SEO Pricing: How Much Does SEO Cost in 2021?

The cost of SEO services varies depending on what is included. Most SEO projects in 2021 cost between $750-$2,000 per month based on the scope of the project. A one-time project will range between $5,000-$30,000 and hourly rates for consultants fall between $80-$200 per hour.

Find the right RalphDigital plan for you

Set Up Fee
Monthly
Dedicated Account Manager
Estimated Time To Remain on Page 1 Rankings (Google & Bing)
Brand Guideline
Custom Content Pages
New Content Pages
Link Building
Off-Page SEO Keyword Targeting
Reputation Management
Weekly SEO Blog Post
Google My Business Article Submissions
Press Release Distribution with Guaranteed Pick Up
On-Page SEO Keyword Targeting
Integration of Live Chat
Social Media Management & Posts
Professional On-site Office Photography & Videography
Google 3D Office Tour
Custom Website Design
Price Simulator
Unlimited Texting
Sitemap Submissions
Keyword Strategy/Monitoring
Unlimited before & after photo posting
Optimized metadata
Realtime Report Dashboard Login

Pro

BEST FOR EXECUTIVES, MARKETERS AND SALES PROFESSIONALS

$5,000/month

$20,000

$5,000

3-4 months

1/month

20 links/month

Unlimited keywords

Unlimited

One per week

1 every 3 months

Unlimited

Upgrade Now

Plus

FOR PERSONAL USE

$3,500/month

$10,000

$3,500

6-9 months

1/month

15 links/ month

15 keywords

3 platforms

One every other week

1 every 6 months

Unlimited

Upgrade Now

Basic

FREE PLAN

$2,500/month

$5,000

$2,500

12-15 months

1/every other month

5 links/month

5 keywords

1 platform

One per month

1 every year

Unlimited

Limited

Upgrade Now

Pro

BEST FOR EXECUTIVES, MARKETERS AND SALES PROFESSIONALS

$5,000/month

Set Up Fee: $20,000

Monthly: $5,000

Dedicated Account Manager: Yes

Estimated Time To Remain on Page 1 Rankings (Google & Bing): 3-4 months

Brand Guideline: Yes

Custom Content Pages: 20

New Content Pages: 1/month

Link Building: 20 links/month

Off-Page SEO Keyword Targeting: Unlimited

Reputation Management: Unlimited

Weekly SEO Blog Post: One per week

Google My Business Article Submissions: One per week

Press Release Distribution with Guaranteed Pick Up: 1 every 3 months

On-Page SEO Keyword Targeting: Unlimited

Integration of Live Chat: Yes

Social Media Management & Posts: Yes

Professional On-site Office Photography & Videography: Yes

Google 3D Office Tour: Yes

Custom Website Design: Yes

Price Simulator: Yes

Unlimited Texting: Yes

Sitemap Submissions: Yes

Keyword Strategy/Monitoring: Yes

Unlimited before & after photo posting: Yes

Optimized metadata: Yes

Realtime Report Dashboard Login: Yes

Upgrade Now

Plus

FOR PERSONAL USE

$3,500/month

Set Up Fee: $10,000

Monthly: $3,500

Dedicated Account Manager: Yes

Estimated Time To Remain on Page 1 Rankings (Google & Bing): 6-9 months

Brand Guideline: Yes

Custom Content Pages: 10

New Content Pages: 1/month

Link Building: 15 links/ month

Off-Page SEO Keyword Targeting : 15 keywords

Reputation Management: 3 platforms

Weekly SEO Blog Post: One every other week

Google My Business Article Submissions: One per week

Press Release Distribution with Guaranteed Pick Up: 1 every 6 months

On-Page SEO Keyword Targeting: Unlimited

Integration of Live Chat: No

Social Media Management & Posts: No

Professional On-site Office Photography & Videography: Yes

Google 3D Office Tour: Yes

Custom Website Design: Yes

Price Simulator: Yes

Unlimited Texting: Yes

Sitemap Submissions: Yes

Keyword Strategy/Monitoring: Yes

Unlimited before & after photo posting: Yes

Optimized metadata:Yes

Realtime Report Dashboard Login: Yes

Upgrade Now

Basic

FREE PLAN

$2,500/month

Set Up Fee: $5,000

Monthly: $2,500

Dedicated Account Manager: Yes

