How Much Does SEO Cost?

Why is it so difficult to find a simple, straightforward answer to the question, “How much does SEO cost?”

I’ll tell you why: SEO is not a simple prepackaged product that can be sold at a fixed price. The cost of this complex service varies greatly according to a number of different factors that range from your goals to your competitors.

While I can’t give you a set figure, I can do my best to give you an idea as to how much you may need to pay for SEO to actually see a return on your investment (Because that’s what this service is really all about, right? Growing your business and making you more money.)

The fastest and easiest way to get the estimate you’re looking for would be to?call one of our specialists?and ask for a quote. We’ll send you a simple questionnaire, investigate your competition, complete a free site audit, and get back to you with a set number.

We also have this incredible tool. It’s our?Digital Marketing Budget Calculator?and it’s FREE! Take a look and crunch the numbers!

Now let’s get into it!

What Determines SEO Pricing?

SEO pricing first takes into account three primary considerations:

1. Your Current Situation?– Where does your business and SEO currently stand?
2. Your Objectives?– What are your goals and where do you want to be?
3. Your Competitors?– How saturated is your market? Do your competitors have a strong SEO foundation that would make it difficult for you to rise above them in the ranks?

In short, the more dire your current situation, the bigger your objectives, and the faster you want to get there, the more it will cost.

To get a better idea, here are some common factors that directly affect cost:

• How competitive your targeted keywords are. If you have big-name competitors with high domain authority, outranking them in search results will be more difficult and take more time.
• Whether you have local or national ranking aspirations.
• How much research is needed to determine keyword strategy, understand the industry, and design an effective content strategy.
• The quantity and type of content writing. Longer, more involved content requires more time.
• Your website’s existing SEO. New sites with little or no SEO take more work.
• The costs of establishing a brand and presence online.

It’s also important to understand that SEO is a lengthy process, especially when done right. White hat SEO that provides quality, long-term results often involves time-consuming and tedious work that requires research and expertise. After all, Google’s search algorithm uses?more than 200 factors to rank websites?— this isn’t a quick patch job.

Pure, high-quality SEO can take months to see results. Beware of anyone who tells you that they can give you great results right away.

How Much Should You Spend on SEO?

No matter what you decide to budget, SEO costs should be viewed as an investment for your business. Compare the costs of traditional marketing (newspaper/magazine ads, billboards, trade shows, signs, radio/TV commercials, etc.) vs. a professional SEO campaign that will continue to produce results for years. Even with regard to different marketing channels in the digital space, studies show that?70% of marketers see SEO as more effective than PPC.

When you want to incorporate SEO into your business and marketing strategy, you can either hire an internal SEO specialist or team, use content marketing agencies that offer SEO as an add-on, or retain the services of a dedicated SEO firm.

If you want to do your SEO in-house, then chances are you will need more than a single specialist to perform the amount of work required. Most specialists are paid between $50,000 to $120,000 per year. Content marketing agencies are often a less expensive option, but you may not get the results you hope for with teams who aren’t focused on staying up to date with the constantly changing SEO landscape.

It’s no surprise that many businesses partner with?dedicated SEO agencies?in order to achieve the best SEO results.

Types of SEO Pricing and What to Expect

When using an SEO agency, there are three standard types of pricing:

1. Project-Based?– This pricing model is often a one-time fixed price according to the project scope. This model doesn’t fit ongoing SEO, but it may be applied to a certain content creation or web audit project.
2. Hourly Rates?– While most agencies adhere to a monthly retainer pricing model, that retainer is usually based on their hourly rates and the scope of your account. Hourly rates are far more common among freelance SEO strategists.
3. Monthly Retainers?– While monthly retainers are usually tied to a contract and a recurring charge, this payment model offers the most flexibility in services rendered.

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