How visible are NZ plumbers to AI?
As of July 2026, the average AI-visibility score of 256 audited New Zealand plumbers’ websites is 70/100 — 3% block at least one AI search crawler, and 28% have no structured data telling AI engines what the business is.
average score
70/100
block AI crawlers
3%
no structured data
28%
City by city
| City | Sites audited | Avg score | Block AI crawlers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christchurch | 28 | 70/100 | 7% |
| Hamilton | 28 | 71/100 | 0% |
| Tauranga | 26 | 72/100 | 0% |
| Auckland | 25 | 71/100 | 0% |
| Wellington | 25 | 72/100 | 4% |
| Hastings | 24 | 65/100 | 0% |
| New Plymouth | 23 | 70/100 | 13% |
| Dunedin | 22 | 67/100 | 5% |
| Palmerston North | 22 | 70/100 | 5% |
| Rotorua | 22 | 67/100 | 0% |
| Napier | 21 | 68/100 | 0% |
Why does AI visibility matter for plumbers?
When someone asks ChatGPT or Google’s AI for “a good plumber near me”, the engines can only recommend businesses they can find, read and trust. A site that blocks AI crawlers or renders everything in JavaScript is invisible in those answers — the job goes to whoever is visible. The average here is 70/100, which means most plumbers are competing for AI recommendations with a handbrake on — and the ones who fix it early inherit the category.
Are you above or below 70?
Run the same audit on your own site — free, 20 seconds, no signup.
Check my siteLast updated July 2026 · based on 256 audited websites · methodology · aggregates only, no individual business is named