How Much Does SEO Cost?
SEO usually costs $500 to $5,000 a month on a retainer, $75 to $200 an hour for consulting, or $500 to $5,000 for a one-time project. In Ahrefs' survey of 439 SEO providers, 63% of businesses spent $500 to $5,000 a month and the most common retainer was $501 to $1,000.
The surveys do not agree on everything. SE Ranking's 2024 survey of 260 agencies found 64% charge under $1,000 a month. Backlinko's survey of 300+ SEO professionals put the most common tier at $1,001 to $2,500.
Location explains a lot of the gap. Ahrefs found 79.1% of US and Canadian SEOs charge at least $1,001 a month, while 76% of India-based SEOs charge $1,000 or less. SE Ranking found 22% of US and Canadian agencies charge over $2,000 a month, against 9% in Europe.
SEO Pricing Table
Typical market ranges in US dollars, rounded from the surveys. Use them to sanity-check a quote, not as a price list.
| Type | Typical price | What the data says | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| SEO freelancer | $500 to $1,500 a month | Average retainer about $1,348 a month | Ahrefs |
| SEO agency retainer | $1,000 to $5,000 a month | Average about $3,209 a month. Most common band $501 to $1,000 | Ahrefs, WebFX |
| Local SEO package | $1,000 to $2,000 a month | Average $1,557 a month (agencies about $1,819) | Ahrefs |
| Hourly consulting | $75 to $200 an hour | 47% of SEOs charge $75 to $200 | Ahrefs, WebFX |
| One-time project or audit | $500 to $5,000 | 66% of agencies charge $500 to $2,000 per project | SE Ranking, Backlinko |
| SEO software (do it yourself) | About €110 to €420 a month | Main plans of Ahrefs, Semrush and SE Ranking | Their pricing pages, Nov 2026 |
Software prices are what Ahrefs (from €119), Semrush (from €134) and SE Ranking (from €109) list on their pricing pages for monthly billing, checked in November 2026. You may see them in your own currency. Compare more options in our list of affordable SEO tools.
What Each SEO Package Includes
Monthly retainers are the most common model. Ahrefs found 78.2% of SEOs use them, and SE Ranking found 85% of agencies sell packages. Here is what each tier usually buys.
Freelancer
Under $500 to about $1,500 a month
One person doing a mix of keyword research, on-page fixes and a few articles. Quality depends entirely on who you hire.
Best for: Small sites with a clear, narrow job to do.
Agency retainer
$1,000 to $5,000+ a month
Keyword strategy, content, technical fixes, link building and a monthly report, delivered by a team. Many ask for a minimum contract term.
Best for: Businesses that want a strategist and hands-on technical work.
One-time project
$500 to $5,000+
A technical audit, keyword research, a site migration plan or a content package. You get a deliverable, not ongoing work.
Best for: Fixing a known problem once, then running SEO yourself.
Software
About €110 to €420 a month for DIY tools
Research and audit tools you operate yourself, or automation that writes and publishes content for you.
Best for: Owners who want the monthly work done without a retainer.
Experience moves the price too. In the Ahrefs data, providers with 5 to 10 years of experience averaged $3,648 a month, more than double the $1,541 charged by those with under 2 years.
SEO Cost for Small Business
Most small businesses land between $500 and $2,500 a month. Backlinko puts small business packages at $501 to $1,000 and entry-level work under $500. About 42% of SEOs in the Ahrefs survey charge $250 to $1,000 a month.
If customers find you on Google Maps, budget for local SEO. Ahrefs found it averages $1,557 a month. Our local SEO pricing guide breaks down local packages, and local SEO services for small business explains what a local agency does.
At the low end, the question is what a few hours a month can buy. Our page on affordable SEO services covers what cheap packages include and when they are worth it.
SEO Pricing Red Flags
- Guaranteed rankings. Google says no one can guarantee a #1 ranking. If an SEO promises first place, Google's advice is to find someone else.
- A price far below every other quote. Backlinko flags unusually low prices as a warning sign. Ask what the hours actually buy.
- Results promised in weeks. Backlinko also warns about promises of results in under 3 months. SEO is slow.
- Secret methods. Google warns about providers who are secretive or will not explain what they plan to do. You should get a monthly list of work done.
- Cold emails. Google says to be wary of SEO firms that email you out of the blue.
- Links back to them. Google says you should never have to link to your SEO.
Before you pay for anything, run a free SEO audit. Knowing your real problems makes any quote easier to judge.
How GrandRanker Compares
GrandRanker is software, not an agency. It researches keywords, writes up to 30 articles a month, publishes them to your site and tracks your Google rankings and AI visibility. Local SEO for your Google Business Profile is a $39/month add-on.
| Typical agency retainer | GrandRanker | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | About $3,209 a month on average | A flat monthly plan, see pricing |
| Contract | Often a minimum term | Month to month, cancel anytime |
| Content | A few articles a month | Up to 30 articles a month |
| Publishing | By hand | Automatic to WordPress, Shopify, Wix, Webflow and more |
| Rank tracking | Monthly report | Daily rank tracking |
| Link building and PR | Often included | Not included |
| A person on call | Yes | No |
If you need link building, a technical fix or a strategist in your meetings, an agency is the better buy. For the monthly keyword, content and tracking work, see GrandRanker pricing or how SEO automation replaces it.
Go Deeper
Each of these takes one part of the decision further.
AI SEO Agency Alternative
What an AI SEO agency does each month, and the software that does the same work.
Shopify SEO Service
Hiring a Shopify SEO agency versus installing an app.
Google Business Profile Management
Review replies, posts and Maps tracking for $39 a month.
Best Rank Tracking Tools
Track whether the SEO you pay for is moving your rankings.
SEO ROI Calculator
Work out what a ranking is worth before you set a budget.
Best SEO Companies for Small Business
Agency types compared honestly, with the software option.