Designtalks is South Africa's leading SEO and GEO agency.

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization

SEO is the process of improving the quality and quantity of website traffic to a website or web page from search engines. It’s an internet marketing strategy that considers how search engines work, what people search for, and the keywords typed into search engines.

The main goal is to improve your website’s position (or ranking) in the search engine results pages (SERPs) for relevant search queries. The ultimate aim is to rank highly (ideally on the first page) in the organic (unpaid) search results.

GEO is the practice of adapting and optimizing digital content and online presence to improve its visibility and utilization in results produced by generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools. This includes AI-powered search features (like Google’s AI Overviews), chatbots (like ChatGPT or Gemini), and other AI-driven content synthesizers.

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the process of improving your website’s visibility in search engine results. It focuses on ranking your site for broad, relevant keywords and attracting organic traffic from a wide audience.

GEO (Generative Engine Optimization), on the other hand, is a more advanced strategy that specifically optimizes your content to be the trusted source for AI-generated search results and overviews. While SEO helps you rank in the traditional “blue link” results, GEO positions you to be cited directly in conversational or summary-based answers, a key part of the new search landscape.

As generative AI is increasingly integrated into search engines and content discovery, users are more frequently getting direct, synthesized answers instead of clicking through to a website. GEO ensures that your content is the trusted source the AI chooses to use in its answer, maintaining your visibility and authority even if a direct click doesn’t occur.

A: Effective GEO focuses on:

• Clarity and Authority: Creating comprehensive, well-researched, and reliable content that establishes your expertise.

   

• Natural Language: Writing in a conversational, human-like style that aligns with how AI models interpret and respond to queries.

   

• Structured Data: Utilizing schema markup to help AI accurately extract and understand information from your web content.

   

• Citations and Statistics: Including data, statistics, and citations to boost the content’s credibility, as AI favors authoritative sources.

   

The timeline for seeing SEO results in South Africa can vary, but you can typically expect to see initial progress within 3 to 6 months. Factors like your industry’s competitiveness, your website’s current state, and the intensity of your SEO strategy all play a role.

For more competitive markets like Johannesburg and Cape Town, it may take a bit longer to achieve top rankings, but with a consistent, long-term approach, you’ll see sustainable growth in traffic and leads over time.

The cost of SEO for a small business in Johannesburg can range from R5,000 to R20,000+ per month, depending on the scope of work. A basic package might cover on-page optimization and local listings, while a more comprehensive strategy would include content creation, link building, and advanced technical SEO.

Instead of a one-size-fits-all price, we provide a customized quote based on your specific business goals, competitors, and the keywords you want to rank for in the Johannesburg area.

A Google Business Profile (GBP) is the most critical tool for local SEO because it directly influences your visibility in local search results and on Google Maps. An optimized GBP is essential for appearing in the local 3-pack, the top three business listings that show up for “near me” searches.

It serves as your digital storefront, providing potential customers with key information like your address, phone number, hours, and reviews, making it easy for them to contact and visit your business.

Yes, we absolutely can. Our geo-targeted SEO strategy is designed to help your business rank in multiple cities, including Durban and Bloemfontein. We achieve this by creating a customized plan for each location, which includes building dedicated service pages for each city, optimizing your Google Business Profile for those specific areas, and creating content that targets local search queries. This multi-city approach ensures that your business can attract and serve customers across a wide range of locations in South Africa.