SEO Pricing Models
There are 3 primary models SEO agencies and freelancers use to price their services.
Hourly Rates
In this model, fees are based on the number of hours worked. These fees typically range from $75 to $150 per hour with an average of around $85.
Project-Based Pricing
Some SEO firms charge for a specific project to be completed. This might be a site migration, an internationalization project, or a large audit. These projects typically range from $2000 to $5,000.
Monthly Retainer
In this model, a client pays a monthly fee for SEO each month. The SEO company completes tasks each month based on hours, an approximation, or an agreed-upon plan. Monthly retainers typically range from $500 to $2000 per month but can be as high as $20,000 per month.
Other, Less Common Models
Some agencies offer a pay-for-performance model, but this isn't very common, and clients need to pay close attention to the details here. Performance in these arrangements should be defined in terms of increased traffic and leads from SEO, not ranking position. If you are interested in a pay-for-performance model, we recommend setting a baseline projection for organic traffic and leads, and paying for performance that exceeds the baseline projection.
SEO Pricing and Business Size
Companies at different stages of growth should approach SEO very differently. What makes sense for a large, mature enterprise won't make sense for a startup. Below are our SEO pricing recommendations for different business stages.
Startups
Our recommendations here are for startups that don't have heavy external funding and super-aggressive growth goals. There are some basic SEO practices that every website needs. We have an article that covers the minimum essentials for SEO:
To summarize the article above, cash-challenged startups can get their essential SEO tasks completed with 5 hours of work at $100 per hour. A lot of startups should only pay a one-time fee of $500.
Small Businesses
At this stage of business growth, it makes sense to invest in SEO on a monthly basis. As mentioned earlier, regardless of the pricing model, you should assess the value in terms of an hourly rate. The primary SEO tasks that are needed on an ongoing basis are linkbuilding, content creation, and content promotion. If you plan for how much of these activities are needed on a monthly basis, it's easy to arrive at a reasonable approximate price for the services.
For example, a less expensive monthly plan might look like this:
- 3 hours of linkbuilding at $85 per hour
- 4 hours of content creation for one blog post at $65 per hour
- 1 hour of outreach to promote the content at $85 per hour
On a monthly basis, these activities would cost $600 per month.
A more aggressive plan might look like this:
- 8 hours of linkbuilding at $85 per hour
- 12 hours of content creation for two high-quality, 2,000-word blog posts at $65 per hour
- 4 hours of outreach to promote the content at $85 per hour
- 2 hours of analysis and reporting
On a monthly basis, these activities would cost $2000 per month.
Medium-Sized Businesses
As your business grows, you're likely to plan for more hours of SEO. As more tasks and hours are added, you can see how SEO campaigns can reach $5,000 or $10,000 per month. It depends on how fast you want to grow. It also depends on the SEO firm. If you're seeing positive results, and trust the company, it makes sense to invest aggressively.