SEO is worth it for most local service businesses where customers search on Google, a job is worth a few hundred dollars or more, and you can wait three to six months for results. It's a poor fit if you need work this week or your customers don't search online.
A quick way to work it out
- Work out the profit from an average job. Say it's $400.
- Divide your monthly SEO fee by that profit. A $790 plan divided by $400 is about 2 jobs.
- Ask: once it's working, will SEO bring at least 2 extra jobs a month? For most trades in a metro area, the answer is yes.
When SEO pays off
- People search for your service by suburb ("plumber Wanneroo").
- Customers often need you more than once, or refer others.
- You're paying per lead on platforms and want leads you own.
- You plan to be in business for years, so the rankings keep working.
When it's not the best first step
- You need customers in the next few weeks. Google Ads is faster.
- Your business works almost entirely from referrals and you're fully booked.
- You sell something people don't search for.
SEO or Google Ads?
Ads stop the moment you stop paying. SEO takes longer but keeps bringing calls. Many businesses run ads while SEO builds, then reduce ad spend. See how long local SEO takes and what SEO costs in Australia.
Not sure? Our free audit shows how many people search for your services in your area, so you can decide with real numbers.
Want this done for you? See our local SEO plans, or get a free audit.