As a Sacramento SEO specialist, I can honestly admit that I wish I had the courage to charge what most SEO companies do.

It wasn’t long ago I stumbled across a couple fantastic articles detailing SEO agency costs per hour and per project. Of course, it only gives a ballpark, but I can confirm the accuracy based on my experience reviewing SEO contracts and quotes.

And, if you’re working with a Sacramento SEO company, I’ll review your service agreement free of charge to make sure you’re not getting ripped off.

Below is some great info about SEO company rates.

Moz Study on SEO Company Pricing

According to this article from Moz, a SEO industry leader, almost half of all SEO companies are charging over $150 per hour.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When you look at what’s in SEO contracts, there’s not a whole lot that warrants those kind of rates. Content production is expensive, and the value of a good SEO audit can’t be overstated (although it’s hard nowadays to get a good one).

But too often there are things like getting pages indexed, monthly reports, rank tracking or on-page SEO updates – all of which a beginner SEO marketer could handle.

SEO Pricing for Monthly Retainers

According to the same study, SEO retainer pricing can range from $250 to $5000 a month!

Now, it makes sense to receive a few hours of regular SEO consulting each month. Your website might have new sub domains, new landing pages, new dynamic URLs being generated and it’s good to talk with a SEO expert about that.

You might also need new tactics to increase rankings, or come across a new asset you want to maximize with SEO.

But if you’re paying more than $700 a month for SEO services and it doesn’t include content production, you’re likely being ripped off.

Detailed SEO Audits

For the record, I hate that these are called audits. We’re not the IRS. But a fully detailed review of your site’s SEO can add great value.

A good audit will include next steps, technical SEO recs, on-page SEO recs, content and link building ideas.

The average cost for such detail? $3000-$20,000! To me this is where a SEO expert can add the most value over an agency. I know for sure because audits are what they outsource to me, and I definitely don’t charge that much.

My reports are anywhere from 12-20 pages, and they’re definitely detailed.

What Are You Paying for SEO?

Are you being over billed for SEO services? Let me know by filling out the form below and feel free to email me a copy your contract. I’ll let you know what’s making a difference in your rankings and what’s nonsense.