How much does SEO cost per month? It’s a question many business owners ask when determining their marketing budget and wondering, “Are SEO services worth it?” Search Engine Optimization is crucial to a company’s online success. So, keep reading to learn how much to budget for SEO services monthly to generate sustainable results that move the needle.
How Much Does SEO Cost Per Month from an Agency vs. SEO Freelancer?
I know you’re not going to like this answer, but, like many things… it depends. The cost of SEO services varies widely, and you pay for what you get–meaning you might find someone offering cheap rates, but you’ll likely get subpar results. It also depends on whether you use an agency or a freelancer.
How Much Does SEO Cost from an SEO Agency?
SEO agencies typically charge a minimum monthly fee for consulting services only–meaning they’ll tell you what you need to do to improve SEO but won’t get their hands “dirty.” Consulting services typically start at $2,000 per month. To actually have an agency do hands-on work, you should expect to pay over $9,000 per month.
How Much Does SEO Cost from an SEO Freelancer?
SEO freelancers may charge clients hourly or offer a monthly retainer. Freelance SEO services typically cost around $2,300 per month for consulting and implementation. A benefit of working with a freelancer is they can customize a package with SEO deliverables you actually need rather than offer “cookie-cutter” services as many agencies do.
For example, as an SEO freelancer, I package my services to include SEO consulting and implementation for local, standard, and advanced SEO. My SEO packages and rates are tailored to your specific goals and budget, so you only pay for what you need.
How Much Should SEO Cost Per Month?
Knowing how much to budget for SEO per month depends on a few things, including your business type and size, current SEO health, and future goals.
Business Type and Size
How much does SEO cost for a small business? It depends on your website and business type–whether you operate a location-based business, an online business, or both. For example, a large ecommerce enterprise with 1,000+ product pages requires more SEO content creation than a small service-based site with five web pages. Additionally, a location-based business requiring local SEO services might not need as many hours dedicated to SEO as a location-independent business.
Current SEO Health
If you’ve neglected SEO up until this point, more will be required to get your website and online presence thriving. If, however, you have an in-house marketing team and are looking for an SEO consultant to provide guidance and strategy, you might not need as many hands-on SEO deliverables, which could decrease your costs.
Future Goals
The most important SEO deliverables for your business depend on your goals. When you know what you want to accomplish, an SEO can develop a framework, action plan, and budget to make it happen. The bigger the goals and the more you want to achieve, the bigger the SEO package and budget you’ll need.
If you’re not sure how much SEO should cost you per month, let’s hop on a call. Once I learn more about your business and goals, I’ll provide a tailored recommendation to get the results you want.
Common SEO Deliverables
I’ll say it again: when it comes to SEO, you get what you pay for. The more money you allocate to SEO services, the bigger the impact because your freelancer or team can focus on more SEO deliverables. Knowing this, it’s no surprise that businesses spending over $500 per month on SEO are 53.3% more likely to be “extremely satisfied.”
While the exact deliverables will vary depending on the specific needs of a business and any overarching goals, some essential services of any quality SEO program include:
Keyword ranking analysis
Duplicate content analysis
Website crawl and analysis
Site speed analysis and improvement
Competitor keyword research
Keyword mapping for on-page SEO
Meta data optimization
Website structuring
XML sitemap configuration
Robots.txt file review and configuration
Internal and external linking
Backlinking
Altogether, these strategies make up necessary SEO deliverables that are crucial to driving more prospects to your site.
Are SEO Services Worth It?
Now that you know the cost, are SEO services worth it? Yes–SEO services are a worthy investment for any business looking to increase website traffic and maximize reach. SEO can improve your online presence and create more visibility on search engines like Google and Bing, leading to increased website visits, leads, and sales. If you’re looking for quality freelance SEO services that can help you get results quickly and effectively, contact me today to learn more about how I can help take your website performance to the next level.