Search engine optimization (SEO) is crucial for driving traffic to your website and growing your online business. But how much should you charge clients for SEO services every month? Determining your monthly SEO pricing requires understanding the scope of work, the value you will provide, and what the market will bear. This blog breaks down a systematic way to set reasonable SEO monthly fees.
Assessing the Scope of Work
The first step is clarifying everything that goes into an effective ongoing SEO campaign. Major elements typically include:
- Keyword Research: Discover and prioritize keywords your customers are searching for that are related to your business offerings. This informs optimization decisions.
- On-page SEO: Optimizing title tags, URL structures, meta descriptions, content, HTML code, and more so search engines can better crawl and comprehend your pages.
- Content Creation & Link Building: Producing regular fresh content on your site focused on your target keywords. Then, building links from other authoritative sites back to that helpful content.
- Indexing: Ensuring new pages and content on your site get crawled adequately so they can get indexed by search engines.
- Rank Tracking: Monitoring where your important pages rank on search engines for your target keywords. Identifying optimization opportunities.
- Reporting: Providing monthly reports to clients showcasing your SEO activities, rankings progress, traffic gained, and conversions.
Inventory all the tasks required to execute an SEO game plan for the client’s goals. This further defines expectations and the resources needed from your team.
Determining Value Provided
Next, quantify the monthly value you can drive for the client if SEO is done correctly. Estimate:
- Additional Organic Traffic: How much monthly traffic could be sent to their site through higher rankings? Hundreds? Thousands?
- More Leads/Sales: What’s the expected boost in leads or customers based on conversion rates? Revenue potential?
- Brand Awareness: Estimate the value of increased visibility, trust, and reach for their brand each month through organic search.
Build this value case with relevant metrics and dollar amounts. This makes justifying your pricing easier (i.e., we estimate gaining you 1,000 new visitors and ten new customers per month, which we value at $X per client based on your metrics).
Research Market Rates
Don’t price in a bubble. Research what other SEO consultants and agencies charge monthly for clients in your region and within comparable industries. Surveys find that most agencies charge between $750 and $2,000 per month based on the depth of services provided and business type/size.
You can always calibrate your pricing based on different tier levels, too. For do-it-yourself startups, provide a simple $500/month SEO plan. For funded scaleups, customize full-service ongoing SEO for $2,500-$5,000+ per month. Offer retainer discounts also for signing 3-6 month+ contracts upfront.
Common SEO Hourly Rates
Another pricing model is charging hourly. Typical SEO consultant rates look like:
- Junior Consultant: $40-$70 per hour
- Specialist/Senior: $100+ per hour
- High-Level Strategist: $150-$300+ per hour
So, if executing SEO takes roughly 80 hours per month between planning and actual workload, calculate pricing accordingly.
Addressing Potential Client Objections
They may push back when pitching clients, stating they have an in-house team handling website changes and content. Why invest in external SEO?
You can counter this by explaining that SEO requires dedicated focus from experienced specialists constantly researching algorithm updates and leveraging best practices. It goes far beyond general website upkeep.
If they hesitate on pricing, reinforce the exponential online growth and profits possible from expert SEO. Compare your premium pricing to wasted money on ineffective pay-per-click ads without SEO.
Factors That Impact Monthly SEO Pricing
The monthly fees charged by SEO providers can vary substantially based on the scope and complexity of the project. Here are key factors that influence pricing:
Competition Level
If you are operating in a highly competitive industry like law, finance, or real estate, more extensive SEO efforts are required to rank well. The competition raises prices to account for the extra workload and expertise needed.
Site Size
SEO for a five-page website is more straightforward than one with 500+ pages. Prices adjust according to the total number of pages/keywords/assets needing monthly optimization and maintenance.
Location Targeting
If trying to rank #1 in a central metro area like LA, Miami, or NYC, the SEO difficulty and pricing are far greater than targeting a smaller town. Population size and search difficulty directly impact costs.
International SEO Expertise
Ranking in Google’s US search results takes different expertise than ranking in international search engines like Baidu or Yandex in China and Russia, respectively. If global expertise is required, expect to pay a premium.
Link Building Included
Some SEO providers only advise on website optimization, while others handle content creation and aggressive link-building outreach. Naturally, the costs for comprehensive ongoing link building are higher as part of the contract.
Reporting/Call Requirements
Monthly reporting and assessment calls add time and layers of accountability. More high-touch services mean higher pricing. Automated reporting through dashboards can lower costs. Define consulting availability upfront.
These factors showcase why ongoing SEO can cost between just $500 to $5,000+ per month for businesses based on their specific needs and benchmarks. The market bears a wide range depending on the value delivered.
Common SEO Mistakes That Hurt Campaign Results
One advantage of hiring an expert SEO provider is avoiding amateur mistakes that can undermine progress. Common errors include:
Over-Optimizing Pages
Loading pages with too many target keywords looks spammy to search engines. Quality-relevant content tailored for users comes first.
Buying Links or Fake Traffic
Buying backlinks or fake clicks to try ranking pages faster will likely trigger search engine penalties, destroying credibility.
Not Tracking Conversions
Many businesses only track rankings. However, optimizing specifically for conversions and revenue is crucial to demonstrate tangible SEO ROI.
Jack of All Trades Content
Trying to target every keyword through single pages needs to be more focused. Create content pillars focused on categories users care about.
Neglecting Site Speed Enhancements
Fast page load speeds are critical for conversions and SEO. But site speed elements like image compression, caching, or CSS/JS minification should often be noticed.
These common mistakes can undermine an SEO strategy. Hiring a professional consultant helps avoid pitfalls through proven best practices to accelerate results. They bring clarity on priorities that deliver business-building outcomes vs. just chasing vanity metrics.
Setting Clear SEO Goals & Benchmarks
Regarding metrics, agreeing on tangible goals and benchmarks upfront creates SEO accountability over general, vague objectives like “increasing traffic.” Define targets for:
- Keyword Ranking Improvements (% of keywords in Top 5)
- Traffic Growth from Organic Search (30% MoM)
- Overall Lead Generation Rates from SEO Traffic
- Reduced Bounce Rates/Improved Pages Per Visit on Site
- Align KPIs to overarching revenue targets so sales teams understand the imperative of SEO visibility. This data-driven focus helps justify the ongoing investment.
Let me know if any other specific topics would be helpful to address in this SEO pricing and optimization guide!
Conclusion
Setting appropriate SEO pricing that delivers a return for the client and your agency is crucial for sustainable relationships. Refrain from charging and losing money. But also don’t price yourself out of competitiveness. Ultimately, a fair monthly fee comes down to transparency on expected work activities and the customer growth value being unlocked specifically through your SEO efforts.
Be open to pricing tiers and custom packages. And reinvest back into your SEO consulting business as your expertise builds to command higher premiums. The demand for quality SEO isn’t slowing as search dominates when customers have buying questions. So, dedicate yourself to sharpening SEO skills, quantifying business impacts, and confidently pricing services to be a trusted search growth partner.
The conclusion summarizes the key considerations covered throughout the post for figuring out optimal ongoing SEO pricing. This aims to leave readers focused on framing their value and having productized monthly offerings ready to position competitively. Please let me know if you want me to modify or expand the conclusion further!
