How Much Does SEO Cost in Australia? - cover image

The cost of SEO Services in Australia ranges from $1,400 per month to $10,000+ per month based on the scope of the project and individual client needs. A once-off setup for SEO can cost anywhere from $3,500 – $10,000+ depending on the number of pages and target keywords.

The cost of SEO in Australia can vary dramatically. Not only that, the quality of results that are delivered and the month-to-month deliverables that you get for your money also vary between providers. Whether you’ve worked with an SEO provider in the past and feel you overpaid, or you’re just dipping your toe in the water, this article can help you understand the prices for SEO services.

Some of the most common questions that we receive at Safari Digital revolve around price. And that makes sense; when you’re investing in your business, it all comes down to the nuts and bolts of how. Some of these questions include:

• How Much Does SEO Cost in Australia?
• How Much Does SEO Cost Monthly?
• Why Does SEO Cost So Much?
• What is the Average Price for SEO Services?
• How Much Should SEO Cost Per Keyword?
• Why Does SEO Agency Pricing Vary So Much?
• What is the Hourly Rate for SEO?

In this article, we’ll do our best to address these questions and address some of the most common misconceptions around SEO prices in Australia.

Most common questions about the cost of SEO in Australia

So, How Much Should You Spend on SEO in Australia?

The amount that you invest into SEO services will depend on a myriad of different factors. Here are a few of the most common factors that will influence the cost of SEO in Australia:

• The Type of Business That You Operate
• The Competition of the Industry That You Operate in
• The Size of Your Target Market
• The Number of Areas That You Service or Operate in
• SEO Work That Has Been Completed in the Past
• The Amount of New Content That Is Required
• The Number of Pages That Need to Be Created

When it comes to SEO prices, there is no magic number that you should be paying to get results. Some businesses may invest less than $1,500 per month and see outstanding results, while others may need to spend significantly more to impact their industry.

SEO Agency pricing will vary depending on their credentials, experience, and the quality of service that they can deliver. SEO agencies with a proven track record of success will generally charge more than small companies with limited experience and credentials.

Factors that influence the cost of SEO services in Australia

What is the Average Cost of SEO in Australia?

The average cost of Australia can range from $1,400 per month to $10,000+ per month based on the client’s individual needs. Most SEO projects will operate on a retainer basis whereby an SEO specialist will deliver ongoing optimisation services to a website each month in technical updates, link building, content updates, content marketing.

One-off SEO projects can cost anywhere from $3,500 – $10,000+ depending on the number of pages and target keywords that a website is looking to target. A website setup or a foundational SEO package is designed to put the infrastructure in place to help a website rank. A foundational SEO package is designed to focus on the On-Page and Technical aspects of SEO. An ongoing SEO campaign will focus on SEO’s four key areas of SEO, including On-Page, Technical, Link Building, and Content Marketing. It is important to remember that good SEO results are contingent on the four pillars of SEO.

Small Business SEO Cost – $1,400 -$2,500 Per Month
Medium Business SEO Cost – $1,600 – $7,500 per month
Large Business SEO Cost – $2,500 per month – $10,000+ Per Month
Enterprise SEO Cost – $7,500+ per month

Note: The above prices are exclusive of GST and for indicative purposes only and are an average cost of SEO in Australia. The exact SEO cost in Australia will be dependent on the unique requirements of each business, the market competition, and the breadth of keywords/search terms that they are looking to target.

The average cost of SEO in Australia by business type

What is the Hourly Rate for SEO in Australia?

The average hourly rate for SEO services in Australia ranges from $100 – $180 per hour, depending on the SEO professional’s experience and expertise. In Australia, the majority of SEO professionals will quote and charge based on the job rather than based on an hourly rate.

At Safari Digital SEO Agency, we generally do not charge by the hour instead of charging by the job. The reason being that we will often have 3-4 different SEO professionals with varying areas of expertise working on a single position. Our development, technical SEO, off-site SEO specialists and SEO content specialists will all play a role in completing each job. It is easier (and cheaper for the client) to quote for the entire job.

Should I Pay Per Keyword?

SEO cost per keyword is an outdated method of charging clients based on a certain number of keywords. Today, there are not many reputable SEO companies or SEO specialists that charge per target keywords. We would strongly advise you to look at other options if an SEO specialist or SEO consultant is proposing the idea of setting SEO per keyword.

Agency vs. In-House – Which is Cheaper?

