Introduction

Seventy‑five percent of searchers never scroll past the first page. Our SEO & SEM Optimisation service blends local expertise, AI‑enhanced analysis and PPC management to help Kiwi businesses capture high‑intent leads. Whether launching a new site or scaling a brand, we ensure you rank for the keywords your customers actually use—and maximise every advertising dollar.

Why NZ Businesses Need Local SEO and Smart SEM

Local Search Dominance

46 percent of all Google searches have local intent. If your plumbing, café or consultancy isn’t optimised for “Hamilton plumber near me” or “Auckland SEO agency,” you’re invisible to thousands of potential customers each month.

Ever‑Evolving Algorithms

Google updates its search ranking algorithm hundreds of times per year. Manual tactics that worked in 2022 can underperform in 2025. Our AI‑assisted monitoring flags emerging ranking factors—like Core Web Vitals and Passage Indexing—so you stay ahead.

Paid Search Complexity

With inflation driving up average CPCs in New Zealand by 12 percent over the past two years, inefficient SEM budgets burn cash. Our continuous optimisation and AI‑powered bid strategies squeeze every cent of value from your campaigns.

Our Dual‑Pronged Approach

We unify Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM). Both pillars are interdependent: insights from paid campaigns inform organic keyword prioritisation, and organic rankings feed quality scores, reducing CPCs.

1. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

Discovery & Technical Audit (Weeks 1–2)

• Site Crawl & Index Analysis: We use industry‑leading tools to audit your entire site for crawlability, duplicate content and indexation issues—ensuring Google can find and rank your pages.
• Core Web Vitals & Mobile Performance: Google’s Page Experience update makes speed and mobile‑friendliness ranking factors. We benchmark your LCP, FID and CLS, then work with your developers (or provide fixes ourselves) to hit green across the board.
• Competitive Gap Analysis: Mapping your site versus top local competitors for target keywords like “Hamilton SEO services” and “Auckland digital agency,” we identify content and linking gaps to exploit.

On‑Page & Content Strategy (Weeks 3–6)

• Keyword Mapping: We organise a master keyword list—segmented by funnel stage, intent and geographic modifier. Primary, secondary and long‑tail phrases each get a dedicated page or section.
• AI‑Enhanced Content Briefs: Using AI to analyse top‑ranking pages, we generate detailed content outlines with recommended headings, word counts, Q&A sections and schema markup guidelines—tailored for NZ audience nuances.
• Copywriting & Optimisation: Our versatile copywriters draft 1,000+‑word pages rich in the mapped keywords, weaving in local references and structured data (FAQ schema, LocalBusiness schema).

Off‑Page & Local SEO (Months 2–4)

• Citation Building & NAP Consistency: We audit and standardise your Name, Address and Phone across 50+ directories (Yellow®, Hotfrog, TrueLocal), ensuring no conflicting information undermines your local rankings.
• Link‑Building Campaigns: Through partnerships with NZ media outlets, local business associations and industry blogs, we secure high‑authority backlinks. Every link opportunity is vetted for relevance and domain strength.
• Google Business Profile Optimisation: From keyword‑rich business descriptions to weekly post scheduling and photo updates, we turn your GBP into a lead‑generation engine—driving calls, bookings and “Get Directions” clicks.

2. Search Engine Marketing (SEM)

Strategy & Setup (Weeks 1–2)

• Account Audit & Rebuild: We review your existing Google Ads, Microsoft Ads and/or Meta search campaigns for structure, tracking and negative keyword hygiene. If accounts are over‑complicated or under‑performing, we rebuild from scratch using a clean, SKAG‑inspired architecture (single‑keyword ad groups) to maximise Quality Score.
• Conversion Tracking & Analytics: Every form fill, phone call and purchase is tracked through Google Tag Manager and sent into Google Analytics 4. Cross‑domain tracking, Enhanced Conversions and ValueTrack parameters ensure you know which keywords drive revenue.

Campaign Management (Ongoing, Month 1+)

• AI‑Powered Bid Strategies: Leveraging Google’s Performance Max and smart bidding, combined with our proprietary machine‑learning models, we optimise bids in real time—balancing budget spend across search, display and remarketing for peak ROAS.
• Ad Creative & A/B Testing: We craft 5–7 ad variations per ad group, rotating headlines, descriptions and ad extensions. AI‑driven insights indicate winning combinations, which we scale automatically.
• Geo & Time‑Of‑Day Targeting: For brick‑and‑mortar clients in Hamilton CBD or targeting café‑goers in Ponsonby, we layer hour‑of‑day and radius targeting to zero in on your most valuable audiences.

Reporting & Continuous Improvement

• Weekly Pulse Checks: Quick‑turnaround reports highlight spend, clicks, conversions and CPA. Any major anomalies trigger immediate alerts and corrective actions.
• Monthly Deep‑Dive Reviews: We deliver a 15‑page deck including a SWOT analysis, lift charts for top keywords and strategic recommendations—whether to increase budget, test new ad formats or refine landing‑page copy.

Deliverables & Pricing

† Includes Google Business Profile management, citation audits and five local link submissions per month.
‡ 10 percent discount on combined setup fees, 15 percent discount on combined monthly retainer.

Success Story: Southern Paddles Kayaking Tours

“After six months of BWD Media’s SEO & SEM package, our online bookings tripled, and our shoulder‑season inquiries grew by 165 percent. We’re now fully booked from October through April.”

— Rachel M., Operations Manager

• SEO Wins: Ranked #1 in “Queenstown kayak tours” and “family kayaking NZ” within 90 days.
• SEM Performance: Achieved 4.2× ROAS on Google Ads with a $3 CPC average.
• Local Impact: 247 “Get Directions” clicks via GBP monthly.

Frequently Asked Questions