"Ten Australian SEO agencies for small and mid-size businesses, checked on their own websites on 22 October 2026: where each is based, the contract terms, published prices copied exactly, and who each one suits. Four more get a short entry. FactoryJet is listed last and says so."
Key Takeaways
- 1There is no single best SEO agency in Australia. Match the firm to your size, your state and how you want to pay.
- 2We started from the agencies AI tools name when asked which suit small businesses, then read each firm’s own site on 22 October 2026.
- 3Three of the ten publish a price or minimum: from 700 AUD a month (Webomaze) to about $2,000 a month (Red Search). Most quote after a call.
- 4Six of the ten said on their own sites that they offer no lock-in or month-to-month terms. Get the notice period and GST position in writing.
- 5FactoryJet is on this list, last. We work remotely with Australian clients.
The short answer
The best SEO agency in Australia depends on your size and budget. For a large national team, look at StudioHawk, Supple Digital and Gorilla 360. For an SEO-only specialist, Safari Digital or Red Search in Sydney. For a published starting price, Webomaze in Melbourne (from 700 AUD a month) and Digital Marketing Tribe in Sydney and Adelaide (from $1,200 a month plus GST). In Perth, Bloom Digital; on the Sunshine Coast, Digital Nomads HQ.
We started from the agencies AI tools themselves name for small businesses, then read each firm’s own website on 22 October 2026. Nobody paid to be listed. The order is not a ranking. FactoryJet is last, and labelled.
On 9 October 2026 we asked eight AI tools the question an Australian owner asks before hiring: “Which SEO agencies in Australia are best for small businesses?” We ran it through ChatGPT (the API and the app), Claude, Gemini (the API and the app), Perplexity, Google AI Mode and Google AI Overviews, 14 answers in all. StudioHawk was named in 11 of them, Digital Nomads HQ in 9 and Supple Digital in 7. Eight firms were named in three answers or more.
On 22 October 2026 we opened each firm’s own website and wrote down only what it says about itself: where it is, what the work includes, its contract terms and any price it publishes. Seven of the eight get a full profile. The eighth, Online Marketing Gurus, blocked both our page fetch and our browser that day, so we could not check it and left it out. Three firms named in two answers also get a full profile, because each publishes a price or a minimum. Four more get a short entry.
A note on honesty. FactoryJet sells SEO in Australia, so we are on this list. We put ourselves last. Many lists that rank for this search are written by an agency that puts itself first, which is a reason to read every list, this one included, with care. For how we do the work, see our SEO services in Australia.
This list is about everyday SEO: ranking in Google, the map pack and the searches local customers make. If you mainly want your business named inside ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews, read our separate list of the best AI SEO agencies in Australia, published a day earlier with a different set of firms.
The shortlist at a glance
Find the rows that match your size, your state and how you want to pay, then read those profiles in full.
| Agency | Where based | Type | Price and contract terms on its site |
|---|---|---|---|
| StudioHawk | 39/41 Mount Street, Prahran, Melbourne and South Eveleigh, Sydney | Large specialist SEO and AI search agency | No lock-in contracts; prices given after a call |
| Supple Digital | 5/84 Church Street, Richmond, Melbourne, with offices in Haymarket, Sydney and on St Georges Terrace, Perth | Full-service digital agency with a large SEO team | No price list; a first-month-free offer was showing on 22 Oct |
| Gorilla 360 | 15 Darling Street, Carrington (Newcastle), with offices in Surry Hills, Melbourne and Brisbane | Digital marketing agency with an ecommerce focus | No price list; its enquiry form starts at an “Under $1,000” monthly budget |
| SIXGUN | Unit 7/1 Bromham Place, Richmond, Melbourne | SEO and digital marketing agency | No price list; its enquiry form starts at a $1,000 to $2,000 monthly budget |
| Safari Digital | Level 2/11 York Street, Sydney | SEO-only agency | Month-to-month billing on every account; no published price list |
| Digital Nomads HQ | 208/45 Brisbane Road, Mooloolaba, on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland | Full-service digital marketing agency | No lock-in contracts; package names are published, prices were not shown on 22 Oct |
| Bloom Digital | Level 2, 16/210 Bagot Road, Subiaco, Perth | Web design, SEO and marketing agency | No price list |
| Digital Marketing Tribe | Offices in Sydney, Hunters Hill and O’Connell Street, North Adelaide | SEO, Google Ads and web agency for small businesses | From $1,200 a month plus GST; month-to-month with 30 days’ notice |
| Red Search | Level 1, 5 George Street, North Strathfield, Sydney | Senior-led SEO and AI search agency | Says SEO typically starts at $2,000 a month; no locked-in long-term contracts |
| Webomaze | Level 2/1 Southbank Boulevard, Southbank, Melbourne | SEO agency for small and mid-size businesses | Minimum engagement from 700 AUD a month; monthly subscription, no lock-in |
| FactoryJet (that is us) | We work remotely with Australian clients and schedule calls in Australian business hours | SEO done by the team that builds and fixes websites and online stores | Fixed written quote after a free first call; we do not publish prices |
How we chose these firms
- Start with what buyers see. We took every agency the AI tools put forward in 14 answers to one small business question, asked on 9 October 2026. A firm whose only role was publishing a list the AI tool cited did not count for that answer.
