The Definitive Guide To SEO Costs In Australia In 2022

Only ten years ago, you would launch a website, optimise its meta tags, and enjoy a top-ranking position on Google in a few weeks.

These days? Not so much.

You have to earn your way to the top of the Google search results – you have to work hard to be there. Getting a good spot on Google takes time now.

Exactly how much time does it take?

The short answer is that it depends. In general, it could take around 6 to 12 months depending on your efforts, the competition in your specific niche, and, most importantly, your investment.

Which brings us to the next important question: how much are SEO costs in Australia? Unfortunately, this doesn’t have a short answer.

In this definitive guide to SEO costs in Australia, we’ll cover everything you need to know to assess how much your SEO efforts should cost you around the country.

SEO Basics You Should Know

How SEO Works

SEO, or Search Engine Optimisation, is optimising a website so it can get a higher ranking in search engine results. It allows website owners to attract the right audience that is searching for relevant information. This information could revolve around products or services these websites are selling.

More traffic means, more chances of visitors turning into paying customers. SEO is also about targeting the right audience over time to gain significant business results.

To sum up, SEO has five key elements:

• Content
• Keyword selection
• On-page SEO
• Site architecture (refers to the organization of your website; it includes sitemaps, URLs, breadcrumbs, navigation, and everything else that helps the search engines get a contextual understanding of what the website is about and how to use it.)
• Backlinks (when other websites link to a site because it has valuable content, making Google think it is more helpful.)

How Long Will It Take For You To Rank On Google?

In general, it can take around 6 to 12 months for a website to rank on Google. It is important to understand that the time requires for SEO depends on multiple factors.

Domain Age

A web domain that has only been created six months ago will be considered new by most search engines including Google. However, when content gets posted to the website more frequently, over time, the website will become competent enough to be ranked among older sites in the same niche.

Keyword Competition

Some certain keywords and phrases are frequently searched by users in every category. The higher the search volume for a keyword, the more competition. A relatively new site will have trouble ranking for these high-volume keywords because competitors with more credible websites will already have a good spot in the search engine result pages. In contrast, it would be easier to build a good ranking through keywords that have lower competition levels.

Quality Of Content

Google is pretty good at distinguishing quality content that is original and informative for readers from content that isn’t informative. Things like dwell-time, bounce-back rates, and time-on-page all signal Google about the relevance of a website’s content to search queries.

Domain Cleanliness

Google can sense cheating very quickly. Website owners that try to find shortcuts with tricks, like buying inbound links and keyword stuffing, end up damaging and delaying the ranking process.

Average Cost Of SEO In Australia

Common Factors That Influence Costs of SEO In Australia

SEO costs in Australia can vary because they depend on several different factors. The most significant ones are the following:

• The industry in which your website is in
• The competition in your industry
• The target market and its size
• The service areas your domain covers
• How much of your SEO work has already been completed
• How much new content do you need
• The number of landing pages and blog posts you need to create
• The agency you choose (their service quality, experience, and level of creative ability)

SEO Pricing Models You Should Know

SEO costs in Australia vary among professionals and agencies. These agencies offer various pricing models so that website owners can pay according to their financial convenience.

Hourly Contracts

According to the pay by the hour model, the SEO professional or agency charges according to the hours they work on a campaign. Most professionals and agencies prefer charging on an hourly basis.

By-The-Project Pricing

This pricing model involves charging based on the project’s scope. The expert offers one price for a few or all of their services, and you can pay them the full amount at the end of the project or as per the terms of the contract.

Monthly Retainers

Some agencies and professionals prefer charging a monthly salary. This pricing model is more common among employers and employees with long-term work relationships. SEO agencies and website owners decide on essential details of the retainer beforehand.

They determine a monthly payment plan according to the details of their contract. These details involve the number of keywords that the website should rank for.

Performance-Based Pricing

It’s a dynamic pricing model where the charges depend on performance and ranking success. Many SEO professionals and site owners refrain from choosing this model because it can be challenging to determine a specific price in this aspect. SEO agencies and professionals are afraid of exploitation, while website owners are concerned about inflated results with zero revenue.

