SEO companies worldwide charge on average $134.99. SEO agencies in the United States charge on average $147.93 per hour. SEO consultants worldwide charge on average $139.29 and SEO consultants in the United States charge on average $144.68 per hour.
Search engine optimization (or SEO as it is usually called) is the practice of improving a site’s rankings and therefore its traffic and revenue.
It is important to never lose sight of the fact that the ultimate goal of hiring an outside SEO company is to grow your business’ revenue through organic traffic.
So just tracking rankings or looking at traffic trends is not enough to determine whether or not the channel is working for you.
We’ll cover more on this below the graphs and takeaways.
Here are the highlights of the SEO pricing results, with SEO pricing models and graphs below.
Knowing how to track SEO services properly also helps you determine how much you should pay to reach your goals.
While it’s easy to buy from someone offering cheap backlinks, it is also easy to get your website banned from Google for doing this.
Hourly rate or monthly minimum SEO costs are good measuring sticks to use, but they are not the most important.
When hiring an agency, you should ask what it is that you will get for paying their fees.
Maybe it’s a certain number of hours.
Perhaps it’s a certain number of calls and times looking at your account per week or month.
Maybe it’s additional reporting and strategy calls or an audit followed, by a six-month action plan that you then hire them to implement.
It is important to understand how pricing works in the SEO industry and what’s within the bounds of normal pricing. Pricing can vary depending on if you need local SEO, keyword research, an SEO strategy, Technical SEO, an SEO audit, or a combination of two or more.
Beyond that, look at what they are going to give you for what they charge and determine if that is:
A) Within your budget
B) If those actions will get you to your goals (which of course presupposes that you have goals already set).
Some businesses pay anywhere from $1500 to $5,000 monthly for SEO. However, a few factors can impact how much SEO services cost. Prices can vary greatly depending on how much a website needs, what future work was scoped, and who the SEO provider is.
The cost of SEO for a small business can range in price, but it typically falls within $500 to $5,000 per month. The actual cost will depend on several factors, including the size of the business, the level of competition for keywords, the complexity of the website, and the desired level of professional support. It’s important to note that SEO is an ongoing process and the cost may increase over time as the business grows and its SEO needs change. It’s best to discuss your budget and goals with an SEO service provider to ensure you receive the best possible return on investment.
The cost of local SEO for a business also falls on a sliding spectrum, but it typically can be estimated at $500 to $2,000 per month. The actual cost will depend on multiple factors, including the size of the business, the difficulty of local keywords, the complexity of the website, and the degree of professional expertise. Local SEO involves optimizing the business’s online presence for local search engines and involves tasks such as creating a Google My Business listing, submitting the business information to local directories, and optimizing the website for local keywords.
The cost of SEO services from a freelancer can vary greatly and depend on elements such as the location of the freelancer, the level of experience of the freelancer, the scope of the project, and the desired outcome. On average, freelance SEO specialists charge between $50 to $150 per hour, but some may charge as low as $30 per hour, while others may charge upwards of $200 per hour or more. Some freelancers may also offer project-based pricing, where they charge a flat fee for a specific project, rather than hourly rates. It’s best to communicate with several freelancers and get quotes to determine the cost that best fits your budget.
Generally speaking, SEO techniques are based on backlinking and a content marketing approach. Successful SEO requires constant updates and analysis for the desired result. SEO has several pros attached to it compared to other marketing options like PPC, influencer marketing, etc. Determining which service is best for your business requires a discovery phase and speaking with industry experts to fully understand your short and long-term goals.
There are numerous factors affecting SEO pricing. Depending on what type of SEO services your site chooses, the scope, and the agency with whom you work with, all impact the total cost on the bill.
SEO firms that charge less than $500 / month often ship the job out of the US. Often the results of such campaigns can be filled with poor copywriting, shoddy technical optimization, and inadequate link quality. Cheap SEO is more damaging than beneficial for your website performance and rankings.
This page last updated on February 10, 2023 by John Doherty
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