Search marketing course in New Zealand. Become a certified search marketer in 11 weeks.
The Certified Agile Search Marketing Expert (CASME) covers SEO, AI search optimisation and GEO for tools like ChatGPT, Claude and Google Gemini, Google Ads and Performance Max, local SEO and reporting, one module a week. You get unlimited one-to-one mentoring from New Zealand mentors and a real internship, and you work on a real website: your own, your employer’s or a client’s.
- Length
- 11 weeksAbout 6–8 hours a week
- Price
- $4,789 + GST$5,507.35 incl. GST
- Format
- OnlineWork on a real website as you go
- Mentoring
- Unlimited one-to-oneNZ-based mentors
- Experience
- A real internshipAfter the 11 weeks
- Funding
- Up to 50% with MCDFFor eligible NZ businesses
Learners fromAir New Zealand · ANZCO Foods · Auckland Council · MBIE · University of Auckland · AUT
Who CASME suits, and when to pick a different course.
CASME is for people who want a website found on Google, in Maps and in AI answers, and paid search that pays for itself.
Moving into search
Start an SEO or paid search career while you keep working. You finish with a technical audit, a keyword map and a Google Ads campaign to show employers, plus internship experience.
Marketers who look after search
You run the website or the Google Ads account and want to know what to fix first, how AI Overviews change things, and how to report on it with confidence.
Business owners
Get found by local customers. Build your Google Business Profile, keyword plan and first Google Ads campaign one week at a time, with your mentor checking each one.
Web and content teams
Get writers, developers and marketers working from one keyword map, one list of technical fixes and one report. Eligible NZ businesses can get up to 50% of the cost through MCDF. Ask about team training
What you need to start
- No SEO or coding experience. Module 01 starts with how search engines and AI answers find and rank pages.
- Good English, written and spoken.
- A laptop and a reliable internet connection.
- About 6–8 hours a week for 11 weeks, at times that suit you.
Choose something else if
- You need an NZQA qualification or a StudyLink loan. A one-year NZQA diploma suits you better. See how they compare
- You want every channel, not just search. Social media, email and analytics are covered in the Agile Digital Marketing Expert certification (CADME).
- You'd like to try one topic first. Start with a one-day masterclass, from $489.
- You want to work in UX or product design. Look at the UX product design certification.
How CASME works · Mentoring, a real website and a real internship
Fix a real website, then have a mentor check the numbers.
The Certified Agile Search Marketing Expert (CASME) is 11 weekly sprints on a real website. You build a keyword map, a technical audit, a Google Ads campaign and more, and a mentor reviews each one. You finish with a 12-month search strategy and a forecast to back it.
- Build
SEO, AI search optimisation and Google Ads
You start with keywords and intent, fix the site on-page and technically, get it cited by ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini, then run Google Ads and Performance Max. Each week ends with a change you can make or a campaign you can launch.
- Keyword maps, audits and briefs for a real site
- AI search optimisation and GEO for ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini
- Organic and paid planned together
- Review
Unlimited one-to-one feedback
There’s no cap on mentor sessions. Bring a Search Console report, an audit, an ad account or last month’s numbers, and leave knowing what to fix first and what to test next.
- Feedback on real audits and campaigns
- Help reading Search Console and GA4
- Mentors who know NZ search
- Grow
From a real website to a real internship
Coaching in business, branding and advertising keeps your search work tied to what the business needs. After module 11 you move into a real internship, and support carries on once you graduate.
- Business, branding and advertising coaching
- A real internship after module 11
- Support after you graduate
Made in Aotearoa New Zealand
Search for New Zealand customers. Not a global template.
Ranking in New Zealand isn’t the same as ranking in the US: smaller search volumes, local competitors, Maps results that decide who gets the call, and Google Ads costs of their own. You plan for the searches your customers actually make, and your mentors know the NZ market.
- 3
- Ways to be found: organic results, Google Ads and AI answers
- 11
- Sprints, each ending with a change to a real website
- NZ
- Mentors who know local search and Maps
- 1:1
- Unlimited mentoring on your audits and campaigns
Get found on Google, in Maps and in AI answers.
