Stu - Christchurch SEO consultant and founder of EightySix Digital
15
Years on
the tools
About Stu

The Christchurch SEO consultant who gets it.

I did my apprenticeship in the UK, ran my own plumbing business in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire for 10 years, then moved to New Zealand and worked as a plumber here until 4 years ago. I know what it costs when the phone stops ringing - and I know what it means when it starts again.

That background shapes everything about how I work. No jargon, no lock-in contracts, no offshore team hiding behind a local phone number. Just one Canterbury-based consultant who genuinely cares whether your business grows.

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By the Numbers
10+
Years running his own plumbing business in the UK
30+
NZ businesses helped to grow through SEO
5.0★
Google rating from every client - 18+ reviews
0
Lock-in contracts. Ever.
My Story

From Gloucestershire job sites to page one of Google.

The Trade Years
10 years on the tools taught me what actually matters in business.

I did my apprenticeship in the UK and spent 10 years running my own plumbing business in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. Quoting jobs, managing customers, chasing invoices, keeping a crew busy - the full picture of running a trade business from the ground up. Then I made the move to New Zealand, where I worked as a plumber for several years before making the switch to digital. I understood better than most what a slow month feels like, and what a steady stream of qualified leads means for your family and your crew.

The Turning Point
I watched other businesses win online while good tradies struggled.

What frustrated me was seeing genuinely great businesses - real quality tradies - losing work to inferior competitors simply because they showed up first on Google. The best plumber in town was losing leads to a mediocre one who happened to rank. That felt wrong, and fixable. I started learning everything I could about SEO - not as a hobbyist, but as a business owner who needed it to actually work.

EightySix Digital
Built to be the agency I wished existed when I was running my own business.

I founded EightySix Digital to be the opposite of every agency experience I had as a business owner. No lock-in contracts - because confidence should come from results, not legal agreements. Plain English reporting - because your time is valuable and you shouldn't need a translator. Real local knowledge - because understanding Canterbury's suburbs, competition, and customers is not something you can fake from an Auckland office.

Today
Based in Rolleston, Christchurch. Still doing the work myself.

Every client gets direct access to me - not a junior account manager, not a templated monthly report, not a call centre. When you work with Christchurch SEO, you work with Stu. I keep my client roster deliberately small so every business gets the attention they deserve. If I can not give a campaign the focus it needs to succeed, I will tell you honestly rather than take your money.

How I Work

The principles behind everything I do.

These aren't values written for a website. They're the lessons I learned running a trade business in the UK and working as a plumber in New Zealand - applied directly to how I run every SEO engagement.

If any of this doesn't sound like your current agency, let's talk.

Honesty Over Comfort
If your website has serious issues, I will tell you plainly. If a keyword is too competitive for your current budget, I will say so. If SEO is not the right investment for you right now, I will tell you that too - even if it costs me the job.
Trade-Grade Work Ethic
In the trades, if you don't show up and do the job properly, the work doesn't get done. I bring the same standard to SEO. Deadlines matter, quality matters, and turning up consistently every single month is non-negotiable.
Long-Term Thinking
I don't chase quick wins that evaporate at the next Google update. Every strategy I build is designed to compound over time and create durable ranking authority that keeps working long after the initial investment.
Small Roster, Full Attention
I deliberately limit how many clients I take on at any one time. Your campaign deserves focused attention every month - not to be one of 80 accounts being managed by rotating junior staff.
Genuinely Local
I live in Rolleston. I understand Canterbury's suburbs, local business landscape, and the way Cantabrians search for services. That local knowledge is not something you can replicate from an Auckland boardroom.
Why Choose Christchurch SEO

What makes working with me different.

01
You talk directly to the person doing the work

No account managers, no handoffs, no "I'll check with the team." When you have a question, you get Stu. When a report lands in your inbox, Stu wrote it.

02
No contracts. You stay because results earn your trust.

Month-to-month arrangements only. Most agencies lock you in because they need time to hide poor performance. I don't need that protection - the results speak for themselves.

03
Built for Canterbury, not copy-pasted from a national template

Every strategy is built from scratch around your specific Christchurch market, your specific competitors, and the exact suburbs your customers are searching from.

04
I understand what a lead actually means to a small business

10 years running my own trade business in the UK, then more years on the tools in New Zealand - I have personally felt the pressure of a quiet month. I don't treat your marketing budget as an abstract number - I treat it like my own.

