The Real Cost of SEO in 2025
SEO agency pricing varies wildly, but here's the honest breakdown based on business size and goals:
Small Business
Local businesses, small ecommerce, early-stage startups
What You Get:
- • Basic technical SEO setup & optimization
- • 4-8 blog posts or content pieces per month
- • Local SEO (Google Business Profile optimization)
- • Basic link building (5-10 links/month)
- • Monthly reporting on traffic & rankings
Red Flag: Anything under $2k/month is likely outsourced low-quality work or automated tools.
Mid-Market
Growing SaaS, established ecommerce, B2B companies
What You Get:
- • Comprehensive SEO strategy & competitive analysis
- • 8-15 high-quality content pieces per month
- • Advanced technical SEO & site architecture
- • Strategic link building (15-30 links/month)
- • Conversion rate optimization
- • Dedicated account manager
- • Revenue-focused reporting (not just traffic)
Sweet Spot: Best ROI for most growing companies. Enough budget for real results.
Enterprise
Large SaaS, major ecommerce, Fortune 500
What You Get:
- • Full-funnel content program (20-50+ pieces/month)
- • Programmatic SEO strategies
- • Enterprise technical SEO (complex migrations, international)
- • High-authority link acquisition campaigns
- • Brand authority & thought leadership programs
- • Dedicated team (strategist, writers, SEOs, analysts)
- • Executive-level reporting tied to revenue
- • AI/LLM optimization strategies
Pricing Models Explained
Monthly Retainer
Fixed monthly fee for ongoing services. Most common model.
Best for: Long-term SEO growth (6-12+ months)
Project-Based
One-time fee for specific deliverables (audit, migration, etc.)
Best for: Specific initiatives, not ongoing SEO
Hourly Consulting
$150-$500/hour for expert advice and strategy.
Best for: In-house teams needing guidance
Avoid: Performance-Based Pricing
"We only get paid when you rank #1" sounds great but is usually a scam. SEO takes time and is affected by factors outside an agency's control.
How to Evaluate ROI (Not Just Cost)
The cheapest agency is expensive if they don't deliver results. Here's how to think about ROI:
Simple ROI Formula
Monthly SEO Investment: $10,000
New Monthly Revenue from Organic: $35,000
ROI: 250% ($35k / $10k - 1)
A $10k/month agency that drives $35k in monthly revenue is cheaper than a $3k/month agency that drives $5k.
Do: Track revenue, pipeline, and qualified leads from organic traffic
Do: Calculate Customer Lifetime Value (CLV) of SEO-acquired customers
Don't: Judge success on traffic alone (vanity metric)
Don't: Expect results in month 1-2 (SEO takes 4-6 months minimum)
Red Flags in Pricing
🚩 Too Cheap ($500-$1k/month)
Either outsourced to low-quality writers or automated tools. You get what you pay for.
🚩 "Pay Only for Rankings"
Performance-based pricing sounds good but is usually a trap. Legitimate agencies don't work this way.
🚩 Hidden Fees
"$3k/month + content costs." All-inclusive pricing should be standard.
🚩 Long Contracts Required
12-month minimum contracts with no out clause? They're not confident in delivering results.
Find Agencies That Fit Your Budget
Browse agencies by monthly budget range and get matched with options that fit your needs.