Is it possible for cheap SEO in Australia to be good? And is good SEO ever cheap?
If you’re considering cheap SEO services for your Australian business, take a second to find out the important distinction between affordable and cheap, budget SEO in Australia.
When you think about it, ‘Cheap’ and ‘Affordable’ aren’t different as adjectives; they both are used to describe low costs and a potential to save money.
However, when it comes to advertising a business, the two words used couldn’t have more contradictory meanings. In the context of SEO services, there is an very important distinction between cheap and affordable SEO in Australia.
Affordable SEO Australia refers to a standard of quality at a competitive price. Affordable Australian SEO can offer high-quality SEO services that maintain exceptional results, for a reasonable amount of money.
Whereas cheap SEO refers to services in which elements of the campaign are compromised to make up for the low price. They operate on a business model that focuses on onboarding as many accounts as possible, without focusing any real attention to each campaign.
Cheap SEO goes beyond the price of the service. Cheap SEO extends to the quality of the SEO work and the strategies used to achieve SEO results.
Cheap SEO companies aren’t worried about losing clients. In most cases, they’ve got a long list of business owners who are looking for the ‘cheapest and the best’ SEO without really understanding the consequences of their corner-cutting, black hat SEO techniques.
Initially, the costs of cheap Australia SEO services will be lower than those of affordable SEO services.
However, working with cheap SEO includes the risk of repercussions that can end up costing hundreds or even thousands of dollars in damage repair.
What Does Cheap SEO Look Like?
When we say “cheap”, we mean insanely low SEO prices, that give way to low quality and low standards of work. To put a number on it, anything under $500 a month should be treated with caution. Most reputable SEO agencies will charge a minimum monthly retainer for an SEO campaign, or, in some cases, do project work that costs $100-150 per-hour.
Not all SEO companies are created equal. Cheap SEO opens the door to allow for spammy and untrustworthy SEO agencies that can cause harm to your business, your reputation, search engine rankings and your overall online presence.
While it’s true that SEO prices in Australia can be hugely inconsistent, those offering you services below the average price are usually operating on a high-client volume, high-turnover basis with little regard for delivering tangible results.
When working with a cheap SEO company, you can expect the following:
1. Low Standards
Cheap Australian SEO services leave little room for high quality work. These companies can afford to keep their prices so low by either: delivering poor quality SEO work to websites or doing absolutely no work for the promised campaign at all. Whether the consultant is inexperienced, or has little regard for quality, working with cheap SEO companies is almost guaranteed to compromise the quality of SEO.
2. Black Hat SEO
Cheap SEO companies use black hat SEO tactics to stay afloat. Black hat SEO tactics are practices that are deliberately deceitful and manipulative. They provide fast-tracked results that will only last a short while. White hat SEO will take months of strategic work to see sustainable results, whereas black hat SEO can see increases in traffic or rankings overnight (though these results never last).
While this used to be a legitimate way for SEO companies to gain results for their clients, black hat SEO goes directly against Google’s guidelines today. The search algorithm now has ways of detecting and identifying those who are using black hat SEO methods.
3. Google Penalties
Working with cheap SEO means risking working with black hat SEO tactics. Once Google catches a website using these methods and cutting corners, they will award the website with a penalty.
Google Penalties can be very damaging to a website. Often it takes years to get a company’s website back on track following a big penalty. While the initial cost of cheap Australia SEO is low, the services can end up costing your business thousands in repair damages.
4. Cookie-Cutter SEO Strategies
Cheap SEO Australia companies use cookie-cutter campaigns for their accounts. This means they do not personalise, tailor, or customise an SEO campaign for each client. Low quality services have no regard for the business, it’s goals, and what it may individually require in order to see results.
Every business in Australia is different, and therefore, every SEO campaign needs to be entirely unique. In order to have a positive impact, SEO strategies need to be appropriately fit to the business and website.
5. Promises of Grandeur
It is a classic trademark of a cheap SEO company to advertise ridiculous promises they can’t keep. A perfect example of this is when an agency guarantees a #1 ranking position on Google. These companies claim to be the best of the best, the most knowledgeable and know all the trade secrets. The reality is often very different.
A reputable SEO company will not guarantee you a number 1 ranking position or a 400% increase in traffic – that would just be irresponsible. If you come across an SEO deal that seems too good to be true, that’s exactly what it is.
6. Short Lived (Or non-existent) Results
The results attained with cheap SEO Australia companies are always short lived. Their tactics may work for just a few days before rankings go plummeting back down. This is because they are using black hat SEO and are either caught out, or they use bots to give the impression of increased traffic.