- Keep the ones named often. Eight firms were named in three or more answers. Seven pass the next checks; Online Marketing Gurus blocked our checks on 22 October.
- Add firms that publish prices. Digital Marketing Tribe, Red Search and Webomaze were each named in two answers. We profile them because a published price helps a small business compare.
- Check for an Australian base and an SEO service. Each firm here shows an Australian address and a real SEO service on its own site. Funnel Boost Media, named in two answers, is out: the site we reached showed a US phone number and no Australian address. Local Digital and Digital Hitmen blocked our checks.
- Read the source, not the summary. Every description comes from the firm’s own pages, opened on 22 October 2026, and we link the page on every profile.
- No scores. We have not hired these firms, so we give no stars and no ranking. We say who each one suits and one question worth asking it.
The best SEO agencies in Australia for small business, profiled
The order is not a ranking. Larger agencies come first, then SEO specialists, then firms that publish a starting price, then us.
1. StudioHawk
Based: 39/41 Mount Street, Prahran, Melbourne and South Eveleigh, Sydney. Type: Large specialist SEO and AI search agency.
Harry Sanders founded it in 2015. Its about page says it has a team of 120+ SEO specialists and has helped over 500 clients, and that it is a Google Partner. The small business SEO page covers local SEO, local link building and search intent, and says the firm does not start fees high or lock small businesses into long-term contracts. The first step is a free SEO and AI audit, and the page says some small sites are given advice to fix first instead.
- Best for: Growing businesses that want a large SEO-only team and can grow the budget over time.
- Price and terms: No lock-in contracts; prices given after a call
- Worth asking them: Who on the team runs your account each month, and what the first three months include for a small budget.
2. Supple Digital
Based: 5/84 Church Street, Richmond, Melbourne, with offices in Haymarket, Sydney and on St Georges Terrace, Perth. Type: Full-service digital agency with a large SEO team.
Its about page says it grew from a two-person company to a full agency in about ten years, serves over 2,000 clients and is a certified Google Partner. Its local SEO page sets out five steps: market research, an audit, a strategy ranked on an impact and effort matrix, implementation by its SEO team, designers and developers, then reporting. It also has separate pages for AI SEO, ecommerce platforms and trades such as plumbers and lawyers.
- Best for: Businesses that want SEO, web changes and paid ads from one large agency with offices in three cities.
- Price and terms: No price list; a first-month-free offer was showing on 22 Oct
- Worth asking them: What the first-month offer covers, and what the notice period is after it ends.
Source: supple.com.au/local-seo/
3. Gorilla 360
Based: 15 Darling Street, Carrington (Newcastle), with offices in Surry Hills, Melbourne and Brisbane. Type: Digital marketing agency with an ecommerce focus.
Two friends founded it in 2010, and its about page says it is now a team of 25+ specialists. Its SEO page describes a written roadmap that says which tasks you do and which it does, real-time reporting, and structured data work for ecommerce sites. Its homepage says its Google Ads team holds Google Premier Partner status. It publishes an ecommerce marketing calendar for 2026.
- Best for: Online stores and growing businesses that want SEO and Google Ads planned together.
- Price and terms: No price list; its enquiry form starts at an “Under $1,000” monthly budget
- Worth asking them: Which tasks on the roadmap are yours, and how many hours a month they expect from your team.
Source: gorilla360.com.au/about-us/
4. SIXGUN
Based: Unit 7/1 Bromham Place, Richmond, Melbourne. Type: SEO and digital marketing agency.
David Pagotto founded it in 2017. Its SEO page says each client gets an in-house team with a dedicated account manager, SEO specialists and content writers, and that it serves all of Victoria, including Geelong, Bendigo and Ballarat. It has separate pages for local SEO, AI SEO and trades such as electricians and dentists. Its own cost guide says Australian SEO retainers typically run from $1,000 to $10,000 a month.
