Privacy Policy

1About This Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Search Labs Pty Ltd (ABN: 94 622 684 075) ("Search Labs", "we", "us", or "our") collects, uses, stores, and discloses personal information in connection with our website at searchlabs.com.au, our consulting services, and our software products.

We are committed to handling your personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) contained in Schedule 1 of that Act.

By using our Site or engaging our services, you consent to the collection and use of your personal information as described in this policy.

2Who We Are

Search Labs Pty Ltd is an AI search intelligence and technical SEO consultancy based in Melbourne, Victoria. We provide consulting services and develop proprietary software tools for businesses operating in digital markets.

We are the data controller for personal information collected through this Site and our services.

3What Information We Collect

Information you provide directly

• Contact form submissions - your name, email address, and any information you include in your message
• Booking requests - your name, email address, and any details you provide when scheduling a consultation through our booking system
• Account registration - when our membership platform launches, we will collect information you provide at signup, which may include your name, email address, and business details. We will update this policy before that launch to specify what is collected
• Client engagement - information you provide during the course of a consulting engagement, which may include business data, website access credentials, and analytics data

Information collected automatically

• Usage data - pages visited, time spent on the Site, referring URLs, and browser/device type, collected via Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
• Cookies - see section 9 for full details
• IP addresses - collected automatically by our web server and analytics tools

4How We Collect Your Information

We collect personal information through the following means:

• Directly from you when you complete a contact form, make a booking, or communicate with us by email or phone
• Automatically when you visit the Site through cookies and analytics tools
• From third-party booking platforms when you schedule a session
• From you during the delivery of consulting services

We will only collect personal information by lawful and fair means.

5Why We Collect Your Information

We collect personal information for the following purposes:

• To respond to your enquiries and provide the services you have requested
• To manage bookings and consultation sessions
• To deliver and improve our consulting services and software products
• To understand how visitors use our Site and improve our content and user experience
• To manage our business relationship with you, including invoicing and correspondence
• To comply with our legal obligations

We do not collect personal information unless it is reasonably necessary for one or more of these purposes.

6How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information only for the purpose for which it was collected, or for a directly related secondary purpose that you would reasonably expect.

We will not use your personal information for direct marketing without your consent. If we introduce email marketing in future, we will only contact you with your explicit opt-in and will provide a clear unsubscribe option in every communication.

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to any third party.

7Disclosure to Third Parties

We may disclose your personal information to the following categories of third parties where necessary to operate our business and deliver our services:

• Analytics providers - Google LLC (Google Analytics 4), for site usage analysis
• Booking system providers - our integrated booking platform, for managing consultation scheduling
• Invoicing and accounting software - Xero, for billing and financial record keeping
• Payment processors - third-party payment platforms used to process fees, where applicable
• Membership platform - our membership system provider, when that platform is launched
• Professional advisers - lawyers, accountants, or other advisers under confidentiality obligations
• Law enforcement or regulatory bodies - where required or permitted by law

We take reasonable steps to ensure third parties handle your personal information in accordance with applicable privacy laws.

8Overseas Disclosure

Some of the third-party services we use store and process data on servers located outside Australia, including in the United States. In particular:

• Google Analytics 4 processes usage data on Google's infrastructure, which includes servers in the United States and other countries. Google's data processing is governed by their Privacy Policy and, where applicable, the EU Standard Contractual Clauses.

9Cookies and Analytics

What are cookies

Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites function efficiently and to provide reporting information.

Cookies we use

• Google Analytics 4 cookies - we use GA4 to understand how visitors interact with our Site. GA4 collects anonymised data including pages visited, session duration, device type, and general location (country/city level). GA4 uses first-party cookies and does not use third-party cookies for advertising purposes. IP addresses are anonymised by default in GA4.
• Functional cookies - cookies that may be set by embedded third-party services such as our booking system, necessary for those features to operate.

Managing cookies

You can control and delete cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect the functionality of certain features on this Site. To opt out of Google Analytics tracking specifically, you can install the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

10Data Security and Retention

Security

We take reasonable steps to protect the personal information we hold from misuse, interference, loss, and unauthorised access, modification, or disclosure. These steps include access controls, secure communication protocols (HTTPS), and limiting access to personal information to personnel who need it to perform their role.

No method of transmission over the internet is completely secure. While we take reasonable precautions, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Retention

We retain personal information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purpose for which it was collected, or as required by law. Contact form data and correspondence is retained for a reasonable period to support our business relationship with you. Analytics data is retained in accordance with our GA4 configuration, which we have set to the minimum available retention period.

When personal information is no longer needed, we take reasonable steps to destroy or de-identify it.

11Accessing and Correcting Your Information

Under the Australian Privacy Principles, you have the right to:

• Request access to the personal information we hold about you
• Request correction of personal information that is inaccurate, out of date, incomplete, or misleading

To make an access or correction request, contact us at the details in section 14. We will respond within a reasonable time, and no later than 30 days. We may ask you to verify your identity before we process your request.

In some circumstances we may decline an access request where permitted by law. If we do, we will explain why in writing.

12Complaints

If you believe we have mishandled your personal information or breached the Australian Privacy Principles, please contact us first using the details in section 14. We take privacy complaints seriously and will respond within 30 days.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC):

13Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time, including when we introduce new services, software products, or data processing activities. Material changes will be published on this page with an updated date. Where required by law, we will notify affected individuals directly.

We will update this policy before launching our membership platform (SureMembers) to reflect any additional data collection at account registration.

14Contact

For all privacy enquiries, access requests, correction requests, or complaints, contact us at: