The practice of SEO has been around since Lycos and Alta Vista. As an industry though, SEO did not emerge until Google entered the scene. You know the rest of the story. As time has passed and SEO has matured, the cost of mainstream SEO services has also increased. So where do we stand right now?
Do not expect to see any downward trends in pricing for 2025. If anything, prices will increase slightly. But perhaps we will get lucky and see continued price stability over the next 12 months or so. That would be welcome news if you are thinking about investing in SEO services for the first time.
Prices Can Vary Significantly
A question I hear all the time goes something like, “How much do SEO services cost?” I wish I could give a hard and fast number that applies to most clients. Unfortunately, I cannot. Prices can vary significantly based on a laundry list of criteria.
One of the most recent estimates I have seen suggests that SEO services run from $750 to $5,000 per month. Admittedly, that is quite a spread. But when you consider all the variables in play, it starts to make more sense.
Incidentally, the lower number normally applies to startups and sole proprietorships with limited needs. The higher number pertains to larger businesses and corporations with more complex needs.
What Clients Are Paying For
More important than the bottom-line price is what clients are actually paying for. My friends over at Salt Lake City’s Webtek Digital Marketing explain that SEO services can include:
- Keyword research
- Content creation and distribution
- Social media management
- Website development and maintenance
- Website audits
- On-site SEO optimization
- Off-site SEO optimization
- Digital marketing services
Back in Google’s earliest days, SEO was pretty simple and easy to understand. It is no longer. SEO has become a complex, multi-faceted enterprise composed of multiple disciplines. Companies like Webtek need to maintain a staff of specialists just to keep pace with each discipline as it evolves within the larger SEO ecosystem. That costs money.
Factors That Directly Impact Pricing
SEO services are priced partially on the types of services a client needs. More services mean a higher monthly bill. But there are other factors that go into pricing. Here is just a small sampling:
- Business size
- SEO scope and scale
- Client needs and goals
- Agency experience
- Client and agency location
- Current SEO performance
- SEO resources and budget
Throw all these things together and you have the foundation for coming up with a base price. But there is one more thing to consider: the agency’s pricing model.
Different Models Are Available
SEO agencies can choose from a number of different pricing models. A monthly pricing model is generally intended for ongoing monthly SEO services. Monthly billing is arguably the most popular pricing model right now. Other options include:
- One-time SEO project
- Hourly SEO consulting
- Fixed contract pricing
- Link and content audit pricing
- SEO copywriting and content creation
There is no best pricing model for the entire SEO industry. That being the case, it’s not unusual for an agency to employ several different models based on the services they offer. One client might be looking for help with a one-time project while another is looking to combine website development with monthly SEO.
Pricing for SEO services can be confusing. There is no arguing that. The fact that services can be expensive doesn’t make it any easier for service providers to recruit new customers. For better or worse, that is the state of SEO pricing as 2025 dawns.
