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Matt Smit Barrister

Criminal justice attorney · Christchurch Centre, Christchurch

What your customers see when they look for you, and where that puts you among 216 Christchurch lawyers.

ReportLocal marketing report
Checked12 October 2026
Your marketChristchurch lawyers · 216 businesses
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Executive summaryExclusive Marketbase business report

Matt Smit Barrister

Criminal justice attorney · Christchurch Centre, Christchurch

Where you stand#67of 216 lawyers
Overall health6.9/10across the eight areas
How AI describes youMarketbase business report

What AI tells people about you

Matt Smit Barrister is a Christchurch criminal defence practice specialising in court representation for people facing criminal charges. Services include support with limited licence applications, drink driving matters, discharge without conviction applications and requests to avoid licence disqualification. The firm emphasises clear professional advice, responsive communication and a practical focus on client needs.

Matt Smit Barrister is a Christchurch-based criminal law practice offering defence representation for people facing criminal charges. Matthew Smit is an experienced barrister supported by a team of lawyers who assist clients through the criminal justice process.

The practice specialises in matters including limited licence applications, drink driving charges, discharge without conviction applications and applications seeking no disqualification of licence for driving offences. The website states the team listens to clients, identifies key issues and provides professional legal advice.

Customers commonly report quick responses, clear communication and a reassuring manner from Matt and his team. Reviews highlight efficient handling of time-sensitive matters, transparent and fair charging, and outcomes that have allowed clients to attend important commitments such as travel. Clients describe the team as accessible and supportive during stressful situations.

Locally, Matt Smit Barrister is notable for its Christchurch focus on criminal defence and driving-related court work. Customers seeking a responsive barrister for licence applications or criminal charges will find a practice that prioritises clear advice, timely communication and experienced representation.

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01Google listingMarketbase business report

Your Google listing

Matt Smit Barrister's Google Business Listing shows an average overall health, with key strengths in having a claimed listing, an available website link, and a listed phone number, as well as an open-for-business status. The main opportunity lies in adding a logo, while description and photos continue to improve and should progress toward the local midpoints.

Strengths

  • ✓
    Open statusYour listing shows the business as trading, so customers see accurate availability and Google treats the listing as live.
  • ✓
    ClaimedYour listing is claimed, so you control what it says, you can reply to reviews, and edits suggested by the public come to you first.
  • ✓
    NameYour business name is showing on the listing, so a customer searching for you by name finds you, and everything else on the listing hangs off it.

Top three opportunities

  • 1
    LogoYour listing has no logo, so in a list of local results yours is the one with a blank space where every competitor has a mark.
  • 2
    Description lengthYour description gives a reader less than half the listings here do, so someone reading yours and then a competitor's gets less to go on from you.
  • 3
    Photos on the listingYou have fewer photos than nearly every business here, so a customer comparing you against them builds a picture of their work and guesses at yours.
11 checks on your Google listing. You're seeing 6 of them.
5.2Room to grow
9:41
Tiles © Esri
3
Matt Smit Barrister✓✓
5.0 ★★★★★ (14)
Criminal justice attorney · Christchurch Centre
Open 7 days ✓
DirectionsCall Website
OverviewReviewsPhotosAbout
From the business

Criminal defence lawyer assisting those facing criminal charges in court. Matt Smit can assist with limited licence applications, drink driving charges, discharge without conviction applications or applications seeking no disqualification of licence for driving charges.

2
Google listingChristchurch lawyers · 216 businesses
You are #105 for your Google listing
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02ReviewsMarketbase business report

Your reviews

The Google Business Health for Matt Smit Barrister shows a very high overall score of 8.6 out of 10, indicating strong performance in Google reviews. The top achievement is a stellar star rating in the top 10% for customer satisfaction. The main opportunity is to start replying to reviews to boost engagement and trust with customers.

Strengths

  • ✓
    Star ratingYour rating is among the highest in this market and it does its own selling - a customer sees it before they read anything else.

Top three opportunities

  • 1
    Response rateNone of your reviews have a reply, which means a customer reading them sees your happiest and your angriest customers with nothing from you in between.
  • 2
    Review countYour review count sits above the middle of this market, which puts you in the group customers read as established rather than untested.
  • 3
    Review confidenceRating and volume together put you ahead of most of this market, which means a customer sees a well-rated business with enough reviews behind it to be believed.
4 checks on your reviews. You're seeing all of them.
7.9Good
9:41
Matt Smit Barrister
OverviewReviewsPhotosAbout
5.0★★★★★14 reviews 2
5
4
3
2
1✓
3How far your rating and your review count together can be trusted
Google reviewsChristchurch lawyers · 216 businesses
You are #47 for your Google reviews
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Google reviewsBusiness Profile
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03Map positionsMarketbase business report

Where you show up on the map

The business has an overall Maps health score of 5.0 out of 10, indicating average visibility across Google Maps. Top findings show strong performance for several city-wide and local keyword themes, with leading positions in multiple "barrister" and "criminal law attorney" phrases across Clifton-Sumner, Heathcote Valley, North Beach, Redcliffs, and Somerfield. There remains room to expand across additional suburbs to lift overall reach.

