Please read these terms carefully before engaging our services. By entering a retainer agreement with Search Authority, you agree to the following.
These Terms of Service ("Terms") constitute a legally binding agreement between Search Authority Pty Ltd (ABN: 12 345 678 901) ("Search Authority", "we", "us", or "our") and the person or entity entering into a service agreement ("Client", "you", or "your").
By signing a Service Agreement, Statement of Work, or any other engagement document, or by continuing to receive services from Search Authority, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms.
If you are entering into these Terms on behalf of a company or other legal entity, you represent that you have the authority to bind that entity.
Search Authority provides search engine optimisation (SEO), AI visibility, content strategy, digital PR, and related digital marketing services as detailed in your signed Statement of Work or retainer agreement ("Service Agreement").
The specific services, deliverables, and timelines applicable to your engagement are set out in your individual Service Agreement. These Terms apply in addition to, and should be read alongside, your Service Agreement. Where there is a conflict, your Service Agreement prevails.
Any material changes to the agreed scope of services must be mutually agreed in writing by both parties. We reserve the right to adjust pricing where a change in scope materially increases our costs or time commitment.
You agree to:
Service fees are as agreed in your Service Agreement. An onboarding fee may apply at commencement of the engagement, payable prior to work commencing.
Monthly retainer invoices are issued on the first business day of each calendar month and are due within 14 days of the invoice date, unless otherwise stated in your Service Agreement.
We reserve the right to suspend services if invoices remain unpaid after 14 days from the due date. Interest may be charged on overdue amounts at the rate of 2% per month, compounding monthly. Costs of recovery (including legal fees) may be charged to the Client.
We may review and adjust our fees annually, or in the event of a material change in scope. We will provide 30 days written notice of any fee increase. If you do not wish to continue at the revised rate, you may cancel in accordance with Section 4.
You may cancel your retainer at any time by providing 30 days written notice to hello@searchauthority.com.au. Services will continue until the end of the notice period, and all outstanding invoices for that period remain payable.
We may terminate your retainer with 30 days written notice for any reason, or immediately if:
Fees paid for services already rendered are non-refundable. Onboarding fees are non-refundable once the onboarding process has commenced.
Upon termination, we will provide a final report and transition documentation within 10 business days. Access to any proprietary dashboards or tools provided by us will cease at the end of the notice period.
You retain all intellectual property rights in materials, content, data, and trademarks that you provide to us. You grant us a limited licence to use these solely to deliver the agreed services.
Upon receipt of full payment for all invoices, you own the intellectual property in content, copy, and reports we create specifically for you under the engagement. This excludes our proprietary methodologies, frameworks (including Semantic Authority Mapping™, Search Entity Architecture™, and AI Visibility Framework™), tools, templates, and know-how, which remain the exclusive property of Search Authority.
We may reference your business name and describe the services provided (including anonymised or attributed results) in our marketing materials, case studies, and portfolio, unless you have requested in writing prior to signing that we not do so.
Each party agrees to keep confidential any information disclosed by the other that is designated as confidential or that a reasonable person would consider confidential given the nature of the information ("Confidential Information").
This obligation does not apply to information that: (a) is or becomes publicly available through no fault of the receiving party; (b) was already known to the receiving party without restriction; (c) is required to be disclosed by law or a court order.
This obligation survives termination of the engagement for a period of 2 years.
Search engine optimisation and AI visibility are influenced by many factors outside our control, including Google algorithm updates, third-party platform policy changes, competitor activity, and the state of your website at commencement. Accordingly:
We will at all times use reasonable skill and care in delivering our services and will act in your best interests within the scope of our engagement.
To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law:
Nothing in these Terms limits liability that cannot be excluded under Australian Consumer Law, including liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, or for fraudulent misrepresentation.
You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Search Authority and its directors, employees, and contractors from any claims, losses, damages, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including legal fees) arising from: (a) your breach of these Terms; (b) your violation of applicable law; (c) content or materials you provided to us that infringe the rights of a third party; or (d) your misuse of any deliverables we provide.
These Terms are governed by the laws of South Australia, Australia. Each party irrevocably submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of South Australia.
Where applicable, the Australian Consumer Law (Schedule 2 of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth)) applies and nothing in these Terms excludes, restricts, or modifies rights you have under that legislation.
We may update these Terms from time to time. We will notify active clients of material changes by email at least 14 days before the changes take effect. Your continued engagement with our services after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.
We recommend reviewing this page periodically. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page indicates when changes were last made.
For questions about these Terms, please contact us at:
Search Authority Pty Ltd
Level 30, 91 King William Street
Adelaide SA 5000, Australia
hello@searchauthority.com.au
0435 111 774
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