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I wanted to post this thread to give some insight into the cost of SEO services, what to look for in a good SEO company and what to watch out for, Some warning signs. For transparency i will say this article is not intended to promote our company, nor is it intended to undermine any competitors. This article discusses the pricing and services for Safe Organic white hat SEO services, blackhat methods and other risky SEO techniques are much cheaper.
A question each online business owner must ask is:
"How much will we spend on SEO?"
To understand how much you may expect to pay, you need to first understand what type of payments are available and what services you will be paying for. SEO suppliers generally offer four forms of services and payment:
Most SEO service providers use all of these options. It is common for a client to use more than one service. For example, a client may choose to enter into a monthly subscription, purchase a single SEO service or engage in a special project with their provider.
Common SEO Costs
So, what should you expect to pay? Here's a survey of the range of the costs according to the payment models described above.
Monthly subscription: $100-5,000 per month (example 1 keyword). The amount that a client pays greatly depends on the size of their website and the extent of SEO services they require. On the cheaper end of this scale are small websites which use low competition keywords and require a limited range of services. The higher end and more expensive are generally larger websites with greater needs and require full-service SEO services for moderate to high competition. Most businesses pay between $2,500 and $5,000 for a monthly subscription. I underlined businesses because these are typically companies who have an established online or offline presence.
Single services at fixed prices: These prices are variable depending on what SEO is being offered. Prices will also be quite different between SEO providers. This section includes services like buying edu/gov links, article submission or buying social followers.
Project-based one time pricing: These prices are also variable. Since there is such a variety of projects that can be offered, there is also a wide range in pricing. This may include projects like link removal, link building or PPC campaigns. Most projects can cost from $1,000 to $30,000 or more. Why so high? Some clients could have many websites.
Hourly SEO consulting: $50-300/hr. SEO consultants, whether individuals or businesses, usually charge between $50 and $300 per hour.
(Some of these figures are taken from a 2011 SEOmoz survey of 500 consultants and agencies.)
SOME WARNING SIGNS TO WATCH OUT FOR
There are certain things with SEO that cannot be guaranteed.
Guranteed Rankings: SEO suppliers today typically cannot provide any guarantees due to the changing nature of the industry and search engines. However, a provider may agree to do free SEO if you enter into a campaign and after a certain amount of time do not receive the results you wished. This is generally on a subscription basis and is for subscriptions of 3 months or more.
Promising Instant results: Some SEO techniques can produce "instant results" by manipulating the system. Be aware these techniques can hurt your site in the long term. Instant results involve using SEO techniques which are against webmaster guidelines. Google, and the Google algorithms will seek out these techniques and penalize the sites resulting in lost rankings that can sometimes never be recovered.
Achieving #1 spot on Google: This is something that sounds great and unfortunately is used sometimes to complete a deal with clients. There are too many variable for most keywords to be able to promise a #1 position in the Google rankings. If you do get to this position, that's great!! Sometimes it is possible, If the keywords are long tail and very low competition.
Very affordable SEO: When it comes to SEO, you shouldn't be shopping for the lowest price. If you are a business owner you will be seeking the best level of service. Use caution if you are offered rock bottom prices or "unbelievable deals." These are likely using black hat SEO techniques which will get your site penalized and the penalty will send your website plunging to the bottom of SERPS.
industry.
Things to Keep in Mind
When shopping for SEO providers, be mindful of the following:
SEO takes time to complete and is not something expected to be FAST. A monthly subscription is best for affordability. Think of SEO services for your site as a long-term investment. Aggressive strategies and achieving big bumbs in SERPS may have their place, but lasting SEO results come from a long-term services. You can't wave a magic wand and get instant results that will stick.
As the SEO industry changes your rankings will change too. The internet is full of competitors. Rankings go up and down with the changing of algorithms and the increase in new competition. Also a common misunderstanding is that once you reach first page, your done. This is not the case, your site will not stay on first page for long. It takes constant implementation to maintain your websites ranking at top levels.
Not all SEO services are created equal. Again, SEO isn't about shopping around for the lowest prices. It's about finding the finest agency you can. Look for an SEO agency that defines its scope of services, and takes the time to educate you.
Hiring an SEO service provider is a best practice. You may suddenly decide, "Im just going do this SEO thing on my own" Most methods a person can implement themselves using free tools are considered blackhat SEO. SEO service providers generally subscribe to many different professional webmaster tools and services which come at a hefty price. Also, the implementation of SEO takes more time than most business owners have to give. The likelihood you will come out on top if you try to go it alone is low, and you'll never get the same ROI that you would with a professional SEO provider.
