--- title: "Smith & Sons vs Zen Builders: Which is searched more in New Zealand?" description: "Is Smith & Sons or Zen Builders more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Christchurch renovation builders set in New Zealand. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time." canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/compare/smith-sons-vs-zen-builders" publisher: "Brandwave" --- # Smith & Sons vs Zen Builders: Which is searched more in New Zealand? Is Smith & Sons or Zen Builders more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Christchurch renovation builders set in New Zealand. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time. ## Key facts - **Compared**: Smith & Sons and Zen Builders - **Competitive set**: Christchurch renovation builders - **Market**: New Zealand - **Month measured**: Sep 2026 - **Smith & Sons Share of Search**: 8.3% - **Zen Builders Share of Search**: 11.1% ## Is Smith & Sons or Zen Builders more popular in search? - In September 2026, Zen Builders had more branded searches than Smith & Sons among Christchurch renovation builders in New Zealand. Zen Builders had about 40 branded searches, while Smith & Sons had 30. Zen Builders made up 11.1% of all Christchurch renovation builder searches we track, and Smith & Sons accounted for 8.3%. - The lead changed hands 3 times in the 12 months ending September 2026: Zen Builders took it in November 2025, Smith & Sons took it in March 2026, Zen Builders took it in April 2026. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Smith & Sons’ share of searches among Christchurch renovation builders in New Zealand moved from 12.5% to 8.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 50 to 30. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Zen Builders’ share of searches among Christchurch renovation builders in New Zealand moved from 7.5% to 11.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 30 to 40. ## Top Christchurch renovation builders in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews In three ChatGPT questions, Zen Builders appeared in all three answers. Smith & Sons was mentioned in two out of three: in two of the three ChatGPT answers. Zen Builders was listed before Smith & Sons in every answer. Brands get a higher AI rank if they are mentioned earlier in the answers that list options. | Brand | AI rank | ChatGPT answers that named it | All answers that named it | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Zen Builders | 1st | 3 of 3 | 3 of 3 | | Summit Construction | 2nd | 3 of 3 | 3 of 3 | | Harris Build | 3rd | 2 of 3 | 2 of 3 | | Trent Builders | 4th | 2 of 3 | 2 of 3 | | Smith & Sons | 4th | 2 of 3 | 2 of 3 | | Refresh Renovations | 6th | 2 of 3 | 2 of 3 | | Sinclair Builders | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 3 | ## Every AI answer about Christchurch renovation builders - Asked ChatGPT "Which renovation builder should I hire in Christchurch, New Zealand?": 1. Zen Builders, 2. Summit Construction, 3. Harris Build, 4. Refresh Renovations - Asked ChatGPT "What are the best renovation builders in Christchurch, New Zealand?": 1. Zen Builders, 2. Summit Construction, 3. Trent Builders, 4. Smith & Sons, 5. Refresh Renovations - Asked ChatGPT "What's the best renovation builder in Christchurch, New Zealand for a house renovation?": 1. Summit Construction, 2. Zen Builders, 3. Harris Build, 4. Smith & Sons, 5. Trent Builders Not named in any answer: Sinclair Builders. Brands are listed in the order each answer named them. The answers were collected in New Zealand on October 20, 2026. ## How did search popularity change for New Zealand Christchurch renovation builders in September 2026? - In September 2026, Smith & Sons lost share of searches among Christchurch renovation builders in New Zealand, from 11.1% to 8.3%. - In September 2026, Zen Builders rose from 6th to 5th among Christchurch renovation builders in New Zealand. ## Month by month | Month | Smith & Sons estimated searches | Smith & Sons Share of Search | Smith & Sons rank | Zen Builders estimated searches | Zen Builders Share of Search | Zen Builders rank | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Oct 2025 | 50 | 12.5% | 5 | 30 | 7.5% | 6 | | Nov 2025 | 30 | 8.1% | 6 | 40 | 10.8% | 5 | | Dec 2025 | 30 | 9.7% | 5 | 30 | 9.7% | 6 | | Jan 2026 | 30 | 7% | 6 | 40 | 9.3% | 5 | | Feb 2026 | 30 | 6.8% | 6 | 50 | 11.4% | 5 | | Mar 2026 | 60 | 12.2% | 5 | 50 | 10.2% | 6 | | Apr 2026 | 30 | 6.8% | 6 | 40 | 9.1% | 5 | | May 2026 | 30 | 7% | 6 | 50 | 11.6% | 5 | | Jun 2026 | 40 | 9.8% | 6 | 50 | 12.2% | 4 | | Jul 2026 | 50 | 12.5% | 5 | 50 | 12.5% | 6 | | Aug 2026 | 50 | 11.1% | 5 | 50 | 11.1% | 6 | | Sep 2026 | 30 | 8.3% | 6 | 40 | 11.1% | 5 | ## How each brand is measured Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Smith & Sons’ and Zen Builders’ names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading. - **Smith & Sons**: Measured on the search terms “smith & sons”, “smith and sons”, “smith sons renovations”, “smith&sons”, “smithandsons” and “smithsons”, summed into one figure. - **Zen Builders**: Measured on the search term “zen builders”. - [Smith & Sons profile](/demand/nz/brands/smith-sons) - [Zen Builders profile](/demand/nz/brands/zen-builders) - [All Christchurch renovation builders in New Zealand](/demand/nz/locations/christchurch/renovation-builders): The set both shares are measured inside, 7 brands. ## Methodology - [How is the Brand Demand Index measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is Smith & Sons or Zen Builders more popular in search? In September 2026, Zen Builders had more branded searches than Smith & Sons among Christchurch renovation builders in New Zealand. Zen Builders had about 40 branded searches, while Smith & Sons had 30. Zen Builders made up 11.1% of all Christchurch renovation builder searches we track, and Smith & Sons accounted for 8.3%. ## Cite this page Brandwave. "Smith & Sons vs Zen Builders: Which is searched more in New Zealand?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/compare/smith-sons-vs-zen-builders This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/compare/smith-sons-vs-zen-builders. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.