The average salary for an SEO specialist in Australia ranges from $60,000 – $190,000 per year depending on the role and the breadth of experience and expertise that the SEO specialist can provide. Many large companies prefer to keep their SEO expertise in house. The difficulty with hiring one SEO specialist to do the job of an entire SEO agency is that you are asking for a single person to do the job and possess an entire agency’s skillsEssentially, you are requesting a single person to perfect and master the following roles that an SEO agency will carry out:

1. Keyword research
2. Competitor research
3. Website audit
4. Technical SEO suggestions and implementations
5. Copywriting
6. Link building
7. Offsite SEO strategy
8. SEO reporting

At Safari Digital, we have specialists that specialise in a single area of SEO. By having dedicated SEO specialists that focus on each of the four pillars of SEO, we can get through significantly more work with more expertise than if that work was completed by a general SEO consultant.

Roles of an in-house SEO specialist

Why is SEO on Fiverr So Cheap?

Because it doesn’t work.

We have helped countless clients recover from the harmful effects of engaging a cheap, overseas SEO consultant to work on their website. In extreme cases, we have helped several clients to recover from a Google penalty after buying a “1,000 Backlink Package” where they spammed their website with 1,000 cheap, exact match anchor, backlinks. The downward drop off from purchasing this Gig was almost immediate, and it took more than 6-months to recover the lost traffic during this time.

The moral of the story? There are no shortcuts to SEO success. Cheap SEO is cheap for a reason.

If you are considering cheap SEO, Fiverr SEO for your business, let me save you some time. Walk over to a window, grab the money you would invest in SEO on Fiverr, and throw it out the window. At least that way, you will be able to enjoy the sight of people scrambling to pick up the money off the street.

SEO Is An Investment

SEO is an investment that will continue to benefit your business for years to come. Unlike SEM and Social Media Marketing channels, search engine optimisation will continue to deliver value for your business in 3-months, 6-months, and 3-years-time.

The central point of difference for SEO vs. SEM is that SEO continues to attract visitors to your website for years after paying your final invoice. At the same time, SEM traffic will stop the moment that your campaign is deactivated. The content, landing pages, and links acquired throughout your SEO campaign are yours to keep.

Finishing an SEO campaign or pausing your SEO efforts will not undo all of the hard work that has been done while working with an SEO Company (a legitimate company). The steep upward trajectory you enjoyed while working with an SEO specialist may slow down; however, you will continue to receive traffic.

Generally speaking, when SEO is done correctly by a reputable SEO agency, website traffic should continue to build at a slow and steady rate even after SEO work has stopped. Suppose website traffic drops dramatically after completing an SEO campaign. In that case, there may be other factors at play, such as a Private Blog Network (PBN) or other unscrupulous tactics that were being used by your SEO provider. If you notice an instant drop off of traffic the moment you stop investing in SEO services, then you need to be asking your SEO agency the hard questions.

Top 10 Takeaways from SEO Costs in Australia

1. The average cost of SEO services $1,400 per month to $10,000+ per month is based on the company’s experience and accolades. While the price range differs significantly, SEO services’ average price falls somewhere around the $2,500 per month mark for SMEs.

2. An in-house SEO Specialist will cost $70,000 – $180,000 per year and (when not part of a larger SEO team) will be tasked with mastering multiple facets of SEO. A standalone in-house SEO specialist must master multiple facets of search engine optimisation.

3. Hourly SEO rates ranges from $100 – $180 per hour depending on the SEO professional. Many agencies will not offer hourly SEO services.

4. SEO cost per keyword is an outdated SEO pricing method in Australia and has been widely phased out by all SEO professionals over the last decade.

5. Small businesses can expect to pay somewhere between $1,400 -$2,500 Per Month for SEO depending on their location, target market and target keywords.

6. Medium sized business can expect to pay $1,600 – $7,500 per month for SEO in Australia depending on the competition and size of their market.

7. Large business in Australia can expect to pay $2,500 per month – $10,000+ Per Month for SEO is contingent on their target market.

8. Enterprise SEO Costs start at $7,500+ per month depending on the size of the business and the nature of operations.

9. Cheap SEO can end up costing a lot of money. Professional SEO specialists that are tasked with cleaning up the work of a cheap SEO can be extremely expensive.

10. SEO is a long term investment. Unlike PPC marketing that ceases the moment that you stop paying for it, search engine optimisation will continue to benefit your business for weeks, months, and years to come.

Final Thoughts

When researching the cost of SEO assistance for your business, look at the value proposition – not just the bottom line. We see many businesses get caught up with choosing SEO based on dollars and cents instead of what is actually being delivered. Before you pay for SEO services, you should know exactly what you are getting each month. You can get in touch with an SEO specialist at Safari Digital to discuss SEO services for your business and find out exactly how much SEO will cost for your unique circumstances.