Auckland Search Marketing Social - September 2026

Our first Search Marketing Network social in Auckland is in the books, and what a joy it was. Thank you to everyone who came along to Dr Rudi’s to hang out. We were so pleased to see you all.

Two hours, no agenda, no slides, just conversation. That format has worked in Christchurch for years, and it was great to see it land just as well up here.

AI was, unsurprisingly, a big part of the evening. As everyone in the industry knows, it’s reshaping how we think about search, and people were keen to compare notes on what that looks like in their day-to-day work.

Another thread that kept coming up was the “conversation” between paid and organic search: how the two disciplines inform each other, where they overlap, and why it pays for SEO and PPC people to be in the same room more often.

That led into what might have been the biggest takeaway of the night: there’s a real appetite for consistent community-building in Auckland. People want regular, welcoming spaces to connect with others who do what they do, whether they’re freelance, in-house or agency-side.

One thing that surprised us was how people found the event. Quite a few attendees hadn’t heard of the Search Marketing Network. They’d simply searched for SEO events on ticketing platforms, found us and decided to come along. It was a great reminder that our reach goes well beyond LinkedIn, and a fitting one for a room full of search marketers.

Thank you again to everyone who joined us, and to Dr Rudi’s for hosting. We’ll see you at the next one.

Details

We're excited to announce our first social event in Auckland!

• Date: Tuesday, 8 September 2026
• Time: 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM (arrive anytime)
• Location: Dr Rudi's Rooftop Brewing Co.
• Address: Level 2/204 Quay Street, Auckland CBD, Auckland 1010 Google Map here. 

This casual meetup is a great opportunity to connect with fellow search marketers, paid search specialists, and SEO professionals in Auckland.

We warmly welcome freelance or in-house marketers, the search curious, and anyone with questions about AI search (AIO / GEO / whichever acronym is flavour of the day!).

Visit one of our event pages below to RSVP. We look forward to seeing you at Dr Rudi's!

 

Why You Should Join Us

Our events are refreshingly informal. No presentations, no agendas, just genuine conversation over drinks. This is the debut of the Search Marketing Network in Auckland, and we're bringing the same format that's worked in Christchurch for three and a half years — where conversations range from how AI is changing the way we work (without needing to be a programmer) to the realities of freelancing in search marketing.

You'll find yourself discussing the practicalities of client work one moment, then debating some completely unrelated industry hot take the next.

Expect local flavour too — Auckland's take on the same challenges every search marketer deals with: staying ahead of algorithm changes, building a network in a big, spread-out city, and figuring out what actually works when everyone's opinion on "best practice" seems to differ.

It's the kind of evening where work insights and life perspectives blend naturally, and you'll leave with new connections and probably a few ideas you hadn't considered before. You can read about our past events here