Quality SEO is a sustainable solution that will continue to improve and enhance a website. Cheap SEO may be cheaper in the first place, but it only provides a short-term SEO strategy.
7. Churn & Burn SEO
Often referred to as “churn and burn SEO” these SEO companies rely on hundreds (or thousands) of accounts that pay a small monthly retainer in return for a low output. They will continue to get as many clients as possible while ignoring each SEO campaign until the client cancels.
At the end of the day, good SEO requires time, planning, attention and resources to execute well. Skipping out on these elements means compromising on the quality of your SEO campaign.
In order for SEO to make a positive impact, an SEO expert needs time and resource to create a customised SEO strategy that targets lucrative, revenue-driving traffic for your business – something cheap SEO does not provide. It is possible however, for Australian SEO to be affordable.
What Do Affordable SEO Services Look Like?
Affordable SEO is a form of the service that is also provided at a lower cost; however, the quality of the service is not compromised. Affordable SEO is all about high-quality SEO services for small businesses working within a limited budget.
SEO services that are affordable will cost more than cheap SEO Australia services, but still be reasonably priced. It is entirely possible to find SEO services in Australia that are high quality and won’t break the bank.
The benefits of working with an affordable Australia SEO company include:
1. High-Quality Service
Unlike cheap SEO, affordable SEO does not mean a compromise on quality. There are plenty of reputable Australia SEO companies that offer reasonably priced SEO services. This standard of quality means you can rest assured knowing more time, work, and effort will be going into your SEO campaign.
Working with a trustworthy company for SEO services means benefitting from organic growth. An affordable SEO specialist will take the time to create excellent content with you, build meaningful backlinks, and work on both technical on-site and off-site optimisation.
2. White Hat SEO Strategies
White hat SEO is a term used to describe SEO tactics that are well aligned with Google’s set of guidelines. Affordable SEO agencies will be sure to only use strategies that are entirely compliant. Where cheap SEO companies dabble in black hat SEO, affordable SEO companies will steer clear of anything that is manipulative and sneaky.
Sure, white hat SEO takes longer to see positive impacts, but the payoff is worth it. The success achieved with white hat SEO is long-term and will keep a website in Google’s good books.
3. Campaign Customisation
An affordable Australian SEO campaign will entail taking the time to personalise and tailor each strategy to suit the needs of the business and their market. As opposed to cheap Australian SEO, where there is no campaign customisation, affordable SEO companies will work with companies on their strengths and weaknesses to get the most out of the marketing campaign.
4. Realistic Goal Setting
These companies will not make ridiculous promises or guarantees. They will, however, sit down and effectively communicate what goals are reasonable with your business, website, and budget. A campaign with an affordable SEO company will entail realistic goals for your business that the consultants can achieve with strategic optimisation.
5. Long-Term SEO
The difference between cheap and affordable SEO will be the sustainability of the achievements. While cheap SEO can provide quick and fast traffic, it is short term. Affordable SEO relies on high quality SEO solutions that are long-term driven and will continue to keep on having positive impacts
Good SEO will take months of strategic SEO practice, but the payoff will be high. Affordable SEO will allow for long-term strategies that will continue to help the traffic, clicks, and visibility grow, long after the campaign has finished.
6. Transparent Reporting
Working with a legitimate Australia SEO company with affordable services will provide your business with ways to measure and track a campaign. Cheap SEO Australia companies do not have the time or resources to be able to work with tools to analyse an SEO campaign. Engaging with a reputable company will mean having access to analytics and data measurements that you can track the progress of the campaign with in regular reportings.
7. Tangible Return on Investment (ROI)
Working with an affordable SEO company will prove a high return on investment. The results may take a little longer than cheap SEO companies, but they will be long-term and continue to drive organic growth long after the campaign has concluded.
Cheap SEO offers little or no return on investment, as the quality of work is always low quality, short-term, and makes use of tactics that go against Google’s guidelines.
Cheap SEO Services: Final Thoughts
Affordable SEO opens up the door to good Australia SEO at a reasonable price. This allows for a standard of work to be sustained, without compromising quality. The long-term work being put into good SEO will see that overtime; ROI will completely overtake initial investment.
There you have it – it is entirely possible for a small business to be able to afford SEO in Australia. All it takes is an increased awareness into the difference between cheap SEO services and affordable SEO services.
There is no shortage of Australian SEO companies looking to make their next scam. The key to deciphering the good from the bad is becoming aware and thoroughly screening all prospective agencies. Get in touch using our contact page to arrange an SEO consultation for your business.
