Related Posts
Podcasts
You’ve heard that SEO is important for growing your business online, but when it comes to what it actually costs, clear answers can be hard to find. Some agencies quote a few hundred dollars a month, others charge thousands, and the services included vary wildly. It’s enough to make any business owner wonder: “Is this worth it, and what exactly am I paying for?”
As a business decision maker, you don’t just want SEO; you want to know what you’re getting for your investment, and whether you could get results without outsourcing at all.
This article will walk you through everything you need to know. You’ll learn the average cost of SEO marketing in Australia, what a good agency actually does for you, how much we charge (and why), and simple actions you can take yourself to improve your SEO without spending a cent.
By the end, you’ll be able to make a clear, confident decision about whether investing in SEO is the right move for your business right now.
Average Cost for SEO Marketing Agencies in Australia
If you’re researching SEO costs, you’ve probably seen a wide range of numbers, and for good reason. SEO pricing varies based on the scope of work, the agency’s experience, and how competitive your industry is.
First, let’s look at some of the tasks that may be involved in SEO Optimisation:
| On-Site Optimisation | Off-Site Optimisation |
| Regular, high quality content creation | Backlinking |
| Keyword Optimisation | Guest Blogging |
| Metadata Optimisation | Influencer Outreach |
| URL Structure | Forum Participation |
| Internal Linking | Directory Submissions |
| Mobile-Friendly Design | Press Releases |
| Fast Page Load Speed | Brand Mentions |
| XML Sitemap | User Reviews |
| Structured Data Markup | Local SEO Citations |
| User Experience (UX) |
Now, let’s take a look at the cost of SEO Optimisation. We’ve scoured the web for SEO prices online, and we found that the numbers generally sit between AUD $750 to +$5,000 per month.
Here’s an example of how these different ranges could differ in execution (this may change depending on the agency):
- Between AUD $750 and $2,000 per month. These may include basic on-page optimisation, some keyword targeting, and basic reporting.
- Between AUD $2,000 and $5,000 per month. These packages may cover more extensive content creation, technical SEO improvements, link building, and a higher level of strategy and analysis.
- From AUD $5,000+ per month. These may include all of the items in the table listed above.
Important to note:
- Setup fees are common (often $1,000 to $3,000) to cover audits and foundational work.
- Minimum contracts often range from 6 to 12 months, as SEO is a long-term investment.
You’re not just paying for “keywords.” A good SEO package should include site audits, strategy development, technical fixes, backlink building, ongoing content work, and performance reporting.
Bottom line: If an agency quotes you $1000/month for SEO, it’s worth questioning what you’re really getting, because quality SEO in Australia almost always requires a more realistic investment.
What Does an SEO Marketing Agency Even Do For You?
At first glance, SEO might seem simple: tweak a few pages, add some keywords, and wait for the traffic to roll in.
In reality, professional SEO involves much more — and it’s the depth of work that separates serious agencies from cheap “quick fix” providers.
For a deep dive into the topic of everything included in SEO, check out this full guide on SEO, what it includes, and how to get started with each step.
Here’s a general overview of what a good SEO agency should do for you:
1. Technical Site Optimisation
Agencies conduct a technical audit to find and fix issues that hurt your site’s performance — things like slow load times, mobile usability problems, broken links, crawl errors, and poor internal linking.
Typical technical SEO tasks include:
- Website speed optimisation
- Mobile responsiveness improvements
- Fixing crawl errors and broken links
- Enhancing site structure and internal linking
- Setting up proper redirects and canonical tags
2. Keyword and Market Research
Keyword research is the foundation of your SEO strategy—it helps you understand what your audience is searching for and how you can position your content to match their needs.
Effective SEO isn’t about chasing random keywords — it’s about understanding what your ideal customers are searching for.
Agencies research keyword opportunities based on search volume, competitiveness, and buying intent, while also analysing your competitors to spot strategic gaps you can exploit.