Estimated Time To Remain on Page 1 Rankings (Google & Bing): 12-15 months

Brand Guideline: Yes

Custom Content Pages: 5

New Content Pages: 1/month

Link Building: 5 links/month

Off-Page SEO Keyword Targeting : 5 keywords

Reputation Management: 1 platform

Weekly SEO Blog Post: One per month

Google My Business Article Submissions: One per month

Press Release Distribution with Guaranteed Pick Up: 1 every year

On-Page SEO Keyword Targeting: Unlimited

Integration of Live Chat: No

Social Media Management & Posts: No

Professional On-site Office Photography & Videography: No

Google 3D Office Tour: No

Custom Website Design: Yes

Price Simulator: Yes

Unlimited Texting: Yes

Sitemap Submissions: Yes

Keyword Strategy/Monitoring: Yes

Unlimited before & after photo posting: Yes

Optimized metadata: Yes

Realtime Report Dashboard Login: Yes

Upgrade Now

Professional SEO services pricing

Curious about how much WebFX SEO services cost? Browse our prices below, or keep reading to learn more about how much SEO costs.

Bronze Plan

$1,375 / month

$5,400 INITIAL INVESTMENT

Silver Plan

$2,475 / month

$7,600 INITIAL INVESTMENT

Gold Plan

$3,275 / month

$9,200 INITIAL INVESTMENT

Aggressive Plan

15%

of ad spend / month

INITIAL INVESTMENT: $750 + 1 MONTHS
MANAGEMENT FEE
$1,200 MINIMUM

Aggressive Plan

15%

of ad spend / month

INITIAL INVESTMENT: $750 + 1 MONTHS
MANAGEMENT FEE
$1,200 MINIMUM

Aggressive Plan

15%

of ad spend / month

INITIAL INVESTMENT: $750 + 1 MONTHS
MANAGEMENT FEE
$1,200 MINIMUM

How much should I pay for SEO?

If you want to boost website traffic, reach more customers, and increase conversions, search engine optimization (SEO) can help.

When it comes to choosing an SEO online marketing partner and implementing SEO strategies, you’ll likely want to know how much it costs.

On this page, we’ll break down the average cost of SEO in 2021, so you know what to expect to pay to work with an experienced SEO company like RalphDigital.

Let’s take a deep dive into the world of SEO pricing!

If you want to learn more, just keep reading, or give us a ring at +1 212 203 3068 to speak with a strategist about custom SEO pricing.

Last Updated June 1, 2021

SEO Pricing: Table of Contents

How much does SEO cost?

SEO pricing factors

SEO pricing models

How much should you spend on SEO services?

How is SEO pricing determined in 2021?

What is SEO?

Why is SEO important?

What do SEO services include?

What to look for when researching the cost of SEO

SEO plans from RalphDigital

How much does the average SEO project cost?

While SEO is one of the most important types of digital marketing available to you, it is tough to estimate typical costs.

Given the wide range of campaigns, most SEO projects cost between $400/month to $10,000/month depending on level of service. These projects can range from working with an hourly consultant to hiring an agency for monthly SEO.

For perspective on this average, a small business with a 15-page website will typically be on the lower end of the spectrum while an ecommerce store with 50,000+ products should plan on a larger budget for SEO.

What determines SEO pricing?

Several factors determine SEO pricing, including:

Agency, contractor, or consultant’s experience
Agency, contractor, or consultant’s location
SEO pricing model, like monthly or hourly
Business size, like startup or enterprise
Scale of SEO strategy
Status of existing SEO strategy, like your backlink profile’s strength
SEO goals
And more

You’ll often find that the more experienced SEO providers, from agencies to consultants, have higher search engine optimization prices. Similarly, an SEO strategy with a bigger scale, like an enterprise-level plan, will see higher SEO costs.

