This policy explains how we produce Search My Local and what readers can expect from us.
Accuracy and sources
We base every factual statement on primary or authoritative sources — official sources such as the Australian Business Register, the ACCC, Scamwatch, business.gov.au, Service NSW and state government consumer and building agencies. We rewrite everything in our own words and link to our sources on every page.
What we will not do
- Invent statistics, prices, quotes, reviews or people.
- Present paid content as editorial.
- Copy text from other websites — every page is written from our own research.
Not professional advice
Consumer, licensing and building rules differ between states and change over time. We show the date each page was last checked and link to official sources. Our guides are general information only, not legal or financial advice: check the official source for your state and get professional advice for your situation.
Example numbers
We never publish invented statistics, fees, prices or testimonials. We do not publish typical prices for trades or services. Our quote checker only does simple arithmetic on the figures you enter and sends nothing anywhere.
No product rankings
We do not rank, review, value or endorse local businesses or tradespeople, and businesses cannot pay to be recommended in our guides. We never publish invented statistics, salaries, prices or test results.
No betting content
We do not publish betting tips, odds, bookmaker reviews or gambling promotions, and we do not accept gambling advertising or affiliate deals.
Corrections
If you find an error, please contact us. We check corrections against sources, update the page and change its “updated” date.
Independence
Search My Local is independent. We are not a government agency, regulator or directory and are not affiliated with any agency, organisation or business named on the site, including any previous operator of this domain or any business with a similar name.
How we make money
We want you to know exactly how this site is paid for, so you can judge our content for yourself.
- Affiliate links. Some pages may link to products or services through affiliate programmes. If you buy after clicking one, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Affiliate links are marked with a disclosure line at the top of the page, and use
rel="sponsored"so search engines know they are commercial. - Advertising. We may show clearly labelled display ads. Advertisers do not choose or review our content.
- Sponsored content and listings. We may occasionally publish sponsored articles or paid business listings. They are always labelled "Sponsored" or "Featured", kept separate from our guides and limited to businesses relevant to readers.
What doesn’t change:
- We decide what to cover and what to recommend. Payment never buys a positive review, a higher ranking or the removal of criticism.
- Facts, prices and conditions are checked against the sources cited on each page, not against what partners tell us.
- We don’t promote gambling, betting or other offers that don’t suit a general audience.
We aim to meet the Australian Consumer Law requirement that businesses must not engage in misleading or deceptive conduct, including about commercial relationships, and we follow the ACCC’s guidance on disclosing paid and sponsored content. If you think we’ve fallen short, please contact us.