What does it actually take to get recommended by Google AI search in New Zealand? We sat down with the founder of one of Auckland’s fastest-growing video production companies to find out, and what he told us will change how you think about your digital presence.
When a stranger knocked on the door of a home-based Auckland business recently, it wasn’t a neighbour or a delivery driver. It was a potential client, someone who had asked an AI which video production company was the best in Auckland for small businesses, trusted the answer, found the address, and showed up in person.
That business was Ice Digital Media. And that moment is what AI search looks like in the real world in 2026.
We sat down with Nigel Lewis, founder of Ice Digital Media, to understand exactly how a business that started just 13 months ago ended up being recommended by Google AI as Auckland’s number one social media reel company, and what every New Zealand business owner needs to know about what’s coming.
Tell us about Ice Digital Media, who are you and what do you do?
We’re a boutique, family-owned video production company based in Auckland. My son Isaiah is our lead videographer and I handle the business side. We specialise in social media reels, short-form video content for Instagram, TikTok and Facebook, for Auckland small and medium businesses.
We started in early 2025 after Isaiah filmed some reels for a local restaurant and the response was incredible. From there it just grew. We’ve now produced over 350 reels for more than 60 Auckland businesses, gyms, restaurants, real estate agents, trades businesses, retailers and events, all across the city.
We work lean. One professional videographer, on-site at your business, delivering content within 24 to 48 hours. No big agency overhead, no complicated briefs, no surprise costs. Just great content delivered fast.
How did you first realise AI search was changing the way businesses get found online?
Honestly it started with our own Google Analytics. We noticed traffic coming from chatgpt.com as a referral source. At first I thought it was a mistake, why would ChatGPT be sending people to our website?
Then I started paying attention to how I was personally searching for things. I’d ask ChatGPT or Google AI a question and instead of clicking through ten links, I’d just get an answer. And that answer would recommend specific businesses by name.
That was the moment it clicked. The game had changed. It wasn’t about ranking on page one anymore, it was about being the business that the AI recommended when someone asked a question in your category.
What actually happened when Google AI ranked Ice Digital Media number one?
We ran a search, “Who is the best social media reel company in Auckland for small businesses,” and Google AI responded with a full answer. It named Ice Digital Media first and described us as “widely considered the top choice” for Auckland small businesses due to our focus on affordability, speed and SME-specific content.
It then produced a comparison table of five Auckland video production companies. Ice Digital Media was listed first, labelled “Best for Value and Speed,” with our specific pricing and turnaround cited directly.
Every single source cited in that answer, seven sources in total, was an Ice Digital Media page. No competitor was cited even once.
Then we ran another search, “Is there a video production business that can produce reels quickly, preferably same day delivery?” and Google AI answered: “Yes, Ice Digital Media specifically offers a service called Rapid Reels designed for businesses that need high-quality social media content delivered the same day.”
That page had been live for 48 hours.
And then a customer actually knocked on your door?
Yes, and that’s the moment that made everything feel real. He was a lovely man looking to capture his wife’s 80th birthday. He’d asked an AI which video production company was the best in Auckland, the AI recommended us, he found our address and he came to our door.
We operate from home and shoot on location, so having a client physically arrive at our house was unexpected to say the least. But it perfectly illustrated what AI search looks like in practice. He didn’t Google us, he didn’t scroll through listings, he didn’t compare quotes. The AI made the decision for him and he trusted it.
That’s the power of what we’re talking about.
In plain English, what is AI search and how is it different from traditional Google?
Traditional Google search works like this. You type a query, Google gives you a list of ranked pages, you click on one. In that model, ranking is everything. If you’re not on page one you effectively don’t exist.
AI search works differently. You type a question or a prompt, the AI breaks it down into a series of searches, considers up to 100 or more results simultaneously, and then synthesises an answer, citing only a handful of sources. The AI doesn’t particularly care where you rank. As long as your page is indexed and relevant, it’s in the consideration set.