SEO costs by SEO pricing model

Depending on the SEO services you choose, the scope of your project, and the agency you work with, you can expect to pay anywhere from $500 – $30,000 for SEO services.

When it comes to SEO pricing, most agencies follow one of these payment models:

Monthly retainer

For the monthly retainer, clients will pay a monthly fee for selected SEO services. SEO costs for a monthly retainer plan range from $750 to $5000 per month. The average, however, is $750 to $2000 per month.

Fixed-price

The fixed-price contract services allow clients to sign a contract and pay a set fee for specific SEO services.

In most cases, fixed-price contract services will offer the following SEO services:

Service	Average cost
SEO copywriting	$0.15 to $0.50 word
SEO content audit	$500 to $7500
Link profile audit	$500 to $7500
Social media site setup	$500 to $3000

Project-based

Project-based pricing is similar to contract-based services, but it allows clients to pay a determined fee for custom SEO projects. Project-based SEO services can cost anywhere from $1000 to $30,000. The average cost for project-based SEO services, however, is $5000 to $30,000.

Hourly

Hourly consulting refers to a contract in which clients pay agencies an hourly fee in exchange for SEO services. Hourly SEO consulting fees range from $100 to $300 per hour. The average, however, is $80 to $200 per hour.

Note: If SEO companies charge less than $750 per month for SEO services, you’ll want to be careful. When it comes to SEO, you often get what you pay for with regards to results. Agencies that offer “cheap” SEO services often lack the resources and experience to help you earn the highest possible ROI.

It’s also important to remember that no matter what plan you choose, SEO takes time — you won’t see results overnight. That being said, SEO is extremely valuable, and it will position your business for long-term success.

You can rest assured that you’ll earn an impressive ROI for SEO services when working with a top agency like WebFX.

How much should you spend on SEO services?

The amount you pay for SEO services will depend on the size of your business and the extent of services you require.

While SEO costs vary from agency to agency, it’s important to remember that you often get what you pay for when it comes to SEO services.

When choosing an SEO agency, don’t compromise quality for “cheap” SEO services.

Like many other professional services industries, ongoing consultation with an industry leader in SEO will be more expensive than with an inexperienced and unproven firm.

In the end, your goals should determine precisely how much you should spend on SEO services.

The bigger your website, the more extensive the SEO project will be. This means you should expect to pay more for SEO services.

It’s also important to remember that SEO is an ongoing strategy.

Instead of investing in one-time SEO strategies, you should think about a monthly SEO plan that will keep your site fresh and allow it to continually rank at the top of search results.

Is there a standard for SEO prices in 2021?

Unfortunately, there is no industry standard for average SEO prices.

This means any firm can claim they do SEO and charge whatever prices they desire. The burden is ultimately left to the consumer to determine a fair SEO price, especially if there is an ongoing charge for monthly SEO plans.

This fact only furthers the importance of understanding what you will get for your Internet marketing dollars. That way, you can conclude whether it’s worth the investment based on the return you expect. Ultimately though, your decision should be based on the overall, long-term value of the SEO services included.

The huge variety of opportunities that SEO provides makes it more important to know how to price SEO.

Related Pricing Guides

Want to speak with a
strategist? Reach us here!

One Size Does Not Fit All

Select an SEO service to view custom SEO costs for your campaign

NATIONAL SEO

Trying to rank a service or product keyword at the top of your favorite search engine? National SEO is the strategy to get there!

LOCAL SEO

Beating out your local competitors can make a huge difference for your business. Make sure your local business shows up with Local SEO.

ECOMMERCE SEO

Selling products online? Want to keep inventory moving? Ecommerce SEO is the longterm strategy that keeps your warehouse busy!

What is SEO?

Key SEO factors

Here’s a break down of some of the most important SEO factors to pay attention to if you want to increase your site’s rankings in search results.

