How Much Should You Pay for SEO?

3 January 2020

How much should you actually pay for SEO? This guide covers pricing by business size, what you get for your money, and how to spot the SEO scammers that could cost you thousands.

There are a number of factors that determine how much you should pay for SEO:

- What are your SEO goals? - How many keywords are you targeting? - Do you want to rank in your local suburb, country, or internationally? - How much SEO work has been done already? - What SEO traction are you getting already? - How competitive is your industry? - How much of your marketing budget can you afford to invest in SEO?

## How much should I spend on SEO per month?

Think of it this way — results are relative to your spend, and like any marketing campaign, the ROI is determined by how well it's executed.

Here's a simple price guide to get started:

- **Small to medium local businesses with one or two stores** — budget $500 to $1,200 per month. - **Medium to large businesses wanting to be visible nationally** — budget $1,500 to $3,000 per month. - **Large and Enterprise businesses wanting to rank internationally** — budget $5,000 or so for an in-house SEO plus $1,000 for software and content creation.

## How much does SEO cost?

SEO costs start from around **$99/month** but are most commonly around **$1,000–$3,000/month**.

Some agencies charge based on the number of keywords you're targeting — for instance, you may pay **$1,000 for every 10 keywords**.

At the top end, it can be **$50,000 or more per month** if you're an international brand wanting to dominate organic search rankings for every keyword in your niche.

## Are $99/month SEO providers a scam?

We all get them — those "Guaranteed 1st-page rankings for $99/month" type emails. We must acknowledge that some are legit and honest SEO workers just trying to earn a living. But sadly, most of those "rank No. 1 overnight" type emails use blackhat SEO tactics that will cost you more in the long run.

When choosing an SEO provider, always ask for case studies, check reviews from verified clients, and be wary of anyone who guarantees specific rankings — Google's algorithm is constantly changing, and no ethical SEO professional can guarantee position 1.