AI search optimisation agencies in New Zealand.

AI search optimisation, also called answer engine optimisation (AEO) or generative engine optimisation (GEO), is work to make a business the source AI assistants name or cite when people ask about its field. In New Zealand it is sold mostly by SEO agencies, which fits: the search companies say it is largely the same work.

How AEO and GEO differ from SEO

Less than the new names suggest. Google’s guidance says that, from its perspective, optimising for generative AI search is still SEO, that no special schema.org markup is needed and that Google Search ignores llms.txt files. Microsoft says Bing and Copilot rely on “the same core crawling, indexing, and ranking foundation as traditional search”. OpenAI says a site must allow its OAI-SearchBot crawler to be eligible for ChatGPT search.

New Zealand AI search agencies compared

MOGGED first, then alphabetical. “Prices published” means on the agency’s own site, as listed on 20 October 2026.

Agency profiles

MOGGED Digital

MOGGED Digital is Levy Street’s Wellington studio for small businesses (websites, SEO, Google Ads and Meta Ads); its site footer reads “A Levy Street studio.” Its SEO page makes AI search readiness part of every plan: clear facts, consistent details, structured data and answer-first pages. It publishes no price list, says no one can guarantee a number one Google ranking, and its case studies are website builds. More on our MOGGED page.

Fabric Digital

Fabric Digital, in Rosedale, Auckland, offers GEO alongside SEO and paid ads, including a citation plan using listings, reviews, partners and media, on month-to-month contracts.

First Page NZ

First Page NZ, headquartered in Freemans Bay, Auckland, offers AI SEO with an AI readiness audit and continuous visibility tracking. Its site also lists Australia and Singapore.

Flow Media

Auckland’s Flow Media sells AEO through an AI answer audit, content work, authority building and monitoring; its home page says 73% of its clients now appear in AI overviews.

hairyLemon

Christchurch agency hairyLemon offers SEO and GEO alongside websites. Its page states that “no one can guarantee your website will appear in AI-generated responses”.

Kia Ora Digital

Kia Ora Digital, based in Frankton, Queenstown, tracks AI citations, share of answer and leads. It names one AI result: an Australian pet retailer it says made A$8,360 in sales from AI assistants in the six months to June 2026.

Kiwi Web Design

Auckland’s Kiwi Web Design offers AI SEO and GEO for small businesses and states “There is no guaranteed citation formula”.

Net Branding

Net Branding, in Remuera, Auckland, sells a retained Monthly AI Visibility Package measuring mention rate, citation rate and answer position.

Pure SEO

Pure SEO, headquartered in Northcote, Auckland, with a Wellington branch, offers GEO with audits, content, digital PR and citation tracking. Its sister agency The Optimisers ran a New Zealand study in which ChatGPT, Google AI Mode and Copilot split on the lead provider in 134 of 211 matched cases.

The Digital Hive

Auckland’s The Digital Hive offers AEO with structured answers and FAQ blocks; its FAQ says schema “does not guarantee rankings, AI Overview inclusion or ChatGPT citations”.

Vanguard 86

New Plymouth’s Vanguard 86 publishes ballpark monthly AEO costs: $2,500+ for businesses with $5m to $20m revenue, $5,000+ for enterprise and $15,000+ for custom work, SEO included.

Web Genius

Web Genius, with its head office in Paraparaumu, says its SEO builds search and AI visibility. Its guarantee covers traditional Google visibility: on its SEO Pro package, doubled visibility across 20 keywords within six months or no monthly fee, terms applying.

Other New Zealand agencies with AI search pages include Digital Hothouse, Insight Online, LocaliQ NZ and The Web Guys, all in Auckland.

What an agency can and cannot promise

No one controls AI answers. Google says “Indexing and serving isn’t guaranteed” and that AI Overviews often don’t trigger. OpenAI says of ChatGPT search “Placement is not guaranteed”, and Microsoft’s Bing guidelines say structured data does not guarantee visibility.

How to choose an AI search agency

Ask every agency, MOGGED included:

• Which customer questions will you track, in which AI tools, and how many runs per question?
• Do you report mentions, citations, links and enquiries separately?
• What will you change on our site, and what work happens off it?
• Do you recommend llms.txt files or special schema, and why?
• What is the monthly cost including GST, and the minimum term?
• Who owns the content and accounts if we leave?

Illustrative example: a Hamilton physiotherapy clinic tracks 25 questions in three AI tools, three runs each, monthly: 225 checks. Named in 18 answers in month one and 45 in month four, it moved from 8% to 20%, then checks bookings against last year before crediting the agency. AGEO, an Auckland platform, sells this kind of tracking as software (NZ$50 per 1,000 tokens a month, as listed). For the answer pages themselves, see our lessons on building FAQs from support tickets and source-checked content drafts.

Red flags, and New Zealand rules

• Guaranteed placement in AI answers. The search companies will not promise it either.
• AI-only fixes sold as essential. Google’s generative AI guide says many suggested “hacks” aren’t effective and no third-party tool has access to its ranking or AI systems.
• Manufactured mentions and reviews. In New Zealand these can breach the Fair Trading Act: in December 2025 The TV Shop was convicted on 13 charges after staff posted undisclosed “customer” reviews.
• Claims you cannot back up. AI tools repeat what your pages say, and the Commerce Commission says you need reasonable grounds for claims when you make them.
• Self-ranked “best agency” lists. Two lists of New Zealand AEO agencies we found were published by agencies that ranked themselves first. Use lists to find names, then check each agency’s own site, as our AI vendor evaluation checklist suggests.

If you want AI working inside your operations rather than in search results, start with a Levy Street workflow assessment.

Written by the Levy Street team in Wellington. Last updated 19 October 2026.