"How much does SEO cost?" is the first question almost every business owner asks us, and the one most agencies avoid answering. They say "it depends", book a call and quote you after a sales pitch.
We'd rather just tell you. Below you'll find our SEO packages, what's included, what SEO typically costs across Australia, and how to tell whether a quote is fair or too good to be true.
5 Star Reviewed · Based on the Sunshine Coast
I’ll audit who’s outranking you and map the searches worth winning first.
No obligation. You keep the roadmap either way.
Need something larger? Custom plans for competitive, national, or multi-location businesses typically run from $995 to $2,250+ per month, depending on your industry, competition, and content needs.
| Business type | Typical monthly SEO cost (AU) | What it usually covers |
|---|---|---|
| Small local business (single location) | $800 – $1,500 | Local SEO, Google Business Profile, core service pages, technical fixes |
| Growing SMB (multiple services or areas) | $1,500 – $3,000 | Above, plus regular content, link building and more keywords |
| eCommerce store | $2,000 – $5,000+ | Category and product optimisation, technical SEO, content, digital PR |
| National or enterprise | $5,000 – $15,000+ | Large-scale technical SEO, content programs, digital PR, multiple stakeholders |
These are indicative market ranges, not fixed prices. Your actual cost depends on the factors below.
Not every agency charges a monthly retainer. You’ll also see:
For most Australian small businesses, a realistic SEO budget is around $1,000 to $1,500 per month (excl. GST). That’s enough for a focused local strategy covering:
That’s exactly where our Bloom package at $995/month sits. We built it for small businesses that need real senior-level SEO without paying enterprise prices.
If that’s still out of reach, our consulting and training (from $250) lets you get the strategy right and do the hands-on work yourself.
No two businesses need exactly the same SEO. These are the biggest factors that drive cost:
1. How competitive your industry is Ranking a plumber in Caloundra is a very different job to ranking a national law firm or a finance comparison site. More competition means more content, more authority-building and more time.
2. Local vs national targeting Local SEO for one location is the most affordable. Targeting multiple cities, or all of Australia, multiplies the work.
3. The size and condition of your website A 15-page brochure site is quicker to optimise than a 5,000-product Shopify store. Sites with technical problems, slow load times or a history of bad SEO need more upfront work.
4. How much content you need Content is often the biggest variable. Businesses that need regular blog posts, new service pages or location pages will need a larger budget.
5. Off-page and digital PR effort Earning high-quality links from respected Australian publications through takes time and expertise, and it’s often what separates page one from page three in competitive markets.
6. Who’s doing the work A senior strategist costs more per hour than a junior account manager or an offshore team. But they usually get results faster and avoid expensive mistakes.
You’ll find SEO packages advertised online for $199 or $299 a month. Here’s the uncomfortable truth: at that price, there is very little real work going on.
Cheap SEO usually means:
Fixing the damage from cheap SEO often costs more than doing it properly in the first place. We regularly take on clients who’ve spent a year with a “budget” provider and are now starting from behind.
SEO is an investment that compounds. Unlike paid ads, where the traffic stops the moment you stop paying, the rankings and authority you build through SEO keep working for you.
A simple way to think about ROI:
If your average customer is worth $2,000 and SEO brings in just one extra customer a month, a $995/month plan has paid for itself twice over.
That’s why we focus on businesses where each client is valuable: trades, legal, accounting, healthcare, NDIS and aged care providers, hospitality and eCommerce. For these businesses, a handful of extra enquiries each month makes SEO one of the most cost-effective marketing channels available.
Most businesses start to see meaningful movement within 3 to 6 months, with results continuing to build over 12 months and beyond.
We’re based on the Sunshine Coast but work with businesses right across Australia, including Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney, Newcastle, Darwin and Hobart.
SEO pricing in Melbourne and Sydney tends to run higher, largely because agencies there carry bigger city overheads and the markets are more competitive. Because we work remotely and keep our team lean, you get senior-level SEO strategy at regional-agency pricing, wherever you’re located.
Looking for local help? See our or our .
A realistic SEO budget for an Australian small business is around $1,000 to $1,500 per month. This typically covers local SEO, Google Business Profile management, on-page optimisation, technical fixes and link building.
SEO pricing depends on your industry’s competitiveness, whether you’re targeting local or national customers, the size and condition of your website, how much content you need and the experience of the people doing the work.
Not with ALC Consulting. All of our SEO packages are month to month with no set-up fees. We believe the strategy should earn its place every month.
Most businesses see meaningful improvements within 3 to 6 months, with results continuing to grow over the following 6 to 12 months. Competitive industries and brand-new websites can take longer.
Generally, no. SEO packages priced at $200 to $300 per month rarely include enough skilled work to move rankings and often rely on low-quality links that can harm your website. It’s usually better to invest in a smaller, well-executed plan or SEO training.
Bloom suits local and smaller businesses building strong foundations. RISE suits growing businesses in competitive markets or those targeting multiple services and locations. Custom plans cover eCommerce, national and enterprise SEO. All include on-page, technical and off-page SEO, plus monthly reporting.
I'll take a look at your current search engine presence and send you some key opportunities we can tackle initially. Thirty minutes, no obligation, no sales fluff.
No spam, no newsletter sign-up, no follow-up sequence.
