Short answer: most SEO is sold as a monthly retainer. In Ahrefs’ survey of 439 SEO providers, the most common retainer was $501–$1,000 a month and the average was $2,917: about $1,349 for freelancers, $3,209 for agencies and $3,250 for consultants. (Ahrefs) A small local business can often get solid help toward the lower end; competitive or national SEO costs more. Be wary of very cheap packages and anyone who guarantees rankings.
“How much should SEO cost?” is one of the first questions small business owners ask us. Prices vary hugely, which makes it hard to know what’s fair. Here are real numbers, what they buy, and how to tell whether SEO will pay off for you.
Real SEO prices (from a survey of 439 providers)
Ahrefs surveyed 439 SEO providers whose services it checked, and published the results in 2024:
| Pricing model | Most common | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly retainer | $501–$1,000 / month | $2,917 / month |
| Hourly rate | $75–$100 / hour | Freelancers $71.59 · agencies $98.90 · consultants $171.18 |
| One-off project | $2,501–$5,000 | Freelancers $2,348.63 · agencies $9,507.84 |
The survey also found that 78.2% of SEO providers charge a monthly retainer, and that about 42% charge between $250 and $1,000 a month.
What you get at different budgets
These are typical patterns, not rules. Always ask for the exact monthly work in writing.
- Up to about $500 a month: usually a light local package, such as Google Business Profile updates, basic on-page fixes and a report. It can work for a small business in a small market, but check that real work is being done.
- About $500 to $1,500 a month: typical for a local business. Expect technical fixes, local SEO, a few new or improved pages or articles a month, review strategy and clear reporting.
- About $1,500 to $5,000 a month: more competitive markets, multiple locations or e-commerce, with more content, link-earning and conversion work.
- $5,000+ a month: national or highly competitive markets, large sites and bigger content teams.
Red flags in cheap SEO
Google’s own guidance on hiring an SEO warns against several things: anyone who “guarantees” rankings (“No one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google”), a claimed special relationship with Google, secret methods, and “link popularity schemes”. (Google Search Central)
Also be careful with:
- “1,000 backlinks for $99” packages. Bought links can get a site penalised.
- Reports with no real work: rankings screenshots but no new pages, fixes or reviews.
- Long lock-in contracts with no clear monthly deliverables.
- Not owning your accounts: your Google Business Profile, Analytics and Search Console should be in your business’s name.
Our guide on how to choose a marketing agency lists 12 questions to ask before you sign.
Is SEO worth it for a small business?
SEO is worth it when people search for what you sell and you can wait a few months for results. A simple way to check:
- What’s a new customer worth? Say your average new customer brings $600 of profit in the first year.
- How many extra customers would cover the cost? At $1,000 a month, you’d need about two new customers a month to break even.
- Is that realistic? If people in your area search for your service every day and your competitors’ sites are average, it usually is.
Unlike ads, a page that ranks keeps bringing visitors without paying for every click. That’s why many businesses run ads for quick leads and SEO for the long term. Our marketing budget calculator helps you set a total budget, and the ROAS calculator helps you judge the ads side.
How to get more from any SEO budget
- Start with your Google Business Profile. It’s free and often the fastest local win. Use our optimization checklist.
- Fix the basics first: a fast, mobile-friendly site, one clear page per service, and clear titles. Our free SERP preview tool checks how your titles look in Google.
- Collect reviews steadily and the rule-safe way. See how to get more Google reviews.
- Answer real customer questions on your site. That also helps you get found in ChatGPT and Google’s AI answers.
- Measure leads, not just rankings: calls, forms and bookings from Google, tracked in Analytics.
How UMA can help
We offer SEO for small businesses with clear monthly deliverables, accounts in your name and reports that focus on leads. We work remotely with U.S. small businesses and others worldwide. See our SEO services or ask for a free SEO review.
Prices above are survey figures and typical ranges, not quotes. Your market and goals decide the right budget.
