can vary depending on your industry, competition, and the current state of your website.

"Most of the SEO providers I've encountered are doing 'vaporware SEO' and baffling the client every month with a lot of BS reporting. Your SEO provider should give you tangible SEO with measurable results."

- Dylan Kohlstadt, CEO.

SEO client case study

We recently worked on an SEO project for a leading BPO agency in South Africa. By conducting an in-depth SEO audit, we identified key SEO roadblocks and current rankings for existing pages. This equipped us to develop an SEO strategy going forward.

The result? 86% increase in page 1 rankings within the first 6 months and a 45% increase monthly in new SEO traffic.

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We know SEO and we know what works

A lot of SEO agencies will sell you smoke and mirrors; meaning they'll promise great things, but leave you in the dark about the what and how.

That's not us. We're transparent, strategic, and keep you informed every step of the way. That's why our SEO clients rank on page 1 of Google.

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Ready to start innovating your brand with us?

Get in touch now.

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