- Best for: Victorian businesses that want a Melbourne team with local client work they can check.
- Price and terms: No price list; its enquiry form starts at a $1,000 to $2,000 monthly budget
- Worth asking them: Which of the in-house team writes your content, and how often you meet them.
Source: sixgun.com.au/about/
5. Safari Digital
Based: Level 2/11 York Street, Sydney. Type: SEO-only agency.
Liam Ridings founded it in 2018. It sells SEO only, with no ads or design work, and says there are no account managers: you deal directly with an SEO specialist. Its pricing page explains why it has no price list, says it is not a “$499 P/M” provider, and lists monthly reporting, 24/7 keyword tracking and calls every two weeks. It says it writes content in-house and does not rely on AI tools to write it. It has a small business SEO page and pages for trades.
- Best for: Small and mid-size businesses that want to talk to the specialist doing the work.
- Price and terms: Month-to-month billing on every account; no published price list
- Worth asking them: The monthly figure in writing, and what changes if you pause the campaign.
6. Digital Nomads HQ
Based: 208/45 Brisbane Road, Mooloolaba, on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland. Type: Full-service digital marketing agency.
Jodi and Chris founded it, and it now works for clients from Brisbane to Perth. Its packages page lists four SEO packages (Core, Plus, Pro and Premium) and two local SEO packages, each with what is included, from link building targets to Google Business Profile posting and citations. It says all work is done in-house with no outsourcing. It publishes case studies, including one where it says a client had 92 pages cited by AI search after nine months.
- Best for: Queensland businesses that want a fixed package list they can compare line by line.
- Price and terms: No lock-in contracts; package names are published, prices were not shown on 22 Oct
- Worth asking them: The monthly price of the package you are offered, and which link building level it includes.
Source: digitalnomadshq.com.au/seo-packages/
7. Bloom Digital
Based: Level 2, 16/210 Bagot Road, Subiaco, Perth. Type: Web design, SEO and marketing agency.
Its SEO page says it won Best Small SEO Agency at the 2025 and 2026 APAC Search Awards. It says all its work is done in-house and that SEO runs through its website builds too. The page covers technical SEO, structured data so AI tools can read the site, Google Business Profile work for local businesses, monthly reports and optional monthly meetings.
- Best for: Western Australian businesses that want the website and the SEO from one in-house team.
- Price and terms: No price list
- Worth asking them: Whether a site rebuild is part of the plan, and what the SEO work costs without one.
8. Digital Marketing Tribe
Based: Offices in Sydney, Hunters Hill and O’Connell Street, North Adelaide. Type: SEO, Google Ads and web agency for small businesses.
In business since 2017 and a certified Google Partner. Its small business page sets the entry point: the Starter Local SEO retainer covers one suburb or service area, Google Business Profile work, up to 10 keywords, on-page work on up to 5 pages, citations and a monthly rank-grid report. It says it reports on calls and enquiries rather than rankings, and adds schema so AI Overviews and ChatGPT can read the business details.
- Best for: Owner-run businesses in Sydney or Adelaide that want a published starting price.
- Price and terms: From $1,200 a month plus GST; month-to-month with 30 days’ notice
- Worth asking them: What moves you from the Starter retainer to the full one, and at what price.
Source: digitalmarketingtribe.com.au/services/small-business-seo/
9. Red Search
Based: Level 1, 5 George Street, North Strathfield, Sydney. Type: Senior-led SEO and AI search agency.
Its homepage says it uses senior SEO specialists only, no juniors, and has done local SEO in Sydney since 2018. It lists custom SEO and GEO strategy, national SEO, link building, technical audits and local SEO. Its FAQ says SEO engagements typically start at $2,000 a month, and that competitive industries or national campaigns can start between $5,000 and $10,000+ a month.
- Best for: Sydney businesses in competitive markets that want senior people on the account.
- Price and terms: Says SEO typically starts at $2,000 a month; no locked-in long-term contracts
- Worth asking them: Which senior specialist works on your site, and how many hours a month the fee buys.
Source: www.redsearch.com.au/
10. Webomaze
Based: Level 2/1 Southbank Boulevard, Southbank, Melbourne. Type: SEO agency for small and mid-size businesses.
Its small business page says its minimum engagement starts from 700 AUD a month and varies with the type of site, keyword competition and scope. The listed work includes keyword and competitor research, on-page optimisation, a Google Business Profile listing, a real-time reporting dashboard and weekly reports. It also has location pages for cities in every mainland state.
