Privacy Policy

Effective Date: 8 October 2025

At SEO4.co.nz, we are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information with care and transparency. This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, store, and protect your data in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020 and the 13 Information Privacy Principles that govern data handling in New Zealand.

Who We Are

SEO4.co.nz is a digital marketing agency specialising in search engine optimisation services for businesses throughout New Zealand. Our registered office is located in New Zealand, and we operate under New Zealand privacy law.

Privacy Officer Contact:
If you have any questions or concerns about how we handle your personal information, please contact our designated Privacy Officer at [privacy@seo4.co.nz].

What Personal Information We Collect

We may collect and process the following types of personal information:

Information you provide directly:

Name, email address, phone number, and business details when you contact us or request our services
Billing and payment information for service transactions
Information submitted through contact forms, quote requests, or service enquiries
Communications you send to us, including emails and messages
Details you provide when creating an account on our website

Information collected automatically:

IP address and browser user agent string
Website usage data, including pages visited, time spent, and navigation patterns
Cookie data (see our Cookie Policy section below)
Technical information about your device and connection

Information from third parties:

Business information available from public sources
Data from analytics and advertising partners, where you’ve consented to sharing

Legal Basis for Collection

Under the Privacy Act 2020, we collect personal information only when it is necessary for a lawful purpose connected to our business functions. We collect your information to:

Provide SEO and digital marketing services you’ve requested
Communicate with you about your projects and our services
Process payments and fulfil contractual obligations
Improve our website and service offerings
Comply with legal and regulatory requirements
Prevent fraud and maintain website security

We collect information directly from you wherever reasonable and practicable. If we collect information from other sources, we will inform you or ensure you are aware of the collection.

How We Use Your Personal Information

Your personal information may be used for the following purposes:

Service Delivery: To provide SEO, content marketing, and digital strategy services
Client Communication: To respond to enquiries, provide quotes, and manage ongoing projects
Billing and Invoicing: To process payments and maintain financial records
Website Improvement: To analyse website performance and enhance user experience
Marketing Communications: To send relevant updates about our services (with your consent or ability to opt out)
Legal Compliance: To meet our obligations under New Zealand law and respond to legitimate requests from authorities

We will not use your personal information for purposes unrelated to those for which it was collected without first obtaining your consent or unless required by law.

Information Accuracy

We take reasonable steps to ensure the personal information we collect and hold is accurate, up-to-date, complete, and relevant. You can help us maintain accuracy by:

Updating your account information when it changes
Notifying us of any errors or outdated information
Reviewing information we hold about you through an access request

If you believe any information we hold is inaccurate or incomplete, please contact our Privacy Officer, and we will take reasonable steps to correct it.

How We Protect Your Information

We implement appropriate technical and organisational security measures to protect your personal information from unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures include:

Secure SSL/TLS encryption for data transmission
Regular security assessments and updates
Access controls limiting who can view your information
Secure backup and storage systems
Staff training on privacy and data protection

However, no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your browsing experience and analyse website traffic.

Essential Cookies: Required for the website to function properly, including session management and security features.

Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how visitors interact with our website using services like Google Analytics. These cookies collect aggregated, non-personally identifiable information.

Marketing Cookies: May be used to deliver relevant advertisements and track campaign effectiveness. These require your consent.

How to Manage Cookies:

Most browsers allow you to refuse or accept cookies
You can delete cookies already stored on your device
Disabling cookies may affect website functionality
Visit your browser’s help section for specific instructions

If you leave a comment on our website, you may opt to save your name, email address, and website in cookies for your convenience. These cookies last for one year.

Comments and User-Generated Content

When you leave comments on our blog or website:

We collect the data shown in the comment form, plus your IP address and browser user agent string to assist with spam detection
An anonymised string from your email address (a hash) may be provided to the Gravatar service to display your profile picture if you use that service
After approval, your comment and profile picture are visible to the public
Comment metadata is retained to facilitate automatic approval of follow-up comments

Embedded Content from Other Websites

Articles and pages on our website may include embedded content (videos, images, social media posts, etc.) from other websites. Embedded content behaves as if you’ve visited those other websites directly.

These third-party websites may:

Collect data about you
Use their own cookies
Embed additional tracking technologies
Monitor your interaction with embedded content, especially if you’re logged into their services

We have no control over third-party websites’ privacy practices. We recommend reviewing their privacy policies.

Information Sharing and Disclosure

We respect your privacy and do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties.

