Privacy Policy

SearchShift (“we”, “us”, “our”) is committed to protecting your privacy in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs). This policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your personal information.

1. Who we are

SearchShift is a digital marketing agency based in Melbourne, Australia, providing SEO, GEO, AEO, paid media, content, and web development services to Australian businesses.

If you have any questions about this policy, contact us at: hello@searchshift.com.au

2. What information we collect

We may collect the following types of personal information:

• Contact details — name, email address, phone/mobile number
• Business information — company name, website URL, industry
• Communications — messages you send us via our contact form or email
• Usage data — how you interact with our website (via analytics tools)
• Technical data — IP address, browser type, device information

We only collect personal information that is necessary to provide our services or respond to your enquiry. We do not collect sensitive information (as defined by the Privacy Act) unless absolutely necessary and with your explicit consent.

3. How we collect your information

We collect information:

• When you complete our contact or audit request form
• When you email or call us directly
• When you engage us for services
• Automatically through website analytics (Google Analytics and similar tools)

4. How we use your information

We use your personal information to:

• Respond to your enquiries and provide requested services
• Deliver and manage digital marketing campaigns and reports
• Send service-related communications (invoices, updates, reports)
• Improve our website and services
• Comply with legal obligations

We will not use your personal information for direct marketing purposes without your consent. You may opt out of marketing communications at any time.

5. Disclosure of your information

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We may share it with trusted third parties only where necessary, including:

• Service providers — platforms such as Google Ads, Meta, email marketing tools, and analytics providers used to deliver your campaigns
• Professional advisors — accountants, lawyers, or insurers where required
• Legal authorities — where required by law or a court order

Where we share data with overseas recipients (e.g. cloud platforms headquartered outside Australia), we take reasonable steps to ensure those parties maintain privacy standards consistent with the APPs.

6. Data security

We take reasonable steps to protect your personal information from misuse, interference, loss, and unauthorised access. This includes secure systems, limited staff access, and industry-standard encryption for data in transit.

No method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. If you believe your information has been compromised, please contact us immediately.

7. Data retention

We retain personal information only as long as necessary for the purposes it was collected, or as required by law. Client data is generally retained for seven years for accounting and legal compliance purposes.

8. Access and correction

You have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you, and to request corrections if it is inaccurate, incomplete, or out of date. To make a request, contact us at hello@searchshift.com.au. We will respond within 30 days.

9. Cookies and analytics

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to analyse traffic and improve user experience. We use Google Analytics to understand how visitors interact with our site. This data is aggregated and anonymised where possible.

You can disable cookies in your browser settings, though this may affect the functionality of our website.

10. Complaints

If you believe we have breached your privacy, please contact us in writing at hello@searchshift.com.au. We will investigate and respond within 30 days.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at www.oaic.gov.au.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The current version will always be available on this page with the date it was last updated. Continued use of our website following any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.