Add keywords to your URLs, page titles, meta descriptions, headings, and site content: When search bots crawl your site, they look for keywords to identify the topic of your content. This helps them display your site in relevant search results. Ultimately, when your site ranks higher in search results, more people can find and contact your business.
Optimize alt attributes: You will also want to add alt tags to your multimedia. Since search engines can’t “read” multimedia elements, you need to include alt tags — text descriptions of your multimedia. This gives helps search engines better understand and index your multimedia content.
Update your content regularly: Site visitors and search engines alike love freshly updated, quality content. Keeping your site updated on a regular basis will keep visitors and search bots coming back for more. Regular site updates can also help you establish yourself as a leader in your industry.
Optimize technical site elements: You can also take some time to optimize technical elements of your site like your coding and page speed. Cleaning up your code and ensuring that your page loads at top speeds can boost your rankings in search results and encourage people to spend more time on your site This year, page speed will also become a major mobile search factor, so you need to ensure your site loads quickly across a number of devices.
Implement responsive design: In order to improve user-friendliness, you’ll want to implement responsive design. With responsive design, you can ensure that your site looks great and performs well, no matter the device a visitor uses to access it. In other words, responsive design allows smartphone, desktop, and tablet users to have the same great experience on your site.
Streamline navigation: Search engines want to reward sites that provide great experiences for visitors. To make sure people can find the information they need on your site, you’ll want to streamline your navigation. Instead of cluttering your navigation with links, only link to the most important pages. From there, you can link out to other pages deeper in your site.
Answer users’ questions: You’ll also want to make sure your site provides valuable answers to visitors’ questions. You can do this by creating custom content. Be sure to conduct keyword research to discover trending topics in your industry, and publish fresh content to answer questions and improve users’ experience on your site.

If you want to improve your rankings in search results for keywords related to your business, paying attention to and optimizing these SEO factors is a great place to start. However, keep in mind that SEO isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it strategy. In other words, it takes some time to see results, but they’re well worth the wait!

A Partner Businesses Trust

WebFX has helped us expand our digital footprint not only in Central PA and the mid-Atlantic, but also throughout the Continental U.S.

All Pro Trailer Superstore

Why is SEO important?

Why do you want to rank at the top of search results? The answer is simple.

Since 75% of people don’t look past the first page of first results. This means that if you want more customers to find and contact your business, you need to rank in top search results for keywords and phrases related to your business.

Research shows that the first page of organic search results has a 71% click through rate (CTR), while pages two and three have a combined CTR of only 6% — a drastic decline.

Moral of the story? The higher you rank in search results, the more people will find and visit your site. This means that you can reach more customers and earn more revenue for your business.

Want to speak with a
strategist? Reach us here!

Ready to Grow? Get your FREE Quote Today!

Increased Website Traffic by

+87%

Increased Conversion Rate by

+71%

Increased Leads Generated by

+60%

We measure our success by how much we WOW our clients.

What do SEO services include?

As marketing channels continue to expand online, the definition of “SEO” becomes broader.

In 2021, common SEO plans include items like social media optimization, content marketing, conversion analysis, and other avenues of online marketing. Be sure that the SEO company you choose is well-versed in a variety of Internet marketing services that can impact SEO results for your campaigns. Find out why WebFX is the best SEO company for the job.

It’s important for firms include multiple services in their professional SEO packages so you can be sure you’re working with a full-service provider.

If an agency doesn’t offer everything you want to cover, they could be lagging in terms of service offerings or offering monthly SEO services that are lackluster. Every company should have SEO service pricing available for you and other potential clients to detail how they work — and if they don’t, it’s a good sign that you should find SEO packages prices somewhere else.

In 2021, our SEO pricing is based on a variety of factors. WebFX has broken down SEO pricing into a tiered chart for your convenience, but keep in mind that this SEO marketing pricing only pertains to us. There’s no industry standard saying what a corporate SEO agency has to charge — but we think it’s important to post our pricing SEO company pricing for everyone to see.

