You don't need us to do SEO. Here's what each option really costs once your own time counts.
A tool like Claude researches keywords and drafts pages for you.
The catch: you still do all the work. The tool is cheap, the hours aren't.
Suits you if: you enjoy learning it and have spare hours.
Software that writes and publishes articles to your site automatically.
The catch: check for an approval step. Without one, nothing is checked before it goes live.
Suits you if: you're happy being the editor.
A team that bills you for their hours.
The catch: some lock you in for 3 to 6 months. Ask to see every change they made last month.
Suits you if: you want a big team and have the budget.
2 reviewed articles a month, plus your Google profile and directory listings. Every change shows in your portal.
The catch: we're new. That's why we're priced below most Australian agencies we checked - and it's month to month.
See our plans1. DIY with an AI assistant. Claude Pro is US$20 a month and Claude Max starts at US$100, both before tax - roughly $30 and $160 with GST, plus any currency fee your bank charges. Pro's usage limits suit light use; regular SEO work tends to need Max. It can research keywords, draft articles and write page titles, but you decide the strategy, check every fact, publish the pages, keep your Google Business Profile current, build directory listings and track rankings.
2. Autopilot AI tools. GrandRanker starts at US$24 a month on an annual plan and Search Atlas at US$99 a month. Tools like these can publish dozens of articles a month. If nothing is reviewed first, you carry the risk of wrong facts about your business, thin pages, or content Google's spam policies call "scaled content abuse". Check too whether it covers your Google Business Profile, directory listings and links - some we checked do not.
3. A traditional agency. Across seven Australian agencies that publish their prices, entry plans started around $400 a month and top plans reached $8,000; most entry plans sat between about $550 and $2,000. A good one will show you exactly what changed on your site and why.
4. The Wizard of Outreach. Our Local plan is $470 a month: 2 keyword-mapped articles, local citations and directory listings, your Google Business Profile kept current, AI-search structuring and a monthly report with a full change log. A person reviews every piece before it touches your site. No lock-in - month to month, 30 days' notice. Bigger plans add more articles, link building and suburb exclusivity.
I'd spend hours a month, and my hour is worth $
Example numbers - change them to yours.
Uses the cheapest tool prices, and assumes reviewing an autopilot tool's work takes half as long as doing it yourself. Agencies vary too much for one row. This is arithmetic on your numbers, not a promise of results.
Each business's own published prices, as listed on their website on 19 October 2026. We add them up over 12 months; nothing else is assumed. Prices change - check their site before you decide.
| Option | What you pay | Year one | Website included |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Wizard of Outreach - website only | $790 build + $50/mo hosting + care | $1,390 | One-page site, hosted, simple text changes included |
| The Wizard of Outreach - Local plan + website | $470/mo + $790 build + $50/mo | $7,030 | As above, plus 2 reviewed articles a month, citations and your Google profile |
| Dossi's Digital - Spark | $100/week, no setup fee (GST not stated) | $5,200 | Website built and hosted; on Spark it becomes yours after 26 weeks |
| Website Design Bundaberg - SEO Basic + website | $279/mo incl GST + website from $880 | $4,228 | Separate website package, counted once; hosting not listed in the price we saw |
| Apex Trade Marketing - Foundation | $997/mo + $1,000 setup (GST not stated) | $12,964 | 5-page website, plus Google profile posts, review requests and a monthly report |
What is in each plan differs, so the lowest total is not automatically the best fit. We are not registered for GST, so our prices are the full amount.
Get a free audit and we'll tell you honestly which option makes sense - even if it's not us.
Every price came from the provider's own pricing page on 12 October 2026. US dollar prices are converted at the Reserve Bank of Australia rate of 0.6979 (9 October 2026). Claude's prices exclude tax, so we added 10% GST. Our prices include no GST because we are not registered for GST. Agency prices aren't always marked as including or excluding GST. Prices change - check before you decide.