Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, is a core part of digital marketing.
Without solid SEO, it can be very difficult to get your business to appear for the right online users at the right time, and that factor is the driving force behind your online sales.
While you can technically build an SEO strategy from scratch by yourself, it is neither cost-effective nor time-efficient to try and handle your entire SEO plan independently.
The more consistent option is hiring an SEO agency or getting SEO-based services from an independent specialist – but that naturally costs money.
Understanding the cost of SEO is not just about a single set price.
Different SEO agencies offer various pricing models, including cheap SEO options and additional features that affect costs. Understanding SEO costs and expected prices is important for a typical business. Now, let’s explore what SEO is.
What is SEO?
Search Engine Optimization is exactly what it sounds like to optimise your website so that search engines appear higher in search engine result pages.
The higher your site appears in search engines, the more organic traffic (users naturally find your site through searching similar topics) you will get.
Techniques like link building, keyword research, and on-page SEO maximise your influence over ranking positions, ensuring more organic traffic and better website performance. This leads us to understand SEO costs.
Understanding SEO Costs
The most important thing to know about SEO pricing is that there is no set cost. Different SEO agencies will approach their pricing in different ways.
There is no typical SEO cost that most businesses use as a baseline, nor is there a set of average SEO costs that you can usually use as a starting point.
Beyond that, the SEO services that you get can also cost wildly different amounts. The amount you pay for SEO depends on what services you are getting, how those services are being implemented, and a wide range of other factors that can influence the cost of SEO on a greater scope.
You often need to look at the SEO services to understand their value.
Higher-priced SEO services may offer more in-depth or additional services or be set at a higher cost. It’s essential to understand what services you are being offered. Below are some questions on understanding SEO costs.
How Much Does SEO Cost On Average?
Around half of the business owners seeking SEO support generally pay between $2500 and $7500 monthly.
However, this still leaves another fifty percent of businesses at a value either lower or higher than this, which shows the huge range of SEO costs that can be involved.
This boils down to around $50 to $100 per hour as an average baseline or roughly $1000 to $5000 for an individual project.
This all depends on the kind of work required, the scale of the SEO services, and the overall pricing model of your chosen SEO agency.
How Much Does SEO Cost Per Month?
Larger companies and businesses expect to pay an average of around $5000 per month, plus or minus a few thousand dollars.
Smaller businesses can afford much lower costs. Many small business SEO agencies keep their prices relatively low, making obtaining an SEO strategy easier for a brand-new business owner.
How Much Does SEO Cost Per Project?
A typical SEO project can range from a simple $ 1,000 price point to multiple thousands of collars, with some larger businesses paying upwards of $10,000 or more for a single project.
This makes sense when considering that one “project” could cover tasks and goals. For example, it might roll keyword research and page keyword optimization into a single project.
Again, a smaller business will usually pay less. Of course, this depends entirely on the SEO project and how much SEO work you need.
How Much Does SEO Cost Per Hour?
Cost per hour can vary, but most services fall between $50 and $100 as standard.
This can vary greatly based on the scale of work needed. Smaller businesses requiring less SEO will see lower overall costs. Now, let’s explore why the average SEO cost is so varied.
Why is the Average SEO Cost So Varied?
SEO is not a single service but a collection of different SEO services geared toward supporting a single SEO strategy.
This means that SEO providers—usually experienced SEO professionals—can approach even the simplest SEO services in various ways.
SEO specialists must provide the right services for the right businesses in the right ways.
Each project combines a different range of techniques and services, added costs, and extra SEO requirements, dramatically influencing the SEO pricing of that particular project or long-term arrangement.
In simple terms, the cost of SEO is based on the agency’s desired charge and the combination of services involved in the process.
SEO is a custom service to each client’s needs, making every project unique. This leads us to the next topic: what are the different SEO pricing models?
What Are The Different SEO Pricing Models?
SEO providers tend to fall into an exact set of pricing models, with each pricing model changing how the SEO costs apply to the client.
The pricing model can be a major factor in choosing the right SEO companies since some models are better suited to particular situations.
