With the rise in paid advertising taking over search engines, setting a strong SEO strategy in place is more important than ever. For many companies, the world of organic keyword research is unknown and better left to a professional digital agency to handle. While SEO Pricing range depending on the services requested, there is usually something that can work within your budget.
What is SEO and Why Does It Matter?
Search engine optimization is earning and growing website traffic using organic search engine results. Rather than a single strategy, SEO encompasses a variety of techniques that, when integrated into a complete campaign, can achieve amazing results for your ROI.
While 46% of small companies try to operate with no SEO budget, it’s almost impossible to get visitors to your website without a strategy in place. Many don’t realize what goes into SEO or even what it is.
Staying on the front page of search results for targeted keywords is the ultimate goal. After all, if your link is on the second page or beyond, the chances of a potential visitor seeing your link drops exponentially.
Since SEO as we know it came into play in 2010, there have remained many long-lasting research tools and best practices. But there are also some newer strategies that are showing to greatly impact keyword rankings in 2019.
How Much Does SEO Cost?
SEO can cost anywhere from $150 – $30,000 per month.
On the lower end, $150-$400 you can expect automated SEO services where there is little manual work being done. This works if you have a very localized service like a coffee shop or a barber shop and you only want to show up a mile or so around your physical location.
For $500-$1,400 you can expect to have a bit more link building and a more in-depth SEO strategy. In this range be careful with the type of backlinks your SEO manager is building to make sure they are not heavily farmed websites.
Between $1,500 and $5,000 you can expect to have more of a custom SEO campaign. You will also typically have an account manager and an SEO expert available to answer questions. You can also expect a much more robust link building campaign.
| SEO Campaign Type | Monthly Cost Range |
|---|---|
| Automated SEO Campaign | $150-$400 |
| Small Business SEO Campaign | $500 – $1,400 |
| eCommerce SEO Campaign | $1,000 – $5,000 |
| Custom SEO Campaign | $1,500 – $5,000 |
| Enterprise SEO Campaign | $5,000 – $30,000 |
Typical Costs for Different Types of SEO
What is the Cost of Local SEO?
Local SEO services can range from $350 per month to $2,500 per month. The variation in pricing for local SEO depends on the difficulty of keywords and the number of cities we will target.
What is the Cost of Ecommerce SEO Services?
The cost of eCommerce SEO services can range from $1,000 per month to $5,000 per month. eCommerce SEO is typically more involved than local SEO. One example of the added complexity of eCommerce SEO is that typically eCommerce website will have thousands of web pages while a local business website will only have 10 to 20 web pages.
What is the Cost of Small Business SEO Services?
The cost of seo for a small business can range from $500 per month to $2,500 per month. The pricing of small business seo services is very similar to local SEO services.
What is the cost of an SEO Audit?
Many SEO companies offer free SEO audits or analysis but these are typically simple in terms of scope. SEO audit costs typically go from $650 to $14,000 for a complete SEO audit.
Understand the ROI of Your SEO Campaign Before Getting Started
At the end of the day it comes down to ROI. If you invest in SEO, will you get your desired return. Your SEO company should be able to create an SEO strategy that includes ROI calculations so you know ahead of time if it is worth the money.
Before conducting research into an SEO agency right away, it’s important to determine your budget and desired ROI. Some online calculators can help what you need to spend to achieve your desired ROI, as well as what a smaller budget can still achieve.
Once you have a number in mind, it’s time to look into potential partners. If you are looking to outsource your SEO strategy, there seem to be so many to choose from. But here are some important factors to consider:
- If they’re on the front page of your search, it’s likely they know what they’re doing to optimize keywords
- Look at client reviews on their website as well as 3rd party platforms, such as Google and Facebook
- Collect and compare quotes from multiple digital marketing firms — a wider range of services and SEO pricing tiers means a more flexible approach
While there’s no need to break the bank to improve your SEO strategy, quality work is worth the cost. Rather than ignoring this essential method to attracting and converting traffic to customers, work with a professional agency for their expertise and ability to drive revenue.
8 Elements of a Successful SEO Campaign Regardless of the Costs
1. Keyword Research
The most well-known and essential aspect to SEO strategy, this technique remains just as important as ever. As well, with the advancements in search engine algorithms, the overall content of the page helps determine the quality of your ranking. Even if you have your desired keyword-stuffed throughout the page, you’re going to get dinged in traffic if the quality isn’t there.
Time Needed: Several days to weeks for research; long-term to see impact and optimize
2. Competitor Research
Your website doesn’t live in a vacuum on search engines. Competitors are out there trying to get search engines to rank their links higher than yours. It’s important to understand what other companies with similar websites are doing in order to outsmart them.
Time Needed: A few weeks to complete research; long-term to monitor and respond to new strategies
3. Backlinks
Getting links to your pages on other websites is a huge factor in earning better rankings and higher traffic. These connections shows search engines that your content is worth sharing due to its quality. But if the other website is full of spam or otherwise toxic, your SEO quality suffers as a result of this bad backlink.
Time Needed: A few weeks to months to earn quality backlinks; long-term to manage toxicity and new opportunities
4. Page Load Speed
If it takes more than a few seconds for a web page to load, it’s incredibly likely that a visitor will bounce, leaving your website without seeing a thing. While there are a few quick fixes to minimally improve site speed, a web development team and SEO team often have to work together to solve the real issues.
Time Needed: A few weeks to months to increase page load time; long-term to manage speed and address new issues
5. Website Architecture
When building websites, wireframes are used to show individual page layouts as well as site page hierarchy. Rather than having pages continuously off-shoot off one another without any guidance, a well-defined structure will keep important pages within a few clicks of the Homepage. This makes it easier for visitors to explore your site and find relevant content. Google is a fan, as great website architecture makes for faster and more efficient crawling for rankings.
Time Needed: A few weeks to months to create a website with excellent architecture; long-term to maintain structure
New SEO Techniques Making an Impact
6. Voice Search
Alexa and Google Assistant are taking over search as we know it. There are different tools involved, but researching and optimizing for this type of audio search is similar to traditional keyword research. It’s just a matter of understanding the technology and staying on top of new updates in the algorithm.
Time Needed: A few weeks to months to create a website with excellent architecture; long-term to maintain the structure
7. Video SEO
After acquiring YouTube in 2006, Google has drastically increased the significance of video marketing to search for results. By working in collaboration with a video production company and SEO agency, it is possible to produce high-quality videos within a range of budgets. This type of media offers improved visibility for pages as well as new traffic from those using the Video Tab on search engines.
Time Needed: A few weeks to months to create videos and conduct SEO keyword research; long-term to maintain and optimize rankings while creating new content
8. Mobile Optimization
Smartphones have quickly become an important touchpoint for people searching for products, information, news, and more. Both the experience and expectations are different for mobile versus someone using a laptop to use a search engine. It’s important to understand where this type of search factors in the customer journey, as well as how to optimize effectively for tablets, smartphones, and smartwatches.
Time Needed: A few days to weeks to conduct mobile SEO research and implement; long-term to maintain and optimize
