What This Side Up does

This Side Up is an Auckland, New Zealand-based, independently-owned digital media agency founded in 2009, operating with 1-10 employees. The firm operates as a performance marketing agency delivering an integrated service portfolio spanning Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO), Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO), Data Analytics, Performance Media (Google Ads, Paid Social, Programmatic), Content Marketing, and Digital PR, alongside newer AI-search capabilities and training programs. The agency's core commercial proposition is outcome-tied performance marketing, with a stated emphasis on reporting in "CFO language" and on navigating the disruption to search behaviour caused by AI engines and answer systems. Its go-to-market is a service-retainer model augmented by productised training and assessment offerings (SEO/GEO/AEO/Agentic SEO training, Agentic Readiness Audit, GEO Keyword Research) and educational content assets (AI Search Glossary, AI Search Playbook) that double as a thought-leadership funnel.

Name

This Side Up

Website

https://thissideup.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

This Side Up is an Auckland-based, independently-owned digital performance marketing agency of 1-10 employees that delivers SEO, GEO/AI-search optimisation, CRO, performance media, content, and digital PR to mid-market and enterprise brands across New Zealand.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Marketing Services

NAICS

Advertising Agencies (541810), Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418), Public Relations Agencies (54182)

SIC

Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro primary industry

Integrated Full-Service Creative Agencies (MPAAAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Customer Journey Orchestration & Campaign Management (BPAFAFAF), Content Studio & Creative Resourcing (In-house/Embedded Teams) (BPAFAIAJ), Social Media & Community Management (PR-led) (BPAFADAM)

Keywords

• Digital marketing services
• Performance marketing agency
• Search engine optimisation
• Conversion rate optimisation
• Paid media management

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Core offering

This Side Up is an independently-owned digital media agency based in Auckland, New Zealand, delivering performance marketing services. The agency offers an integrated suite including Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO), SEO, Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO), Data Analytics, Performance Media (Google Ads, Paid Social, Programmatic), Content Marketing, and Digital PR. Services are tied to commercial outcomes rather than vanity metrics, with reporting framed in CFO-relevant language.

Product overview

The Optimisers is an AI-Era Performance Marketing Agency offering an integrated suite of digital marketing services centered around AI search optimisation. The core portfolio includes GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation), SEO, CRO, Data Analytics, Performance Media (Google Ads, Paid Social, Programmatic), Content Marketing, and Digital PR. These services are delivered alongside educational tools and training programs including AI Search Training and the Agentic Readiness Audit. The agency differentiates itself through its focus on helping clients adapt to AI-powered search, where content must be optimized not just for traditional search engines but for AI answer engines, chatbots, and agentic AI systems that select and synthesize information for users.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO)

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Conductor: Enterprise SEO and content intelligence platform that has expanded into AI-search optimisation — directly competes in the same organic/GEO category with a much larger platform footprint.
• BrightEdge: Enterprise SEO and content performance platform with AI-search capabilities — competes for the same SEO/GEO budgets at the enterprise tier with a SaaS-plus-services model.
• NP Digital: Global performance marketing agency with deep SEO, content, and paid-media practices; comparable on integrated full-funnel service delivery but far larger and globally distributed.
• Brainlabs: Global digital performance marketing agency covering paid media, SEO, CRO, and analytics — overlaps with the Optimisers' performance media, SEO, and CRO services but at significant additional scale.
• WebFX: Large US-based performance marketing agency offering SEO, paid media, CRO, content, and analytics with documented ROI reporting — directly overlaps the Optimisers' full-funnel offering at much greater scale.

Direct peers

• Resolution Digital: New Zealand-based independent digital marketing agency offering SEO, paid media, and data-driven performance work for NZ brands — directly comparable size, geography, and integrated service model.
• Coalition Technologies: US SEO-focused digital agency with strong SEO, content, and design services targeting measurable commercial outcomes — comparable on results-driven SEO/CRO delivery for growth-stage and mid-market clients.
• Siege Media: Content and SEO agency specialising in ROI-driven organic growth and integrated Digital PR — directly comparable on SEO + Digital PR + content production aimed at measurable traffic and revenue outcomes.

Emerging players

• Goodie AI: AI-native platform helping brands monitor and improve visibility across generative search engines — overlaps with the Optimisers' GEO service line and the productised Agentic Readiness Audit offering.
• Profound: Venture-backed AI-search optimisation platform focused on Generative Engine Optimisation and brand visibility in AI answer engines — directly competes for the GEO/AI-search budget and is rapidly attacking the same category.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about This Side Up