Merlin Wise
Our own website, a new domain up against established Christchurch agencies. Two months of our client SEO process took it from an average Google position of 70 to 29.
Checked 9 Oct 2026. “wordpress developer christchurch” by a Google search from Christchurch; average positions from Google Search Console (24 Sep baseline against 30 Sep–6 Oct). Search results vary by location and change over time.
In short: before we sell SEO to anyone, we run it on ourselves. Our site was a new domain up against established Christchurch agencies. Two months of the same process we use for clients took it into the top 3 for “wordpress developer christchurch”.
The starting line
merlinwise.co.nz launched in March 2026 while we focused on client work. Like any new site, it started with no search history and almost no links pointing to it. When we began, our six priority searches averaged position 70.
What we did
We put our own site through our client SEO process:
- One page per search. Each service page targets what people actually type, and opens with a direct answer.
- Proof on the page. Our address, live client sites you can visit, and results with dates.
- Prices in public. What a site costs, on the site, not behind a contact form.
- Content worth linking to. Cost guides for websites and SEO in NZ, every figure sourced.
What happened
| Start | 2 months on | |
|---|---|---|
| Priority searches, average position | 70 | 29 |
| “wordpress developer christchurch” | 24 | Top 3 |
| “seo christchurch” | 75 | 23 |
| “christchurch seo agency” | 83 | 25 |
| Lighthouse, mobile | — | 100 |
Positions for “seo christchurch” and “christchurch seo agency” are Google Search Console averages, 10 August to 23 September against 28 September to 11 October 2026.
Built to be looked at
SEO brings people to the page; design decides whether they stay. A dark studio hero, real client sites in browser and phone frames, and pages that score 100 in all four Lighthouse audits on mobile.
What’s next
“website design christchurch” and “seo christchurch” are the searches we’re working on now. We’ll update this page as they move.
Selected screens.