For example, a project price suits one-time keyword research using automated tools, while a monthly fee is better for ongoing daily keyword research. Below are the different SEO pricing models
Monthly SEO Services
Monthly SEO services involve a monthly retainer to keep the SEO agency working with you. This can be a good way to secure an SEO company as a source of help without paying individual SEO costs for each service you need.
Monthly retainer costs are more efficient for businesses that know they need an SEO provider on hand for a longer time. While there may be other SEO costs for services outside their initial SEO plans, this is the best option if you need to work with SEO agencies.
Hourly SEO Services
An hourly SEO cost is mostly used when you need a single burst of assistance from an SEO agency, such as a fix to your on-page SEO or a quick boost to your SEO performance. These projects usually last only a day or two at the most and are meant as short-term options.
While these might eat into your SEO budget more than a monthly retainer per hour, the overall cost is still lower.
The longer the services go on, the higher SEO costs you will have to pay, so hourly is mostly reserved for when an SEO agency only has to spend a single day working on something.
Project-Based SEO Services
Project-based SEO services are exactly what they sound like – an SEO pricing model focused on individual projects. This means you pay a fixed fee for each project, such as an SEO audit, rather than a higher SEO cost for more extended services.
This is often used by SEO companies to handle things like an SEO audit, where the project itself is a single process.
This keeps the cost of SEO relatively low and allows the client to know exactly how much they are paying for the services rather than worrying about prices suddenly increasing.
Which of these SEO Pricing Models is Best?
Each SEO pricing model offers something different. Hour-based SEO pricing allows for shorter-notice services, while monthly SEO pricing is good for longer-term projects. Project-based SEO pricing models ensure a flat rate for a single process, such as an SEO audit.
None of these options is universally better; the right choice depends on your SEO plans, marketing budget, project complexity and time requirements. This leads us to the other types of SEO pricing.
Other Types of SEO Pricing
It is hard to sort SEO into categories since many different kinds of Search Engine Optimization overlap. However, depending on your business goals, you might have a distinct kind of SEO campaign that you need to set up.
Custom SEO Pricing
Not all SEO is done as packages or pre-prepared services. In many cases, you can approach the company with custom SEO needs, which usually means that you will work together to agree on a fair price and range of offered services.
This can be a good option if you need a detailed set of benefits rather than an entire SEO package. However, this can involve a lot of planning since different companies will have entirely different SEO campaigns and business goals.
It is often worthwhile if you need something precise or adjustments to your existing SEO strategy. Below are other types of SEO pricing.
Local SEO Pricing
A local SEO campaign is focused on your local area, which usually makes it significantly cheaper than other options.
This is because local SEO campaigns are restricted to a smaller area, meaning a more focused audience that is usually a lot easier to target.
The pricing of local SEO campaign services will change based on your exact needs, but you can usually expect lower prices for local options.
This is especially true if you choose a local SEO agency already knowledgeable about the area.
eCommerce and Online Business SEO Pricing
Ecommerce SEO services are a lot harder to predict.
A decent SEO campaign needs to boost the site’s SEO performance and allow it to perform well against competitors in the same niche, which might mean more work and, therefore, higher costs.
eCommerce sites are usually more complex than simple blog or company sites because they have many more pages.
Depending on your needs, an SEO professional might manually tweak metadata on each product page or build links from various relevant sources. This brings us to what influences SEO agency costs.
What Influences SEO Agency Costs?
The cost of an SEO consultant can vary massively for many reasons.
While some factors have been mentioned above, it’s important to understand why your SEO campaign might cost more or less than another company’s, even with the same agency. This brings us to the following influences on SEO agency costs.
Complexity
The more complex an SEO campaign or project is, the more it will cost. Complexity means that agencies have to do more work, and they naturally want to be paid for their efforts.
Volume of Work
The more work an agency needs to do, the more they will usually charge. A small business’s link-building needs will be much cheaper than a huge company’s link-building requirements, even if both are link-building for the same industry, target market, and goals.
SEO Goals
Your goals matter when judging costs. For example, the higher you want to get on search engine results pages, the more time and effort is required, which means higher prices.
