Decision guide
Choosing an SEO company in Sydney
There are more SEO providers in Sydney than plumbers, and the gap between the good ones and the rest is wide. This guide explains the three kinds of provider, what each costs, and the questions that sort them.
The full-service agency
Teams of 10 to 100 across SEO, paid media, social and design. Good for large budgets and multi-channel campaigns. Expect $2,000 to $5,000 a month minimum, account managers between you and the work, and a sales process built to sign you for twelve months.
The specialist consultant
One person, or two or three, who only do search. You deal directly with the person doing the work. Capacity is limited, so the good ones are often full. Expect $1,200 to $3,000 a month or a fixed-price audit. This is what I am.
The offshore or volume provider
Low monthly fees, often under $500, templated reports, and link building you would not want to look at closely. Some are honest resellers; many are the reason Google’s spam policies exist. If the price seems impossible, it is.
Seven questions to ask any of them
- 01Who will actually do the work on my site?Ask for the name. If the answer is “our team”, ask again.
- 02What will you do in the first 30 days, specifically?A real plan names tasks. “Optimisation” is not a task.
- 03How will you report, and on what?Rankings are a means. Traffic and enquiries are the result. Ask to see a real report from a current client, with the client’s permission.
- 04Where do your links come from?If they cannot or will not tell you, assume the worst.
- 05What is the minimum term and what happens if I leave?Three months is reasonable. Twelve months with penalties is not. You should keep everything they built.
- 06Can I speak to two clients?Not read a testimonial. Speak to.
- 07What would make you tell me to stop spending on SEO?An honest provider has an answer.
Warning signs
- Guaranteed page-one rankings, or any guarantee at all.
- A “special relationship” with Google. There is no such thing.
- An unsolicited email or call telling you your site has problems.
- A free audit that turns out to be an automated scan with a quote attached.
- Pricing that is hidden until the sales call.
- Reports you cannot understand, or that never mention enquiries.
How I fit
I am a type 2 provider: one senior consultant, working in search since 1997, with prices on the website and a cap of three retainer clients. If you need paid media and social in the same contract, a type 1 agency is the better fit and I will say so. If you are deciding between providers, buy the audit first; it gives you a plan to hold any of them to.
Next step
Find out what is holding your site back
Start with the fixed-price audit. Two weeks, a prioritised roadmap, and a 45-minute walkthrough. Whether or not we work together afterwards, you will know exactly what to do.