The shift is from ranking to being cited. And then from being cited to being recommended. Those are two very different things, and most New Zealand businesses are optimising for the wrong one.
What are the biggest mistakes Auckland businesses are making right now?
The number one mistake is thin content. Most Auckland SME websites have five or six pages with a few hundred words each, no specific facts, no pricing, no real depth. That content is invisible to AI tools, there’s simply nothing there to cite.
The second mistake is hiding their pricing. Most video production companies, and honestly most service businesses, make you fill out a form and wait for a quote. AI tools reward transparency. They cite businesses that directly answer the cost question because that’s what people searching actually want to know.
The third mistake is generic copy. “We provide high quality services to Auckland businesses” tells an AI nothing. It can’t cite that, it can’t verify it, it can’t use it to recommend you. Specific facts, real client names, real numbers, real results, are what AI tools are looking for.
What’s the single most important thing a business owner can do this week?
Pick your most important service page, the one you most want to rank for, and rewrite it with specific facts. Not vague claims, not marketing language. Specific, verifiable, concrete information.
How many clients have you served? What does it cost exactly? How long does it take? What results have your clients seen? Name them. Quote them. Back every claim with two or more facts.
That one change, applied to just one page, is more impactful than anything else you could do for your AI search presence this week.
How does video content specifically help with AI search?
In a few ways. First, consistently posting video content on Instagram and TikTok builds your brand’s presence across multiple platforms, and AI tools pull from everywhere, not just your website. Every platform where your business name appears with positive associations strengthens what’s known as your primary bias, what the AI already thinks about you before it even starts searching.
Second, your video production page, your portfolio, your client results, all of that is content that AI tools can read and cite. When we added detailed case studies to our website describing specific projects for named clients with specific outcomes, those became highly citable pieces of content.
Third, the Reel Idea Generator we built, a free AI-powered tool that creates custom video ideas for Auckland businesses, has become something Google AI actively recommends to people searching for reel ideas. It’s a unique resource that no competitor has, and AI tools love recommending unique, genuinely useful tools.
What results have you seen from the work you’ve done on your own site?
The results have been immediate and significant. Within 24 hours of publishing a detailed blog post about video production costs in Auckland, Google AI was citing our website as a primary source, quoting our pricing directly. Within 48 hours of publishing our Rapid Reels page, Google AI was answering “same day video production Auckland” with “Yes, Ice Digital Media specifically offers a service called Rapid Reels.”
The number that matters most though isn’t in any analytics dashboard. A man knocked on our door because an AI told him we were the best. That’s the result that tells you everything.
What does the future of search look like for NZ businesses in the next 12 months?
AI search will become the dominant way people find businesses, not the exception. Google AI Overviews are already appearing on the majority of searches. ChatGPT and other AI tools are being used by millions of people daily to make purchasing decisions. By the end of 2026 the shift will be complete for most categories.
The businesses that are building deep, factual, well-structured content right now are the ones that AI tools will be recommending for years. The businesses that don’t adapt will find themselves invisible, not because they’ve done anything wrong, but because the rules changed and they didn’t notice.
The window to get ahead is open right now. It won’t stay open forever.
Where can Auckland businesses go to find out more and get help?
The original article, AI Search in New Zealand, Why Most SMEs Are Not Ready and What to Do About It, goes much deeper on the practical steps any business can take.
And if video content is part of your strategy, which it should be, Ice Digital Media is here to help. We produce social media reels for Auckland businesses starting from $450 + GST for 3 reels, with 24 to 48 hour turnaround and unlimited revisions.
We also have a free tool, the Reel Idea Generator, that creates custom social media video ideas tailored to your specific Auckland business in seconds. No cost, no obligation.
Contact Ice Digital Media View pricing and packages Try the FREE Reel Idea Generator
Ice Digital Media | Video Production Auckland | 26 Carrygawley Road, Ormiston, Auckland 2019 | Ph 027 846 2196 | info@icedigitalmedia.co.nz