A question each online business owner must ask is:
"How much will we spend on SEO?"
To understand how much you may expect to pay, you need to first understand what type of payments are available and what services you will be paying for. SEO suppliers generally offer four forms of services and payment:
- Monthly Subscriptions
- Single service at fixed prices (ie. link building)
- Project based - one time payment
- Hourly SEO consulting
Most SEO service providers use all of these options. It is common for a client to use more than one service. For example, a client may choose to enter into a monthly subscription, purchase a single SEO service or engage in a special project with their provider.
Common SEO Costs
So, what should you expect to pay? Here's a survey of the range of the costs according to the payment models described above.
Monthly subscription: $100-5,000 per month (example 1 keyword). The amount that a client pays greatly depends on the size of their website and the extent of SEO services they require. On the cheaper end of this scale are small websites which use low competition keywords and require a limited range of services. The higher end and more expensive are generally larger websites with greater needs and require full-service SEO services for moderate to high competition. Most businesses pay between $2,500 and $5,000 for a monthly subscription. I underlined businesses because these are typically companies who have an established online or offline presence.
Single services at fixed prices: These prices are variable depending on what SEO is being offered. Prices will also be quite different between SEO providers. This section includes services like buying edu/gov links, article submission or buying social followers.
Project-based one time pricing: These prices are also variable. Since there is such a variety of projects that can be offered, there is also a wide range in pricing. This may include projects like link removal, link building or PPC campaigns. Most projects can cost from $1,000 to $30,000 or more. Why so high? Some clients could have many websites.
Hourly SEO consulting: $50-300/hr. SEO consultants, whether individuals or businesses, usually charge between $50 and $300 per hour.
(Some of these figures are taken from a 2011 SEOmoz survey of 500 consultants and agencies.)
SOME WARNING SIGNS TO WATCH OUT FOR
There are certain things with SEO that cannot be guaranteed.
Guranteed Rankings: SEO suppliers today typically cannot provide any guarantees due to the changing nature of the industry and search engines. However, a provider may agree to do free SEO if you enter into a campaign and after a certain amount of time do not receive the results you wished. This is generally on a subscription basis and is for subscriptions of 3 months or more.
Promising Instant results: Some SEO techniques can produce "instant results" by manipulating the system. Be aware these techniques can hurt your site in the long term. Instant results involve using SEO techniques which are against webmaster guidelines. Google, and the Google algorithms will seek out these techniques and penalize the sites resulting in lost rankings that can sometimes never be recovered.
Achieving #1 spot on Google: This is something that sounds great and unfortunately is used sometimes to complete a deal with clients. There are too many variable for most keywords to be able to promise a #1 position in the Google rankings. If you do get to this position, that's great!! Sometimes it is possible, If the keywords are long tail and very low competition.
Very affordable SEO: When it comes to SEO, you shouldn't be shopping for the lowest price. If you are a business owner you will be seeking the best level of service. Use caution if you are offered rock bottom prices or "unbelievable deals." These are likely using black hat SEO techniques which will get your site penalized and the penalty will send your website plunging to the bottom of SERPS.
industry.
Things to Keep in Mind
When shopping for SEO providers, be mindful of the following:
SEO takes time to complete and is not something expected to be FAST. A monthly subscription is best for affordability. Think of SEO services for your site as a long-term investment. Aggressive strategies and achieving big bumbs in SERPS may have their place, but lasting SEO results come from a long-term services. You can't wave a magic wand and get instant results that will stick.
As the SEO industry changes your rankings will change too. The internet is full of competitors. Rankings go up and down with the changing of algorithms and the increase in new competition. Also a common misunderstanding is that once you reach first page, your done. This is not the case, your site will not stay on first page for long. It takes constant implementation to maintain your websites ranking at top levels.
Not all SEO services are created equal. Again, SEO isn't about shopping around for the lowest prices. It's about finding the finest agency you can. Look for an SEO agency that defines its scope of services, and takes the time to educate you.
Hiring an SEO service provider is a best practice. You may suddenly decide, "Im just going do this SEO thing on my own" Most methods a person can implement themselves using free tools are considered blackhat SEO. SEO service providers generally subscribe to many different professional webmaster tools and services which come at a hefty price. Also, the implementation of SEO takes more time than most business owners have to give. The likelihood you will come out on top if you try to go it alone is low, and you'll never get the same ROI that you would with a professional SEO provider.
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