There are never any hidden fees with us. We want you to know, up front, what you get with each one of our SEO pricing plans. This will help you make a well-informed decision and know what to consider when comparing the value of any SEO services package. Comparing an SEO package price with other services is an essential step in the purchasing process, and it can also help you choose the right SEO specialists for your business.

What to look for when researching the cost of SEO

The cost of SEO varies depending on the scope of your project. However, there are a few things to consider when researching the cost of SEO. As an authority in pricing SEO services, WebFX is qualified to educate you in what to seek out — and what a fair SEO service rate is — when comparing vendors, firms, or agencies.

SEO service rates are different everywhere, so learning what they reflect and how they could impact your business is critical to making the best choice for your business.

The process behind a strong SEO campaign include countless methods and strategies, and SEO is constantly being refined to meet the search engines’ algorithm updates. You want to ensure that the SEO company you partner with is willing to adapt to the frequent changes search engines make to their algorithm. They should also take a proactive and forward-looking approach to best SEO practices.

Moreover, because each company is unique and should be treated as such, it is important to be vigilant.

Avoid companies that offer a “one size fits all” package, and beware of companies with search engine optimization service prices that are high and set in stone. We know you have unique needs, and that’s why WebFX offers three different plans, and even has custom Internet marketing packages for when your needs just don’t fit within the scope of our standard SEO plans.

WebFX has been in the business of SEO for many years and has some of the best Internet marketers in the business. With our history and expert team of SEO specialists, we’ve created a systematic approach to SEO pricing. We’re experts when it comes to search engine marketing, and we know how much effort goes into a successful SEO campaign. That means we also know the best price for SEO depending on a customer’s needs.

Want to speak with a
strategist? Reach us here!

SEO Plans From WebFX

At WebFX, we offer standard, local, enterprise, and ecommerce SEO plans, all with various tiers to fit your needs and budget.

In addition to our SEO services, clients receive access to MarketingCloudFX — our proprietary, all-in-one software that combines lead tracking, advanced visitor targeting, call tracking, automated email marketing, and more. The best part? Our SEO plans and MarketingCloudFX features are designed to earn you the highest possible ROI for your campaigns.

To get an idea of how much you should expect to pay for our SEO services, check out the table below.

Features

Number of keyphrases optimized (Keyphrases with less than 1M results)

Up to 100

Up to 150

Up to 200

Custom

Pages Optimized

Up to 20

Up to 30

Up to 40

Custom

Technical Website Analysis & Opportunity Report

Custom

Keyword research & selection

Custom

Keyword mapping to target pages

Custom

Title Tags & Meta descriptions

Custom

Robots.txt optimization

Custom

XML sitemap creation & submission

Custom

Quarterly Earned Media Content Assets - Content, Linkbuilding, Consulting, or CRO Assets

4.5 Content, Outreach, UX, or CRO Assets

9 Content, Outreach, UX, or CRO Assets

12 Content, Outreach, UX, or CRO Assets

Custom

Google My Business optimization (if needed)

Custom

Information architecture audit

Custom

Canonicalization analysis

Custom

Initial external link analysis and disavow

Custom

Link redirect audit

Custom

Internal linking restructuring & optimization

Custom

Duplicate content analysis

Custom

Header Tags Optimized (Ex. H1s)

Custom

Setup of website sitemap

Custom

Image optimization

Custom

Custom 404 error page setup and optimization

Custom

Schema Implementation (JSON-LD)

Custom

Google Analytics setup w/ conversion tracking

Custom

Google Analytics traffic analysis

Custom

Google Data Studio Reporting Dashboard Setup

4 dashboards

8 dashboards

Custom

Initial visitor profile report

Custom

Ongoing quarterly keyword ranking reporting

Custom

Ongoing monthly traffic, goal & CPL reporting

Custom

Ongoing user experience reporting (bounce rate, device category, etc.)

