In the fast-paced digital marketing world, staying ahead of the curve is crucial. As a leading player in NZ’s SEO and digital marketing sphere, Pure SEO’s pursuit of being the best in class led the company to collaborate with AI experts Britney Muller and Peter Mangin. Here, we explore Pure SEO’s journey and its vision for the future, driven by the power of human creativity, AI, and innovation.
Founded in 2009, Pure SEO began when CEO Richard Conway arrived in New Zealand from the UK. Over the years, the company has evolved to become one of the largest independent players in New Zealand’s digital marketing landscape, with its core strengths in SEO, ads, and analytics. However, recognising the transformative potential of AI, Pure SEO is re-evaluating its approach. The company is gearing up to launch a pilot scheme that leverages AI automation. This initiative aims to deliver a world-class product to its clients, enhancing efficiency while eliminating manual redundancies.
“We got to a stage, recently with the advent of AI, where we decided to take stock and reimagine, if we were starting a business today, what can we do to create a best-product in the world,” says Conway.
The catalyst for change came when he reached out to Rand Fishkin, the founder of Moz, a leading name in the digital marketing industry. Fishkin recommended Britney Muller, an expert in machine learning and digital marketing. This recommendation marked the beginning of a collaboration that would reshape Pure SEO’s future.
Britney Muller joined Pure SEO as a consultant with exclusive rights to her expertise in the region. With her on board, Pure SEO embarked on a journey to reimagine what a world-class digital marketing product should look like in the age of AI.
Recognising the need for a leader to take the helm for this ambitious project, Conway found the answer in Peter Mangin, an expert in AI, who was soon appointed as the Chief Product and Chief AI Officer, bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience in the AI field. With the addition of Janya Anderson, Chief Improvement Officer at Pure SEO, the team is set to roll out their vision for the future.
What does this entail for Pure SEO’s clientele? Initially, it represents a remarkable opportunity to maximise the use of data-driven insights through an AI-integrated digital marketing strategy. AI can process and analyse vast datasets from diverse sources, extracting vital information on customer behaviour, preferences, and emerging trends. This allows businesses to gain increased transparency across their data landscape and make more informed decisions.
Hand in hand with data-driven insights is increased personalisation. Pure SEO aims to utilise these detailed insights to develop highly effective, personalised campaigns for its clients. This AI-integrated marketing approach – with human expertise at the forefront – means the company will be able to craft tailored content, recommend products that resonate with each client’s preferences, and suggest offers that foster engagement and improve conversion rates.
Time-consuming tasks like email marketing, social media posting, and ad optimisation can also be streamlined through AI integration, increasing efficiency, and freeing up resources for more strategic thinking. By leveraging AI’s predictive capabilities, Pure SEO’s priority is to keep clients ahead of the competition by anticipating future trends and identifying opportunities.
The company plans to innovate highly effective digital marketing campaigns that prioritise the customer’s experience at every stage of their journey, including elevated customer support services. With increasing advancements in chatbots and virtual assistants, Pure SEO’s aim is to facilitate real-time responses to inquiries, fostering swift issue resolution and enhanced customer satisfaction.
Content creation processes like creating product descriptions, blog posts, or social media content can also be enhanced by AI. However, Conway emphasises that AI should complement, not replace, human expertise. The objective is not to replace client processes with AI but to harness the technology to amplify and refine these processes.
“There is a place for AI and content generation, but my view is predominantly around research, ideation,” Conway says. “Allow the real copywriters to put the magic behind it and the personality and the authenticity.
“The same with automation in the business. There are so many things that we become inefficient with as we grow. How can AI get rid of all that and allow us to focus on the higher-value stuff? People worry about jobs, but I think it’s going to help people have more enjoyment in their jobs because they’re going to be doing higher-level, more challenging work. And actually, probably be prouder of the stuff they produce because they can spend more time on it.”
As Pure SEO advances its pilot scheme and rolls out developments over the coming year, customers can anticipate enhanced benefits. These include deeper analytics reporting, personalised services, and customised campaigns focused on their objectives and customer experience.
One of the core principles guiding this transformation is the commitment to ethical and long-term practices. Unlike those who promise guaranteed rankings or quick results, Conway says he understands the pitfalls of shortcuts and, with this, is determined to maintain authenticity and quality in Pure SEO’s work.
“Treat customers the same way you want to be treated yourself,” he says. “You know deep down if you’re doing the right thing. And if you are doing the right thing, then you’re empowered to just get on with it, even if you’re making a mistake. Whereas if you’re questioning it, then don’t do it. Simple as.”