- Best for: Small businesses with a tight budget that want a low entry point and no lock-in.
- Price and terms: Minimum engagement from 700 AUD a month; monthly subscription, no lock-in
- Worth asking them: What the 700 AUD level includes for your site, and whether it is quoted with or without GST.
11. FactoryJet (that is us)
Based: We work remotely with Australian clients and schedule calls in Australian business hours. Type: SEO done by the team that builds and fixes websites and online stores.
We start by measuring: where you rank today, what your Google Business Profile is missing, which questions your buyers ask in Google and AI tools, and what the sites above you do. Then our engineers change the site itself, because we build websites and online stores, and we report each month on enquiries as well as rankings. We have served 500+ businesses since 2014.
- Best for: Businesses whose SEO problems sit in the website, such as speed, structure or an old platform.
- Price and terms: Fixed written quote after a free first call; we do not publish prices
- Worth asking them: What we would change on your site first, and what we would leave alone.
Source: factoryjet.com/au/seo
Four more firms that passed the same checks
Each of these was named in two of the 14 AI answers and shows an Australian address and an SEO service on its own site.
- Boylen. Adelaide. Web design, SEO and graphic design, from a business that says it has worked with brands for over 30 years and began as a print and digital publisher. Source
- Bambrick. Brisbane. A team of about 30 working on SEO, Google Ads, social and conversion work, with separate AI SEO, local SEO and SEO audit pages. Source
- Zib Digital. Level 7/34 Eastern Road, South Melbourne. A Google Partner working in digital since 2009, which now describes a model of specialists working with AI tools for audits and reporting. Source
- Melbourne Web Digital. Ground floor, 470 St Kilda Road, Melbourne. SEO next to web design, ads and social, with separate small business SEO, local SEO and Google Business Profile pages. Source
What these SEO agencies publish about price
Most Australian SEO agencies quote after a call. Three of the ten we profiled publish a price or a minimum on their own sites. We copied them exactly on 22 October 2026. These are each firm’s own figures, not FactoryJet prices.
| Firm | Published figure | GST and terms |
|---|---|---|
| Webomaze | Minimum engagement from 700 AUD a month | Not stated; monthly subscription, no lock-in |
| Digital Marketing Tribe | Starter Local SEO retainer $1,200 a month (one suburb or service area); Google Ads management from $1,000 a month | Plus GST; month-to-month, 30 days’ notice |
| Red Search | SEO typically starts at $2,000 a month; $5,000 to $10,000+ for competitive industries or national campaigns | Not stated; no locked-in long-term contracts |
- Budget bands are not prices. Gorilla 360’s enquiry form starts at “Under $1,000” a month and SIXGUN’s at $1,000 to $2,000. That tells you the smallest budget they expect to hear, not what they will quote.
- Read the market range too. SIXGUN’s own SEO cost guide puts typical retainers at $1,000 to $10,000 a month, hourly rates at $100 to $300, and one-off projects at $2,000 to $30,000.
- Check GST. GST in Australia is 10%. One of the three firms says its price is plus GST; the other two do not say either way.
- Check the unit. One price covers one suburb or service area, another is a minimum that grows with competition. Ask each firm to restate its quote as hours, pages and links a month.
For package, hourly and audit prices across more Australian providers, read our SEO cost guide for Australia.
What an SEO engagement in Australia should cover
Strip away the package names and the work on these sites comes down to five jobs. An agency should be able to tell you how many hours each one gets in your plan.
- Local SEO and your Google Business Profile. Categories, services, photos, opening hours, posts and a steady flow of reviews, plus the same name, address and phone number on every directory listing (these are called citations).
- The map pack. The map with a few local businesses that Google shows above the normal results. Google says local results depend on relevance, distance and prominence, that more reviews and positive ratings can help, and that there is no way to pay for a better local ranking.
- Technical SEO. A site Google can crawl and load quickly on a phone: no blocked pages, broken redirects or duplicate pages, with schema that states your business details.
- Content. One clear page for each service and each area you serve, written to answer what customers ask, in your own words and with your own photos.
- Google AI Overviews and AI tools. Short, direct answers near the top of each page and consistent facts about your business across the web. Google says there are no extra requirements to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode beyond sound SEO.
Sources: Google Business Profile Help, tips to improve your local ranking and Google Search Central, AI features and your website, both read on 22 October 2026. A lighter version of this list, built for owner-run businesses, is our small business SEO service in Australia.