Custom

Ongoing quarterly competitor conquest reports

Custom

Keyword rank checker access with weekly updates (if requested)

Custom

Ability to check location data accuracy across 40+ local directories

Custom

A/B Testing of SERP title & description to improve clickthrough

Custom

Notification of new reviews (major review platforms)

Custom

CalltrackFX access

Includes

Custom

Up to 25 web lead phone calls transcribed per month

Custom

Channel Specific Call Tracking

Custom

Ability to review lead journey & visit history

Custom

Link baiting and content development

Custom

Competitor ad spend monitoring

Custom

Monitor competitors' search rankings on a monthly basis

Custom

Monitor competitors' website changes on a monthly basis

Custom

CompetitorSpyFX access

Includes

Custom

Analyze your leads to project the # of leads competitors receive on a monthly basis

Custom

Predict your and your competitors' market share on a monthly basis

Custom

Competitor intelligence login to view competitor data

Custom

LeadManagerFX access

Includes

Custom

CompanyTrackerFX access

Includes

Custom

ContentAnalyticsFX access

Includes

Custom

Dedicated Internet Marketer

Custom

Online Project Management Platform

Custom

300+ SMEs behind campaign driving results

Custom

Website conversion analysis implementation

Custom

Initial campaign investment:(Two month duration)

$5,400

$7,600

$9,200

Get Quote

Progressive monthly optimization:(6 month commitment - Subsequent 4 months)

$1,375

$2,475

$3,275

Get Quote

Need more information? Call Us:

SEO campaigns that drive real results

Interested in learning more about how SEO can help grow your business?

WebFX is an award-winning SEO company with more than two decades of experience. We know what it takes to create SEO campaigns that drive results, and we work with clients in a number of industries.

Call 888-601-5359 or contact an expert to learn more about award-winning SEO services from WebFX.

We look forward to working with you!

REVENUE DRIVEN FOR OUR CLIENTS

How is your website’s SEO?

Contact Us

New York Address

Call Us

Email Us

Get in Touch

Tell us about your project

Address

SEO Pricing: How Much Does SEO Cost in 2021?

Find the right RalphDigital plan for you

Pro

BEST FOR EXECUTIVES, MARKETERS AND SALES PROFESSIONALS

Plus

FOR PERSONAL USE

Basic

FREE PLAN

Pro

BEST FOR EXECUTIVES, MARKETERS AND SALES PROFESSIONALS

Plus

FOR PERSONAL USE

Basic

FREE PLAN

Professional SEO services pricing

Bronze Plan

Silver Plan

Gold Plan

Aggressive Plan

15%

Aggressive Plan

15%

Aggressive Plan

15%

How much should I pay for SEO?

Last Updated June 1, 2021

SEO Pricing: Table of Contents

How much does the average SEO project cost?

What determines SEO pricing?

SEO costs by SEO pricing model

Monthly retainer

Fixed-price

Project-based

Hourly

How much should you spend on SEO services?

Is there a standard for SEO prices in 2021?

Related Pricing Guides

One Size Does Not Fit All

NATIONAL SEO

Trying to rank a service or product keyword at the top of your favorite search engine? National SEO is the strategy to get there!

LOCAL SEO

Beating out your local competitors can make a huge difference for your business. Make sure your local business shows up with Local SEO.

ECOMMERCE SEO

Selling products online? Want to keep inventory moving? Ecommerce SEO is the longterm strategy that keeps your warehouse busy!

What is SEO?

Key SEO factors

WebFX has helped us expand our digital footprint not only in Central PA and the mid-Atlantic, but also throughout the Continental U.S.

All Pro Trailer Superstore

Why is SEO important?

Ready to Grow? Get your FREE Quote Today!

Increased Website Traffic by

+87%

Increased Conversion Rate by

+71%

Increased Leads Generated by

+60%

Ralph

What do SEO services include?

What to look for when researching the cost of SEO

SEO Plans From WebFX

Features

Bronze

Silver

Gold

Enterprise

Number of keyphrases optimized (Keyphrases with less than 1M results)

Up to 100

Up to 150

Up to 200

Custom

Pages Optimized