Keyword and market research usually includes:
- Finding high-value, low-competition keywords
- Analysing search intent behind keywords
- Competitor keyword analysis
- Identifying content gaps you can target
- Building a keyword strategy for long-term growth
3. On-Page SEO
On-page SEO focuses on optimising individual pages to help them rank. This includes refining title tags, meta descriptions, headers, image alt text, URL structures, and overall page content.
On-page SEO tasks typically involve:
- Optimising meta titles and descriptions
- Structuring content with clear headings (H1, H2, H3s)
- Improving URL slugs for clarity and SEO value
- Adding internal links to related content
- Optimising images for speed and accessibility
- Editing the content on the page
Done right, on-page SEO not only improves rankings but also makes your pages more useful and engaging for visitors.
4. Content Strategy and Creation
Since the Google Helpful Content Update, writing and publishing high quality blogs that answer customer questions every week has become more important than ever before.
A good agency should help plan and produce high-quality blog posts, landing pages, FAQs, and resource guides that target valuable keywords, answer customer questions, and build your authority in the eyes of both users and Google.
Typical content-related tasks include:
- Creating a content calendar aligned with SEO goals
- Writing keyword-optimised blog posts
- Producing landing pages targeting buyer intent keywords
- Updating and improving existing website content
- Building topic clusters and pillar content strategies
Even if you do nothing else, if you just write and publish good content, your SEO ranking will likely improve.
5. Link Building
Backlinks (links from other reputable websites to yours) are still a critical ranking factor.
Good agencies focus on earning quality backlinks through strategic partnerships, PR efforts, guest posting, and by creating shareable content, not by buying shady links that can damage your site’s credibility.
Link building activities often include:
- Guest posting on reputable industry sites
- Creating high-value content that earns natural backlinks
- Reaching out for digital PR opportunities
- Finding and fixing broken backlinks
- Building local citations for local SEO strength
6. Performance Tracking and Reporting
You need to know what’s working and what’s not. A good agency sets up robust tracking (like Google Analytics, Search Console, and custom dashboards) and provides regular reporting.
Typical reporting and tracking work includes:
- Setting up conversion tracking and goal completions
- Monitoring keyword ranking movements
- Analysing organic traffic growth over time
- Tracking backlinks earned and lost
- Providing monthly SEO performance reports
How Much RedPandas Charges for SEO Services
At RedPandas, we don’t just sell SEO as a standalone service, we offer comprehensive digital marketing solutions designed to drive real business growth.
Our Digital Marketing Done For You service includes two packages:
- AUD $9,500 +GST per month +7,500 Onboarding Fee
- AUD $15,000 +GST per month +10,000 Onboarding Fee
Rather than focusing purely on SEO rankings, our approach combines a range of tactics that work together to deliver leads, sales, and long-term brand authority.
Here’s a breakdown of what our package typically includes:
These packages are customisable, meaning that depending on your business needs and goals, what we focus on might change month to month.
To find out more about our pricing, check it out here.
What You Can Do to Improve SEO Without Spending Money
Hiring an agency can fast-track your results, but if you’re not ready to invest just yet, there are still smart, effective ways to improve your SEO organically.
The single best place to start?
Publishing high-quality, helpful content that answers real customer questions.
This strategy aligns perfectly with Google’s Helpful Content Update, which rewards websites that create genuinely useful content written for people.
Here’s what you can do to move the needle on your SEO without spending a cent:
1. Write and Publish Three High-Quality Blog Articles Each Week
Focus on creating articles that directly answer the questions your customers are asking.
Your blogs should:
- Address specific pain points, concerns, or curiosities your audience has
- Offer actionable advice or step-by-step solutions
- Be easy to read, using clear formatting (headings, bullet points, short paragraphs)
- Reflect your genuine expertise, not just surface-level information
Examples of topics might include:
- “How much does [your service/product] cost in Australia?”
- “Common mistakes to avoid when choosing [your solution]”
- “How to get started with [your service/product] without making costly errors”
Consistency is key.
Publishing three well-optimised blog posts per week will likely build your website’s authority over time, even if you do nothing else.
Next, check out our guide on 20 tips you can implement right now to improve your SEO even if nothing else is working.
