In today’s digital landscape, search engine rankings can make or break your business—but how much is ranking on Google truly worth? And, if it is worth something, then what is the average cost for SEO services, how much is too much, and whether too little is too dangerous?
A quick search reveals that businesses can spend an average of anywhere from $500 to $20,000 per month on search engine optimization (SEO) services promising to boost their rankings.
What these numbers don’t reveal, of course, is the variety of SEO pricing models out there and how broadly they differ. More important, what these numbers fail to suggest is just how much you should be investing in your SEO strategy. The ideal SEO pricing for your business will depend on your specific marketing goals, the size of your business, and your site’s current search visibility.
What we’ll cover in this guide on the average cost of search engine optimization:
- The average cost of SEO
- Factors affecting SEO pricing
- Which SEO services you should invest in
- What an SEO pricing guide looks like
- How to get smart when investing in SEO
What is the average cost of SEO?
Despite the availability of cheap SEO services, 34.9% of marketers pay between $2,501 and $5,000 per month for SEO. Why?
A big factor is experience.
If you choose to opt for an SEO service that has been in business for 2+ years, you can expect your average cost of SEO per month to be around $2,023.13, and your average SEO monthly cost would jump to $3,648.28 for those who’ve been in the industry for 5-10 years.
In addition to experience, what you end up paying for SEO will in part depend on the following choices:
- Hiring a freelancer vs. hiring an SEO agency.
- Paying a monthly retainer vs. paying by the hour.
- Investing in a long-term SEO strategy vs. paying for one-off SEO projects.
Let’s take a look at other factors that can affect the average price of SEO.
SEO pricing models have a lot of components
SEO is a complicated process, with plenty of moving parts. Keeping these components running smoothly as part of a wider strategy takes time, energy, and—you guessed it—money.
As part of a comprehensive SEO package, you can expect to be paying for:
- An initial website and content audit.
- Technical SEO (site structure, speed, responsivity, etc.).
- On-page optimization.
- Off-page optimization.
- Keyword research.
- Content strategy and content creation.
- Competitor and industry analysis.
- Analysis and reporting.
Additionally, many of these elements of SEO involve access to tools and technologies that may factor into the final price you pay.
SEO pricing depends on current search visibility
Search visibility refers to the estimated number of clicks for a keyword—or set of keywords—received from organic search traffic. Let’s say that a keyword you rank for was searched for 100 times. If your site was clicked 10 times, your search visibility for that keyword would be 10%. This metric can be applied to all the content on your site.
The current search visibility of your website can affect how much you are quoted for SEO services, as it is directly related to how much work will need to be carried out to help your site to rank better.
With SEO services, you get what you pay for
As we’ve seen, the average cost of search engine optimization can vary wildly. With a long-term marketing strategy like SEO, you really do get what you pay for. If you’re planning to go for the cheapest service out there, think again.
With low-cost SEO services, your cost savings come at a price—it’s always worth thoroughly reviewing an agency’s offerings before committing. Some budget SEO services may:
- Cut corners.
- Rely on a one-size-fits-all approach.
- Lack the resources to craft a comprehensive SEO strategy.
- Have poor customer support.
- Not provide content.
- Use unreliable metrics.
- Lack experience in the industry.
To make sure the SEO support you invest in is both affordable and worth investing in, you’ll want to ensure the company offers the SEO fundamentals we’ll cover in the next section.
What SEO services should you invest in?
On-page and off-page optimization
On-page optimization focuses on optimizing content inside your website to maximize search visibility. On-page optimization can include working with meta descriptions, headers, keywords, URLs, images, and more to improve the relevance, utility, and people-first focus of your website.
Off-page optimization, on the other hand, focuses on optimizing content outside your website. This can include locating link-building prospects, building a backlink profile, guest posting, and more. This improves your website’s authority and visibility.
Both strategies are key to a quality SEO strategy, helping to improve your content, speed up your website, and ultimately boost your site’s rankings.
Keyword research
HubSpot defines keyword research as “the process of finding and analyzing search terms that people enter into search engines with the goal of using that data for a specific purpose.” In simple terms, you want to include the things people are searching for if you want any of your content to be seen.
When it comes to SEO, keyword research plays a crucial role in the construction of a robust content strategy tailored to your niche. Keywords provide the direction for the topics you’ll pursue based on what your ideal customers are searching for. Of course, you can’t cover every keyword. Each one should be evaluated based on metrics like difficulty, volume, and traffic potential.
Customized keyword research is a great sign that an SEO agency is committed to personalizing your content to fit your your industry, competitors, and search visibility. A one-size-fits-all strategy isn’t going to be effective when it comes to SEO!
Professional copywriting
Content is the cornerstone of successful SEO, and professional copywriting services ensures that content is relevant, helpful, and optimized to boost your site’s rankings.
Auto-generated content, including content produced using AI tools, is classified as spam under Google’s Webmaster Guidelines. Websites that fail to abide by these guidelines can be subject to manual action, resulting in lower search rankings and even removal from Google search results entirely. Despite the growing popularity of AI-powered writing tools, they are not a suitable substitute for human writers.
As you assess SEO quotes, take into consideration whether the offering is inclusive of content written by quality copywriters. And if their strategy is based entirely on auto-generated content, steer clear!
Link building
Google’s ranking algorithm emphasizes the presence of high-quality backlinks. Links are rated on their relevance, quality, diversity, and placement—with penalties being applied for duplicate, irrelevant, paid, or deceptive links.
One of the best ways to organically grow your backlink profile is by regularly posting high-quality content. Simply put, if your writing is worth quoting, folks are more likely to link it.
With this in mind, it’s well worth investing in an SEO package that doesn’t just offer content, but prioritizes content that is worth reading. With great content and targeted link building, you’ll be building a solid reputation in your industry. And you can only get that with an all-around SEO solution.
Reporting and analytics
Search engine optimization is most effective when guided by up-to-date, relevant data. That means that instead of having to digest copious amounts of raw data—and trust us, there’s a lot when it comes to SEO—you’ll want to have the most useful information presented in an intuitive format for easy decision-making.
With so much data, it can be tough to know where to start or what to prioritize. One of the biggest benefits of an experienced SEO provider comes from their ability to access, analyze, and understand key metrics within a rapidly-changing landscape.
As you compare SEO options, consider what they have to offer in terms of reporting and analytics. How is data visualized? Do the metrics they track lead to actionable insights? Is reporting customized to a client’s specific SEO goals?
An expert SEO agency will meet you where you’re at, cut the jargon, and give you the data you need to improve your site’s performance.
Invest in the whole SEO package with Ranq!
There’s no cutting corners when it comes to SEO. In other words, shooting for the average cost of SEO may not be the best idea. Choosing an SEO agency that has the expertise to offer a comprehensive package is the best way to ensure you’re getting maximum value out of your digital marketing strategy.
At Ranq, we’re proud to offer an end-to-end SEO solution that puts our clients first. From technical optimizations for your site to a customized content strategy based on thorough keyword research, our world-class experts are here to make your website’s visibility a priority. To find out more about how we can help you rank higher on Google or to get a free quote for our SEO services, reach out to Ranq today!