$4,789 + GST, fixed for 2026 and 2027. Eligible businesses can have up to 50% covered by MCDF, and you can pay online or by invoice.
11 modules in 11 weeks, each ending in real work.
One module a week. You learn it in the online portal, use it the same week in your job or your own business, then go through it with your mentor. Open a module to see what you'll learn and what you'll build.
A typical week
- Monday: the week's module opens in the portal.
- Learn the module in short lessons, about 2–3 hours.
- Build the week's piece of real work, about 3–5 hours.
- Book your mentor as often as you need, evenings and weekends.
- Finish the week with feedback and your next steps.
01
Introduction to Search Marketing
How search works todayYou'll learn
How search engines and AI answer engines find, rank and cite pages, search intent, how organic and paid search work together, and how people in New Zealand search.
You'll build
A search visibility audit of your website, with the ten keywords that matter most to it.
Tools and frameworksGoogle Search Console, Google Analytics (GA4)
02
Agile Search Marketing
Plan and test in short sprintsYou'll learn
Scrum and Kanban for search teams, a backlog of SEO fixes and ad tests, ICE scoring, sprint reviews and retrospectives.
You'll build
A search sprint board with a prioritised backlog for the next two weeks.
Tools and frameworksNotion, Trello, Asana
03
Keyword Research and Intent Discovery
Keywords, clusters and gapsYou'll learn
Seed-to-validation keyword research, search intent, using ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini to expand and cluster keywords into topics, mapping them to pages, and finding the gaps your competitors rank for, including the questions people now ask AI.
You'll build
A keyword map that gives every target cluster a page on your site.
Tools and frameworksGoogle Keyword Planner, Semrush, Ahrefs, ChatGPT, Claude
04
On-Page SEO and E-E-A-T
Titles, schema and trust signalsYou'll learn
Title tags, headings and meta descriptions, schema markup that search engines and AI tools can read, internal linking, and the experience, expertise, authority and trust signals Google looks for.
You'll build
An on-page plan for your key pages, with schema markup ready to add.
Tools and frameworksScreaming Frog, Google Rich Results Test
05
Technical SEO and Core Web Vitals
Crawling, indexing and speedYou'll learn
Crawling and indexing, site architecture, Core Web Vitals and page speed, JavaScript SEO, and how to run a technical audit.
You'll build
A technical audit of your site with a fix list in priority order.
Tools and frameworksScreaming Frog, Lighthouse, PageSpeed Insights, Google Search Console
06
AI Search Optimisation and GEO
Getting cited by ChatGPT, Claude and GeminiYou'll learn
AI search optimisation and generative engine optimisation (GEO): how ChatGPT, Claude, Google Gemini, Perplexity, Microsoft Copilot, Google AI Overviews and AI Mode find and choose their sources, writing pages they can quote, entity and schema signals, llms.txt, and tracking your citations and brand mentions in AI answers.
You'll build
An AI search plan listing the prompts to track in each AI tool and the pages to rewrite so AI answers cite you.
Tools and frameworksChatGPT, Claude, Google Gemini, Perplexity, Microsoft Copilot, Profound
07
Content for Search
Briefs, pillars and clustersYou'll learn
Search-first content briefs, pillar and cluster site structure, drafting with ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini and editing like a human, writing for both search results and AI answers, and refreshing pages that are losing traffic.
You'll build
A pillar page plan with three search-first content briefs.
Tools and frameworksChatGPT, Claude, Google Gemini, Semrush
08
Google Ads and PPC Fundamentals
Search campaigns that pay their wayYou'll learn
How the ad auction works, Quality Score, match types, responsive search ads, bidding and budgets, and conversion tracking with Google Tag Manager.
You'll build
A Google Ads search campaign, set up with conversion tracking.
Tools and frameworksGoogle Ads, Google Tag Manager, Google Keyword Planner
09
Performance Max and AI-Powered Ads
PMax, Demand Gen and AI MaxYou'll learn
Performance Max, Demand Gen and AI Max for Search, asset groups and audience signals, and how to keep control of campaigns that AI runs.
You'll build
A Performance Max campaign plan with asset groups and audience signals.