05
Optimised for 2026 - traditional search AND AI

Most agencies are still optimising for 2020. I build strategies that work in traditional Google results, the map pack, and the AI-powered search tools your customers are increasingly using.

06
5.0 stars from every client who has ever reviewed us

Not one bad review. Not because we cherry-pick, but because client satisfaction is the only metric that actually matters. Every client on Google has left five stars.

Client Reviews

What Canterbury clients actually say.

Stu created our new website and I'm super happy with the result. He's been easy to deal with, accommodating, and has gone above and beyond our expectations. We feel genuinely lucky to have found him.

PH
Paul Hay - Director
Hays Electrical, Christchurch

Couldn't recommend Stu more. He goes above and beyond, is upfront, and explains everything he does in plain English. The only marketing person I've worked with who genuinely cares about your results - not just your contract.

ME
Matt Elliott - Owner
Canterbury Plumbing & Gas
5.0
Excellent - Based on 18+ reviews
Google Business Profile

Every client who has worked with EightySix Digital and left a Google review has given five stars. That track record is the most honest thing I can show you.

Working With Me

What to expect when you work with Stu.

I deliberately keep things simple and transparent. Here is exactly what working with Christchurch SEO looks like from day one.

A real conversation first

Before anything else, we have a straightforward conversation about your business, your goals, and whether SEO is genuinely the right investment right now. No pressure, no pitch - just an honest discussion.

A thorough audit before we start

Every engagement starts with a hands-on SEO audit of your site, your Google Business Profile, and your top competitors. No guesswork - we start with a clear picture of where you stand.

Plain-English monthly reports

Every month you receive a report written by Stu - not generated by a tool or written by a junior. It covers what was done, what moved, what didn't, and exactly what happens next. No jargon, no spin.

Direct access, always

You have my direct number and email. If you have a question, you get Stu - not a ticketing system, not an account manager reading from notes. Most clients hear back from me the same day.

Results you can measure

Rankings, traffic, and lead enquiries - tracked from day one so you always know exactly what the investment is delivering. We set clear benchmarks at the start and measure against them every month.

No lock-in, ever

Every engagement is month-to-month. You stay because the results are worth staying for - not because a contract says you have to. That arrangement keeps me accountable in a way no SLA ever could.

Who I Work With

The clients I do my best work for.

My background is in the trades, and that is where my instincts are sharpest. But the SEO frameworks I use work across any local service business - and I have delivered strong results well beyond the trades.

The common thread is not industry - it is intent. I do my best work for business owners who are serious about growth, willing to invest properly in their digital presence, and who want to understand what is happening rather than just receiving a monthly invoice.

I deliberately keep my client roster small. If I cannot give a campaign the focused attention it needs to produce real results, I would rather decline the work than take the money and underdeliver.

Trade businesses

Plumbers, electricians, builders, gasfitters, drainage contractors - anyone who lives and dies by the phone ringing.

Professional services

Accountants, lawyers, financial advisors, consultants - high-value local searches where ranking in the top three makes a significant difference.

Health and wellness

Physios, dentists, chiropractors, specialists - local search is the primary discovery channel for most Canterbury health providers.

Hospitality and retail

Cafes, restaurants, boutique retail - businesses where appearing in local search and the map pack directly drives foot traffic.

Not sure if you fit?

Get in touch and we will have an honest conversation about whether SEO makes sense for your specific situation. Contact Stu →

Common Questions

Questions people ask before getting in touch.

No - while Christchurch and Canterbury is the primary focus, I work with businesses across New Zealand. The local SEO expertise I bring is most relevant for businesses targeting a specific geographic market, regardless of where in NZ that market is.

I deliberately keep the roster small - typically no more than 8-10 active clients at any one time. This is not a scalable agency model. It is a boutique consultancy where every client gets genuine attention every month. When the roster is full, I maintain a waitlist rather than overextend.

Three things primarily. First, you deal directly with the person doing the work - there are no account managers or hand-offs. Second, every strategy is built specifically for your business and your Canterbury market - nothing is templated. Third, I have 15 years of experience running a trade business, which means I genuinely understand what a qualified local lead means to a small business owner in a way most agency staff simply don't.

Not always - and I will tell you honestly if I don't think it is. SEO requires a minimum investment of time and budget to produce meaningful results, and for some businesses at certain stages, other channels make more sense first. The free audit conversation is the best way to find out - there is no obligation and no sales pressure.

Work With Stu

Ready to work with someone who actually gets it?

Start with a free, no-obligation SEO audit. You get a real, hands-on review of your website and local presence - and I get to show you what I can do.

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