How much do you have to pay for SEO Services? To answer this question we need to break it into 2 parts. The first part is how much does SEO cost and the second part is how much should you spend on SEO services.
Let me try and answer both parts with real life examples and experiences I have gained the last 18 years in the SEO services industry.
How much does SEO Cost?
This is the first question many small business owners ask me and it is perfectly normal to know in advance and before making a decision, how much will SEO cost your business.
To get directly into the point, there are 3 different pricing models when it comes to buying SEO services:
1) Per hour
2) Per project
3) Monthly
SEO Services per Hour
Per hour is the most popular pricing scheme. You pay the SEO Company or SEO consultant a fixed rate per hour.
What usually happens is that you make an agreement in advance of the activities to be performed and the estimated hours needed.
At the end of each month (or project) you are given a report with the details and the actual number of hours worked.
You then have to process payment according to the agreed hourly rate.
What is the range for hourly rates?
The range for the SEO services rate goes from $20 per hour to $200 per hour. This huge difference depends on a number of factors, some are explained below:
Region – According to different studies SEO services in Australia costs more (on average) than buying SEO services from a United States firm.
Size of the company – The bigger the company the more money you will pay for SEO
Of course there are always exceptions to the above rules.
For example, our hourly rate at the moment is $50 and we offer SEO + Digital marketing services for small and medium businesses (see details below as to why we can offer lower prices).
SEO Services Per project
This is different than the per-hour pricing scheme. You agree with the SEO firm a standard price for the project as a whole regardless of the hours spend.
Usually there is a 30% down payment and the rest in predefined milestones (i.e. completion of campaign, go live for a redesigned website etc.).
This method is sometimes better in cases where you are not sure how many hours are needed for a given task and it is also preferable for budgeting purposes.
Monthly Services
Most successful SEO campaigns expand over one month so one of the best solutions is to agree on a monthly charge.
The most common monthly range is $500 -$1500.
This is also our most popular package and what most of our clients prefer, especially those located in the US.
What is the best pricing model?
The best pricing model is a combination of all 3 above. What we do with clients is come to an agreement where:
- Any clearly defined tasks (like a website redesign) has a fixed charge
- We agree on an hourly rate and a monthly ceiling. In other words, we combine both the hourly rate with the monthly charge.
For example, if our current rate is at $50 per hour and the client has a budget of $600 per month then we agree that the max number of hours worked will be 12.
How much should you spend on SEO Services?
So, you now have an idea of the hourly rates and the most common pricing plans, the next thing to decide is how much should you spend on SEO services.
It goes without saying that there is no ‘one size fits all’ answer since it depends on the type of business, current Internet presence, what you want to achieve from SEO and many more.
The following guidelines may help you decide how much to pay for SEO:
SEO is not a cost but an investment – The first thing to understand is that SEO is not a cost for your business but it is an investment (and probably one of the best investments you will ever made).
The reason is that once you start practicing SEO the results will be visible both in the short term but also in the long term.
You can SEO your website this month and start getting more traffic and that traffic will continue to grow for the next 12 months or more without having to do anything else.
What percentage of your profits is coming from your online presence? – If your business depends on online traffic i.e. you have customers online, then SEO spending should represent your biggest budget.
I would also suggest to associate that with your monthly profits i.e. the more profits you make the more money you should allocate on SEO and Internet marketing.
If you are mainly working offline and you just need to have a proper internet presence, then a fixed monthly budget would be more appropriate.
I would say that hiring an SEO consultant or firm for 20 hours per month is sufficient to keep your presence (web site and social media) in good shape.
Start low and go long term than high and short term – SEO takes time, this is a known fact. I would say that it may take up to 6-7 months for an SEO campaign to generate optimum results, so have this mind when fixing your budgets.
If you have $10,000 to spend on SEO this year then better make it 10 months x $1000 rather than 2 months X $5000.
As a general advice, when you decide to work with an SEO company or consultant you should have these in mind:
Conclusion
SEO services is not an expensive service if you take into account the benefits and the high return on investment.
Prices vary per company and type of services offered but for small businesses that need to have a good presence on the web and social media should allocate a monthly budget in the range $500 to $1000 for SEO services.
Thanks, great outline.
(Get a new picture, looks like a mugshot… you’re good looking, smile!)
Hi,
Thanks for the comment and you are correct about the picture. I have changed it now.
Thanks
Truely said, SEO is an investment for small business that want to expand themselves and keep them up in this competitive market.
With the current changes in the way of working, SEO is now not an easy task.
Hi
SEO is not an easy task and it is something that changes all the time. In my opinion, all companies should invest a portion of their marketing budgets on SEO, it’s the only way to ensure long term success.
Thanks
Alex
Helpful article. Can you say more about why prices for services when it’s a large org vs. small? What are the specific factors that affect cost?
Steph Hi
Thanks for commenting. Large organizations usually have predefined budgets which have to be approved once per year vs small companies which are more flexible. In terms of price you may charge more because you may have to spend more hours and because you may have to make more documentation and reports (that takes more time) compared to smaller companies.
Thanks again
Alex
Where can I get a dummies education on SEO
Hi John
Our SEO Guide is perfect for beginners: https://www.reliablesoft.net/ebook/wordpress-seo-guide/
Thanks!
Truly said, anyone who has online presence has more chances of getting more leads. I agree that seo is the right way to get noticed however its pricing varies as per different companies. In such cases, it is better to compare prices before deciding on a company
Hi Smithesh
I agree, comparing prices is always a good approach but you should also take into account the effectiveness and experience of an SEO company or consultant. It’s better to spend something more and get results, than spend less with no results.
Thanks for your comment
Alex
I think monthly pricing is the only way to go in SEO.
SEO should be a long term campaign / strategy so
it would only make sense to pay for monthly services.
How do we get clients to pay me what payment method do I use
Hi Ameen
I am using paypal, it’s easy to use and trusted by everyone.
Hope this helps
Alex
Hey Alex,
Thanks for giving me a valuable information for SEO services pricing its really helpful for me
Hello Alex,
Really appreciate this post, it gives an idea to the people before investing in SEO and also helps those who are running an SEO campaign.
Great post Alex! I always try to tell my clients SEO is not a cost but an investment like you said. Ranking on page one for organic search is key for any business that wants to procure leads and build their brand. Thanks for all the information.