SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is a crucial method for businesses to get their webpages to appear in search engine results. It is a marketing tool that can truly make a difference to your site’s success. However, thanks to the complexity of SEO, many companies choose to pay for experts to take on their SEO. But how much should you pay for SEO?
There can be a large variation in costs for SEO services, so it can be hard to know how much is appropriate for you to spend. Your SEO costs depend on many factors, including the size of your business and the complexity of your project.
Let’s break down everything SEO-cost related so you can be confident that you know how much you should pay for SEO.
Understanding SEO Pricing Models
There are many different SEO pricing models that SEO might offer. The best one for you will depend on what your site needs and the budget you have to invest in SEO.
Some of the most common include:
- Monthly Retainer: Ongoing SEO services with a monthly fee.
- Hourly rates: Best for consultation and specific tasks that are not ongoing.
- Project-based pricing: One-time SEO projects
- Performance-based SEO: Costs that vary depending on the results of the SEO service.
Knowing the service that will help you best achieve your goals will help you to decide what will work best for you.
Factors That Determine SEO Costs
Outside of different SEO finance models, there are a number of different factors that will impact how much you’re likely to pay for SEO. Here are some of the most common that will need to be taken into consideration when you’re budgeting for SEO.
Business Size
The size of your business will likely have an impact on how much you pay for SEO. Whether you’re a startup, a small business, or a large enterprise will affect the level of SEO work your site needs, as well as how much you will actually be able to invest.
Project Complexity
The complexity of your project will also make a difference to how much you pay for SEO. If you only require basic optimization, then this is going to cost significantly less than if you need an entire SEO strategy designed and implemented on your site.
SEO Goals
The ambition of your SEO goals is certain to tie into your costs. Your goals are also likely to be linked to your business size, so it may be worth considering these two factors together. For instance, if you’re a small business that wants to improve your site to target local SEO, then your costs are going to be lower than a large company that wants to implement a national or international SEO campaign.
Current Website Performance
How much you should pay for SEO also depends on how much work your website needs. If you have never optimized for SEO before and you need to start from scratch, then you can expect to pay more than a site that simply needs to improve on its existing SEO strategy.
SEO Providers Expertise
Your SEO costs will also depend on your provider’s expertise. If you decide to go with an in-house team or an established agency with lots of experience, then you can expect to pay premium prices. If you go with a freelancer, the costs may vary depending on how much experience they have in the field.
Budgeting for SEO: How Much Should You Spend?
Now that you know the different types of SEO services on offer, it’s time to answer the big question: How much should you pay for SEO?
As we discussed, it really depends on your business and project size, but on average,
- For basic SEO packages, expect to pay $0-$2,000 per month.
- For mid-range or more extensive SEO packages, expect to pay $2,000-$6,000 per month.
- For high-end services for larger companies, expect to pay $6,000+ per month.
Of course, these costs can truly vary depending on whether you have a one-off project or are looking to work with an ongoing and extensive service, but this should give you some idea of how much you can expect to pay.
Comparing DIY SEO vs. Hiring Professionals
Many business owners may decide to do DIY SEO and take on the task themselves in order to save on costs. This can be especially tempting for startups with limited funds. This may be doable when it comes to basic optimization. However, there are lots of reasons why this isn’t a good idea.
For one, SEO can be quite complex, and there is a lot to learn, especially if you have no experience in the topic. It’s easy to make mistakes, such as engaging in keyword stuffing, that actually harm your site’s progress rather than helping it. Secondly, SEO work can be a bigger job than you might think. There’s a reason why bigger companies often have entire in-house SEO teams working for them.
Your best option is truly to go with an experienced SEO agency or consultant that can use its expertise to get you to where you need to be.
Is Paying for SEO Worth It?
Ultimately, SEO is one of the best tools you can use to grow your business online. Not only can it have an enormous impact in growing traffic and trust for your business, but it is also shown to have powerful long-term benefits that can’t be rivaled by any other form of digital marketing.
Some of the top reasons SEO is worth it for business owners include the following:
- Increased organic traffic.
- Higher ROI over time.
- Better user experience.
- Builds trust and credibility.
- Supports other marketing channels.
- Competitive advantage.
- Results that last long-term.
Finding the Right SEO Provider for Your Budget
When you invest in SEO, you want to make sure your money is getting put to good use. Some red flags to watch out for when it comes to SEO services include promises that are too good to be true, a lack of transparency when it comes to your package breakdown, a lack of clear communication, using bots, or a one-size-fits-all package.
Alternatively, some signs of a professional and trustworthy company include a customized strategy, transparent reporting, a proven track record, and sustainable and ethical practices.
Why Should You Work With SEO Baguette?
At SEO Baguette, we only work with the most effective and proven strategies to help you get your business where it needs to be at a price that works for you.
Whatever your SEO needs, we have a service that suits your goals. Not only that, but we offer a free audit that can help us design a customized SEO plan that will work specifically for you, no matter what you require.
With our 100% customer satisfaction rate, you can be sure that your investment is getting put to good use. As an experienced and knowledgable company, we can take the uncertainty out of SEO and give you a service that you know you can rely on.
