The True Costs of SEO in 2021

by do son · Published · Updated

SEO is arguably the most important digital marketing strategy used today. Both brick and mortar, as well as eCommerce businesses, need SEO to increase reach and visibility. And when it comes to deciding whether to hire an SEO Melbourne agency or rely on in-house talent, the choice depends on whether there’s a gap in your company’s available talent or skills.  SEO does require expertise because it’s a time-consuming strategy. Also, the task of monitoring progress as well as adjusting techniques is more efficiently handled by experts. So, how does a company gauge how much to spend on SEO and whether or not it’s worth the price?

What’s a reasonable amount to spend hiring an SEO agency?

This question is highly subjective because the amount varies depending on your needs and business size. To give you an idea, most companies spend around $500 to $10,000 monthly. Of course, it’s vital to understand that you’ll always get what you pay for. Hence, companies need to assess their requirements first before looking into which SEO agency Dallas is the best fit for them. Also, when hiring an SEO agency, you can’t settle for cheap services that can’t guarantee results. Like any professional service provider, expect to pay a higher price if you hire a reputable firm compared to an inexperienced one.

Ultimately, the business owner decides how much to spend. Your goals will matter in the decision, as well as the website size. But the good thing is, SEO is an ongoing marketing strategy. This means that you can always scale up your needs down the line as you expand our business.

Different SEO pricing structures

It’s a fact that there’s no industry standard when it comes to SEO agency pricing. What this means for you is that when you are shopping around for an agency, every service provider can claim that they offer the expertise you need and charge any cost they want. In the end, it’s up to the consumer to decide whether or not the pricing offered is fair.

What this fact emphasizes is the importance of making sure that you know what you’re getting when you hire an SEO agency Dallas service. Looking at the overall long-term benefits of hiring the service will help you decide whether the cost is worth it. Let’s look further at the most common pricing models used by SEO agencies today.

  • Monthly SEO plan. The majority of agencies offer monthly or annual plans to their clients. Usually, the agency will have a calendar of activities set so that the client will know what results to expect within a specific timeframe. But, these monthly plans aren’t always a one-size-fits-all solution. Depending on the SEO agency, they can allow the client to choose which services they want to include in the plan. Some of the common services included are: articles writing, backlink gathering, setting up social media, and page optimization. What you need to keep in mind, when comparing services is that SEO takes time. No agency should be able to promise tangible results within a specific timeframe. More often than not, you can only rely on estimates and not actual numbers.
  • Hourly SEO plan. This type of plan is recommended if you’re only looking to hire an agency to conduct a review or audit of your current SEO progress. The average range of hourly plans is $50 to $250. For a long-term campaign, an hourly plan isn’t the most cost-effective option. But, if what you’re looking for is something that will yield short-term results, then what you can do is support your SEO strategy with paid advertising.
  • Project-based SEO plan. This plan pertains to paying a set price for custom projects. An SEO agency can work on specific tasks such as writing articles for a given period. Most agencies offer a variety of services, which allows companies to choose which service best suits their needs.

Yes, there will be companies that charge too little for their services. An expert SEO agency will always recommend prioritizing quality over cost. Once again, if you want the best ROI, then you need to be willing to pay the price.

What factors affect SEO agency cost and services?

Apart from the different pricing structures, there are also other factors that impact pricing. The cost usually depends on the following aspects, among others.

  1. Expertise and Skillset. A more experienced SEO agency usually boasts of skilled marketers. When you’ve been in the game for a long time, you tend to have more authority over the subject matter. Of course, their portfolio should back-up their claims and you can check this by checking on their list of clients.
  2. Location can also affect pricing. SEO services cost more in big cities than in smaller localities. For example, if your business operates in Dallas, hiring an agency will likely cost more than if you’re looking for a service in San Antonio.
  3. Competency to know what your target audience wants. Optimizing your website to increase visibility with your target audience requires competency. Often, the more competent the agency is with the language, the more precise will be your results.
  4. Niche expertise. SEO agencies offer services for all types of businesses. But, if your business is within a specific niche, you may want to look for an agency with an extensive background in the same industry. This way, it will be easier to communicate your needs and your goals.

Indeed, SEO service pricing varies depending on many factors. The ideal cost of hiring an SEO agency Dallas is a business decision anchored heavily on individual needs and requirements. Expert agencies warn companies to beware of cheap SEO because these may not provide the value your business needs. Also, short-term and long-term goals matter when considering how much to budget for SEO. Remember that results won’t be instant. Hence, you need to compare which services will lead to instant results. Long-term SEO strategies may cost more, but these will also solidify your company’s digital marketing campaign. Hopefully, this article has shed some light on how much you can expect to spend on SEO this year. We’re more SEO-reliant than ever before – read on for more useful info and resources: How much does SEO cost in 2021