Independent Auckland search and web agency, founded 2014, with franchise and multi-location experience
About Storm IMC
Storm IMC is an independent digital marketing agency on Argus Place in Auckland. Ronan Nichol founded it on 12 February 2014 and still runs it as managing director. He has more than 25 years of marketing experience across the UK, Ireland and New Zealand, and he speaks on digital marketing and AI. Rob Chenery, the creative director, covers brand design and animation after working at London agencies. Storm also runs a design arm under the Storm Studio name. The team has fewer than 49 people.
The SEO service follows a set sequence. It begins with an audit of traffic, landing pages, site structure, content, technical health, competitors and keywords. Off-site factors such as Google Business Profile, social and backlinks are also reviewed. A dated action plan follows, then delivery with project updates and ongoing reporting. On-site work covers technical fixes, metadata, internal links, sitemaps, image compression and page speed. Off-site work includes cleaning up harmful backlinks, building new links and managing listings on directories and voice assistants such as Siri, Alexa and Google Assistant. Local SEO covers NAP data, Google Business Profile, review scores and map visibility. A separate Business Profile service offers one-off fixes, audits, ongoing management and staff training.
This set-up suits dental groups with several sites or a franchise model. The agency is a member of the Franchise Association of New Zealand and has improved listing quality for multi-location and franchise clients. It recently published guidance on Google review gating, a practice where only happy customers are asked for reviews. Dental is among its industries, but no dental practice is named as a client. Named clients include Pit Stop, Apparelmaster, Dominator Garage Doors North Shore, Sellwood Products, Team Cabling and Nurtured At Home. The Cosmetic Clinic, a beauty brand, is also a client.
In the 2025 TechBehemoths Global Excellence Awards, Storm ranked first in New Zealand for both SEO and pay-per-click. It also won the website development award in the WordPress services category. It is a Google Partner and is rated 5.0 on Google from 35 ratings. Reviewers mention website rebuilds, photo shoots, logo refreshes and continued help after launch, and several name Ronan as closely involved.
Storm publishes no prices or contract terms. A free 30-minute strategy session is the usual starting point. The average rate is 175 US dollars per hour, and project budgets run from 1,000 to 10,000 dollars. Alongside search, the agency offers Google Ads, social media, analytics, email, video and website builds, so a practice could use it for most of its marketing.
Storm IMC's Website
Storm IMC at a Glance
| Founded | 2014 |
|---|---|
| Team size | Fewer than 49 employees |
| Headquarters | 3 Argus Place, Auckland, New Zealand |
| Leadership | Ronan Nichol (Founder and Managing Director); Rob Chenery (Creative Director) |
| Languages | English |
| Pricing | No prices published; free 30-minute strategy session. Average rate of 175 USD per hour and budgets of 1,000-10,000 USD. |
| Contracts & reporting | Ongoing performance reporting and project updates during implementation; no contract length published. |
| Tools & partnerships | Google Partner; Google Ads; Google Business Profile; GA4 (free UTM link builder); WordPress; Franchise Association of New Zealand member |
Dental Marketing Services
- SEO audit and documented action plan
- technical and on-page SEO
- backlink clean-up and link building
- local SEO and NAP management
- Google Business Profile audits, optimisation, management and training
- directory and voice assistant listings
- Google Ads
- website development
- video production
- content and email marketing
- analytics and reporting
Practice Types They Work With
- DSOs/multi-location (franchise and multi-outlet experience)
Why Dentists Choose Storm IMC
- Independent Auckland agency
- Marketing and design together
- Verified on TechBehemoths
- Premium rate
- Full-service offer
Key Strengths
- Designs practice branding and marketing materials alongside digital campaigns
- Rebuilds and refreshes practice websites, then trains staff to manage them
- Organises photo shoots for practice website and brand content
- Runs Google-certified performance campaigns aimed at new-patient enquiries for practices
Awards & Recognition
- TechBehemoths 2025 Global Excellence Awards: ranked No. 1 in New Zealand for SEO and for PPC
- TechBehemoths 2025: Winner, Website Development (WordPress services)
How the DSA Score Breaks Down
Points earned: 21.6 of 100 (profile 27 × 0.8 + client feedback 0). DSA Score: 84/100
Where Storm IMC Is Listed
Questions Dentists Ask About Storm IMC
Has Storm IMC worked with dental practices?
Dental is among their industries, but no dental practice is named on their site or profiles. Their named clients are mainly franchise, trade and service businesses, plus The Cosmetic Clinic.
Can they manage Google Business Profiles for several clinics?
Yes. They offer profile audits, one-off optimisation, ongoing management and training, and have helped multi-location and franchise businesses.
Who will I deal with?
Founder and managing director Ronan Nichol is named in several client reviews as closely involved. Rob Chenery leads creative and design work.
What recognition do they have?
In the 2025 TechBehemoths Global Excellence Awards they ranked first in New Zealand for SEO and for PPC, and won a WordPress website development category. They are also a Google Partner.
What does it cost?
They do not publish prices and start with a free 30-minute strategy session. The average rate is about 175 US dollars per hour.
Reviews of Storm IMC
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