A customer is looking for a physiotherapist in Tauranga. Five years ago, they'd type "physio Tauranga" into Google, scan the map pack, maybe check a couple of websites, and call someone. Today, an increasing number of those same customers open ChatGPT or Perplexity and ask: "Can you recommend a good physio in Tauranga? Preferably one that does ACC and has late appointments."
The AI gives them a direct answer. It might name two or three specific clinics. And the customer, trusting the AI's synthesis, is likely to call one of the businesses it mentioned — without ever visiting a search results page.
This is the shift that's happening in NZ search behaviour right now. It's not replacing Google — it's adding a new channel that sits alongside it, and it's growing fast.
Which AI tools are NZ customers using?
- Google AI Overviews — built directly into Google Search, these AI-generated summaries now appear for roughly 40% of searches. They're the most widespread AI search touchpoint for NZ consumers because they don't require installing anything new.
- ChatGPT — mainstream consumer adoption has made ChatGPT a go-to research tool. NZ users increasingly use it to get recommendations, compare options, and plan purchases.
- Perplexity — positioned specifically as an AI-powered search engine, Perplexity shows sources alongside answers. Growing rapidly among tech-forward users who want references with their AI responses.
- Gemini — Google's standalone AI assistant is gaining ground and integrates tightly with Google's other products, making it particularly prominent for Google ecosystem users.
Why this matters for local NZ businesses specifically
The shift to AI search is often discussed in terms of national brands and global companies. But it may actually matter more for local NZ businesses — for a simple reason: local questions are exactly the type of question AI tools handle well.
"Who's the best electrician in Hamilton?" is a question AI handles confidently. It synthesises reviews, mentions, local business data, and service descriptions to give a specific recommendation. For businesses that have the right signals in place, being cited in that answer is an enormous trust transfer — the AI is effectively endorsing you.
For businesses that don't have those signals in place, they simply don't exist in that conversation.
The first-mover window is open right now
Here's the opportunity: most NZ businesses haven't started thinking about AI search optimisation yet. Your competitors almost certainly haven't. The businesses that build AI search visibility now — through schema markup, structured content, consistent entity signals, and AI crawler access — will have a significant and durable advantage over those that wait.
This is analogous to the early days of Google Business Profile. The businesses that set up and actively managed their GBP listings in 2015–2018 built map pack authority that their competitors are still trying to catch up to. The same pattern is playing out now with AI search.
Three practical starting points
- Check your robots.txt file. Go to yourdomain.co.nz/robots.txt. Make sure you're not accidentally blocking GPTBot, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot, or Google-Extended. Many NZ sites do this through outdated templates.
- Add schema markup to your website. At minimum, implement LocalBusiness or ProfessionalService schema that accurately describes your business, location, services, and contact details. This is the primary signal AI tools use to understand and cite businesses.
- Write FAQ content. FAQ-format content is the single most consistently cited format in AI search answers. Add a proper FAQ section to your homepage and key service pages that answers the questions your customers ask.
For a deeper dive, read our guide on What Is GEO and Why It Matters for NZ Businesses, or explore Mahi Digital's GEO service — we're the only NZ agency offering this at the SME price point.