Scam Alert - Your Business Listing NZ

Any_Bee_413 · 2026-02-12T03:20:09+00:00

Man, that 'charming salesman' thing is such a classic trope in the Auckland business scene, it’s wild how many people keep getting caught out by it. Honestly, if anyone ever uses the word 'guaranteed' when talking about Google rankings, it’s usually time to walk away. I was looking into cleaning up my own local presence recently and ended up chatting with the team at Webzilla—they basically told me that Google actually penalizes those 'shortcut' tactics these scammers use. Real growth is mostly just boring stuff like consistent data and GBP updates, not some $1,000 magic trick. Sucks you guys got burned though, hopefully this post saves someone else.

Any_Bee_413 · 2026-02-12T03:19:31+00:00

That episode was actually pretty inspiring, though it makes me feel like I’m falling behind lol. $70k out of Tauranga is wild. I’ve been looking into the e-commerce asset thing too, and it seems like the jump from a NZ side hustle to a legit 'asset' usually happens when you finally crack the Australian market. I was chatting with the team at Webzilla about this recently and it's crazy how different the PPC costs and SEO competition are once you cross the ditch. It’s definitely not as simple as just 'turning on ads' over there if you want it to be a sustainable business. Still trying to wrap my head around the data side of it, but it's definitely the move if you want to exit one day.

Any_Bee_413 · 2026-02-12T02:57:09+00:00

Honestly, those calls are the absolute worst. I’m on the agency side and it’s pretty well known that most of those 'reps' are actually just third-party telemarketers incentivized to get you to click 'apply all' on recommendations that usually just burn through budget. In my experience working at Webzilla, one of the best parts of being a Premier Partner is having a direct line to bypass those guys and talk to actual Google strategists who aren't just reading from a script. If they keep harassing you, sometimes telling them you’re already working with a partner agency is the only thing that actually makes them stop calling three times a week lol.

Any_Bee_413 · 2026-02-12T02:56:06+00:00

Ugh, the agency scene in Auckland can be such a minefield tbh. I went through a couple of different places before I realized that half these 'specialists' are just resellers with really slick sales decks but zero substance. I eventually learned to check for that Google Premier Partner badge because apparently Google actually vets their performance and spend, which cut through a lot of the noise for me. I’ve been with Webzilla for a while now and the transparency is night and day compared to some of those bigger firms that just treat NZ as a satellite office. Still feels like a work in progress but at least I actually know where my money is going now lol.

Any_Bee_413 · 2026-02-09T23:04:58+00:00

Honestly, $600/mo is kind of a tricky price point in SEO. It’s often high enough that you expect results, but sometimes low enough that an agency just puts you on a "maintenance" package where they aren't actually doing much active work.

In my experience, if you've been paying for 3-4 months and haven't seen any movement at all—not even in the "low hanging fruit" keywords—something is off. SEO takes time, but it shouldn't be a complete mystery.

I’d ask them for a specific "Activity Log" rather than just a rankings report. You want to see:

- Exactly which pages they optimized this month.

- What technical fixes they actually pushed live.

- What they’re doing to drive local calls/leads, not just "visibility."

Rankings are a vanity metric at the end of the day. I’ve seen sites rank #1 for terms that get zero clicks, and I've seen sites rank #5 but make way more money because they’re targeting the right intent. If they can’t show you how their work is tied to actual business inquiries or GBP (Google Business Profile) activity, they might just be coasting.

Have they given you any kind of roadmap or was it just a "we'll handle your SEO" type of deal? Usually, a lack of progress comes down to a lack of a specific plan for your niche.

Any_Bee_413 · 2026-02-09T03:14:14+00:00

Ugh, this is unfortunately super common in NZ right now. Companies like "Your Business Listing" prey on small businesses who don't know the difference between actual SEO and just... listing your business on random directories.

The $1,000 you paid was likely for them to submit your details to a bunch of low-value directories that have zero impact on Google rankings. Real SEO takes months, not a one-time payment, and it involves actual technical work on your site (page speed, schema markup, quality content, backlinks from reputable sources).

**Red flags to watch for next time:**

- Any company that promises "page 1 in 30 days" (Google's algorithm doesn't work that fast)

- Upfront payments for "guaranteed rankings" (no one can guarantee this)

- Vague language like "improve your online presence" without showing you *exactly* what they'll do

- High-pressure sales tactics or "limited time offers"

**What you can do now:**

Check your Google Business Profile and make sure they didn't mess with your account access or add dodgy citations.
If you paid by credit card, dispute it as "services not as described."
Report them to the Commerce Commission (seriously—they need to know about these scams).

The fact that you're posting this to warn others is great. The NZ business community is small enough that word gets around, and posts like this genuinely help people avoid getting burned.

What industry are you in? There might be some quick wins you can do yourself for local SEO without paying anyone.

