Small‑business SEO retainers typically fall between $500–$5,000/month, clustering around $1,500–$3,000 for competitive metros or e‑commerce. Cost swings with scope (content volume, technical debt, local vs national) and who executes (freelancer vs agency). Use the calculator, tables, and contract checklist below to budget accurately.
Most SEO companies for small businesses invest $500–$3,000/month in SEO; competitive markets or larger catalogs can reach $3,000–$5,000+. Expect a one‑time audit/setup for crawl, tracking, and fixes. Monthly cost reflects:
(1) technical upkeep,
(2) on‑page optimization,
(3) content creation,
(4) local SEO (GBP, citations, reviews),
(5) digital PR/link earning, and
(6) reporting. Time‑to‑impact varies: low competition 1–3 months; medium 3–6; high 6–12+. Anchor decisions to ROI, not hours—forecast leads and revenue, then right‑size scope. Avoid ultra‑cheap bundles and any guaranteed rankings or undisclosed link networks.
Paste this block where you want the calculator to appear. It runs client‑side (no dependencies).
<div id=“seo-pricing-calc” style=“max-width:720px;padding:16px;border:1px solid #e5e7eb;border-radius:12px”>
<h3 style=“margin-top:0”>SEO ROI Calculator</h3>
<div style=“display:grid;grid-template-columns:1fr 1fr;gap:12px;margin-bottom:12px”>
<label>Monthly Sessions <input id=“sessions” type=“number” min=“0” value=“3000” style=“width:100%”></label>
<label>Site Conversion Rate (%) <input id=“cvr” type=“number” step=“0.1” min=“0” value=“2.5” style=“width:100%”></label>
<label>Close Rate (%) <input id=“close” type=“number” step=“0.1” min=“0” value=“30” style=“width:100%”></label>
<label>Average Order Value ($) <input id=“aov” type=“number” min=“0” value=“600” style=“width:100%”></label>
<label>Monthly SEO Cost ($) <input id=“cost” type=“number” min=“0” value=“2500” style=“width:100%”></label>
</div>
<button onclick=“calcROI()” style=“padding:10px 16px;border-radius:8px;border:1px solid #111”>Calculate</button>
<div id=“calcOut” style=“margin-top:12px;font-weight:600”></div>
<p style=“font-size:13px;color:#4b5563;margin-top:8px”>Formula: Leads = Sessions × CVR. Revenue = Leads × Close Rate × AOV. Net ROI = Revenue − SEO Cost.</p>
</div>
<script>
function calcROI(){
const sessions = +document.getElementById(‘sessions’).value || 0;
const cvr = (+document.getElementById(‘cvr’).value || 0)/100;
const close = (+document.getElementById(‘close’).value || 0)/100;
const aov = +document.getElementById(‘aov’).value || 0;
const cost = +document.getElementById(‘cost’).value || 0;
const leads = sessions * cvr;
const revenue = leads * close * aov;
const roi = revenue – cost;
document.getElementById(‘calcOut’).textContent = `Leads: ${leads.toFixed(1)} | Revenue: $${revenue.toFixed(2)} | Net ROI: $${roi.toFixed(2)}`;
}
calcROI();
</script>
How to interpret results: If Net ROI is negative, scale back scope or raise conversion via CRO and lead nurturing. If ROI is positive, ask whether adding content velocity or link earning would compound gains faster than waiting for traffic alone.
Typical SMB Pricing Ranges by Component (USD)
Component | What’s included | Typical range / month | Time‑to‑impact hints |
|---|---|---|---|
Technical SEO & audits | Crawl/index fixes, Core Web Vitals, information architecture, schema, QA | One‑time $1,000–$5,000 or $300–$1,000/mo maintenance | Faster crawl/indexation in weeks; rankings follow content/links |
On‑page optimization | Keyword mapping, titles/meta, headers, internal links, UX fixes | $300–$1,500 | Improvements begin as pages are re‑crawled (weeks–months) |
Content production | 2–6 pages/posts, briefs, editing, publishing | $600–$2,500 (or $150–$600/article) | Compounds after 2–4 months with topical depth |
Local SEO / GBP | NAP cleanup, citations, review prompts, GBP posts/photos | $300–$1,500 | Map pack uplift in 1–3 months (depends on review velocity) |
Digital PR / link earning | Outreach, PR angles, listings, partnerships | $500–$3,000+ | Authority accrues over months; risk‑managed velocity matters |
Reporting & analytics | Dashboards, KPI reviews, roadmap | Included in retainer | Ongoing course correction and forecasting |
Note: Use the ranges as guardrails; normalize for your industry and geography. National e‑commerce and competitive metros typically sit at the upper end.
What Drives Cost Up or Down
- Scope & depth: More content, complex templates, or SKU‑heavy catalogs need higher monthly throughput (briefs, writing, design, dev time).
- Competition: In saturated niches or big metros, link earning and digital PR require greater volume and stricter editorial standards.
- Technical debt: Sites with crawl issues, slow templates, or app‑like navigation need engineering effort before content moves the needle.
