Why we quote each project
Two Canberra businesses can ask for the same thing and need very different work. A café with a well-built site and a clear local audience needs less than an online shop with thousands of product pages and a messy structure. A package price for both would overcharge one and underserve the other.
So we look first, then quote. The quote lists the tasks, the order they happen in and whether the work is a one-off or continuing. If we think you need less than you asked for, we will say so.
What drives the cost
Some of these factors are in your control and some are not. Together they explain most of the difference between one quote and another.
| Cost driver | Why it matters | Pushes the quote up when |
|---|---|---|
| Size of the website | More pages mean more to review and fix | There are hundreds or thousands of pages |
| Technical condition | Faults must be fixed before other work pays off | Pages are slow, blocked or duplicated |
| Competition for your searches | Strong competitors need more content and trust signals | Many established firms target the same phrases |
| Number of services and locations | Each deserves its own useful page | You offer many services across many districts |
| Content needed | Writing and checking takes time | Most pages must be created, not edited |
| Link building | Earning mentions is slow work | Your sector has few natural sources of links |
| Regulated industry | Claims need extra checking | Health, legal or financial rules apply |
| Speed required | Faster delivery means more effort at once | A launch or deadline sets the pace |
What to prepare for a useful quote
A quote is only as accurate as the information behind it. These details move it from a rough range to a specific scope.
- Rough size of the site: Say how many pages it has, and whether products or locations make up most of them.
- Your goal in business terms: More phone calls, more online orders or more tenders each lead to different work.
- Who builds and edits the site: Tell us whether an agency, a developer or your own staff makes changes, since that affects turnaround.
- Any fixed dates: A launch, a rebrand or a busy season can change what has to be done first.
What affects how long results take
No one can give an honest date for a ranking. These are the things that make results arrive sooner or later.
- Starting point: A site with serious technical faults needs repairs before the rest of the work can show effect.
- Age and standing of the domain: Established sites with a record of useful content usually move sooner than brand-new ones.
- Competition: Searches dominated by large, long-standing sites take longer to break into than narrow local ones.
- How quickly changes go live: Delays in approvals or developer time push everything back.
- How often search engines revisit: Even a correct fix can take time to be noticed and processed.
What the free SEO audit includes
The free audit looks over your website and ends with a short, plain-English priority list. We look at how the site is built, what the main pages say, whether the important pages can be found and how you appear for the searches that matter to you.
It is deliberately modest. It will not contain a full keyword plan or a month of recommendations. It does give you enough to see what matters first, and enough to judge whether we are worth talking to.
What a quote from us contains
A quote is written so that you can compare it with others. It should leave no doubt about what you get.
- The scopeEach task is named and described in terms you can check later.
- The structureWe state whether the work is a one-off project or a continuing arrangement.
- The reportingThe quote sets out how we will report and how you can reach us.
- The exclusionsAnything not included, such as a site rebuild or paid advertising, is listed so there are no surprises.
Questions to ask any SEO provider about price
Our blog post on SEO cost in Canberra goes through the pricing models you are likely to meet. Google's own advice is to ask any provider for an expected timeframe and a way of measuring success, and to remember that no one can promise a number one ranking. The lists below turn that into a short guide.
Ask
- What exactly is included each month?
- What happens if I stop?
- Who does the work and who checks it?
- How will you report on what was done?
- What timeframe do you expect, and how will you measure it?
Be wary of
- A price quoted before anyone has looked at your site
- Guaranteed positions or rankings
- Vague line items such as general optimisation
- Long contracts with no way out
Where to start
If you are still working out what you need, read about how we work and then browse the SEO services we offer. Both will help you describe the problem when you contact us.
When you are ready, request the audit through the contact page. We reply within one business day, and there is no obligation to buy anything afterwards.
Sources and further reading
- Do you need an SEO professional? Google Search Central: No one can guarantee a number one ranking; ask a provider about timeframe and how success is measured.
- Warranties and consumer guarantees, ACCC: Consumer guarantees apply to services and cannot be excluded under the Australian Consumer Law.