"SEO" covers a lot of different work, and quotes vary wildly because agencies bundle it differently. Here's what a local SEO service for a small business should include, so you can compare quotes properly.
Set-up work (first month or two)
- Keyword research: the searches your customers actually use, by service and suburb. See keyword research for local businesses.
- Technical audit and fixes: speed, mobile, indexing, broken links, redirects.
- On-page fixes: page titles, headings, internal links and schema.
- Google Business Profile: categories, services, areas, photos and a review link.
- Tracking: Google Analytics, Search Console and call or form tracking.
Ongoing work (every month)
- New or improved service pages and suburb pages
- Articles that answer customer questions
- Citations and local links
- Business Profile posts, photos and review requests
- A monthly report: rankings, traffic, calls and enquiries, and what was done
Optional extras
Google Ads management, social media, conversion-rate work and website redesigns are separate services. They can help, but they shouldn't be hidden inside an "SEO" price.
Red flags
- No list of what's done each month
- Guaranteed number-one rankings
- Hundreds of cheap backlinks
- Reports that show only rankings for terms nobody searches
- Long lock-in contracts with no exit
See what SEO costs in Australia and questions to ask before hiring.
Want this done for you? See our local SEO plans, or get a free audit.