Semify has acquired Dragon Metrics, an international search and advertising reporting platform based in Hong Kong, in a deal that extends the US company's global reach and deepens its focus on AI-led optimisation services.
The Rochester, New York-based firm runs a white-label digital marketing software platform that supports search engine optimisation, paid search, paid social and AI optimisation services for agencies and other intermediaries. Dragon Metrics adds an established SEO, AI and pay-per-click reporting product with a strong position in non-Google search markets.
Dragon Metrics was founded in 2011 by Simon Lesser and Richard Mabey. The business focuses on international SEO and offers support for Google as well as search engines widely used in China, Korea and Japan. It serves multinational companies and global agencies in more than 50 countries.
Semify said the transaction significantly expands its measurement and reporting coverage across markets and platforms. It also said the deal advances the company's AI optimisation strategy as search marketing shifts towards AI-driven user experiences.
Financial terms were not disclosed.
Leadership changes
As part of the deal, Dragon Metrics co-founder and chief executive Simon Lesser will join Semify as Chief Product Officer. He will lead product strategy for AI optimisation at the enlarged group.
The Dragon Metrics engineering team will integrate with Semify's development organisation. Semify Chief Technology Officer Brian Sappey will lead the combined engineering group.
Semify is developing what it describes as an AI Optimisation, or AIO, methodology for search and paid media. Dragon Metrics already tracks AI-based overviews in search results. Semify said this function, along with Dragon Metrics' experience in international markets, will support the rollout of its AIO services in more countries.
Patrick Briggs, Chief Executive of Semify, said the acquisition marks a major step in the company's product development.
"This acquisition represents a pivotal moment in our evolution toward comprehensive AI optimization services with best-in-class reporting software," said Patrick Briggs, CEO of Semify. "Dragon Metrics brings not only world-class reporting technology but also deep expertise in international markets that will be crucial as AI optimization expands globally. Simon's vision for AI-powered SEO, PPC, and social advertising reporting perfectly aligns with our AIO strategy, and having him join as our Chief Product Officer will accelerate our service and software development significantly."
Impact on customers
Semify plans an integration that will link Dragon Metrics' software more closely with its own platform over time. It said resellers that work with Semify will gain access to enhanced reporting through a Dragon Metrics account in the near term.
The company said features will then move inside its own software as integration progresses. It said partners will be able to retain reporting, content editing and keyword research tools within a single environment instead of running several separate SEO products.
Dragon Metrics will continue to operate under its own brand for existing customers. Semify said it will allocate additional engineering resources to the Dragon Metrics platform. It will also offer white-label fulfilment services to Dragon Metrics-approved agency customers in line with Semify's reseller-focused commercial model.
Dragon Metrics' tools include keyword rank monitoring, competitor analysis, content optimisation, technical site audits and backlink analysis. The company also supports AI overview tracking across supported search engines. Semify said these features would remain accessible to Dragon Metrics' customer base during and after the integration process.
International focus
Dragon Metrics has positioned itself as a specialist in markets where Google has lower share than in North America and Europe. Its software tracks search performance in engines widely used in China, Korea and Japan, alongside global platforms.
Semify said this coverage complements its own presence in English-speaking markets and broadens the data sources it uses for reporting and optimisation services. It said agencies that resell its services will gain reporting for a wider range of countries and search environments.
Lesser said joining Semify would give Dragon Metrics access to a broader set of services.
"Joining forces with Semify allows us to take Dragon Metrics to the next level by combining our international reporting expertise with Semify's proven white-label fulfillment model," said Simon Lesser, Co-founder and CEO of Dragon Metrics. "Our clients will now have access to full-service digital marketing execution, while Semify's partners gain access to enterprise-grade reporting capabilities that rival any platform in the market."
Mabey said the trend towards data-heavy and AI-informed reporting underpinned the combination.
"This acquisition perfectly illustrates the convergence we're seeing between sophisticated SEO, PPC, social ad, and AI-powered reporting," said Richard Mabey, Co-founder of Dragon Metrics. "The combination of Dragon Metrics' global capabilities with Semify's AIO and SEO expertise creates a uniquely powerful platform."
Semify was founded in 2009 and focuses on white-label services that plug into agencies' existing processes and software stacks. It employs a US-based team that delivers services alongside its proprietary software platform.
The company said demand for AI-led optimisation and reporting is rising in line with changes in how search platforms display results and advertising. It expects the Dragon Metrics acquisition to support expansion of its AIO methodology into more international markets over the coming years.