There are many SEO agencies and digital marketing companies, all providing a variety of services. They aim to improve your website’s organic traffic by optimizing its ranking in the search engine results pages through content creation, keyword research, and link building.
Before deciding on a digital agency, double-check what’s included in each SEO pricing model because each agency will be slightly different.
Let’s take a look at the three major SEO pricing models:
Per hour. You may see an hourly rate charged for SEO services. Freelancers or independent contractors prefer this pricing structure, especially when offering SEO services to smaller clients. However, agencies and online marketing firms are less likely to use this option. Here, SEO fees are based on how many hours SEO consultants spend working on each project. Ask the SEO company to see a breakdown of what they’ve done in that time to ensure they’ve billed you correctly. On average, the cost for hourly SEO services is $100 to $250 per hour.
Per month. Many SEO and marketing agencies often charge a per-month fee. You’ll sign up to pay a fixed rate for retaining the SEO services of an SEO agency, which will carry out recurring SEO work on your site. Monthly SEO packages typically include a specific set of SEO services, such as competitor research, keyword research, technical audits, SEO content writing, content marketing audits, digital PR, link building, ongoing SEO, and technical consultation as well as reporting and analysis. However, some SEO agencies allow you to build a custom plan with an agreed monthly fee. Costs for a monthly rate depend on your location and the number of practice areas you would like included.
Per project. An SEO company may charge a one-off flat rate for a particular SEO project. You’d start by discussing your SEO goals and needs before agreeing on the project scope and the total cost. This pricing model allows for more customization. The cost for project-based SEO will vary drastically depending on the size of each project.