Strengths

Your first one is close. Sort an opportunity below and it moves up here.

Top two opportunities

  • 1
    Maps visibility in your own suburbYou show up in local Maps searches less often than half your suburb, so on a search from nearby you sit below businesses a customer would otherwise treat as equal.
  • 2
    Maps visibility across the city groupYou turn up across more of the surrounding suburbs than nearly everyone here, so a customer searching well outside your own patch still sees you.
2 checks on your map positions. You're seeing both.
5.9Room to grow
9:41
1234Tiles © Esri
2Top three for "criminal law attorney" in 71 suburbs, seen in 81
1
Matt Smit Barrister15.0 ★ (14) · Criminal justice attorney
2
Ethan Huda Barrister5.0 ★ (16) · Criminal justice attorney
3
Andrew Bailey Barrister5.0 ★ (3) · Criminal justice attorney
4
Karen Chalmers - Barrister5.0 ★ (1) · Criminal justice attorney
Map positionsChristchurch lawyers · 216 businesses
You are #90 for map positions
See how to fix both →
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Google Maps
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04Listings and socialMarketbase business report

Where customers find you

The Citations & Social Presence health remains solid at 6.8 out of 10, indicating above-average overall presence. Two key recent strengths are a very high-trust Facebook profile and a well-maintained LinkedIn listing, both helping reach local clients and professionals. Opportunities lie mainly in expanding on Instagram, TikTok, Yellow Pages, LinkedIn Company, and a TikTok directory to broaden reach.

Strengths

  • ✓
    Having a Facebook page at allWe found your Facebook Profile page, and the trail is strong enough that nobody would question it is yours - it is linked from something you own, or it dominates a search for your name.
  • ✓
    Lawzana LawyerWe can see your Lawzana Lawyer listing (https://lawzana.com/matt-smit-barrister) found via: Google search results.

Top three opportunities

  • 1
    Instagram ProfileWe could not find an active Instagram Profile profile for your business, so a customer who looks for you there finds nothing.
  • 2
    Tiktok ProfileWe could not find an active TikTok account for your business, so anyone who looks for you there finds nothing.
  • 3
    Yellow ProfileWe could not find an active Yellow Profile listing for your business, which means anyone checking you there finds nothing and moves on to whoever is listed.
16 checks on your listings and social. You're seeing 5 of them.
6.6Good
9:41
Gmatt smit barrister christchurch centre
AllImagesMapsNews
LinkedInmatt-smit-421701288Matt Smit Barrister | LinkedIn
Lawzana Lawyermatt-smit-barristerMatt Smit Barrister | Lawzana Lawyer✓
FacebookMatt-Smit-Barrister-61551710770023Matt Smit Barrister | Facebook✓
Top Lawyerscriminal-lawyerMatt Smit Barrister | Top Lawyers
InstagramNo account found1
TiktokNo account found2
YellowNo listing found3
Listings and socialChristchurch lawyers · 216 businesses
You are #74 for listings and social
See how to fix all 3 →
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GoogleFacebookInstagramTikTokLinkedInLawzana LawyerTop LawyersYour website
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05Facebook pageMarketbase business report

Your Facebook page

Strengths

  • ✓
    Where your page link pointsThe link on your page goes to a domain that is yours, so a visitor who came for the photos leaves on your terms and the enquiry lands in your inbox rather than someone else's.
  • ✓
    A phone numberA phone number shows on your page, so the person who found you on Facebook before they found your website can ring straight from it.
  • ✓
    An email addressCustomers can see an email address on the page, which gives the one who wants a quote in writing a route that does not depend on anyone picking up the phone.

Top three opportunities

  • 1
    Recommendations on your pageNo recommendations sit on your page, so a stranger who came to see whether anyone else has used you leaves with only your own posts to go on.
  • 2
    People following your pageFewer people follow your page than most in this market, which means a post reaches people who already know you rather than anyone still deciding.
  • 3
    A page address you choseYour page address is one Facebook generated rather than one you chose - your business name with a long number bolted on, or just the number.
9 checks on your Facebook page. You're seeing 6 of them.
5.9Room to grow
9:41
facebook
people3
8 followers 2
Criminal defence lawyer Assisting people with criminal charges From driving offences to trials
FollowMessage
🌐 Www.msmit.co.nz✓
☎ +64 27 530 0763✓
PostsAboutPhotosReviews
Facebook pageChristchurch lawyers · 216 businesses
You are #90 for your Facebook page
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Facebook
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06Your websiteMarketbase business report

Your website

The on-page SEO health for Matt Smit Barrister shows a solid technical base with a 7.5/10 health score. Strengths include a valid favicon, fast load times under 3 seconds, a clean page size under 256KB, and a relevant meta description. A notable gap is the missing H1 tag, which could aid both visitors and search engines.

