SEO cost has always been a lingering question for starting businesses that want to improve their online presence and visibility. Online marketing is one of the most effective ways to establish a brand in today’s digital age. This is why for many companies, recognizing the importance of efficient and effective SEO is ideal to have a competitive edge.
While SEO tools and techniques might seem all the same, different types of projects would require varying strategies to execute properly and successfully. SEO specialists would need to properly assess the appropriate action plan needed for different types of applications. This means that establishing a potential budget for an SEO cost can only be done once a full audit has been made.
It’s also important to understand that varying strategies are required for different types of industries. Each SEO plan is typically customized to the business model that you have and the type of online branding you wish to establish. Each project has its own challenges or complexities and these will typically determine the SEO cost or pricing.
A Brief Look at the Variables
Many variables and factors can determine the complexity of an SEO project. Knowing how competitive the business industry you belong to should give you an idea of how much work would be required. Local rankings are extremely important which means it may be harder to establish online visibility in a business district rather than a small suburban area.
Of course, this would still depend on the type of business you have and the amount of competition present around you. The available traffic in your industry and area can drastically affect your rankings especially when strategic SEO plans have been implemented. For small or starting businesses, being on the first pages of search engines like Google can be the ticket to more customers and higher revenues.
3 Common SEO Pricing Plans in 2022
- Project-Based SEO
This pricing plan is typically recommended when there is no need for recurring work but various aspects need to be improved. This includes optimizing on-page or technical web components to create a much better content structure.
After doing an audit, SEO specialists can estimate the real cost and timeline of the specific project. The typical SEO cost for this type of plan can range anywhere from 500 to about a thousand dollars depending on the complexity and the resources required to finish the project.
- Monthly Retainer SEO
Experienced SEO agencies typically offer monthly retainer packages to businesses or clients. Initially, an SEO agency will do a technical audit then proceed to establish an action plan that includes keyword research, link building, recommendations, and monthly content publication.
This helps clients to know and manage a specific budget that is measured by the amount of work that needs to be done based on the audit and desired ranking outcome. The SEO cost for retainer packages can range anywhere from 500 to 5000 dollars depending on the agency and their experience within the field.
3. Hourly SEO
For minor or smaller SEO projects, an hourly pricing plan is often applied since the project timeline is often shorter. Hourly rates are often offered by freelance SEO specialists or consultants who can typically perform specific tasks like web audits or content publication.
SEO cost by the hour can range anywhere from 100 to 250 dollars depending on the type of work and resources needed to execute a successful project. Some experienced specialists may ask for more depending on the project and demands of the client.
