Who we are and what this policy covers
This policy covers personal information collected by SEOBerra, an SEO and AI search agency focused on Canberra, through seoberra.com.au, by email, and through the WhatsApp conversations that start from this website.
We aim to handle personal information in line with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) in Schedule 1 to that Act. APP 1 expects an organisation to manage personal information openly, including by keeping a clear and current privacy policy. This page is that policy.
Questions can go to [email protected], and replies arrive within one business day from Monday to Friday, AEST/AEDT.
Does the Privacy Act apply to us?
The OAIC says most small businesses with an annual turnover of $3 million or less are not covered by the Privacy Act, although exceptions apply, such as businesses that trade in personal information. Whether the Act binds SEOBerra depends on facts such as turnover and the kind of work done.
We have chosen to follow the APPs either way. That way you can rely on the same standards of openness, security and access that the Act sets, without needing to work out our turnover.
What information we collect
We collect only what we need to respond to you and to run this website. The main types are listed below.
- Enquiry details: Your name, email address, phone or WhatsApp number, business name, website address and the message you write in our enquiry form or send us directly.
- Messages and correspondence: The content of emails and WhatsApp messages between you and us, including any files or links you share.
- Technical data: Information your browser sends when you load the site, such as IP address, device and browser type, pages viewed and the time of the visit. Our hosting provider, Cloudflare, handles these requests.
- Analytics data: No analytics are set up on this site today, so we collect no analytics data. We may add analytics later, for example Google Analytics 4, and would update this policy when we do.
- Booking details: If we enable a booking tool, the name, contact details and time you choose when you book a call.
How the enquiry form and WhatsApp work
Our enquiry form opens WhatsApp with a prefilled message containing the details you typed. No server of ours stores what you type in the form, and the message is not sent until you press send in WhatsApp. WhatsApp is operated by Meta, and once you send a message it is handled under WhatsApp's own terms and privacy policy, not ours.
Today, enquiries reach us through WhatsApp or by email to [email protected]. We may add a form service in future so that form entries arrive by email. If we do, we will update this policy, that provider would process the information on our behalf, and the details may pass through servers outside Australia.
You can avoid the form entirely. Email [email protected] or message us on WhatsApp directly, and share only what you are comfortable with. APP 2 says people must have the option of not identifying themselves or using a pseudonym, unless that is impracticable. We usually need a way to reply to you, so a pseudonym with a working email address is often enough.
What happens if you do not give us details
APP 5 expects us to tell you, when we collect your details, who we are, why we collect them and who we usually share them with. This policy is how we do that, and the form points to it.
You do not have to give us anything you would rather keep private. If you leave out your email address or WhatsApp number, though, we cannot reply, and we may not be able to prepare a free SEO audit without your website address.
Why we use your information
We use personal information for the purposes below, and we do not use it for a different purpose unless you would reasonably expect it or the law allows it. This follows the rule in APP 6 on use and disclosure.
| Purpose | Examples | Information involved |
|---|---|---|
| Responding to you | Replying to a question, preparing a free SEO audit, sending a proposal | Enquiry details, correspondence |
| Providing services | Doing work that you agreed to in a written proposal | Enquiry details, correspondence |
| Running the website | Keeping the site secure, fixing errors, blocking automated abuse | Technical data |
| Improving the site | Understanding which pages people read and where they leave, only if analytics are added | Analytics data |
| Meeting legal duties | Keeping records, responding to a lawful request | Any of the above |
Who may receive your information
We do not sell personal information. We share it only with providers that help us run the website and talk to you, and only to the extent needed. Today these are Cloudflare, which hosts this site and provides security services including bot protection, Meta for WhatsApp, and the email provider that carries your messages. If we add a form service, analytics (such as Google) or a booking tool, they may also receive information, and we will update this policy.
We may also disclose information where the law requires it, or where you have asked us to share it with another party, such as a developer or another agency working on your site.
Disclosure outside Australia
Some of the providers above store or process information outside Australia. The countries involved may include the United States and the United Kingdom. Other countries may be involved depending on where a provider routes or stores data.
APP 8 deals with cross-border disclosure. Before we disclose personal information to an overseas recipient, we take the steps that are reasonable in the circumstances to make sure the recipient does not breach the APPs. In practice that means choosing established providers and using their security settings, but we cannot control how each provider runs its own systems.
If you do not want your details to travel overseas, email us directly instead of using the form or WhatsApp. Email providers may also store messages abroad, so share only what the enquiry needs.
Cookies, analytics and security
This is a static website. It does not need you to log in, and we do not run user accounts. Cloudflare may set technical cookies or run checks in your browser to tell people from automated traffic. Those checks help protect the site from automated abuse.
No analytics cookies are set on this site today. We may add analytics later, such as Google Analytics 4. If we do, Google may set cookies and receive your IP address and usage data, and we will update this policy first. You could then block analytics cookies in your browser settings, or use Google's opt-out tools, without losing access to any part of the site.
Security and how long we keep information
APP 11 requires reasonable steps to protect personal information from misuse, interference, loss and unauthorised access. We use access controls on our email and messaging accounts, and we limit who can see enquiries. No system is completely secure, and we cannot promise that information sent over the internet will never be intercepted.
We keep enquiry details for as long as we need them to respond to you, deliver agreed work and keep reasonable business records. When we no longer need information for a permitted purpose, and no law requires us to keep it, APP 11 expects us to destroy it or make sure it is de-identified. We will do that in a reasonable time.
Access, correction and complaints
You can ask to see the personal information we hold about you (APP 12) and ask us to correct it if it is inaccurate, out of date or incomplete (APP 13). Email [email protected] with the request. We will confirm who you are, respond within a reasonable period and explain our reasons if we cannot give you access.
If you think we have mishandled your information, write to us first at the same address. We will investigate and reply in writing. The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) advises that you complain to the organisation first. You can take the matter to the OAIC if we do not respond within 30 days or you are unhappy with our response.
The OAIC accepts privacy complaints in writing through its website at oaic.gov.au.
Changes to this policy and legal notice
We may update this policy when our practices or the law change. The latest version is always on this page, and the date below shows when it was last changed.
Last updated: 24 October 2026.
Nothing on this page is advice about your own circumstances. A qualified lawyer or privacy adviser should review it before anyone relies on it. If you need advice about your rights, speak to a qualified lawyer.
Sources and further reading
- Australian Privacy Principles quick reference, OAIC: Titles and scope of APPs 1 to 13.
- Read the Australian Privacy Principles, OAIC: Text of APP 8 (overseas recipients), APP 11 (destroy or de-identify) and APP 12 and 13 (organisations respond within a reasonable period).
- Lodge a privacy complaint with us, OAIC: Complain to the organisation first; OAIC accepts complaints in writing if there is no response within 30 days or the response is unsatisfactory.
- Privacy Act 1988, Federal Register of Legislation: Confirms the Act (No. 119 of 1988) is in force; APPs are in Schedule 1.
- Small business, OAIC: Most small businesses with turnover of $3 million or less are not covered by the Privacy Act, with listed exceptions.
- Chapter 1: APP 1 Open and transparent management of personal information, OAIC: Lists what an APP 1.4 privacy policy should cover: information types, collection, purposes, access, complaints and overseas disclosure.