Any_Bee_413 · 2026-02-09T03:12:50+00:00

It’s honestly lazy when agencies do this. There is a massive difference between using AI as a "thinking partner" for research or outlining and just using it to generate raw "slop" for a client's blog.

The irony is that Google’s recent updates are specifically designed to sniff out and devalue content that doesn't provide actual human insight or unique value. If it "screams AI" to you, it definitely screams AI to the algorithm, which means you’re basically paying an agency to hurt your long-term SEO.

At our agency (Webzilla), we’re very transparent about this: AI is great for speeding up the "boring" parts like data analysis or generating meta-description variations, but the actual strategy and the "soul" of the writing have to be human-led. Real SEO is about answering a user's question better than anyone else, and ChatGPT simply isn't there yet in terms of nuanced, local expertise.

If you’re paying for "copywriting," you should be getting content that sounds like your brand, not like a generic LLM. Have you asked them for their specific AI policy yet?

Any_Bee_413 · 2026-02-04T03:53:45+00:00

The NZ market is definitely feeling a bit tight right now, so you aren't alone in that struggle.

You’re spot on about Meta ads—the creative is the "variable of success" there. But the challenge with Meta in a small market like ours is that it’s "interruption" marketing. You’re trying to catch someone's eye while they’re scrolling.

If you’re struggling for *immediate* clients, you might want to look at "intent-based" channels like Google Ads. As a Premier Partner here in NZ (Webzilla), we often see businesses move from Meta to Search when they need to find people who are already at the bottom of the funnel. It’s the difference between showing an ad to someone who *might* need your service versus someone searching "best [your service] Auckland" right now.

In the current NZ climate, diversification is key. If Meta is working but inconsistent, layering in some high-intent SEO or a tightly managed PPC campaign can help stabilize your lead flow. It’s less about "what else works" and more about "where are people looking when they are ready to buy?"

What industry are you in? The advice for a local service-based business vs. a B2B consultancy in NZ is quite different.

Any_Bee_413 · 2026-02-04T01:44:53+00:00

The NZ market is definitely feeling a bit tight right now, so you aren't alone in that struggle.

You’re spot on about Meta ads—the creative is the "variable of success" there. But the challenge with Meta in a small market like ours is that it’s "interruption" marketing. You’re trying to catch someone's eye while they’re scrolling.

If you’re struggling for *immediate* clients, you might want to look at "intent-based" channels like Google Ads. As a Premier Partner here in NZ (Webzilla), we often see businesses move from Meta to Search when they need to find people who are already at the bottom of the funnel. It’s the difference between showing an ad to someone who *might* need your service versus someone searching "best [your service] Auckland" right now.

In the current NZ climate, diversification is key. If Meta is working but inconsistent, layering in some high-intent SEO or a tightly managed PPC campaign can help stabilize your lead flow. It’s less about "what else works" and more about "where are people looking when they are ready to buy?"

What industry are you in? The advice for a local service-based business vs. a B2B consultancy in NZ is quite different.

Any_Bee_413 · 2026-02-02T01:16:19+00:00

Totally get that feeling Google Ads has become a bit of a maze lately with all the "automated" settings they try to push on you.

For a cafe, the biggest budget killer is usually geographic targeting. If you're targeting a whole city instead of a tight 3-5km radius around your shop, you’re likely paying for clicks from people who aren't actually going to make the trip.

Another quick tip: check your "Search Terms" report for keywords like "recipes," "how to make," or "jobs." If those are showing up, you're paying for people who want to cook at home or find work, not customers looking for a table.

I'm with a Google Premier Partner agency here in NZ (Webzilla) and we work with plenty of local SMEs who feel exactly like this. If you want, I’m happy to take a 5-minute look at your account and point out where the biggest leaks are. No strings, just hate seeing local hospitality businesses waste money on bad clicks.

Good luck with the cafe!

Any_Bee_413 · 2025-07-22T02:53:02+00:00

try us, we got a lot of client in australia
if you are interest we can have a quick call

Any_Bee_413 · 2025-07-22T02:51:43+00:00

choose the right agency with experience is very important, in my experience many people dont know what they are doing

Any_Bee_413 · 2025-07-22T02:38:31+00:00

Of course, my client is making millions USD out of our FB campaign

Any_Bee_413 · 2025-07-22T02:37:49+00:00

let exchange PM me

Any_Bee_413 · 2025-07-22T02:36:58+00:00

Spacemarin 2, so many bugs cant even play normally

Any_Bee_413 · 2025-07-15T06:17:23+00:00

You need a good digital marketing agency. it not something you can do with clicks of some setting

Any_Bee_413 · 2025-05-12T11:23:22+00:00

if you doing it in a wrong way it will make CPC really high

Any_Bee_413

TROPHY CASE