SEO, or search engine optimization, is the process of improving a website’s rankings in search engines like Google. Good SEO leads to more organic traffic, conversions, and revenue. However, done right, SEO requires significant time and resources, making it expensive for many businesses.
There are several reasons SEO costs as much as it does:
The Depth and Breadth of Optimization Required
To rank well today, websites need optimization across many areas:
- Technical SEO – Ensuring site architecture, server configuration, page speed, structured data, accessibility standards, and more are optimized. This requires the work of developers and technical SEO specialists.
- Content Optimization – Creating topic-focused, useful, engaging content that targets relevant searcher intents and includes optimal keywords. This typically requires regular blog posts, guides, and other content by experienced writers.
- Link Building – Securing backlinks from reputable external sites to signal authority and relevance to search engines. This means extensive outreach to webmasters and influencers.
- Local SEO – Optimizing for local search visibility, like having correct business info across directories like Google My Business, Apple Maps, and others. This alone requires substantial effort.
- Conversion Optimization – Streamlining site navigation, page layouts, calls-to-action, and lead gen forms to convert more visitors into leads and customers.
As such, effective SEO requires expertise or resources invested across all of these areas concurrently.
The Ever-Changing Nature of SEO
SEO is not static but an ongoing process. Search engine algorithms and ranking factors constantly evolve, as do searcher behavior and expectations. What worked well last year may deteriorate or even penalize rankings this year.
This means SEO strategies must adapt to stay ahead of changes. Tracking rankings and results and tweaking efforts accordingly is essential. For agencies, extensive ongoing optimization work across client sites is standard.
Staying current with SEO best practices also requires significant ongoing learning and development. SEMrush reports that 65% of marketers say lacking SEO skills impacts performance. Dedicated SEO education is essential.
Slow Results Require Patience and Persistence
Unlike paid advertising, SEO delivers results gradually over months or years, not days or weeks. Rankings depend on building authority and trustworthiness, which search engines determine based on factors like the quality and quantity of content, engaged visitors, and external references.
There are no quick fixes or shortcuts. Improving rankings requires playing the long game – continually publishing content, securing backlinks, and demonstrating expertise and authority over time.
Few businesses can afford to invest substantially in SEO without seeing positive ROI for 6 to 12 months on average. SEOs and in-house teams often have to justify budgets focused on long-term rankings goals more than immediate returns.
Location and Niche Impact Costs
Not all SEO goals are equally difficult. Going after rankings in a highly competitive niche in a major city is vastly more expensive than ranking locally for an uncompetitive keyword.
The competition level significantly impacts costs. If you’re competing against dominant brands that invest heavily in SEO you’ll have to work much harder. Unique niches and less competitive cities offer “low-hanging fruit” optimizations.
SEO agencies also typically charge more based on location and niche due to the level of difficulty and resources required.
Outsourcing vs Building an In-House Team
Many growing businesses must choose between outsourcing SEO to an agency or building their own in-house team. Both options have sizable costs:
- SEO agencies often have monthly retainers starting at $750 to $1,500+ and additional costs for content, links, technical work, analytics set up and consulting etc. Full-service retainers easily reach $5,000 to $15,000+ per month.
- Creating an internal SEO team requires substantial hiring, training and development costs in addition to tools, content and other optimization expenses. Experienced SEO managers can cost $80,000 to $150,000+ per year, more in major metro areas.
Weighing the benefits and downsides of each approach is an art and science unto itself for companies navigating how to do SEO affordably.
Many brands start with an agency to kickstart their strategy and rankings before training up their marketing team to manage things in-house. But outsourcing some or all SEO remains optimal for others. There is no one “right” formula.
Other Factors Raising SEO Costs
A few additional reasons SEO is not cheap for most organizations:
- Multiple Sites and Languages – Large brands manage SEO across multiple regional websites and translations, multiplying efforts.
- Integrating with Other Channels – SEO works best when integrated with content, social, PPC, email marketing and other channels – requiring substantial cross-channel coordination.
- Agency Transparency Issues – Some agencies still exploit clients with opaque reporting, unclear costs aligned to results, and billing for unnecessary services. Selecting an ethical SEO agency is critical.
How Can SEO Be More Affordable Today?
Despite all the factors that make SEO expensive, opportunities exist to control costs. Here are tips that can make achieving rankings more budget-friendly:
Leverage SEO Tools Extensively
Sophisticated SEO tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, Moz and others provide immense value significantly less expensively than services. For approx. $100 to $200 monthly subscriptions, you gain access to powerful keyword, competitor, link analysis and site audit data hard to obtain otherwise without great effort and expertise.
Master Core SEO Best Practices First
Focus first on completely optimizing foundational areas like technical SEO, content strategy, user experience and conversions. Don’t get distracted trying advanced tactics before you master SEO basics. Planting these core pillars solidly over time brings compounding returns.
Evaluate DIY Options Extensively First
See what your team can handle in-house before defaulting to hiring an agency. Between free online education and paid tools, it’s possible to acquire adequate SEO knowledge without formal training. Be realistic about your team’s abilities, but leverage them if possible before outsourcing.
Consider SEO Training for Your Team
Compare the investment of SEO software + training for your marketing team against the costs of an external agency or consultant. There’s often substantial value in upskilling your team directly even if you still supplement with outsourced help.
Focus on Long-Term, Sustainable Results
Avoid looking for quick wins or shortcuts that often result in fleeting gains then algorithm penalties. Commit to best practices that build credibility and authority with search engines gradually. This earns genuine rankings over years not weeks. Have realistic expectations around costs and ROI timeframes.
