Search Engine Optimisation in Australia

Although companies internationally have become very search-engine aware, it has been estimated that Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) in Australia is about 18 months behind the rest of the world. While there are experts in Australia who understand the practice, SEO as an industry sector is less established here. There are still many companies in Australia that do not take SEO into consideration when they build their websites.
  

Search engine popularity

With 80–90% of Australians using search engines to find websites, it is imperative that Australian companies take SEO into consideration. However, many local companies are yet to do so – they outsource their website construction to a designer who cares about what the site looks like, not about SEO issues. By contrast, overseas companies typically make it a priority to outsource to designers who are SEO-aware. (If by chance a designer is not SEO-aware, the web development company overseeing the work usually is SEO-aware).

Google dominance

In Australia, Google has around 66% share of the total search market and it is the search engine of choice for most Australian business people. Google’s dominance in Australia grows as they continue to increase market share, with no serious challengers likely to lessen their market power into the medium-term future.

Google’s popularity spread quickly in Australia for several reasons, in particular because it was the first search engine to provide Australian-based search results.

Overseas, search engine market share is more evenly spread, although Google still holds around 50 percent of the market.

Opportunity  for Australian SEO-aware companies

The delay in Australian companies’ SEO uptake and the lower level of importance placed on SEO can create some degree of ‘early mover advantage’ for companies savvy enough to address the issue now.   

While large Australian companies are obviously thinking about SEO, and investing in it heavily, smaller companies can get ahead of the game if they pay attention to SEO before the majority of their competitors become SEO-aware.

SEO expertise is available and affordable in Australia at present, although it may become more expensive in the future when increased demand puts pressure on supply.