- Local vs national: Local businesses can win with GBP and neighborhood authority at lower budgets; national plays usually require broader content clusters and link velocity.
- Team model: Freelancers price per deliverable; agencies charge retainers to cover strategy, PM, and pods (tech, content, PR, analytics).
- Content maturity: If you already have topical depth, you can shift budget to digital PR; if you’re thin on coverage, content becomes the primary lever.
- Compliance & risk: Heavily regulated industries (finance, medical, legal) demand higher editorial QA and approvals.
- Internationalization: Multi‑region sites need hreflang, localization, and duplicate‑content controls, adding planning and QA overhead.
- Measurement rigor: Proper analytics (GA4 events, call tracking, CRM attribution) requires setup and maintenance; the payoff is precise ROI proof.
- Seasonality: Retail and service categories with peak seasons may compress deliverables into short sprints—expect higher temporary spend.
Sample Packages (Good / Better / Best)
Use these as scoping models, not promises. Replace with your exact deliverables and cadence.
Tier | Good (Lean) | Better (Balanced) | Best (Competitive) |
|---|---|---|---|
Indicative monthly | $750–$1,250 | $1,500–$2,500 | $3,000–$5,000+ |
Audit & tech | Initial audit + 5–10 tickets/month | Audit + 10–20 tickets/month + CWV sprints | Audit + 20–40 tickets/month + templates/IA projects |
On‑page | 5–10 pages optimized/month | 10–20 pages optimized/month | 20–40 pages optimized/month + tests |
Content | 2 briefs + 2 publishes | 4 briefs + 4–6 publishes | 6–10 briefs + 6–12 publishes |
Local SEO | GBP tune‑up + citations + 5–10 review prompts | Ongoing GBP posts/photos; 10–20 review prompts | Multi‑location governance; review velocity program |
Digital PR/links | 4–6 outreach attempts | 8–12 outreach attempts | 15–30 outreach attempts + PR angles |
Reporting | Monthly KPI review | Monthly KPIs + roadmap refresh | Monthly KPIs + experimentation plan |
How to choose: If your site has low topical coverage, prioritize the Better tier for content velocity. If you’re in a high‑authority niche but need defensible links, invest in the Best tier’s digital PR.
Contract Terms Checklist
Use this to evaluate proposals; tick every box before signing.
- Scope & deliverables: SEO audit, on‑page tickets/month, content briefs & publishes, GBP actions, outreach attempts, and reporting cadence are listed with counts.
- 90‑day roadmap: weekly tasks with named owners; acceptance criteria per deliverable.
- Access & ownership: GA4, Search Console, Tag Manager, GBP, ad accounts, call tracking—owned by you; vendor has role‑based access.
- Link standards: written policy (no PBNs/paid placements); show recent placements + rejection criteria.
- Content process: who writes/edits; subject‑matter review; plagiarism and AI‑assist policy; image rights.
- Reporting: KPIs (rankings cohorts, organic sessions, conversions, pipeline), plus leading indicators (indexation, topic coverage, GBP visibility, link velocity).
- Security & data: confidentiality, backups, PII handling; off‑boarding plan with asset export.
- Change control: ticketing for scope changes; emergency SEO updates (core update response).
- Commercials: price, billing cycle, term, rolling exit clause, IP return, and non‑solicit boundaries.
Compliance: industry rules (medical, legal, finance), disclosure on UGC/sponsored links; brand safety.
FAQs
1) Why do prices vary so much between vendors?
Different delivery models. Freelancers price per task; agencies bundle strategy, PM, and specialist pods. Geography, competition, content volume, and risk posture (link standards, compliance) all move the number. Compare deliverables and outcomes, not hourly rates.
2) Can I start small and scale later?
Yes. Prove ROI with a three‑month sprint focused on the highest‑leverage gaps (content cluster + GBP + essential links). Scale once leading indicators and pipeline improve. Keep asset ownership so switching or scaling is painless.
3) Do I always need a paid audit?
For complex sites, yes—audits prevent wasted spend. For simple sites, a rapid “readiness check” may suffice. Either way, fix blockers (crawl, speed, duplicate content) before ramping content or PR.
4) What if we don’t see results in three months?
Re‑check tracking and leading indicators: indexation, coverage, GBP visibility, link velocity. If those move but pipeline lags, emphasize CRO (forms, CTAs, copy). If nothing moves, the scope is too small for the competition—adjust or pivot.
5) Should we buy links to go faster?
Avoid paid placements and private networks—they carry risk and rarely sustain. Invest in digital PR (data studies, expert commentary, partnerships) that earn editorial links and brand mentions.
6) How do we compare proposals quickly?
Use a scoring matrix: clarity (roadmap, owners), resourcing (who does the work), measurement (KPIs, dashboard), link standards, content capacity, and commercial terms. Shortlist two vendors; run a time‑boxed pilot; renew only if pipeline metrics move.
Download the Small‑Business SEO Buyer Kit
ROI calculator sheet, editable contract checklist, and a comparison worksheet. Fix must‑do technical issues, request three vendor 90‑day plans, and choose one pilot sprint with exit terms. Review KPIs monthly and scale only when pipeline grows.
