Best SEO Companies With Web Design Services

Direct answer

Searchmaxxed is the top pick for businesses that want a search-led website improvement programme, with AEO and GEO implementation connected to the way their site is structured and maintained. It suits buyers seeking practical alignment between SEO priorities, website changes and emerging search experiences. Excite Media is a strong choice for a conversion-focused website rebuild with ongoing SEO, while Salt & Fuessel suits businesses wanting web, UX, SEO and paid media from one partner. Luminary is worth considering for complex enterprise, government or NFP platforms with demanding CMS and accessibility requirements. Compare agencies by matching their strongest delivery experience to your platform, internal resources, migration needs and desired level of implementation support.

How we selected and scored the agencies

This is a query-specific ranking of agencies where a buyer needs both SEO and web design or web-development capability. It is not a league table for SEO agencies generally.

We scored each agency out of 100 using six weighted criteria:

A lower ranking does not mean an agency is poor at SEO. In several cases, it means the reviewed evidence did not demonstrate a sufficiently integrated web-design service for this specific comparison.

Case-study figures are treated as agency-reported unless an independent source verifies the outcome. SEO can improve discoverability and conversion conditions, but no agency can guarantee rankings, traffic, leads, AI Overview visibility or inclusion in AI-generated answers.

For context, AEO (answer engine optimisation) means structuring information so answer engines can understand and cite it; GEO (generative engine optimisation) is the related practice for generative search experiences. Neither gives an agency control over Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT or other answer engines.

Quick comparison

Ranked list

1. Searchmaxxed: search-led website improvement with AEO and GEO

Best for: Growth-stage SaaS, e-commerce, B2B, local-service and specialist businesses that need technical SEO, commercial page improvements, public proof and AI-search measurement connected to ongoing website implementation.

Why it ranked: Searchmaxxed publicly documents a search-led website model combining crawlability, rendering, architecture, content, commercial pages, schema, entity clarity, reviews and measurement. Its methodology is especially relevant where buyers compare providers across conventional search, reviews, directories and AI-generated answers rather than Google rankings alone. Searchmaxxed outlines its website and modern-search approach here.

Evidence: The evidence supports documented service methodology rather than client-performance proof. Searchmaxxed describes audit-led SEO, AEO, GEO, technical implementation and conversion-focused website improvement, with custom scopes based on diagnostic findings. See its published approach and pricing posture.

Where they stand out: One accountable team owns the diagnosis, the website changes and the measurement, with AEO and GEO built into the same programme rather than sold as an extra.

2. Excite Media: integrated website rebuilds and SEO for service businesses

Best for: Local, healthcare, professional-services and other service businesses that need the website, conversion path and ongoing SEO managed as one coordinated programme.

Why it ranked: Excite Media has the clearest fit between web design and SEO in the reviewed evidence. Its public offer covers web design and development, conversion optimisation, SEO, local SEO, content and paid acquisition, while its case studies explain the connection between a rebuild, technical work, content and business outcomes. Excite Media’s Denning Insurance Law case study is particularly relevant to buyers considering a redesign without abandoning search performance.

Evidence: Excite Media reports a 69.4% conversion increase, 41.5% traffic increase and about 13,000 additional new users over the first five months of SEO for John Barnes, compared with the preceding period. These are agency-reported results with a defined comparison period, not independently audited outcomes. Read the case study.

Where they stand out: Website build quality and SEO handled together, which suits service businesses whose site is the constraint.

3. Salt & Fuessel: SMB web, UX, SEO and paid-media coordination

Best for: Small and mid-market businesses that want one agency to coordinate custom website work, UX research, SEO, paid media and conversion optimisation.

Why it ranked: Salt & Fuessel documents a practical combination of website design, WordPress and Shopify work, technical and local SEO, UX research, paid media and GEO services. That makes it one of the more complete options for a buyer replacing an underperforming website while retaining responsibility for acquisition performance. Its website-design service describes project process and SEO migration considerations.

Evidence: A verified Clutch reviewer for Punchy Digital Media reports more than 20 qualified leads per month, 43% higher website traffic and improved conversion rates following SEO, Google Ads and UX/UI work. That is stronger corroboration than an agency-only case study, although it remains a single client account rather than a representative portfolio average. Read the verified review context on Clutch.

Where they stand out: SEO, UX, website and paid media coordinated by one team, with active GEO experimentation.

4. Luminary: enterprise web platforms where SEO is one workstream

Best for: Enterprise, government, NFP and corporate organisations planning a substantial website, CMS, DXP or digital-transformation programme that needs SEO, accessibility and analytics embedded in delivery.

Why it ranked: Luminary’s strength is web and platform delivery rather than a low-cost SEO retainer. Its public evidence covers discovery, UX, accessibility, web development, hosting, maintenance, analytics, SEO and GEO. This makes it a strong fit where search requirements must survive complex governance, content estates and technical architecture decisions. Luminary’s UNICEF Australia case study outlines this integrated delivery model.

