( Cost )
How Much Does SEO Cost for a Small Business? Monthly, Hourly and Per Project
What SEO costs a small business: monthly retainers, hourly rates and per-project fees from Ahrefs' survey of 439 providers, what a package should include, what local SEO costs, and the quote red flags.
( The Short Answer )
SEO agencies charge an average of $3,209 a month and freelancers $1,348, in Ahrefs' survey of 439 providers; the most common retainer is $501–$1,000 a month, the average hourly rate $111, and local SEO averages $1,557 a month. A one-off project usually runs $2,501–$5,000. Pay monthly for ongoing content and links, once for a site that has never been optimised. Our packages run $350 to $1,200, one-off or monthly.
SEO is the one marketing cost with no shelf price. The same three words — "SEO for my business" — get quotes of a few hundred dollars and a few thousand a month, and both can be honest. The difference is the pricing model, the scope, and whether the work is a one-off fix or an ongoing campaign.
How much does SEO cost for a small business?
SEO agencies charge an average of $3,209 a month and freelancers $1,348, according to Ahrefs' survey of 439 SEO providers, and the most common retainer is $501–$1,000 a month. The survey is worldwide and was last updated in August 2024, so treat it as a range to test quotes against, not a US price list.
| Pricing model | Most common | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly retainer | $501 – $1,000 a month (20.4% of providers) | $3,209 a month for agencies, $1,348 for freelancers |
| Hourly | $75 – $100 an hour (24%) | $111 an hour |
| Per project | $2,501 – $5,000 (21.2%) | — |
| Local SEO retainer | — | $1,557 a month |
What are the ways SEO is priced?
SEO is sold three ways — a monthly retainer, an hourly rate, or a fixed price per project — and the model tells you as much as the number does:
- Monthly retainer. Ongoing work — content, links, reporting — for a set fee each month. Right for a campaign that has to keep compounding; check what each month actually delivers.
- Hourly. Consulting, audits and fixes on an existing site. Fine for a defined question; open-ended hourly SEO has the same problem as hourly web design.
- Per project. A fixed fee for a defined job — an audit and fixes, a site migration, local listings. Right for a site that has never been optimised or is about to change.
What should an SEO package include?
An SEO package should include an audit, keyword research mapped to specific pages, on-page and technical fixes, a plan for content and links, and a report you can read every month. If a quote cannot name which pages it will change, it is not a scope.
- Audit. Technical problems, indexing, speed, and what already ranks.
- Keywords mapped to pages. A list of searches and the page that should answer each one.
- On-page work. Titles, descriptions, headings, internal links and images, page by page.
- Technical fixes. Sitemap, robots.txt, redirects, broken links, structured data.
- Local SEO, if you serve an area. Google Business Profile and directory listings with the same name, address and phone everywhere.
- Content and links, for an ongoing campaign — with the number of pieces stated.
- Reporting on rankings, traffic and enquiries, monthly.
How much does local SEO cost?
Local SEO is cheaper than national work: providers serving a local market charge an average of $1,557 a month in the Ahrefs survey, against $3,474 for those serving a worldwide market. Most of the work is the Google Business Profile, consistent listings, reviews and a page for each service you offer.
Should you pay for SEO monthly or once?
Pay once for a site that has never been optimised or is being rebuilt; pay monthly when you need new content and links every month to compete. Most small businesses need the one-off foundation first, and only some need the retainer after it.
A redesign or a platform move is its own SEO project: the redesign SEO checklist covers what has to happen so rankings survive it.
What are the red flags in an SEO quote?
The biggest red flag is a guaranteed ranking: Google's own guidance on hiring an SEO says no one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google. The others are just as easy to spot:
- Guaranteed rankings or a guaranteed position. See above.
- Links by the hundred for a flat fee. Bulk links are how sites get penalised.
- No list of pages or keywords. You cannot check work that was never defined.
- A long lock-in with no exit. A retainer should earn its renewal.
- Reports that show rankings but never enquiries. Traffic that does not call is not the goal.
What does American Web Guild charge for SEO?
American Web Guild's SEO packages are $350, $700 and $1,200, and you choose whether to buy one once or run it monthly. The Startup Plan covers 15 keywords mapped to up to 15 pages, on-page fixes, links and directory listings, and Analytics and Search Console set up; the Scaling Plan adds 30 keywords, 10 pages optimised and three pages of copy; the Venture Plan targets 50 keywords and adds local business listings. Every package includes a monthly report, and all three are on the pricing page.
Frequently asked questions
- How much should a small business spend on SEO per month?
- The most common SEO retainer in Ahrefs' survey of 439 providers is $501–$1,000 a month, while agencies average $3,209 and freelancers $1,348. Local SEO averages $1,557 a month. A small business that has never been optimised often gets more from a one-off foundation project first.
- How much does SEO cost per hour?
- $111 an hour on average in the Ahrefs survey, with $75–$100 the most common band.
- Is SEO a one-time cost?
- It can be. Technical fixes, on-page work and local listings can be done once; ongoing content and links are monthly work. Many businesses start with a one-off project and only add a retainer if they are competing for searches that need new content every month.
- Can anyone guarantee first place on Google?
- No. Google's own guidance says no one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google, so a guarantee is a reason to walk away.
