Search Engine Optimization Quote – A Guide to SEO Cost and Prices

Search engine optimization quote varies significantly from agency to agency. 

There is no standard pricing and there is definitely no “one-size-fits-all.” Most website owners are looking for simple and straightforward answers, however there are many factors that come into pricing that determine the cost. Cost for SEO is usually high because there are many tools and monthly subscriptions to services required to do SEO properly and those tools and services used by SEO experts are not inexpensive. Combined with the tedious manual work and labor involved in implementing a SEO campaign, it is an awful lot of effort, time (and real hard work) to get a website ranked on Google and other search engines.

That being said, the factors that affect SEO cost are:

1. Domain age – is the website established, trusted and well aged?
2. Current issues with the domain – Has it been sandboxed? Black listed?
3. Competition – How competitive is the niche? How competitive are the keywords targeting?
4. Quantity of keywords – How many keywords does the client want to target?
5. On-site SEO – Is their On-site SEO correctly implemented (as most of the time it is not)
6. Desired Ranking – What level of rankings are we going to aim for?
7. Keyword Research – Did client already paid an expert to perform keyword research to determine competitiveness and search popularity or did they did whimsically selected these keywords themselves?
8. Level of Client Service/Consulting – providing reports, analyses and feedback
9. Copywriting – Producing high quality content for the search engines
10. Social Media Management – Making the site socially active on all social media platforms

In order to implement SEO correctly and successfully, the first task that website owners want to do is speak with an expert /consultant to find out if the their website has been coded properly and it is SEO-friendly. Sometimes, website owners are disheartened to find out that they have to start from scratch because their site is not SEO-friendly, and their investment will yield very little result.

The process of search engine optimization normally start before a website is built, to ensure that a design suitable for SEO can be incorporated into the website. The user-friendliness and how well-designed (and laid out) the site are also factors in SEO. It’s one of the changes in Google’s Panda update. The new Panda update in the algorithm focuses on: credibility, user ability, trustworthiness, readability, ease of use, professionally designed, layout and etc. So do not over-look the design!

SEO is a continuous process as the search engine algorithm variables are dynamic and change over a period of time. While some websites are designed and coded with SEO in mind, in the case of many other websites, the need for SEO is felt at a later date and they have to be redesigned and re-code the site to make them suitable for SEO.

A independent survey of over 150 SEO companies concluded that the average client spends roughly $1,800/month on SEO services.

• Minimum Price for Most SEO Agencies: $750/month
• Average Price: $1,800/month
• Average Price for Local SEO: $900/month
• Average Price for National SEO: $3,900/month
• Hourly Consulting Rate: $100-$250/hour
• Average SEO Salary: $60-$80k/year
*Based on a Survey of 150 US Based SEO Agencies

A firm offering SEO services may not give you a search engine optimization quote until they are reasonably sure of your commitment to use their services as this information can be misused to approach a less expensive firm to do the job.

A search engine optimization quote generally contains the following:

1. Scope of Service:
The introduction paragraph describes in very broad terms the need for SEO, current trends and an introduction to the service provider and its services. It may contain the scope of the assignment and the long and short term goals sought to be achieved. It should entail what services are included, not included, extra/optional and highly recommended services for the client.

2. Search Engine Optimization Task List
This includes the analysis of current traffic and visibility, finding new relevant keywords, creation of meta tags, improvement in site design etc., all efforts being aimed at making the site compatible with the search engines. This section assumes importance as it tells the person availing the services of the areas which will be covered by the service provider.

3. The Optimization Techniques
A detailed description of the methods to be used to optimize the website including SEO services: writing content, manually messaging bloggers, talking to web masters on the phone, and carefully compiling reports to determine the best link targets SEO friendly content creation. It details the extent to which the various techniques will be used in terms of costs, time or numbers wherever possible.

4. Rates & Terms :
This is the place where the final quote is given expressed in terms of a lump sum payment. The terms of payment are also specified.

SEO packages are available in different price ranges from hundreds of dollars to a thousands of dollars per month. While smaller companies go in for lower priced packages, the large companies are estimated to pay around $2500 to $5000 as monthly retainer fees for SEO.

It is preferable that search engine optimization quotes be obtained from more than one service provider to compare the services offered vis-à-vis the prices charged. Prices for various services can also be compared with quotes that are available online. If you are not well versed with SEO, it may be useful to talk to knowledgeable professionals/consultant or do some online research before you request a quote. This will ensure that you’re making an informed buying decision and getting the most cost effective search engine optimization quote that yields results.

You can book an appointment to speak with our SEO consultant though this link.