How Much Should a Small Business Pay for SEO?

If you are trying to work out what SEO should cost you, here is the straight answer, including my own price and the reasoning behind it.

What we charge, and why it is phased

For small business SEO it will start at $450 per month. It will be a flat price at the beginning.

The reason why:

• First phase — we create the SEO and analyze the website.
• Month one and two — we improve the SEO.
• Month three to four — we start to make the technical SEO.

So you are not paying for the same thing every month. The work changes as the site moves through each phase, which is also why SEO is sold monthly instead of as a one-time job.

What everyone else charges

People are charging extreme prices for it, such as one thousand to three thousand a month. But those prices are extreme for a small business.

Yes, SEO will bring you many leads — but those companies will take that money.

Since we come through this service business, we know your struggle, and we won't take all that money we bring you as a client. What we offer for small business is a flat fee, reliable, the best price everyone can afford.

And the cheap end

Then there is the other extreme. There are companies selling SEO for $99 a month.

We are always transparent. We will show you our progress each month — what we improved on the SEO, what keyword we were first on, and everything. We want to build trust with our customer. Not those $99 scam companies that do nothing.

That is the real test at the cheap end. Not the price itself, but whether anyone can show you what was actually done for it.

So what should you actually pay?

Work it backwards from what one job is worth to you.

If you are a detailer, two extra jobs a month covers $450. If you are a contractor, a single job can cover several months of it. That is the honest math, and it is a better argument than any promise about a specific week or month, because it does not depend on anything outside your control.

Some clients do see calls coming in early. But the phases above are real — the first month is analysis and setup, and the compounding comes later. Anyone telling you it will pay for itself in thirty days is selling you the same thing as the ones promising every keyword in a week.

What you should expect from the money is this: a flat price you can plan around, work that changes as the site improves, and a report every month showing exactly what moved. If you are paying for SEO and cannot see those three things, you are paying too much — at any price.