Regularly Review Results Against Goals
While staying committed to long-term SEO investments, do scrutinize that you’re getting sufficient returns quarter by quarter. Check that rankings and conversions are trending positively against benchmarks before renewing contracts or allocating additional budget.
Key Takeaways
- SEO costs reflect the depth of optimization and effort required across technical, content, links and more to achieve results. Done right it is an always-on, continually optimized process.
- Expect an average 6 to 12 month runway just to start seeing positive ROI. Build patience and commitment into budgets.
- Getting quality results for competitive keywords in major metros is exponentially more expensive than local SEO or less crowded niches.
- Both outsourcing to an agency or building an in-house team have five-figure costs at minimum for most mid-market and enterprise brands.
- Still, tools, education, evaluating DIY options, and focusing on fundamentals can help control costs substantially.
Commit to sustainable, long-term SEO investments while reviewing that positive momentum aligns to benchmarks. Stay patient yet prudent with budgets and the needle can move over time without overspending.
<p id=”conclusion”>In conclusion, SEO delivers enormous value but requires significant, ongoing investments because it follows a markedly different model than other marketing channels. There are no instant results or quick fixes. Consistently building authority, trust and engagement with both search engines and visitors takes years not days. Impatient brands often overspend chasing ephemeral gains. However, those focused on sustainable progress through mastering SEO fundamentals can control costs while still advancing over time. Have realistic expectations around timeframes and keep course. With the right vision and discipline, moving the needle is very doable on most budgets.</p>
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average cost of SEO services?
The average cost of SEO services ranges from $750 to $5,000+ per month depending on factors like location, competition level, and the scope of services included. Full-service SEO with content creation, link building and technical optimization often starts around $3,000 per month.
How much should I spend on SEO services?
Most small businesses can justify investing 10-20% of their total marketing budget on SEO services, though high-revenue brands may allocate more. Evaluate your organic traffic goals, expected conversions and revenue from SEO against your budget to right-size spend.
Is SEO something I can learn myself?
Definitely! With free online training resources plus paid tools subscriptions costing around $100-200 per month, you can gain professional-grade SEO knowledge without formal training. If tackling it in-house, be strategic in how you allocate your team’s time to focus on the 20% of effort that will drive 80% of SEO results.
When will I see results from SEO efforts?
Most websites start seeing positive momentum in rankings and organic traffic within 6 to 12 months of investing in SEO. However, it takes consistent, ongoing effort over years before seeing substantial conversions and revenue specifically attributable to SEO. Approach it as an long-term strategy rather than a short-term tactic.
How can I make SEO more affordable?
Focus first on completely optimizing SEO fundamentals like technical site health, user experience, page speed, etc. Mastering core elements establishes the foundation for growth. Also leverage SEO tools for insights before paying for human services. Evaluate having your team handle basic SEO before outsourcing. Review agency contracts vigilantly to ensure their fees align to business impact quarter-over-quarter.
Is it okay to outsource all SEO off the bat?
Many brands successfully rely on an SEO agency long-term. But before committing, thoroughly evaluate if you can handle at least 20% of optimization in-house through some self-education. Many basic technical fixes and content publishing efforts don’t require an agency premium. Find the right balance of outsourcing vs insourcing for your needs and budget.
Should my whole team learn SEO?
No necessarily everyone, but key players beyond marketers can benefit immensely from SEO training such as content writers, website editors, product owners, developers and analytics managers. SEO works best when adopted company-wide beyond one department. Prioritize essential team members first for the most leverage.
How can I determine if my SEO agency fees are fair?
Benchmark your SEO agency costs against published industry averages, separating out additional fees for things like content, tools, media buys etc. Ask exactly what ongoing optimization efforts their fees include month-to-month. Review analytics to confirm clear ROI from their efforts over time, not just deliverables reports. Re-evaluate if your SEO budget truly ties to business results quarterly.
When does it make sense to insource SEO vs outsource to an agency?
Many brands successfully outsource SEO long-term, but others transition to an in-house team over 12-24 months. Weigh factors like available marketing bandwidth, technical capabilities, in-housing costs vs agency fees and more in determining the right balance for your needs and stage.
How much traffic should I expect from SEO monthly?
Monthly organic traffic expectations vary greatly by factors like your niche competitiveness, website age, current traffic levels, content publishing frequency and more. Set targets based on sites comparable to yours that invest substantially in SEO. Aggregate industry benchmarks help but your category, location and other dynamics also come into play heavily.
Can I learn just enough SEO to be dangerous?
While beginners may have good intentions, incomplete or outdated SEO knowledge can certainly do more harm than good if optimizing incorrectly. Before touching your site seek to fully grasp technical SEO, content best practices, user experience principles plus search engine algorithm basics. Commit time to formal training.
What are quick ways to improve SEO without deep technical knowledge?
Non-technical site owners can make substantial SEO gains by focusing on improving content quality, frequency and promotion first and foremost. Create blog, tools and resource pages targeting informational terms searchers want help with. Refresh old thin pages adding 2X more helpful info. Promote your best content socially and via email nurtures.
How long will it take me to become an SEO expert?
Someone that’s strategic and analytical can get quite competent with SEO fundamentals in 6-12 months dedicating 10 hours weekly to training, tools usage, analysis and hands-on optimization. But mastering the depth of modern technical SEO and outranking sophisticated competitors may take 3-5 years for most. Respect SEO’s complexity.