Tools and frameworksGoogle Ads
10
Local SEO and Link Building
Maps, reviews and backlinksYou'll learn
Google Business Profile, the Maps pack, reviews and local citations, earning backlinks, and digital PR.
You'll build
A local SEO plan and a list of link and PR opportunities.
Tools and frameworksGoogle Business Profile, Ahrefs, Qwoted
11
Search Strategy and Reporting
Your strategy, forecast and pitchYou'll learn
Reporting in GA4 and Looker Studio, tracking traffic and leads from AI tools, attribution, forecasting, and pitching a search strategy to the people who sign off the budget.
You'll build
A 12-month search strategy with a forecast, pitched to your mentor.
Tools and frameworksGA4, Looker Studio, Google Search Console
By week 11 you'll have
- A search visibility audit
- A search sprint board
- A keyword map with intent clusters
- An on-page and schema plan
- A technical SEO audit
- An AI search optimisation plan
- Search-first content briefs
- A Google Ads search campaign
- A Performance Max campaign plan
- A local SEO and link plan
- A 12-month search strategy and forecast
All of it is done on a real website, whether it’s your own, your employer’s or a client’s, so you finish with real work to show alongside your certificate.
After week 11
- Sit the exam200 questions in 2.5 hours, online and proctored. The exam fee is included.
- Get certifiedYour CASME certificate and a badge for LinkedIn.
- Do your internshipPut your skills to work in a real digital marketing internship.
- Keep your supportPost-graduation support as you apply for roles or grow your business.
Certified Agile Search Marketing Expert · Course path
SEO, AI search and Google Ads in 11 weeks.
CASME takes you from keyword research and technical SEO to AI search optimisation, Google Ads and a 12-month search strategy, and you work on a real website from the first week. Compare that with a typical NZQA digital marketing diploma, which takes a year full time: the chart tracks both, week by week.
- CASME certification (11 weeks)
- One-year NZQA diploma (full time)
The 11 CASME modules, one a week
- 01Introduction to Search Marketing
- 02Agile Search Marketing
- 03Keyword Research and Intent Discovery
- 04On-Page SEO and E-E-A-T
- 05Technical SEO and Core Web Vitals
- 06AI Search Optimisation and GEO
- 07Content for Search
- 08Google Ads and PPC Fundamentals
- 09Performance Max and AI-Powered Ads
- 10Local SEO and Link Building
- 11Search Strategy and Reporting
CASME certification
- Length
- 11 weeks, one sprint a week
- Tuition
- $4,789 + GST, the same price through 2027
- What you finish with
- A keyword map, a technical audit, a Google Ads campaign and a 12-month search strategy for a real website
- Work experience
- A real internship once module 11 is done
- Support
- Unlimited one-to-one mentoring on your audits and campaigns
One-year NZQA diploma
- Length
- 1 year full time, or 2 years part time
- Tuition
- Around $10,000 or more, plus course costs
- Work experience
- A capstone or industry project
- Support
- Live online classes and projects. StudyLink loans if eligible
Both routes work. Pick a diploma if you need a formal qualification or a student loan. Pick CASME if you want to get good at search fast, on a real website, without leaving work. The CADME page has the research on mentoring and internships, and the certification and diploma comparison covers the rest.
Get your website found.
$4,789 + GST. Pay online or by invoice, and eligible businesses can have up to 50% covered by MCDF.
The chart assumes study is spread evenly across each course. Diploma length, study load and fees are the published 2027 figures for a New Zealand online digital marketing school’s Level 5 and Level 6 diplomas; check with each provider for current details.
Mentors who check your audits and campaigns, one to one.
Book a session whenever you’re stuck on a Search Console report, an audit or your Google Ads account. There’s no cap on sessions in your 11 weeks, and both mentors have marketed in New Zealand for more than ten years.
Your mentor Sai Constantine
Head of Digital, IDNZ
Sai mentors CASME students in SEO, AI search optimisation and GEO, using AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini, Google Ads and content for search, and in branding, UX and AI. He also leads agentic UX design, which is part of the UX Product Design certification (CAUXPDE). Before IDNZ, Sai worked in digital media at Fairfax and led sales and business development at Domainz (Melbourne IT) and MyRepublic. He went through a Creative Technologies degree.
