Search, AI visibility and information architecture across MBIE's public websites.
The context
MBIE runs a large portfolio of public-facing websites, including some of New Zealand's most-used government services. People reach that guidance through each site's own search, through Google, and more and more through AI assistants like ChatGPT, Copilot and Gemini.
The Search, AI and Findability team in MBIE's Digital Group looks after how all of that works.
My role
I've been Practice Lead, Findability, since November 2025. Some of this work is commercially sensitive or in internal reports, so I describe it here in general terms only.
What I worked on
- Developed a search roadmap and a long-term recommendations paper for modern, AI-assisted search across MBIE's websites (Search roadmap)
- Led a vendor-neutral evaluation of AI and enterprise search platforms, and looked at how comparable platforms are used across the Australian and New Zealand public sector
- Worked on the search procurement: the search research and options paper, and the functional requirements, including requirements for AI-assisted search
- Developed MBIE's approach to generative engine optimisation (GEO), including assessing AI-visibility and AI-assisted website audit tools
- Assessed how accurately Google AI Overviews represent government guidance, and reported the findings internally (AI Overviews accuracy report)
- Facilitated a cross-team findability workshop that produced a roadmap and action plan, and briefed leadership and channel teams
- Connected a network of government search and findability practitioners, and championed bilingual English and te reo Māori search and WCAG accessibility
- Search roadmap
- Platform evaluation
- GEO
- Information architecture