How to choose an SEO agency in Australia: 7 steps
- Check where you stand. Search your main service and suburb in Google, look at who appears in the map, and note it. Ask ChatGPT the same question, or run our free AI visibility checker.
- Fix what you can for free. Claim and complete your Google Business Profile and ask your last ten happy customers for a review before you pay anyone.
- Match the firm to your size. Use the table above. A sole trader in Geelong and a national retailer need different teams.
- Ask for a sample report. It should start with calls and enquiries, then rankings, with dates.
- Ask who does the work. The specialist on the sales call, an account manager, or a team you have not met?
- Get the unit, GST and exit in writing. Hours, pages and links a month, whether the price includes GST, and the notice period.
- Start small. An audit or a three-month plan with no lock-in tells you more than a 12-month contract.
Six warning signs in an SEO pitch
- A guaranteed first-page ranking or a guaranteed spot in the map pack.
- A promise to pay Google for better rankings. Google says that cannot be done.
- A monthly fee with no list of what work happens each month.
- Reports that show only keyword rankings and never calls or enquiries.
- A 12-month lock-in with no exit, when most firms on this list offer month-to-month terms.
- Case studies with no business name, no date and no way to check them.
What else ranks for “seo agencies australia”, and how this list differs
“SEO agencies australia” gets about 1,300 Google searches a month in Australia, at around A$38 a click for advertisers (Google Ads data, pulled 21 October 2026). On 22 October 2026, Google Australia showed both a map pack and an AI Overview for it. These pages held the top of the results that day:
- studiohawk.com.au: an agency service page
- designrush.com: Top Local SEO Agencies in Australia, 2026 (a directory)
- sixgun.com.au: an agency service page
- outsourceaccelerator.com: Top 15 SEO companies in Australia
- seoserviceagency.com.au: an agency service page
- seranking.com: Top SEO Agencies in Sydney, screened and scored
- clickbiz.com.au: Top SEO Agencies in Australia
Two of those agencies, StudioHawk and SIXGUN, are on this list too. Several of the list pages are written by an agency or a directory that sells placements. This one says how the firms were picked (from what AI tools name for small businesses), links every claim to the firm’s own page, prints the prices firms publish, and puts its author last.
Other lists that may fit better
Selling online? Our list of the best ecommerce agencies for small business in Australia covers firms that build and grow online stores. Need a new website before any SEO? See the best web design companies for small business in Australia. Hiring outside Australia? The same method gives the best SEO agencies in the UK and the best SEO agencies in the USA.
Where FactoryJet fits
We are FactoryJet. We have served 500+ businesses since 2014, most of that time building websites and online stores. That is why our SEO starts on the site itself: the same engineers who find what holds your rankings back make the changes to your pages, your speed and your structure. Our founder, Bhavesh Barot, is involved in every project.
Choose a firm above if you want an office near you, a published price before the first call, or an agency that also runs your social media. Choose us if your SEO problems sit inside the website and you want them fixed by the people who build it. See how we work on our SEO services page for Australia, our small business SEO plan, or start with the FactoryJet Australia hub.
Not sure what your site needs first?
Tell us your website and the suburbs you serve. We will show you where you rank today and what we would fix first, then quote a fixed price in writing.
See our small business SEO planFrequently Asked Questions
Which SEO company is the best in Australia?
What are the top 10 SEO companies in Australia?
Which SEO agency is best for a small business in Australia?
How much does SEO typically cost in Australia?
How much should SEO cost for a small business?
How much does local SEO cost for a small business?
What are the typical SEO packages available in Australia?
Why is SEO so expensive?
How much does Google charge for SEO?
Is it worth hiring an SEO agency?
Is doing local SEO worth it?
How do I pick an SEO agency?
Do Australian SEO agencies lock you into contracts?
How long does SEO take?
How do I rank higher on Google Maps?
What does an SEO agency do?
What is included in SEO services?
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Is SEO dead now with AI?
Will SEO exist in 5 years?
What is the 80/20 rule in SEO?
How do I tell if my SEO is working?
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Are there good SEO agencies in Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide?
Bhavesh Barot
Founder & CEO
Founder & CEO of FactoryJet, which he started as a B2B ecommerce marketplace. FactoryJet has served 500+ businesses and builds online stores, B2B portals, AI agents and AI search.
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- Best AI SEO Agencies in Australia (2026): 10 Compared, Plus UsTen Australian agencies that help businesses show up in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews, checked on their own websites on 21 October 2026: where each is based, which AI engines it covers, what it publishes about price and who it suits. Eight more get a short entry. FactoryJet is listed last and says so.
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