Quality
Higher-quality work also means higher costs. High-quality content, for example, will be worth more than decently written blog content.
Competition
If you are trying to compete with many competitors in search results, even simple things like link-building may become more expensive due to the effort required.
Experience
A more experienced team will usually charge more for their services since they know they are worth more money.
Bespoke Work
Many companies charge more for SEO work that exceeds their standard packages, especially if it involves new tools or systems they don’t support. This leads us to the question of why SEO is expensive.
Why Is SEO Expensive?
It is easy to see SEO pricing as expensive, especially if you run a smaller business with a very limited budget.
However, a typical SEO process is not as expensive as it looks, especially considering how incredibly effective good SEO can be.
For people with limited SEO experience (or none at all), it is easy to misunderstand or underestimate the value of SEO.
This is especially true if you have hired cheap SEO services in the past that ended up not providing the benefits that you hoped, something that many smaller businesses can fall into when they feel like cheap SEO options are the only smart business decision.
When applied correctly, good SEO services can push a business to a new level of success, help it find new markets, and even give it an advantage over its competitors.
Cheap SEO is cheap SEO for a reason – the higher-priced services come from an experienced SEO agency or specialist who knows what they are doing.
How to set an SEO budget
Setting an effective SEO budget means understanding your needs. Whether you are looking for one-time SEO projects or need an SEO expert on retainer, your SEO costs can vary heavily based on various factors.
- Know Your Budget Limits – Always understand the maximum you can budget for SEO support safely.
- Understand Your Requirements – Make sure you know what kind of SEO you might need, even if you do not need any immediately and are budgeting for the future. An SEO audit can be a good way to identify the flaws in your digital marketing.
- Know Your SEO Goals – While you can hire an SEO agency to fix your existing SEO flaws, you also want to know your long-term goals for your overall marketing strategy. Even something as simple as overtaking X competitor or breaking into X market can help.
- Narrow Down Your Budget—Once you know more about the SEO companies you might need and the services you may be looking for, try to nudge your budget to a more comfortable level. If you can help it, you do not usually want to spend your entire budget on SEO services.
How to Choose Fair SEO Pricing
One of the biggest issues with the variety of SEO companies on the market is the pricing differences. While most agencies offer different services, you still want to ensure that you are not overpaying for something you need or are not paying more than a process is worth.
It is important to know that you are paying a fair SEO cost for your chosen services, especially if you have a very limited digital marketing budget.
Every dollar you spend on SEO might take another dollar away from other important goals, which can hit a smaller business hard if it is still trying to establish itself.
- Know the Goals—Ensure you know the SEO service’s goals and what the company promises will happen. Never assume anything not directly offered or explained to you, especially with a cheap SEO service.
- Ask Some Questions—Talk with the agency or freelancer you plan to work with and discuss the intricacies of their pricing. Even if you know how much SEO costs from them, ask about overtime, extra services, or any “upgrades” to the base service they offer. Know what you are being charged for.
- Read the Legal Information—The terms and conditions on their site or the legal contract you enter give you a general idea of what you agree to. While it might not be that important in most cases, reassuring yourself that everything is fine can still be important.
- Look Into Their History – Use unbiased third-party reviews and search social media to find out more about whoever you are working with. It is a good idea to look into each SEO company before you pay them so that you understand the general opinions on them. Of course, not all of them will have reviews to read through, etc.
- Use Common Sense. Common sense is a huge part of running a business. If an SEO company does not seem quite right or will not explain a certain part of their pricing to you, bring it up with them or consider looking elsewhere.
- Never Feel Pressured – Never feel pressured into taking SEO packages you do not want or working with an SEO company you do not fully trust. It is a company’s responsibility to attract customers, but not your responsibility to work with them just because they approached you.
How to Spot Good SEO Services
Most SEO companies will offer good SEO pricing or at least price themselves fairly for their audience and services.
Even if SEO pricing varies, you can usually tell a company offers genuine services at a good price.
- Great Reviews – Good reviews and customer opinions are usually a sign of great quality if they are authentic reviews from real people.
