The moment a buyer or seller starts searching
Conveyancing searches are triggered by an event. A buyer has found a property and has a draft contract. A seller is about to list. Someone has an auction in two weeks. In each case the person wants a professional who is easy to reach, clear about what happens next and available soon.
The ACT Government's buyer and seller guide says conveyancing is usually done with the help of a solicitor, and that using one is not required but is highly recommended. That tells you what searchers are weighing: professional help against a do-it-yourself kit. A good page explains what you do and what a kit does not cover.
The same guide says a draft contract should be ready before a property is first offered for sale. For sellers, that creates an early search window. A page aimed at sellers about to list, written separately from the buyer page, is a sensible place to start.
Four kinds of search, four different pages
A single page called "conveyancing services" tries to answer all of these and usually answers none well.
Buying a home
The reader has a contract and wants to know what you check, how long it takes and whom they will speak to.
Selling a property
The reader needs to know how the contract is prepared, what disclosure documents are involved and when to contact you.
Auction purchase
The reader has a deadline. Say how quickly you can review the documents and how to send them over.
Comparing options
The reader is weighing a solicitor, a conveyancer and a kit. Explain your role honestly, without disparaging the alternatives.
Say exactly what you are
Who may act as a conveyancer differs between states and territories. The Access Canberra guide refers to solicitors, who must hold a current practising certificate and professional indemnity insurance. A Queanbeyan practice is in a different jurisdiction again.
For SEO, this matters in two ways. First, searchers use the words solicitor, lawyer and conveyancer interchangeably, so your pages should use the term that is true for you and explain it. Second, a page that overstates a credential can mislead people and invite trouble. We write only what you can show us.
ACT rules your pages should get right
The ACT Government's buyer and seller guide sets out several points that buyers ask about. Check the current guide before you publish any figure, and describe your own service separately.
| Situation | What the guide says | What your page can do |
|---|---|---|
| Buying a home | A cooling-off period of five clear working days applies to residential sales, with a 0.25 percent forfeiture if the buyer withdraws | Explain the period and when to send you the contract |
| Waiving cooling-off | The buyer needs advice from a solicitor who is not the seller's solicitor | Say whether you provide that advice, using the title you hold |
| Selling | A draft contract must be ready before the property is first offered for sale | Give sellers a preparation page they can find before listing |
| Auctions | No cooling-off period applies, and a successful bidder who does not complete may lose the deposit | State how fast you can review documents before the bidding day |
| Contract terms | Section 11 of the Civil Law (Sale of Residential Property) Act 2003 sets conditions that apply even if the contract omits them | Describe your review, without promising what any contract covers |
What the search results page rewards
These are the elements we plan for conveyancing sites, and why.
| Element | Why it matters | Common fault |
|---|---|---|
| Buyer and seller pages | Each matches a different search and a different decision | One page for everything |
| Named contact and hours | People want to know who answers and when | Generic enquiry form only |
| Process page | Reduces anxiety about the steps and timing | Jargon without explanation |
| Google Business Profile | Shows in local searches with your details and reviews | Details that differ from the website |
| Suburb and region mentions | Signals whether you serve Canberra, Queanbeyan or both | Long lists of suburbs on one page |
Referrals from agents and brokers
Many practices get work by referral. When an agent, broker or accountant suggests a name, the client will usually check the firm online before calling. That check is the point where SEO helps even when the lead did not start on Google.
We look at what a referred client sees: a branded search for your firm name, your listing, your reviews and the first page they land on. If any of those is thin, a referral can stall. We also write a short page for referrers that states what you need from them and how quickly you respond. Practices that also serve buyers in the Queanbeyan region get a separate page for that side of the border. Other professions that feed referrals are covered in our industry guides.
How we work with a conveyancing practice
The sequence keeps the work small at first and builds on what produces enquiries.
- Check what a referred client seesWe search your firm name, review your listing and read your top pages as a stranger would.
- Rewrite the core pagesBuying, selling and process pages are written separately, with the credentials and jurisdiction stated exactly. See our approach to on-page SEO.
- Fix the listingWe make your listing details match the website through your Google Business Profile.
- Add supporting guidesShort guides answer questions people ask before they call, such as what happens between contract and settlement.
- Review and adjustMonthly reports show calls, forms and the pages that produced them, with the next priority.
What we leave out
Property clients are often anxious, and the temptation is to overpromise.
Included
- Plain-English explanations of each step of a sale or purchase.
- Honest statements of your role, licence or certificate and jurisdiction.
- Separate pages for the ACT and for Queanbeyan if you serve both.
- Advice on how to ask past clients for genuine reviews.
Left out
- Claims of fixed fees or turnaround times we cannot confirm with you.
- Pages that suggest legal advice you are not authorised to give.
- Invented reviews or paid review swaps.
- Mass-produced suburb pages with the same text.
Cost and timing
Cost depends on how many services you offer, whether you serve one or both sides of the border and how much content the site needs. We quote after reviewing your site. The cost of doing nothing is also worth weighing against referrals that drift away after a weak first impression.
The pace depends on competition and on how fast pages are signed off. Local profile fixes can show effects sooner than new content, but both need months to settle. Our small business SEO service sets out how we pace work for practices of this size.
Frequently asked questions
Do buyers in Canberra search for a conveyancer or a solicitor?
Both terms are used, often interchangeably. The ACT Government guide refers to solicitors for conveyancing. Your pages should use whichever title applies to you, explain it briefly, and avoid implying a qualification you do not hold.
Should I have separate pages for buyers and sellers?
Yes. Buyers and sellers search with different questions and face different deadlines. Separate pages let you answer each properly and give Google a clear match for each search, instead of one page trying to cover both.
Does the cooling-off period apply to auction purchases?
The ACT Government's buyer and seller guide says no cooling-off period applies at auction, and a successful bidder who does not complete may lose the deposit. Because buyers must review the contract before bidding, an auction page should say how quickly you can read documents. We do not give legal advice, so the page sets out your service only.
Can I use suburb names on my conveyancing website?
Yes, where you genuinely serve those areas. We prefer a few well-written pages for regions you serve over long lists of suburbs. Repeating the same text with a different suburb name adds little and can look thin to readers.
How do reviews affect a conveyancing practice?
They influence the choice between two similar firms. The ACCC treats fake reviews as unlawful and cautions against deleting honest criticism. We help you ask past clients in a lawful, consistent way, and we never write reviews.
How soon will I see enquiries?
Usually months, not weeks. Fixing your listing and core pages can help earlier than new guides. We cannot guarantee a position or an enquiry count, because results depend on competition and on factors outside our control.
Do you cover Queanbeyan conveyancing searches?
Yes. We work with firms across the ACT and Queanbeyan. If you act on both sides of the border, we write separate pages that state the jurisdiction clearly, so a searcher knows which rules and processes apply.
Sources and further reading
- Access Canberra: Reality Check, a real estate guide for buyers and sellers in the ACT: Conveyancing usually with a solicitor, practising certificate and insurance, draft contract, cooling-off period and waiver advice, auctions, Civil Law (Sale of Residential Property) Act s 11
- ACCC: Online reviews for products and services: Fake and suppressed reviews