Strengths

  • ✓
    Domain UniquenessYour web address is yours alone, so everything your site earns - links, mentions, search standing - accumulates under your name and stays with the business.
  • ✓
    FaviconThe tab your site opens in carries your own icon, so a customer with a dozen tabs going can find their way back to you by sight.
  • ✓
    Page load speedYour home page appears in under three seconds, so someone tapping through from a search result meets your business rather than a blank screen while they decide whether to wait.

Top three opportunities

  • 1
    Separate sites linking to youOnly a handful of separate websites link to yours, well behind most of this market.
  • 2
    The shape of your link profileYour links are piled onto a small number of sites for a profile this size, so they are doing less for you than the count suggests.
  • 3
    Domain HealthYour site answers, but something did not check out - an insecure link, a redirect chain, a domain shared with other businesses, or a listing pointing at a social page.
23 checks on your website. You're seeing 6 of them.
-Room to grow
9:41
🔒msmit.co.nz✓3
✓Favicon
✓Page load speed
1Separate sites linking to you
2The shape of your link profile
Your websiteChristchurch lawyers · 216 businesses
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Your websiteGoogle Search
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07Google search and trafficMarketbase business report

How people find you on Google

Website Traffic health for Matt Smit Barrister shows a 4.3/10 score, indicating average performance in traffic and keyword footprint. Key opportunities focus on starting paid campaigns with careful targeting and landing pages, plus improving organic activity. The business should begin small paid spend, create relevant landing pages, and monitor conversions to capture potential clients.

Strengths

Your first one is close. Sort an opportunity below and it moves up here.

Top three opportunities

  • 1
    What you spend on adsWe can see no paid search activity for your site, which in most local markets is the norm rather than a gap.
  • 2
    Monthly ad visitsYour site receives no visitors from paid search, which for most local businesses in this market is the norm rather than a problem.
  • 3
    Search terms you rank forYour site appears for fewer search terms than most businesses here, so there are only a handful of ways for someone to come across you.
6 checks on your search and traffic. You're seeing 3 of them.
4.9Room to grow
9:41
Glawyer yaldhurst
AllMapsImagesShopping
21No ads from you on any search
www.absolutlegal.co.nzAbsolut Legal: Fixed Fee Property Lawyers Christchurch
www.justice.govt.nzLegal Aid Lawyer Finder
msmit.co.nzMatt Smit Barrister - Criminal Law Christchurch

Matthew Smit is a barrister who provides support for people going through the criminal law system in Christchurch. m: 027 299 3561 e: [email protected] 2023

3
www.laneneave.co.nzLane Neave lawyers | New Zealand law firm
About 58 visits a month from search, across 13 searches
Google search and trafficChristchurch lawyers · 216 businesses
You are #110 for Google search and traffic
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Google SearchGoogle Maps
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08Opening hoursMarketbase business report

Your hours against demand

Matt Smit Barrister's published hours align closely with Christchurch demand for criminal defence advice, with many midday weekday peaks covered. There are no missed high‑demand windows recorded. A small portion of hours fall into low-demand times - notably early mornings and late evenings - which may be inefficient for a court-focused practice. Consider modestly tightening those low‑demand slots to improve operational efficiency.

Strengths

Your first one is close. Sort an opportunity below and it moves up here.

Top opportunity

  • 1
    Hours aligned with demandYour hours line up with demand worse than nearly every business here, which means a good share of your open time passes with nobody looking for what you do.
1 check on your opening hours. You're seeing it.
2.7Room to grow
9:41
Matt Smit Barrister
OverviewReviewsPhotosAbout
Hours 1
Monday12am-12am
Tuesday12am-12am
Wednesday12am-12am
Thursday12am-12am
Friday12am-12am
Saturday12am-12am
Sunday12am-12am
Popular times Friday · Christchurch Centre
12a1a2a3a4a5a6a7a8a9a10a11a12p1p2p3p4p5p6p7p8p9p10p11p
When people in Christchurch Centre look   You are shut
Opening hoursChristchurch lawyers · 216 businesses
You are #157 for opening hours
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Your listed hoursWhen people search
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The next step

Your top opportunities, in one place.

These are your top 21 opportunities, from the 72 checks we run on every business. Tick any of them to see where it takes you.

01Google listing3 opportunities

02Reviews3 opportunities

03Map positions2 opportunities

04Listings and social3 opportunities

05Facebook page3 opportunities

06Your website3 opportunities

07Google search and traffic3 opportunities

08Opening hours1 opportunity

Where you'd stand#67of 216 Christchurch lawyers
9:41
Christchurch lawyersOverall · 216 businesses
You are #67 overall
Open my free 7 days →
The how for every one of these, and everything else we found, in the order that moves you fastest.
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