SEO
How to Rank Higher on Google: A Small Business Guide
How to rank higher on Google, step by step: choose the right searches, improve your pages, fix technical problems, earn trust and measure what works.
How much does SEO cost? The SEO cost Australian small businesses pay depends on how competitive their searches are, how many services and locations they want to rank for, and how much content needs writing. Most ongoing SEO is billed as a monthly plan. At Rock Solid Marketing, SEO starts from $1,000 + GST a month with no lock-in contract, and a focused regional target usually costs less than a national one.
How much does SEO cost in Australia?
There's no single price, and no reliable average cost of SEO, because SEO isn't a single product. Two businesses can both "do SEO" and need very different amounts of work. A plumber who wants to rank in one regional town needs far less than an online store competing with national retailers for thousands of products.
Whatever your SEO services cost, what you can compare is what each provider includes for the money, how they report on it and whether they lock you in. Our SEO services start from $1,000 + GST a month and include:
- Keyword research and a monthly strategy discussion
- Analytics set-up
- Page titles and meta tags
- Technical SEO such as robots.txt and the sitemap
- Internal links, content editing and on-site optimisation
- Off-site link building
- A monthly report and review call
Plans are reviewed monthly and there's no lock-in contract.
What affects the cost of SEO?
These are the things that move search engine optimisation costs up or down:
| Factor | Raises the cost | Lowers the cost |
|---|---|---|
| Competition | Busy national searches with strong competitors | A focused regional target |
| Scope | Many services or locations to rank for | A handful of core services in one area |
| Content | Lots of new pages and articles to write | Good existing pages that need editing |
| Website health | Technical problems, slow pages, a recent redesign that lost rankings | A fast, well built site |
| Links | A new site with no links pointing to it | An established site with local mentions |
The site itself matters too. If your website has deep technical problems, fixing them first is usually the smartest use of budget, and our technical SEO work covers that.
How do SEO companies charge for their services?
Most SEO service pricing in Australia falls into three models:
- Monthly plans (retainers). The most common model for ongoing SEO, because rankings are built and kept over time. You pay a set amount each month for an agreed scope.
- Project pricing. A fixed price for a defined job, such as an audit, a site migration or setting up a new site's SEO.
- Hourly rates. Useful for small, occasional jobs. Our hourly rate for work beyond a package is $175 + GST an hour.
Whichever model you choose, ask for a written list of what's included and how results will be reported. Our SEO packages page sets out what each plan covers.
How much does SEO cost per month for a small business?
For a small business, monthly SEO is usually the right fit, because rankings build over months. With us, small business SEO starts from $1,000 + GST a month. That's built for businesses that want to rank in their region for their main services, such as law firms, medical practices and local service providers.
If you compete nationally, have many locations or need a lot of new content, the monthly cost goes up with the work. We'll tell you before you start which parts of your plan drive the price. Our small business SEO page explains how we keep the scope focused.
How much does an SEO audit cost?
An SEO audit checks your website's technical health, content and links, and gives you a list of fixes in order of priority. The cost depends on the size of the site: a 10 page service site takes far less time than an online store with thousands of products.
We quote standalone audits at our hourly rate of $175 + GST an hour, so you know the cost before we start. If you're on our Premium website care plan ($549 + GST a month, minimum 6 months), an SEO health check and audit report are included.
Is cheap SEO worth it?
Be careful with very cheap SEO. If a package costs far less than the work it promises, something is being skipped, or the rankings are being chased with shortcuts that break Google's rules. Our guide to white hat and black hat SEO explains why those shortcuts can get a site penalised.
Warning signs to look for:
- A promise of a set ranking position by a set date
- Hundreds of backlinks for a low flat fee
- No clear list of what's done each month
- No access to reports, or reports that only show traffic without rankings or enquiries
- A long lock-in contract before you've seen any work
What we see when regional businesses budget for SEO
When we talk to business owners about SEO, a common story is that they paid for it before and saw no return, often without ever being shown what was done. So we start every plan with keyword research that shows what people in your area actually search for, and we report every month on rankings and traffic so you can see where the money goes.
The other thing we see is that regional businesses often don't need a national budget. A Mildura accountant or a Sunraysia builder usually competes with a handful of local firms, not every firm in Australia. Focusing on the services and towns that bring in work keeps the cost down and puts the budget where enquiries come from.
How long before SEO pays off?
SEO is a long term investment. Technical fixes and better page titles can be picked up within weeks, but steady rankings for competitive searches usually take months of consistent work. That's why monthly plans with no lock-in suit most businesses: you can see progress in each month's report and decide whether to continue.
If you need leads straight away, Google Ads can bring traffic while SEO builds. Paid ads stop when the budget stops, while SEO keeps working once rankings are built.
Frequently asked questions
What does SEO cost for a small business in Australia?
It depends on competition and scope. With Rock Solid Marketing, SEO starts from $1,000 + GST a month with no lock-in contract. A focused regional target sits at the lower end; national competition, many locations or a lot of new content cost more.
How much should SEO cost?
SEO should cost enough to cover real work each month: research, on-site changes, content, links and reporting. Compare providers on what's included and how they report, not just the monthly price. A very low price usually means less work or riskier tactics.
Is SEO a one-off cost?
Some SEO tasks are one-off, such as an audit, analytics set-up or fixing a site migration. Rankings themselves need ongoing work, because competitors keep improving and Google keeps changing. Most businesses pay monthly and review the plan regularly.
Do you charge GST on SEO?
Yes. Like all our prices, SEO plans are quoted + GST, and GST is added to each monthly invoice.
Can I do SEO myself to save money?
Yes, many basics are free to do yourself: claim your Google Business Profile, write clear page titles, add useful content and ask customers for reviews. Paid SEO makes sense when the competition is strong or you don't have the time.
Want a quote built around your business? Contact Rock Solid Marketing and we'll show you what's included before you commit.
