Pricing and Costs for Different SEO Services

Our recent article discussed about the claims fly-by-night SEO companies offer that usually reeks of a scam. We also mentioned that SEO services do not start at $100/month – that is actually just the rate of what mid-tier internet marketing consultants charge for an hour of consultations. This time, we give you a glimpse of how big a budget should be allotted for SEO services if you really want to get your website to the top pages of Google, Yahoo!, and Bing.

At present, monthly retainers for SEO services often start at $2,500 for low end businesses while mid-range firms charge $7,500. Then there’s the ultimate price of paying as much as $20,000+ for hiring an SEO company on a monthly basis. Now, keep in mind that you have to know what services are included in these fees to give you an idea if what you are paying for is actually worth it.

For example, the time frame between the three experts may differ, with low end SEO firms offering a longer time for you to see results. Additionally, consumers often equate high charges with good internet marketing services. There may be a difference on how results are achieved by these experts and you need to ask yourself if it matters to you or not. Finally, it is important to find out if the charges are all-inclusive or are just starting fees which may balloon as you add more services to your package.

SEO expert Rand Fishkin of SEOmoz.com offers a comprehensive list of the most popular pricing models internet marketing experts use when it comes to charging for SEO services. While the simplest model involves SEO experts charging by the hour, other interesting pricing models include standard/modified profit sharing wherein SEO firms get a share of revenue generated from online sales, monthly retainers, and pay for rankings/traffic wherein fees are based on how high the website ranks or how much traffic it generates.

The most common factors, as stated by Fishkin, that affect SEO pricing includes the size and complexity of the website and organization, difficulty of the project, personality issues, and most importantly, the reputation and expertise of the SEO firm. Search engine optimization is a process and it requires technical proficiency and a great understanding of the internet marketing world to create successful SEO campaigns so before hiring an SEO company, do some research to know whether the price you are paying for is worth it.


SOURCE

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