What Is The Average SEO Cost In Australia?

Considering all factors that contribute to SEO and the usual pricing models used to determine SEO costs in Australia, there is an average price range in the Australian market. This average range will give you an idea of the lowest and highest amount of money you can spend on SEO in Australia.

This average cost depends on how much work your website needs, what kind of business you have, and whether you want a monthly retainer or a one-off project. Depending on the scope and size of your business, here is what the average cost of SEO will look like for you:

• Small business: $1,400 to $2,500 a month
• Medium business: $1,600 to $7,500 a month
• Large business: $2,500 to $10,000 a month
• Enterprise: over $7,500 a month

If you want to go for a one-off project instead, it can cost you around $3,500 to $10,000, sometimes even more. However, it ultimately depends on the target keywords and the number of pages on your website. Also, note that these average prices do not include GST and other taxes, and hidden charges. These are merely average costs to give you an idea of the budget you should plan.

Think Of SEO As An Investment For Your Business

What’s The Difference Between Good vs. Bad SEO

Now that you understand the factors that determine SEO costs, make sure that you choose the right experts for it. Always remember that high prices do not guarantee quality services. At the same time, remember that being unreasonably cheap with SEO services can be worse than you think.

Understand the difference between good and bad and how they can impact your website. Knowing this will not help you make the right decisions for your website, but also help your wallet.

Here are the key elements that you should look for in SEO professionals and agencies when hiring them:

Market Research

Good SEO companies and agencies always research your industry, products, competitors, target audience, and information that is relevant to your niche.

SEO Audit

Professional SEO experts always conduct an audit to see your website’s current status and create a plan accordingly.

Strategy Development

Good SEO agencies formulate strategies and plans based on evidence, competitor analysis, and research.

Keyword Research

Proper keyword research and selection are critical parts of a good SEO strategy. The agency you select should be targeting relevant keywords that have high volumes but low competition if your website is new.

Off-Page and Off-Page Optimisation

Good SEO agencies always know how to create the right site structures, meta descriptions, JSON+LD schemas, and page titles for on-page SEO. Similarly, they understand the importance of off-page SEO and create quality content, solicit reviews, and introduce a solid backlink-building strategy.

Content Development

Content is always king. Especially when it comes to SEO. Therefore, a good SEO agency will always prioritise quality content around relevant keywords to outrank competitor websites.

Analytics And Reporting

Lastly, professional and promising agencies don’t shoot in the dark. Instead, they are always well-informed and keep you updated with analytics and useful statistics.

Beware: No SEO Is Better Than Bad SEO

New website owners tend to be attracted to SEO agencies offering their services for $99 a month. Even though it looks incredibly economical, sometimes working with cheap agencies can end up being more expensive.

Bad SEO delays the ranking of your website. As a result, it delays any potential monetization of your website.

In contrast, if you work with experts that are good at what they do, even if they are somewhat expensive, you see noticeable results that only get better with time. Gradually, your website will start ranking better and better.

Key Takeaways For Business Owners In Australia

Here are the top 10 takeaways about SEO costs in Australia:

• On average, SEO services can cost around $1,400 to $10,000 a month, depending on a website’s needs and the company’s services and pricing models.
• Hourly charges are the most commonly preferred pricing models, while performance-based pricing is the least preferred.
• Small businesses should have a budget of around $1400 to $2500 a month for SEO services in Australia.
• Medium businesses should expect to spend somewhere around $1,600 to $7,500 a month on SEO services in Australia.
• Large businesses can expect an average cost of somewhere around $2500 to $10,000 a month on SEO services in Australia.
• Enterprises can get monthly retainers for around $7500 a month on SEO services in Australia.
  Cheap SEO is never a good idea; it can damage your website, and your business and end up costing you a lot more money.
• SEO is a long-term investment, and you need to be patient with it.
• Ranking on the top will take around 6 to 12 months, even with great SEO experts on the team.
• New websites need more work and time to become credible enough to rank higher.