- SEO
- AI search optimisation
- GEO
- Google Ads
- Content
- Branding
- AI marketing
- UX
- UI
- Agentic UX design
Your mentor Seann Lautner
UX mentor and business coach, IDNZ
Seann mentors CASME students in agile ways of working and website optimisation, and brings a UX researcher’s eye to why visitors from search do or don’t convert. He also coaches graduates into new roles. Formerly a UX researcher at Air New Zealand and Vodafone NZ, and a Certified Scrum Master and agile coach.
- Website optimisation
- UX research
- Conversion
- Agile coaching
- Career coaching
Studying around work and family, with a mentor a booking away.
Two IDNZ graduates on fitting study around work and family. CASME students get the same mentors and support.
- 1,000+
- students and business owners trained since 2016
- 5.0
- from 90+ Google reviews
- 86%
- of graduates advance their career within 12 months (IDNZ graduate survey)
- 10+
- years each mentor has spent marketing in New Zealand
“After 3 months of studying the digital marketing course every night (after putting the children to bed), I am so excited that I passed the exam…”
“The course challenged me to think to a more human-centered design.”
Google reviews
What students say about the teaching.
From 90+ Google reviews
Read them on GoogleGoogle review
“Seann is a great tutor. I learnt a lot -- terminology, tools, best practice, ideas!”
Google review
“A great instructional presentation and technical tutorial”
Google review
“Very informative and helpful. Really enjoyed the course, good overview, detailed and practical.”
Google review
“Great course with awesome insights and practical examples which I can use in my business.”
Google review
“Seann was amazing! He is so clear in his explanations and throws in plenty of humour. Definitely will come along to another of his courses. Learned lots!”
Google review
“Clear, concise, informative and FUN! Highly recommend this course! Thanks Seann”
Organic, paid and AI search, one price.
CASME certification
$4,789+ GST
$5,507.35 including GST. Locked in for 2026 and 2027.
- 11 search modules, one a week, each with a change to make to a real website
- Unlimited one-to-one mentoring on your audits, content and campaigns
- Coaching in business, branding and advertising
- Your CASME certificate after a 200-question online exam (2.5 hours, fee included)
- A real internship when you finish module 11
- Post-graduation support as you grow the site or move into a search role
Intake dates
| Starts | Enrol by | Week 11 ends |
|---|---|---|
Ways to pay
- Pay onlineBy card when you enrol.
- Pay by invoiceWe invoice you, your employer or your client, with a purchase order number if you need one. Ask for an invoice
- Up to 50% with MCDF fundingFor eligible New Zealand businesses. Check your eligibility
How to enrol
Choose your intake
Enrol online, or book a free 15-minute call and talk through your website first.
Get set up
Your portal login and welcome pack arrive in the week before you start.
Pick your website
In your first mentor session, choose the site you’ll work on: your own, your employer’s or a client’s.
Start module 01
Week one audits your site’s search visibility.
Comparing courses? See every IDNZ certification side by side.
Questions
Questions about the CASME search marketing course.
What people ask about SEO, Google Ads, AI search, cost and mentoring before they enrol.
Still deciding?
Show a mentor your website in a free 15-minute call and ask what you’d fix first.
Book a free callCompare all certifications
How long does the CASME search marketing course take?
CASME takes 11 weeks, one module a week, and most weeks you make a real change to a website: a keyword map, a technical audit, a Google Ads campaign. Allow about 6–8 hours a week around work. You can stretch it to 6 months if you need to, portal access lasts a year, and the internship and post-graduation support come after week 11.
When can I start CASME?
Intakes begin on the first Monday of every second month (January, March, May, July, September and November), and enrolments shut on the Wednesday before. Upcoming dates, and when each intake finishes, are listed under Price and intakes.
How much is CASME, and can my employer pay?
CASME is $4,789 + GST ($5,507.35 including GST), and that price is locked in for 2026 and 2027. You can pay by card at checkout, or ask for an invoice to you or your employer. Included: the 11 modules, unlimited one-to-one mentoring, coaching, the exam and certificate, the internship and post-graduation support.
