Here at Starting Gate Marketing, this is a question we get asked a lot so why not write a blog post about the subject as it is a hot topic of conversation.
Before we delve into the topic of cost and pricing when it comes to SEO, let us start at the beginning with an overview so you understand the why.
What is the purpose of SEO? (NOT what is SEO?)
Some search engine optimization specialists may say that the purpose of SEO is to get your website ranking on the search engines for words and phrases relating to the things (products or services) your business provide.
While this is true to a certain extent, the actual purpose of SEO is to simply help you (your business) to achieve your business goals.
What has business goals got to do with SEO, you might ask?
Everything! We are not mind readers here at Starting Gate Marketing, but it would be a good guess that the reason you are here right now reading this very blog post is that…
You simply need to get your business from where it is now to where you need it to be, and you have either read something or someone has told you something that makes you believe that this thing called SEO can help you do just that.
If we are getting this totally wrong, we would love to have a conversation with you to fully understand your own business goals as we never like to presume anything as we do not yet understand your own individual business.
If your business goals are to increase your turnover by $100K over the next twelve months (as an example), then the purpose of SEO for your individual business is to help you to achieve just that.
Now we both understand the purpose, let’s take about the cost, or investment as we like to think about it.
Not…
How much does SEO cost?
But…
What investment level do I need to assign towards SEO to help me achieve my business goals?
Yes! SEO is not a cost; it is an investment. With most investments we make, the higher the investment level – the higher the expected return on your investment will be.
When it comes to SEO, there is literally no maximum ceiling level. We know of brands paying millions of dollars per year towards their SEO investment as they know that those millions will turn into ten times their investment.
Having said that, here at Starting gate Marketing we prefer to get to know the businesses we work with and focus our skills and energy on businesses who really need our help. With this in mind, we have clients who pay us $1,500 per month right up to $10,000 per month for SEO.
To put this into context, below are figures based on the current US market:
The average SEO agency in the US charges $100 USD to $250 USD per hour.
The average business in the US pays $2,500 USD to $10,000 USD per month for SEO services.
We tend to be a little different here at Starting Gate Marketing and do not have a set pricing structure model as every business is individual with individual business goals, who work in very different industries.
An honest conversation.
Yes. That is right. We get all the awkward questions out of the way first, and pricing is one of those questions.
It simply comes down to…
What investment level can you afford to invest each month to achieve your business goals over a period of time? Once we understand that, we can start to discuss a tailored SEO plan for you.
But what if I don’t know what to invest and just want a price?
Simple! Just give Starting Gate Marketing a call on 770-853-0318 or email us at Steve@StartingGateMarketing.com to arrange your free consultation.
You can also book a free SEO consult here: