Project overview
The challenge
Storage Depot operates in a competitive New Zealand market covering shipping containers, portable storage and self-storage.
The opportunity was not simply to improve rankings for traditional SEO keywords. Search behaviour is changing, with users increasingly receiving answers directly through Google AI Overviews and other AI-powered search experiences.
The goal was to create useful, authoritative content that could:
• Rank for high-intent organic searches
• Answer real customer questions clearly
• Improve visibility within Google AI Overviews
• Build topical authority around shipping containers and storage
• Generate long-term organic visibility without relying entirely on paid advertising
The strategy focused on creating content that was useful for customers first, while also being structured in a way that search engines and AI systems could easily understand and retrieve.
The SEO & AI Search Strategy
Rather than publishing broad, generic blog content, I focused on specific questions people were actively asking when researching shipping containers and storage.
The content strategy targeted topics such as:
• Buying shipping containers in New Zealand
• Understanding shipping container sizes
• Selling used shipping containers
• Choosing a secure self-storage facility
• Portable storage containers and delivery
Each article was built around clear search intent.
For example, someone searching for information about buying a shipping container does not simply need a product page. They may also want to understand container sizes, condition, pricing considerations, delivery requirements and what to look for before making a purchase.
Creating content around these questions helped Storage Depot become a useful source of information throughout the customer research journey.
Optimising Content for AI Search
My approach to AI SEO and Generative Engine Optimisation is not about creating content specifically for robots.
It is about making information clear, useful, authoritative and easy to retrieve.
For Storage Depot, this involved structuring content around specific customer questions and providing concise, useful answers within more comprehensive articles.
The content was designed to clearly communicate:
• What the topic is about
• The important considerations customers need to understand
• Practical steps and recommendations
• Relevant products or services
• New Zealand-specific context
This type of structure helps traditional search engines understand the page while also increasing the likelihood of useful sections being referenced within AI-generated search results.
Google AI Overview Visibility
One of the strongest outcomes from the campaign was seeing Storage Depot content appearing within Google AI-generated answers.
For queries around buying shipping containers in New Zealand, Storage Depot was surfaced within search results while information from the content was also incorporated into the AI Overview.
Similar visibility was achieved for searches relating to selling shipping containers and portable storage containers.
The results are particularly valuable because the brand is not simply ranking as another blue link. Its information is being surfaced within the answer experience itself.
That is becoming increasingly important as search moves from traditional lists of websites toward AI-assisted answers.
Examples of Search Visibility
Storage Depot gained visibility for queries including:
“shipping container sizes nz”
“explain shipping container sizes”
“buying shipping containers in NZ”
“how to buy shipping containers in NZ?”
“buy shipping containers”
“how to sell shipping containers”
“sell shipping containers nz”
“how to choose a self storage facility in nz?”
“secured self storage facility in nz”
“portable storage containers nz”
These are highly relevant searches from people actively researching products or services within Storage Depot’s market.
Why This Matters for AI SEO
AI search is changing what successful SEO looks like.
Ranking on page one remains important, but businesses increasingly need to consider whether their brand and content are being surfaced inside AI-generated answers.
This project demonstrates my approach to AI search optimisation:
Traditional SEO fundamentals remain the foundation.
However, content also needs to be structured so that AI-powered search engines can understand the business, extract useful information and confidently reference that information when answering relevant questions.
That means focusing on strong topical coverage, clear entities, useful answers, structured content and genuine expertise rather than trying to manipulate individual AI platforms.
The Result
Storage Depot now has a growing library of content generating visibility across traditional Google search and Google AI search experiences.
The project has demonstrated that carefully planned SEO content can achieve more than keyword rankings alone.
It can help a business become part of the answer.
For businesses looking to improve their visibility across Google, AI Overviews, ChatGPT and other AI-powered search experiences, this is increasingly where SEO strategy needs to evolve.
