How much does SEO cost in Australia?

SEO cost depends on how competitive your searches are, how many services and areas you want to show for, and how much work your website and Google Business Profile need. Most Australian SEO providers charge a monthly fee for ongoing work, sometimes with a one-off setup or audit fee at the start. At ADEL SEO, ongoing SEO for a small local business is usually from around $1,500 to $2,000 + GST a month.

What affects the cost of SEO

1. Competition. Ranking a plumber in a small town is a different job from ranking a law firm in the Sydney CBD.
2. How many services and areas. Each main service and each area you want work from usually needs its own page, profile work and links.
3. Where you start. A site that is slow, missing pages or has technical problems needs more work up front. So does a Google Business Profile with wrong details or few reviews.
4. What's included. Some quotes cover only on-page changes; others include content, listings, links, Google Business Profile, tracking and reporting.
5. Who does the work. A senior specialist working on your account directly costs more per hour than a junior team, but usually needs fewer hours.

How SEO pricing works

• Monthly retainer: the most common. An ongoing monthly fee for ongoing work.
• One-off project: a fixed price for a set job, like an SEO audit, a website migration or fixing a Google Business Profile.
• Hourly: for advice or small jobs.
• SEO packages: fixed bundles ("bronze, silver, gold"). Easy to compare, but two businesses rarely need the same work, so check what each package actually includes.

What cheap SEO usually means

Very cheap SEO often means one of these:

• a report instead of work;
• automated or outsourced links from low-quality sites that can hurt you;
• the same template for every client;
• a long lock-in contract.

Ask exactly what will be done each month, by whom, and how results will be reported.

Is SEO worth it?

SEO is usually worth it when customers search for what you sell in your area and you have the capacity to take more work. It keeps bringing enquiries without paying for each click, unlike ads. It's worth less if very few people search for your service, or if you need calls this week; then Google Ads is the faster option.

The way to judge it: track the calls and enquiries SEO brings, and compare what a new customer is worth to you with what you spend.

How long does SEO take?

Some changes help within weeks, especially fixing your Google Business Profile and obvious website problems. Ranking for competitive searches usually takes several months of steady work. Be careful of anyone who promises page one in a set time.

How to compare SEO quotes

Ask every provider:

1. What exactly will you do in the first three months?
2. Who will do the work, and can I talk to them directly?
3. How will you report results: rankings only, or calls and enquiries?
4. Is there a lock-in contract?
5. Will I own my website, domain, Google Business Profile and Google Analytics if we stop working together?
6. What happens to the links and content you build if I leave?

How we charge at ADEL SEO

We don't sell fixed packages. We look at your business, your area and your competitors first, then quote a monthly fee for the work that will make the biggest difference. For a small local business that is usually from around $1,500 to $2,000 + GST a month.

• No lock-in contracts. Stay because it works.
• You own everything: your website, domain, Google Analytics, Google Ads account and Google Business Profile.
• You work directly with Wilson, not a junior account manager.
• Plain-English reports showing what was done and the calls and enquiries it brought.

More: SEO services, local SEO, SEO for plumbers and tradies.

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