How much does SEO cost in Australia?

The short answer

Most Australian agencies publish prices of about A$600 to A$3,000 a month for a small business’s local SEO. Bigger campaigns go well past that, up to about A$12,000.

SEO software costs less, about A$140 to A$570 a month, but you do the work yourself.

The SEOrted teamUpdated 16 October 20265-minute read

Laptop, quotes and a calculator on a kitchen table at night: weighing up what SEO is worth

What each option costs a monthAustralian dollars, as each provider publishes it, seen 15 October 2026

Do it yourselfYou do the work
A$0 + your time
SEO softwareYou, with a tool
A$142–572
FreelancerOne person, worldwide average
About A$1,930 on average
Agency, small businessAgency staff
A$595–1,500
Agency, professionalAgency staff
A$1,500–3,000, bigger campaigns to about A$12,000
Done for you, website includedSEOrted: your AI SEO team, 24/7
A$749

Sources: Websites That Sell, Digital8, Clickmatix, BabyLoveGrowth, Search Atlas. Ahrefs (freelancers, a worldwide survey). US$ converted at 1.433. See the full table

What changes the price?

Five things move the price more than anything else. Check each one when you compare quotes.

01
How many areas and services you want to be found for
More suburbs and more services mean more pages, more listings and more checking. Websites That Sell say local campaigns start at A$595 a month and “larger, more competitive suburbs will be more”.
02
Whether your Google Business Profile is run for you
The listing in Google Maps is where most local calls start. Some agencies price it on its own: Websites That Sell list Business Profile optimisation from A$665 a month.
03
Whether problems get fixed or only reported
Cheaper plans often send a report. Clickmatix’s A$1,500 to A$3,000 tier is where “technical fixes, content updates, and local SEO” come in.
04
Whether AI answers are covered
ChatGPT, Gemini and Google’s AI now answer “who’s good near me”. Clickmatix say pricing is “being shaped by AI search”, but their local tiers don’t list it.
05
Who does the work
You, a piece of software, a freelancer or an agency’s staff. The less you do yourself, the more it costs.

The options compared

What a small local business can choose between, from cheapest to most hands-off.

What each option costs a month in Australia, as published (seen 15 October 2026)
Option	Cost a month	Who does the work	What’s usually included	Source
Do it yourself	A$0 + your time	You	Whatever you learn and keep up with	Your own time
SEO software	About A$142–572	You, with the tool’s automation	Articles or on-site changes; AI-answer tracking on higher plans	BabyLoveGrowth, Search Atlas (US$99–399)
Freelancer	About A$1,930 on average	One person	Varies a lot from person to person	Ahrefs survey of 439 SEO providers worldwide (US$1,349 average retainer)
Agency, small business	About A$595–1,500	Agency staff	Business Profile, local listings, a handful of local keywords, light reporting	Websites That Sell, Digital8, Clickmatix
Agency, professional	About A$1,500–3,000	Agency staff	Technical audits and fixes, active Business Profile work, suburb targeting, regular reports	Clickmatix
Done for you, website included (SEOrted)	A$749	Your AI SEO team, with your OK where you want it	Website and hosting, Business Profile, fixes, area pages, AI-answer checks	SEOrted

Agency prices are each agency’s own published ranges; some quote them plus GST. Software prices are US dollars converted at US$1 = A$1.433 on 15 October 2026, month to month. The freelancer figure is the average monthly retainer from Ahrefs’ worldwide survey of 439 SEO providers (updated August 2024), not an Australian price list.

What should you get for the money?

Changes you can see, counted in calls and enquiries. Whatever you pay, you should be able to tick these off.

A plain list of what changes each month, and on which pages.
Your Google Business Profile looked after: photos, posts and replies to reviews.
Technical problems fixed, not just listed in a report.
Results counted in calls and enquiries, not only rankings.
Checks on whether AI assistants name you in your area.
Your domain and Business Profile in your own name.

Red flags

If you see any of these in a quote, ask more questions before you sign.

A guaranteed #1 on Google

Nobody controls Google’s results. Google’s own advice is to be wary of anyone who promises a top ranking.

A long lock-in before you’ve seen anything

If it’s working, you’ll stay. A long contract up front protects the seller, not you.

Reports full of words nobody searches

Ranking first for a phrase with no searches brings no calls.

You don’t own your listing or domain

If you leave, you should take your Business Profile and domain with you.

Where SEOrted fits

We’re a done-for-you option at A$749 a month, with your website included. That sits above SEO software and below most agencies’ professional tier. Every change is checked before it goes live, and you choose what you approve.

If you’re a bigger business with your own marketing team, an agency or software will probably suit you better. See what’s included in A$749.

Questions people ask about SEO cost

How much does SEO typically cost in Australia?

About A$600 to A$3,000 a month from most agencies, for a small business’s local SEO.

SEO software costs about A$142 to A$572 a month if you run it yourself. Bigger agency campaigns go up to about A$12,000 a month. Sources: Websites That Sell, Clickmatix, Digital8.

Why is SEO so expensive?

Because it’s ongoing work, not a one-off job.

Someone has to keep your pages, your Google Business Profile and your listings up to date, fix technical problems and check what changed, every month. Agencies price that as staff time, which is why Clickmatix’s tier with “technical fixes, content updates, and local SEO” starts at about A$1,500 a month.

Is SEO software cheaper than an agency?

Yes, about A$142 to A$572 a month, but you run it.

Tools like BabyLoveGrowth and Search Atlas automate parts of the work. You still set them up, choose what goes live and keep your Business Profile going. Prices are month to month, converted from US$99–399.

Can I do SEO for my website myself?

Yes. It costs nothing but your time.

Plenty of owners keep their own Business Profile up to date and ask for reviews. The harder parts are technical fixes, writing pages for each area and keeping up as Google and AI assistants change. [to source] typical hours a month

Do I have to sign a contract for SEO?

Not always. Ask for the minimum term in writing before you sign.

The SEO software in this guide is billed month to month (BabyLoveGrowth, Search Atlas). If an agency wants a long lock-in before you have seen any results, treat it as a red flag.

How much does it cost to be at the top of a Google search?

You can’t buy the top spot in Google’s free results.

Google ranks its free results itself, and Google’s own advice is to be wary of anyone who promises a #1 ranking. The ads above the free results are a separate thing, paid per click through Google Ads.