Is your website suffering from low traffic? Are you consistently ranking on the 7th page of Google? Are you hearing crickets from your lead captures? The verdict is in: you need an SEO service!
With so many SEO services promising the moon, choosing between them can seem impossible. In making your decision, you’re probably wondering how much should SEO cost you. Search engine optimization pricing varies a lot, but there are some reasonable expectations that can be made around price points.
Before you start searching for SEO services, let’s cover the basics of search engine optimization pricing and how you can get the most SEO bang for your buck!
How much does search engine optimization cost?
Before we break down the cost of search engine optimization services, let’s get into some of the ABCs of SEO and what it can do for your business. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a digital marketing strategy that involves improving the positioning of your web pages in organic search results on search engine results pages (SERPs), increasing visibility.
SEO services differ by agency, but many offer the following:
- Robust keyword research.
- Technical SEO audits.
- On-page optimization.
- Website content creation.
- Competitor analysis.
SEO service prices vary a lot
When all is said and done, SEO costs as much as you’re willing to put into it. However, there are some general trends to keep in mind about SEO pricing.
An Ahrefs study surveying 400+ SEO industry professionals found that the average monthly cost of SEO services is between $500-$1,500. Unfortunately, like many services out there, the pricing of SEO services hinges on several factors, including your goals, domain authority, current rankings, amount of web pages, etc.
It essentially boils down to the scope of work involved. For instance, basic-level SEO services pricing is going to be considerably lower than enterprise-level SEO services pricing. Similarly, SEO service prices for a 1000-page website will be much higher than the cost of search engine optimization for a 10-page website.
Industry experience also significantly affects the pricing of services, as you could probably guess. If you’re in the United States and are looking for advanced SEO services, expect to pay monthly retainers from $2,500-$5,000.
How much does SEO cost for a small business?
Recent studies have found that small-to-medium-sized businesses (SMBs) shell out an average of around $500 per month on SEO, and a majority don’t spend over $1,000 per month. Good news: this sits around the lower end of the average provided above!
However, when it comes to search engine optimization costs, you really do get what you pay for. In the same study, they found that those who paid more than $500 per month were more likely to be “extremely satisfied” with services than those who spent less than $500. Cheaper SEO services can offer a bargain, but at what cost?
Take our advice: the last thing you want to do is go for an SEO service based on the price tag. SEO is a long game with very little room for cutting corners. After you figure out your SEO goals, determine what you can reasonably earmark in your budget to reach them, and find a service that accommodates that.
Enterprise-level SEO services pricing
As mentioned earlier, larger organizations should expect search engine optimization costs to be much higher than the average. Because of the size and scope of your business, you’ll probably require large-scale optimization across hundreds or thousands of pages. This takes a lot more time, labor, and resources; plus, you’ll need an experienced crew to get it right.
As an enterprise, it’s safe to assume that the average monthly cost of SEO for your online assets will run into thousands a month. However, it’s hard to say without context, which is why it’s best to contact different services on their enterprise price points. For example, when you contact Ranq, we’ll advise you on the time and work it’ll take to meet your goals and then hash out a reasonable price with you.
How to keep search engine optimization costs down
Are SEO costs giving you the blues? As we said before, it’s not worth it to opt for a service based solely on budget, and there’s very little room in SEO to cut costs. However, there are some ways to ensure what you’re spending is reasonable.
Reduce cost of search engine optimization by handling the basics on your own
Before you start asking around for SEO help, try tackling some basic SEO on your own! This makes it so that whatever service you choose doesn’t have to start from square one on your website.
Start with tackling on-page optimization. This means improving and updating the following on your web pages:
- Page speed.
- Internal links.
- Title tags.
- Meta tags.
You might also want to take care of some technical SEO considerations, like fixing broken links and checking your XML sitemap for pages that shouldn’t be there.
Find an SEO pricing model that fits your business and needs
Businesses come in all shapes and sizes, and the same is true for SEO packages. As a result, SEO package prices vary wildly too. In the Ahrefs study we talked about earlier, they found that almost 55% of SEO firms offer a single pricing model, which may include a scalable package, monthly retainer, or price-per-project.
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to finding the right strategy for the right company. At the end of the day, you’re looking for results, so be flexible with the amount you’re willing to spend. However, some agencies offer multiple packages for you to consider.
Long-term cost of SEO services is more sustainable with a reputable SEO firm
Beware snake oil SEO! You don’t want to commit to a low-quality service that overpromises and underdelivers. Here are some red flags to look for:
- Lack of transparency on services, deadlines, and pricing.
- Failure to offer a concrete content plan and SEO strategy.
- A too-good-to-be-true price point.
- Vague or non-existent communication.
A reputable SEO marketing agency will offer transparent search engine optimization prices, a list of services offered, and consistent communication channels. Read more about hiring a reputable SEO expert for your business.
How much is search engine optimization from Ranq? We’re more about ROIs
Search engine optimization pricing isn’t the only factor to consider before hiring an SEO marketing firm. You need to separate the wheat from the chaff to find the best SEO agency for your business, and now you know what to look for!
At Ranq, it’s our mission to work with you to achieve your SEO marketing goals. Our team of experts will listen, learning everything we can about your business and your vision. We’ll create a custom, comprehensive SEO marketing plan to meet your needs, all while keeping in touch with you through every stage of the process.
Reach out to Ranq for a free quote, and let our team show you how your SEO strategy can be right on the money.