04 Jan
Business owners all over the world are going through a financially difficult time due to COVID-19. Most of us are trying to save money by cutting costs in all possible ways. The smaller businesses are under more pressure than ever before. We need to change our online/ SEO marketing strategies to align with the way people search and shop. It’s going to be more challenging. Once the businesses bounce-back and you don’t want to lose your footing.
Most business owners would want to know about the cost of SEO services. Many of us never know what an appropriate price would be to pay to stay in the race at the top of the Google search results. But all we get from quite a few SEO agencies are “Well, mmm, it, hmmm, depends……”. This is the most confusing and frustrating response to a question about the cost of SEO services. But there is a reason behind this answer.
In cities like Perth or in the whole of Australia, if that matters, it becomes very complicated for small business websites to compete against the likes of Biggies like Amazon Bunnings, and Hipages, etc. The truth is that it depends on many factors and is very complicated. Let us start from the beginning.
Table of Contents
Does Your Business need SEO?
Every business has a website or some form of online presence now. Maybe some don’t, but then, no one knows about them, and when it comes to digital marketing, SEO services are essential. Period. You are not only being left behind, but you may also lose the business soon if you do not go the digital marketing way You may feel that you have a local business and should not spend a lot of money on local SEO. But you must realize that online marketing may help you reach more customers in your city than any other form of marketing. Local SEO optimization is powerful and essential to improve the ranking of a website. This helps to make it more visible and connects with the consumers directly.
Some smaller businesses do not understand the significance of SEO against PPC or pay per click. Paid campaigns may get you results quickly, but it will increase your budget in the long run. But SEO will get you better returns in the long term. This will help grow your business and reach the top of the first page or at least be on the first page of the search results, which will help you generate more sales/ leads.
With pandemic ruining our economies and restricting our movements, online may become the only way to connect with clients for many businesses. There are way more consumers that research and buy online now. More than ever before, you will have to keep on top of their searches’ results to be relevant. Business growth will happen only through consistent efforts towards building an online reputation and stand out against all the competitors.
The best part of a local SEO is that it is less expensive to execute a local SEO strategy than national SEO. The rankings are easier to get if a local business targets local keyword. For example, with the right approach, a Perth based company can easily rank high for Perth based keywords than targeting generic keywords. The bigger businesses are competing for higher spots on the search engines on a large scale, which is an expensive plan.
You need to understand the SEO business a little bit before deciding on a budget and a plan. We can help you understand the various terms and tools to devise a good plan and budget for your business in Perth. Also, there are quite a few non-Aussie agencies and companies that want to offer their services at low rates, but no-one knows the local businesses more than the local SEO companies.
Effort vs Price: What’s Involved On A Typical SEO Campaign
Initially, the SEO work will need a lot of effort. Activities like:
- Keyword research
- Technical Optimization
- Link Building
- Content management
- Rank tracking
- Citations
- Marketing on Social media channels/content marketing
- and many more!
Here are our typical deliverables at our SEO Agency. Things such as Tracking setup, Technical SEO Audit, Keyword Research are done by month 1. Then we focus on creating more landing pages and content.
When it comes to cost, pay for results, hourly SEO, and SEO retainers, all have different prices, and a company has to factor these in their budget. Any new business will need focused efforts in the beginning for a few months. Then once it is established then the steps will be geared towards monthly maintenance.
Some businesses find Quality SEO services more expensive and choose to go the PPC route. This may not be ideal, but it’s a good start than falling into crazy offers like “$100 for the first rank in one week”. Many fraudulent SEO agencies claim that they can get you to the top of the search results for ridiculously low dollars. Like what they always say if it’s too good to be true. It probably is. Same concepts apply for SEO. Always be cautious of cheap SEO services and ask what’s the catch? why is it so cheap compared to other SEO agency?
Why would the SEO cost be different in Australia?
The cost of a high-quality SEO may vary between $1000 to $15000. Do not be confused with the huge difference. The companies may change the prices for each client as the ‘one size fits all’ approach never works in SEO This depends on the factors relevant to each business and its niche.
- The level of existing competition in the business.
- Your current rankings
- The products and services provided by your company
- The amount of work to be done for your SEO target
- The duration of work required to implement the strategy.
Ideally, the agency hired for SEO management should be reputable and transparent. Some companies may not invest time in link building if they charge you less. This will get you nowhere.
Do not underestimate the value of SEO professionals and always try to get a tailored or customised solution for your business. It would be best if you asked the agency to understand your company’s needs and goals and then devise the strategy, and that is what a good SEO company would do. They may charge more, but you will get a long-term solution and a winning marketing formula for your business.