Can my business use MCDF funding for CASME?
If your business is eligible, the Management Capability Development Fund (MCDF) can cover up to 50% of the cost, because search marketing counts as building marketing capability. Check whether your business qualifies. CASME is an industry certification, so StudyLink loans and allowances don’t cover it.
What is the best SEO course in NZ?
It comes down to your goal. For getting a website found and running paid search without leaving work, IDNZ’s Certified Agile Search Marketing Expert (CASME) covers keyword research, on-page and technical SEO, AI search optimisation and GEO, content, Google Ads, Performance Max, local SEO and reporting in 11 weeks, with unlimited one-to-one mentoring and a real internship. An NZQA diploma is the better fit if you need a formal qualification or a student loan, and the certification comparison page lays out the options.
Does CASME teach both SEO and Google Ads?
Yes. Modules 03 to 07 cover SEO: keyword research, on-page SEO and E-E-A-T, technical SEO and Core Web Vitals, AI search optimisation and GEO, and content for search. Modules 08 and 09 cover Google Ads, from search campaigns and Quality Score to Performance Max, Demand Gen and AI Max. Module 10 adds local SEO and link building, and module 11 brings it together in one strategy.
Does CASME cover AI search optimisation and GEO?
Yes. Module 06 covers AI search optimisation and generative engine optimisation (GEO): how ChatGPT, Claude, Google Gemini, Perplexity, Microsoft Copilot and Google AI Overviews choose the sources they cite, how to write pages they can quote, entity and schema signals, llms.txt, and how to track your citations in each tool. You also use ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini as working tools for keyword research in module 03 and content in module 07. Module 09 covers the AI side of Google Ads, including Performance Max and AI Max for Search.
Should I choose CASME or CADME?
Choose CASME if search is your job, or if your business lives or dies by Google. It spends all 11 weeks on SEO, AI search and Google Ads. CADME, the Agile Digital Marketing Expert certification, covers SEO and Google Ads in two modules alongside social media, email, analytics and AI. New to marketing altogether? Start with CADME.
Do I need technical or coding skills for CASME?
No coding is needed. Bring good English, a laptop and a few hours a week. Technical SEO is taught from the ground up, and you learn to read and brief fixes rather than write code. Access to a website you can change helps, and your mentor will help you choose one if you don’t have your own.
What will my mentor help me with on CASME?
Anything you’re working on: a Search Console report you can’t make sense of, a technical audit, a keyword map, a Google Ads account that isn’t converting, or a strategy before you pitch it. There’s no limit on one-to-one sessions during the 11 weeks, and both mentors have a decade or more in NZ marketing.
Can I work on my own website during CASME?
Yes, and most students do. You audit and improve your own site, your employer’s or a client’s, so the changes go live instead of sitting in a document. Business owners often finish with a better Google Business Profile, cleaner pages and their first Google Ads campaign running.
Which SEO and Google Ads tools does CASME use?
Google Search Console, GA4, Google Tag Manager, Google Ads, Keyword Planner, Google Business Profile, Looker Studio, Lighthouse and PageSpeed Insights from Google; Semrush, Ahrefs and Screaming Frog for SEO; ChatGPT, Claude, Google Gemini, Perplexity, Microsoft Copilot and Profound for AI search optimisation and AI-assisted SEO work; and Notion, Trello or Asana for planning.
How is the CASME exam run?
After module 11 you sit an online, proctored exam with 200 questions in 2.5 hours, and the fee is included in the course price. Once you pass, you’re a Certified Agile Search Marketing Expert, with a certificate and LinkedIn badge to show for it.
Will CASME help me get an SEO or paid search job?
Employers hiring for SEO and paid search want proof you can do the work. CASME is an industry certification from the Institute of Digital Marketing New Zealand (not an NZQA qualification), and you leave with a technical audit, a keyword map, a live Google Ads campaign and a search strategy for a real website, all checked by a mentor, plus internship experience. Post-graduation support carries on while you apply, and the comparison page lists typical roles and pay.
Get your website found
The next CASME intake starts .
Enrolments close . $4,789 + GST, with MCDF funding for eligible businesses.