Pure SEO Announces Acquisition of This Side Up
Richard Conway and Steve Crowe
Pure SEO Acquires This Side Up
Digital marketing agency, Pure SEO, has announced the acquisition of data-led, specialist e-commerce and programmatic digital advertising agency, This Side Up.
This Side Up complements Pure SEO’s stable of brands, consisting of Pure SEO, Digital Popcorn, and Conversion Surgeons – rounding out the market leader’s data-led ecommerce and programmatic marketing portfolio.
A specialisation in e-commerce couldn’t come at a better time as Covid-19 and its associated lockdowns have accelerated the growth of online shopping by about six years. The future is here now, with numbers from Shopify confirming a 27 percent increase in online spend in the first half of 2021. Not all of this spend was going offshore either; a high percentage (71 percent) was spent with local retailers. The opportunities are there for Kiwi companies to seize now.
This Side Up’s team of nine – led by Managing Director and industry veteran Steve Crowe – will be joining the Pure SEO team, increasing the total number of employees close to 100. This Side Up brings long-standing client relationships including Harrison’s Carpets and Walker & Hall Jewellery. These clients will be in good company alongside Pure SEO’s enduring accounts including Subaru, Datacom, and Bridgestone.
“We’re ecstatic to have the This Side Up team on board with us,” says Richard Conway, Pure SEO’s CEO and Founder.
“I’ve known Steve since we were both just starting out in this business more than a decade ago. Not only will their offerings complement and strengthen our own, but our values are well aligned also. The real care and strong customer focus that This Side Up embody supports our mission to ‘do digital the right way’, and we can now offer a complete turnkey solution to eCommerce clients – an online store with SEO built into it from day one.
“The deal was done the right way – that honest, Kiwi way we like – too,” Conway shares.
“We caught up for a drink and got it done with a handshake. By the time the lawyers drew up the final paperwork, it was the same deal that we’d hashed out. I’m thrilled to tap into more of Steve’s valuable expertise and insights as we lean more into the ecommerce space.”
““I’m excited to see the next evolution of This Side Up. Our capability combined with Pure SEO’s scale will be formidable. ”
Timely for more reasons than one, the acquisition of This Side Up marks another milestone in a successful year for Pure SEO. Earlier this year, Pure SEO was appointed the official SEO services provider for NZME. This follows the continued success of Richard’s book, ‘How to get to the top of Google search’ – the only Australasian-focused SEO book published to date.
No stranger to the awards circuit, This Side Up bring multi-year Interactive Advertising Bureau awards as they join Pure SEO, which remains New Zealand’s most awarded independent search agency.
“I’m really excited to see the next evolution of This Side Up. Our specialised e-commerce capability combined with Pure SEO’s scale and systems will be formidable.
“I didn’t consider partnering with anyone else; Pure SEO have been leaders in the search and analytics space for 12 years,” says Crowe.
“This is definitely the start of something exciting!’ Conway adds, “It’s the perfect fit.”