You can devise a budget for SEO based on the points mentioned above. The ROI is significant here. The amount you want to spend and need to spend is again debatable. Your marketing goals need to be achieved. If you try to save money in the short run, you might be bleeding revenues in the long run.
You need to be aware of your present rankings and shortcomings, apart from knowing the competitors. If you are on the first page of Google result pages, you may have to spend only a minimum amount on maintaining that lead. But if you are just a new entrant, then the task is tougher, and you may need more money and time to reach the top of the Google search results. Again, the goal is more important- long term and sustainable results are the keys to a successful SEO campaign.
SEO Pricing Structure and Methods
You can choose to pay in many ways for SEO services according to your budget and your goals. Usually, Perth-based companies charge hourly, monthly, or yearly. They may also charge based on one campaign or an ongoing basis.
Hourly rate or Project based rates charges are less, and you can pay for some work to be done, and that is it. You can stop spending any time you don’t want to go forward with the campaign or want to stop it. But this may not always work, as SEO is a long-term strategy. There is no guarantee that the campaign would work, and you may end up spending a lot more in the long-term. This can be used only if you are already doing a lot of SEO work in your company and need a consultant to help once in a while.
Paying for a campaign is expensive – Average SEO price is anywhere between $500 to $15000. The SEO agency will work towards the campaign and get you the desired results at the end of it. A mutually decided cost also helps decide the budget, and the stakeholders know what has to be delivered without any hidden costs. This is a good method, but sometimes companies find better deals later or do not find the result satisfactory. The budget cuts while the campaign is still on may also hurt the outcome. An SEO campaign cannot be ignored even after completing the contract as it may need maintenance.
Ongoing services or monthly retainer is another way. You can expect to pay between $700 and $3000 per month. If you have an ongoing campaign, that is the best option even if you feel the payment is higher. You will have access to information, and you can keep changing the strategy and updating to stay on the top.
The basic principle of business applies here too.
You get what you pay for.
You will have to go to an SEO professional, and that is going to cost you money. Look at the points mentioned above, and you will be able to figure out how much money you would need to factor in the SEO budget. You need to be successful in today’s times when the strategy and technology are continually evolving. Mobile is the preferred device for most people now. You may have to devise multiple strategies for the mobile and desktop-based searches and improve your rankings in both.
Local SEO strategy works best only when you want to target locally. The strategy and budget should be entirely different when you want to target nationally.
Going for cheap SEO can turn out to be more expensive in the long run due to less time given to your campaign. But that does not mean that expensive SEO is always good. Check out the reputation and previous work of the company before assigning any job. Get quotes from different companies. Check out their previous work. Choose a company that has previously helped a similar business like yours. This will help you gain from their experience, and you will get the right value for your money.
Some important points to know
Average Cost of SEO in Australia:
The average price for SEO in Australia and Perth specifically, may be anywhere between $500 to $2000 a month. But national or internationally targeted keywords cost more as it must compete against a huge market. Competing in the local market is always cheaper. For example, a plumber in a regional area can expect to pay less than a plumber in Perth due to competition.
You can also hire at hourly rates or monthly rates- for example, an hour may cost you somewhere like between $75 and $200. Very few companies charge way more than these sample rates.
Always check the Quality:
The quality of work is the most crucial factor. Why would you want to pay an exorbitant amount if a company promises to work at less prices? The answer is that you pay more to get the trusted and advanced whitehat techniques that will keep your business on the top.
You need your business rankings to grow organically and generate search engine traffic. Some companies may promise to bring thousands of links at cheap rates, but then they might end up getting you de-indexed in Google. This means that they use Blackhat techniques which are against the policies of Google.
Structure and Deliverables:
SEO price will also depend on the campaign, as mentioned before. Every business owner in Perth will be competing to stay on top, but every business and its goal and size differ. Your present position both offline and online, will also decide the cost factor for SEO.
If you are in a fairly common business and there are many players in the area already vying for that top spot, then it will need all the firepower in terms of the budget before it starts to pay back. But if you are already an established brand or a well-known brand in the city, then it is only a matter of time to reach the top of the search results.
Conclusion
Quite a detailed piece that we have presented to you, and we hope it would help you avoid the pitfalls and launch your campaigns successfully. Search Engine Optimization is not a puzzle as many SEO agencies claim it to be, but it’s a systemic approach to digital marketing; only a few would want to follow!
