PayEasy
Founded in 2020 by HR experts Lindiwe Khumalo and Mark de Villiers, PayEasy is a Johannesburg-based online platform offering payroll and human resources software tailored for South African small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs).
PayEasy streamlines payroll processing, compliance, employee onboarding, and talent management, empowering businesses to focus on growth.
The platform supports 12 industries, integrates with 20 third-party tools, and has earned 123 positive client reviews by 2025.
The South African HR software market was valued at US$2.57 billion in 2025, driven by SMBs seeking efficient, compliant solutions post-COVID.
PayEasy partnered with EcoSEO to boost its organic visibility and lead generation, achieving a 200% increase in Net New Organic Leads.
Below, we detail how we transformed PayEasy into a leading HR software provider.
Lead Time: 8 Months
Sector: Software as a Service (SaaS)
Target Type: B2B
Demographic: Small and medium-sized business owners and HR managers, aged 30–55
Website Goal:Increase organic traffic and generate high-quality leads for HR software
Services: Technical SEO, Content Strategy, On-Page SEO, Internal Linking Optimization, Local SEO (Localized Content Creation)
2X
Organic Leads in 8 Months
The Challenge
PayEasy had established a strong client base, but organic traffic was limited to 3K monthly non sign-in visits, per Semrush, reflecting low engagement from prospective clients.
The site struggled to rank for high-intent keywords like “South Africa payroll software” or “HR compliance solutions.” Key challenges included:
- Limited SEO focus due to a small, stretched marketing team spending 15 hours weekly on optimization.
- Recent site migrations causing indexing issues and broken links.
- Lack of content addressing trending HR topics like remote work policies.
- Poor internal linking structure, reducing site navigation and crawlability.
- Lack of localized content for South African SMBs, limiting relevance for regional searches.
Lindiwe and Mark approached EcoSEO in April 2024 to enhance PayEasy’s organic reach and drive qualified leads in a competitive SaaS market.
Our SEO Strategy
EcoSEO developed a customized SEO strategy, informed by competitor analysis of South African and global HR software providers, to elevate PayEasy’s visibility and lead generation. Using advanced tools, we implemented six key tactics:
Streamlining Site Migrations for SEO Success
Using Screaming Frog, we audited PayEasy’s recent site migrations, identifying broken links and high-performing content from old domains.
We consolidated 60 legacy pages into 40 optimized ones, fixing redirects with Google Search Console’s URL Inspection Tool.
Semrush’s Site Audit Tool ensured technical health, reducing crawl errors by 25%, as tracked by Google Analytics, boosting domain authority from 20 to 26.
Crafting Targeted Content with Data-Driven Insights
We leveraged Semrush’s Keyword Magic Tool to identify high-intent keywords like “South Africa remote work compliance” and “payroll tax solutions.”
Using Yoast SEO, we created 30 new blog posts and guides addressing post-COVID HR trends, such as “B-BBEE compliance for SMBs” and “managing hybrid teams.”
Social media amplification on LinkedIn and Twitter increased content reach. Google Analytics reported a 20% increase in engagement for these pages.
Optimizing Internal Linking & Localized Content
Optimizing Internal Linking for Better Navigation
We used Screaming Frog to analyze PayEasy’s internal linking structure, identifying weak connections between key pages.
We implemented a strategic linking framework, connecting high-value pages like “Payroll Solutions” to related guides, using Yoast SEO to ensure anchor text relevance. Google Search Console showed a 15% improvement in crawl efficiency, enhancing user navigation and search visibility.
Creating Localized Content for South African SMBs
To address the lack of regional relevance, we used Semrush’s Keyword Magic Tool to target localized keywords like “Johannesburg payroll software” and “Cape Town HR compliance.” We developed 15 region-specific guides and case studies, emphasizing South African regulations like B-BBEE. Google Analytics reported a 22% increase in traffic from South African searches, boosting local lead generation.
Enhancing On-Page SEO with Meta Tags
We audited meta titles and descriptions with Semrush’s On-Page SEO Checker, identifying generic tags.
We crafted keyword-rich meta tags for product and guide pages, targeting terms like “HR software for South African SMBs.” Google Search Console monitored ranking improvements, resulting in a 12% uplift in click-through rates, as tracked by Google Analytics.
Simplifying Reporting with Automated Dashboards
Using Google Data Studio, we created automated dashboards to track non sign-in organic traffic and lead metrics, emailed weekly to PayEasy’s team. This saved 8 hours weekly, allowing focus on content creation.
The Results
In eight months, EcoSEO’s strategies transformed PayEasy’s performance:
- Non Sign-In Organic Traffic: Grew 100%, from 3K to 6K monthly visits.
- Net New Organic Leads: Increased 200%, from 50 to 150 monthly leads.
- Keyword Rankings: PayEasy now ranks for 3.2K keywords, with 200 in the top 3 positions.
- Lead-to-Demo Conversion: Improved by 10%, per Google Analytics, reflecting higher-quality leads.
- Domain Authority: Rose from 20 to 26, driven by technical fixes and 8 new high-quality backlinks.
- Engagement: Bounce rate decreased by 12%, indicating better user experience.
PayEasy’s top-performing guide, “B-BBEE Compliance for Small Businesses,” now drives 600 monthly visits, fueled by localized content and optimized meta tags.
EcoSEO’s strategy combined technical precision with PayEasy’s mission to empower South African SMBs. By leveraging Screaming Frog, Semrush, Yoast SEO, and Google Data Studio, we optimized content, fixed technical issues, and enhanced local relevance. PayEasy now attracts and converts more leads, solidifying its position in the HR software market.
Technical Tools:
Semrush, Yoast SEO, Ahrefs, Google Search Console, Google Data Studio and Google Analytics
SEO Services
Technical SEO, Conversion Optimisation, Press Release, Link Building, Conversation Rate Optimisation, Mobile Optimisation, Website Speed Optimisation
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