- Fair Prices—Many scam sites offer excessively low or excessively high prices to trick users into giving up payment information or simply overcharging them. A middling price range is usually a sign of an authentic company.
- In-Depth Breakdowns—The more a company can tell you about its SEO packages and options, the more likely it is to have properly considered everything.
- Overall Quality—An SEO company’s website can usually give you an idea of the quality they aim for and whether or not they live up to their own supposed standards.
How to Spot Bad SEO Services
It is very important to spot a bad SEO company before you start working with them, especially if they ask for a lot of money.
Search Engine Optimization is a field full of experts, but there are plenty of inexperienced newcomers and a long list of scam sites to navigate.
If you want high-quality SEO, you must ensure you are paying a company you can trust.
- Too Good to Be True—While there are some fantastic SEO companies out there, many sites overpromise or actively mislead customers. Good quality SEO always comes with a price, so double-check anything that looks too generous.
- Bad SEO Content—If a company is not handling its website or SEO efforts, how can you guarantee that it will support your own? Always be wary of sites that are outdated or poorly made.
- Scam Sites – There are dozens of scam sites, some of which impersonate legitimate SEO sites or create fake SEO companies. Read up on identifying scam or spam websites if unsure which companies to trust.
- Black Hat SEO – If a company is using black hat SEO methods (techniques that go against Google’s guidelines), then any SEO project they complete has a chance of being penalised and invalidated. Spammy links might boost your rankings until search engines notice and take action against you.
Is Good SEO Worth It?
If you are not that familiar with SEO overall, you might be unable to tell if a decent SEO option is worth it. However, unless you are looking for something very detailed and do not know if your custom SEO plan will succeed, there is an easy answer to that question.
As long as it makes an impact on your marketing and rankings, SEO is worth it.
Search Engine Optimization is one of the most effective ways to market to your online target audience and can dramatically increase sales and conversions if used correctly. Regular advertising can capture users through paid search and site ads, but full-service SEO allows you to draw in traffic from organic search results.
The SEO industry exists because SEO traffic is incredibly valuable, and even the most basic organic search boosts can lead to major SEO performance increases.
Improved organic traffic brings more users to your website from search results at no cost, making it an effective long-term customer source. Now, let’s explore how much SEO costs in 2023.
How Much Does SEO Cost in 2023?
The cost of SEO in 2023 is the same as always – considering each company’s SEO pricing, how much SEO costs depends on what they offer and what you need. Your business goals are important in determining exactly how much you need to pay for your desired SEO results.
All previously mentioned price information applies, but every SEO campaign is amazing. Whether considering project-based SEO or a long-term consultant, many factors influence the cost. This leads us to get SEO in 2023.
Getting SEO in 2023
Finding good SEO options is easier than you might think. If you need a third party to run your SEO account to supplement paid search advertising, finding some SEO agencies and comparing them is not hard.
However, with so many different options, it is important to slow down and consider what they offer and your needs. Link building differs from metadata tweaking, but both might be necessary for improving your site.
SEO is a massive niche that covers countless topics and techniques, so there is no single one-size-fits-all solution to your SEO situation. Instead, you should rely on professionals who understand the niche and how to make it work for individual clients.
Remember that SEO is a varied field that relies on custom work for each client. The exact services you need will depend on your business’s situation, and the kind of support you will get depends on the agency, company, or individual contractor you choose.
Whatever you are looking for, there will be agencies out there that can offer it. Just remember that there is no perfect way to approach SEO and that your requirements and choices can have a massive impact on the amount you pay for those services.
Final Thoughts on SEO Costs and Services
To sum up, SEO is an indispensable element of digital marketing, essential for enhancing online visibility and driving organic traffic to your website. SEO costs vary widely, influenced by factors such as the project’s complexity, the volume of work, and the exact goals of your campaign. Choosing the right SEO provider involves understanding the different pricing models, evaluating the services’ quality, and aligning them with your business needs and budget. Good SEO practices, whether through an agency or an independent specialist, can yield significant long-term benefits, ensuring your business stands out in a competitive online landscape. As you navigate the evolving world of SEO in 2023, remember that the right strategies and expert guidance are key to achieving sustained growth and success.