We may share your information with:

Service Providers: Trusted partners who assist with our operations (hosting, analytics, payment processing, email services). These providers are contractually obligated to protect your information and use it only for the purposes we specify.

Legal Requirements: When required by law, court order, or to protect our legal rights, prevent fraud, or ensure safety.

Business Transfers: If we’re involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred. You’ll be notified of any such change.

With Your Consent: When you’ve specifically authorised us to share your information.

We ensure that any third parties we share information with have appropriate privacy safeguards in place.

Cross-Border Data Transfers

Some of our service providers operate internationally, which may involve transferring your personal information overseas. When we transfer personal information outside New Zealand, we take reasonable steps to ensure:

The receiving country has privacy protections comparable to New Zealand’s Privacy Act 2020, or
The overseas recipient is subject to privacy obligations similar to New Zealand law, or
You have authorised the transfer after being informed of the risks, or
The transfer is necessary to perform our contract with you

We remain responsible for personal information we transfer to overseas service providers.

Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law.

Retention Periods:

Client Records: Retained for seven years after the end of service for tax and legal compliance
Comments: Retained indefinitely to maintain conversation threads and context
Website Analytics: Typically retained for 26 months
Marketing Communications: Until you unsubscribe or request deletion
Unsuccessful Enquiries: Retained for up to two years for quality improvement

When information is no longer needed, we securely delete or anonymise it.

Your Privacy Rights

Under the Privacy Act 2020, you have the following rights:

Right of Access: You can request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.

Right to Correction: You can request correction of inaccurate, incomplete, or outdated information.

Right to Object to Direct Marketing: You can opt out of receiving marketing communications at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in our emails or contacting us directly.

Right to Complain: If you believe we’ve breached your privacy rights, you can complain to us first. If unsatisfied with our response, you can lodge a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner.

To exercise your rights, please contact our Privacy Officer. We will respond to your request within 20 working days or inform you if we require more time. We may need to verify your identity before processing your request.

There is generally no charge for access requests. However, we may charge a reasonable fee for extensive requests or if you make repeated requests for the same information.

Privacy Breach Notification

If we experience a privacy breach that causes, or is likely to cause, serious harm to you, we will:

Notify you as soon as practicable
Notify the Office of the Privacy Commissioner within 72 hours of becoming aware of the breach
Provide information about the breach, the potential consequences, and the steps we’re taking to address it

We take all reasonable steps to prevent privacy breaches and have incident response procedures in place.

Children’s Privacy

Our services are not directed at children under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we become aware that we’ve inadvertently collected information from a child, we will take steps to delete it promptly.

If you’re a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. We will notify you of any material changes by:

Posting the updated policy on our website with a new effective date
Sending an email notification to registered users (for significant changes)
Displaying a prominent notice on our website

Your continued use of our services after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

Third-Party Services and Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, plugins, and applications. Clicking these links may allow third parties to collect or share data about you. We do not control these third-party websites and are not responsible for their privacy practices or content.

We recommend reviewing the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.

Third-Party Services We Use:

Google Analytics (for website analytics)
Google Workspace (for email and document management)
Stripe/Payment Processors (for payment processing)
Cloud hosting providers (for data storage)

Each of these services has its own privacy policy governing how they handle your information.

Marketing Communications

If you’ve provided consent or have an existing business relationship with us, we may send you information about our services, industry insights, and relevant updates.

Your Marketing Rights:

You can opt out at any time by clicking “unsubscribe” in any marketing email
You can contact us to update your communication preferences
Opting out of marketing does not affect service-related communications

We respect the Unsolicited Electronic Messages Act 2007 and will not send you marketing messages if you’ve opted out.

Automated Decision-Making

We do not use automated decision-making or profiling that produces legal effects or similarly significantly affects you. Any automated systems we use (such as spam filters) are supplementary tools that support human decision-making.

Contact Information

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal information, please contact:

Privacy Officer
SEO4.co.nz
Email: privacy@seo4.co.nz

We will respond to your enquiry within 20 working days.

Office of the Privacy Commissioner

If you believe we have not adequately addressed your privacy concerns, you have the right to lodge a complaint with:

Office of the Privacy Commissioner
Website: www.privacy.org.nz
Phone: 0800 803 909
Email: enquiries@privacy.org.nz

Last Updated: 8 October 2025

This Privacy Policy is governed by the Privacy Act 2020 and the laws of New Zealand. By using our services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.