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How much does SEO cost in 2019?

Wondering how much does SEO cost for your business? On average, U.S. Businesses spend between $750 to $6,000 a month for SEO. If you are running a local search engine optimization campaign you should set aside between $500 to $850 per month for a great local SEO service, while if you are trying to invest in a national campaign you should set aside $1,000.00 to $1,500.00 per month. As business owners, we are trying to maximize our return on investment, so sometimes it is easy to settle for SEO services that may only cost $100 to $200.00 a month. While easy on the wallet, the question becomes how much of a positive impact is this having on your website. So instead of asking yourself how much does SEO cost for a business, ask yourself the following question instead: how much does high-quality SEO cost in 2019?

How much does High-Quality SEO cost in 2019?

The main goal of search engine optimization or SEO is to get your website in the top 3 search results on search engines. By doing so you have a greater chance of convincing customers to engage with your website, purchase products, or come visit you in person. Like any marketing investment though, SEO requires an initial investment to help facilitate great results. Here are some factors that affect the price of SEO services.

The Type of Project – A one-time SEO audit of your website may cost anywhere from $450 to $2,000.00. On the other hand, if you are looking to invest in a long-term SEO strategy that requires a significant amount of work, such as adding new content daily, monitoring website traffic, and making the necessary adjustments. That could be more of a monthly contract, and build up over time.

The Type of Service You Select – The cost of your SEO can vary depending on whether you choose a subscription model or hire an SEO company for a one-time project. 

Keywords Chosen – Keywords can be ultra-competitive, meaning some keywords are more difficult to rank for than others. Those that appeal to a wide audience can be challenging because so many other websites are trying to attract the same customers with the same keywords.

Target Customers – The larger your potential customer base, the higher the cost of SEO. If you are trying to target customers across the United States, of course that will require more SEO work to rank in each location. With that being said the more you invest in your SEO, the more your sales should benefit as well, so it is a fair trade-off in the end.

Your Type of Business – Whether you like it or not, the type of business that you are in can play a factor in your SEO budget. SEO can be easier for certain industries, and harder for others. For example, a divorce lawyer will have to spend more on SEO since it is so competitive, while a mulching company may not have to invest in SEO as much. 

Your Goals – There is a big difference between just wanting to be on the 1st page of Google, and being the 1st search result on Google. If you plan on being the 1st search result on Google, expect to invest significant time and money into SEO. Now being the #1 search result on Google sure does have its perks. On average 33% of all search traffic goes to the 1st search result on Google. 

How much does SEO cost? Depends on the model

As you already know SEO prices can vary depending on what type of business you are in, and what your goals are. Your SEO cost can also depend on the type of model that you use. Many SEO companies offer several different options for SEO to help stay in line with your budget. Here are a few typical pricing models for SEO services.

Project-Based SEO Services: Your monthly SEO budget should you choose a project-based company will typically be between $1,000 to $1,500 a month. Projects can range from building links to your website, to creating attractive social media profiles. Other projects may just be writing a certain number of blogs or social media posts for your business.

Monthly Subscriptions: The benefit of a monthly SEO subscription is that it can cut costs on a monthly basis. High-quality SEO companies that operate on a monthly subscription try to monitor your keyword performance and make changes for better results based on the data. Typically these types of services range between $650 to $850 per month. 

Hourly Fee: Some SEO experts will bill a company by the hour. In this case, your SEO consultant could charge you anywhere from $75 to $200 an hour for their service. While it is easy to think of your bottom line, don’t forget to think about the big picture. A monthly or project-based SEO service can cost more in the beginning, but it does produce better results in the long run. 

How long does SEO take to start working?

Think of SEO like a diet for your website. It is easy to start, but sometimes it does take time to really see the results. SEO takes time to deliver great results. That is why it is never best to work with people that promise fast results or results in as little as two weeks. Expecting to appear on the 1st page of Google overnight is not realistic. Google estimates that it can actually take anywhere from 6 months to a full year to notice a significant change in your website rankings. This tells us that SEO should be and is considered by many a long-term investment.

While that may be too long for some business owners, you have to ask yourself is SEO really worth the investment, and the answer is yes. Once you have built a solid SEO campaign for your business the results can be phenomenal. You will see an increase in customer engagement, retention, and even sales. If you produce great content you can even be considered an industry expert. As long as you are patient, and think big picture, you can expect great results from SEO. Just remember with a strong SEO presence you will see an increase in page visits, brand recognition, new customers, and an excellent reputation online.

What to look for in an SEO company

Finding the right SEO partner for your business can be tricky. You should work with a company that provides tailored solutions for your business. This should include producing great content, expertise within on-page and off-page SEO, and reporting and analytics that showcase their work and success. They should also be able to guarantee the following three items.

To Raise Your Rankings Online – If your business provides products or services that people are searching for at a reasonable price, people are going to find you. There are over 40,000 searches on Google every second! Ranking organically can have a tremendous impact on your business. Work with a company that can deliver on getting you to the 1st page of Google, and has case studies that prove how they have done so in the past.

Increase in Website Traffic – By being able to increase your organic rankings online, your SEO company should also be able to deliver an increase in website traffic as well. An increase in website traffic can also lead to more opportunities for your business. 

Tailored for Small Business – If you are a small business owner, your SEO company should also be tailored to fit the needs of a small business as well. 

 

About MarketKeep

MarketKeep is a digital marketing agency for small businesses and start-ups based in Towson, Md. Our goal is to help small business owners plan, place, and optimize their digital marketing strategies. MarketKeep is proud to offer our clients the following services:

Website Design – As a website designcompany we build websites that represent you and your brand and instantly builds a connection with your customers online. To learn more about our website design capabilities please contact our website designers

SEO Company – As a Maryland SEO Company, we partner with small businesses to help grow their organic presence online through on-page, off-page, and reputation management techniques. To learn more about our SEO services for small businesses please contact our SEO team

Pay Per Click Experts – As your SEM Agency MarketKeep will plan, place, and optimize your SEM campaigns so that you are maximizing your SEM campaign. To learn more about our SEM Services please contact our SEM team

Social Media Management – Tired of running your social media accounts on a daily basis? Not sure what to post? As your Social Media Marketing Assistants MarketKeep will plan, place, and optimize your social media strategies. To connect contact our Social Media Management Team today. 

Local SEO – So many of us rely on our phones to find businesses and products that are close by. Don’t miss out on an opportunity to connect with customers in your backyard. As a Local SEO agency MarketKeep helps to position your business online to acquire Local SEO searches. Learn more by contacting our Local SEO Agency Team