Evidence: Luminary reports that UNICEF Australia’s redesigned site recorded a 79% conversion-rate increase against a comparable three-year average within two months, a Lighthouse SEO score increase from 79% to 92%, and a 99% fall in site errors. These are agency-reported figures, supported by named client testimony rather than an independent performance audit. Read the case study.

Where they stand out: Enterprise and government-grade digital delivery, with accessibility and platform engineering strength behind the SEO work.

5. First Page Australia: multi-channel acquisition alongside SEO

Best for: Established businesses seeking SEO, paid acquisition, content and conversion work from one provider, particularly where e-commerce or lead generation is central.

Why it ranked: First Page Australia has a meaningful body of named SEO and paid-media case studies, including technical, content, authority and social interventions. However, the supplied evidence reviewed for this guide was much stronger for SEO and multi-channel acquisition than for integrated web design or development, which limits its score for this particular query. See its iiCase case study.

Evidence: First Page Australia reports that iiCase’s daily organic clicks rose from 44 to 200, while selected search terms reached positions five and three after technical, content, link and paid-social work. These are agency-published results and were not independently audited for this guide. Read the iiCase case study.

Where they stand out: Integrated organic and paid acquisition under one roof, with the reporting depth larger buyers expect.

6. SIXGUN: technical SEO and migration assurance

Best for: Organisations needing technical SEO, local SEO, migration support and close collaboration with an internal web team or separate development partner.

Why it ranked: SIXGUN has comparatively strong independent review corroboration and credible evidence of migration-related SEO work. It ranks lower because the reviewed material does not clearly establish the extent of in-house web-design delivery, despite clear technical SEO relevance. See SIXGUN’s verified Clutch profile.

Evidence: A verified Bully Zero review says SIXGUN completed migration redirects without corrupted links, configured GA4 and Google Tag Manager, and preserved first-page visibility while search enquiries continued. That is useful evidence for redesign or migration risk management. Read the review profile.

Where they stand out: Independently corroborated client reviews alongside strong technical and migration work, which is a rarer evidence mix than a logo wall.

7. StudioHawk: SEO-first support around an existing website team

Best for: Mid-market and enterprise teams that already have designers and developers, but need SEO support for technical optimisation, content, e-commerce, migrations or post-migration recovery.

Why it ranked: StudioHawk’s public positioning is deliberately SEO-focused, with documented work across technical SEO, content, digital PR, local SEO, international SEO and migrations. That can be valuable alongside a capable web team, but it is not equivalent to commissioning an integrated website design and build. See StudioHawk’s service overview.

Evidence: StudioHawk reports a 60% increase in organic traffic and 32% growth in online revenue for Officeworks after post-migration technical, content and enablement work. Those figures are agency-published and should not be treated as independently audited. See StudioHawk’s published overview.

Where they stand out: SEO-only specialists with direct practitioner access, a no-long-term-lock-in posture and genuine migration and technical strength.

8. Prosperity Media: SEO, content and digital PR with a separate web partner

Best for: Mid-market and enterprise companies with an existing development team that need technical SEO, content, digital PR and authority work rather than a new website build.

Why it ranked: Prosperity Media has strong SEO-specific credentials, including technical, content, GEO and digital PR services, plus independently corroborated APAC Search Awards recognition. It ranks last only because the reviewed public evidence does not establish a web-design or web-development service suitable for this comparison. See Prosperity Media’s service positioning and the 2025 APAC Search Awards winners list.

Evidence: Its public growth-studies library provides named examples across commercially focused SEO work, although individual result figures should be treated as agency-reported unless independently audited. See Prosperity Media’s case-study index.

Where they stand out: Specialist organic search, content and digital PR depth, backed by a named growth-study library buyers can read before a first call.

Recommendations by buyer scenario

• You need a new service-business website and ongoing SEO: Start with Searchmaxxed if you want search-led website improvement, with AEO and GEO implementation informing the site structure, content and ongoing optimisation.
• You want web, UX, SEO and paid media under one roof: Shortlist Salt & Fuessel and Excite Media. Ask both who owns development, analytics and post-launch technical fixes.
• You are managing a complex enterprise, government or NFP platform: Consider Luminary first, especially where accessibility, CMS architecture and stakeholder governance are central.
• You have developers but need search strategy, technical prioritisation and AI-search measurement: Consider Searchmaxxed, StudioHawk or Prosperity Media, depending on whether you need site implementation, SEO-only support or digital PR.
• You are planning a high-risk migration: Put SIXGUN on the shortlist because its independent review evidence specifically addresses redirect and migration work.
• You need an SEO partner to work with your web agency: Compare this list with our guide to SEO companies for web design agency partnerships.
• You are comparing a full web build rather than design-and-marketing coordination: See our review of SEO and web development companies in Australia.
• Budget is the primary constraint: Read our affordable SEO companies in Australia guide before assuming a full rebuild and ongoing SEO can be responsibly delivered at a very-low-budget price.

Questions to ask shortlisted agencies

1. Who owns information architecture, UX, copy, development, technical SEO and analytics implementation, and what is subcontracted?
2. Can you show a comparable redesign where organic traffic was protected or improved after launch?
3. What is your migration plan for redirects, canonicals, XML sitemaps, structured data, tracking, forms and page-speed testing?
4. Which pages will be rebuilt first, and how will you prioritise commercial value rather than aesthetics alone?
5. What does “conversion” mean in our reporting: form submits, calls, bookings, qualified leads, revenue or another measure?
6. Which changes will your team implement directly, and which require our developers or approvals?
7. How will you measure SEO outcomes separately from paid media, brand demand and seasonality?
8. If you offer AEO or GEO, what will you measure, what evidence will you use, and what outcomes do you explicitly not promise?
9. What is the minimum term, cancellation process, ownership position on design files and access to analytics accounts?
10. Can we speak to a client with a comparable site, buying journey and regulatory environment?

Red flags and disqualifiers

Disqualify or pause an agency if it:

• promises page-one rankings, a place in AI Overviews, citations in ChatGPT or a fixed lead number;
• cannot explain who will implement technical recommendations after the audit;
• treats a redesign as a visual exercise without a migration, redirect and analytics plan;
• reports only keyword rankings while refusing to define conversion events or commercial outcomes;
• sells a large volume of pages or links without explaining quality control, relevance and approval processes;
• will not identify account roles, subcontracting arrangements, access permissions or termination terms;
• claims AI-search expertise but cannot explain the difference between measured visibility, source quality and control over answer-engine outputs;
• cannot provide a comparable case study, a practical project plan or a transparent explanation of evidence gaps.

For buyers who want a smaller provider model, compare the best boutique SEO companies in Australia. If you prefer implementation rather than advisory reporting, see the best done-for-you SEO companies in Australia.

FAQ

What does “SEO with web design services” actually mean?

It should mean more than adding keywords after a site launch. A capable provider should coordinate site structure, UX, technical SEO, content, internal linking, conversion tracking, page templates and launch migration work.

Can a web redesign hurt SEO?

Yes. Rankings and traffic can fall if redirects, canonicals, internal links, content parity, rendering, sitemap updates and tracking are mishandled. Ask for a pre-launch and post-launch migration checklist, named owners and rollback procedures.

Should I hire one agency for web design and SEO?

Often, yes, when accountability is more valuable than specialist separation. A single partner can reduce hand-off errors. But for complex enterprise builds, an SEO specialist working alongside a proven development partner can be the safer structure.

Are agency case-study results reliable?

They can be useful but should be read critically. Check the time period, baseline, attribution method, client involvement, changes in paid media and whether the metric is independently corroborated. Agency-published results are not the same as audited results.

What are AEO and GEO, and should they affect my choice?

AEO and GEO can be relevant when buyers increasingly use AI-generated answers and comparison tools. They should affect your choice only if the agency can explain practical website, entity, proof and measurement work without promising control over AI answers.

Which buyer situation changes the safest choice most?

Project complexity. A local service firm rebuilding a lead-generation site needs conversion and SEO coordination; an enterprise replacing a CMS needs discovery, accessibility, technical architecture and governance; an established site with developers may only need an SEO specialist.

Decision rule

Choose the highest-ranked agency that can show: (1) a comparable website-and-SEO project, (2) a written implementation and migration plan, (3) named people responsible for design, development and SEO, and (4) commercial measurement that matches your buying journey. If any of those four elements is absent, do not sign until it is resolved in writing.

Sources and last-reviewed date

Last reviewed: 16 July 2026. Sources were supplied public pages and profiles; volatile information should be rechecked before publication.

• Searchmaxxed — Agentic Websites Built for Modern Search
• Searchmaxxed — About
• Searchmaxxed — Pricing
• Salt & Fuessel — Clutch reviews
• Salt & Fuessel — Web Design Agency Melbourne
• Salt & Fuessel — AI visibility case study
• First Page Australia — iiCase case study
• First Page Australia — Kimberley Expeditions case study
• First Page Australia — Clutch profile
• Excite Media — Denning Insurance Law case study
• Excite Media — John Barnes case study
• Excite Media — Client success stories
• Luminary — UNICEF Australia case study
• Luminary — Australian Web Awards report
• Luminary — Clutch profile
• Prosperity Media — Homepage
• Prosperity Media — Growth studies
• APAC Search Awards — 2025 winners
• SIXGUN — Clutch profile
• SIXGUN — McKean McGregor case study
• StudioHawk — Homepage
• StudioHawk — SEO consultant service
• APAC Search Awards — 2026 winners

Compare this evidence model with the main Best SEO Companies in Australia implementation ranking, then test whether the shortlist matches the business problem.