2026 Prices · Three Named Surveys
How Much Does SEO Cost?
Most businesses pay between $500 and $2,500 a month for SEO, based on the two largest provider surveys (Ahrefs 2024, Backlinko 2025).
Every number on this page comes from a named, published source — Ahrefs’ survey of 439 SEO providers (August 2024), Backlinko’s survey of 300+ SEO professionals (December 2025), and WebFX’s pricing guide — all fetched and checked August 2026. No made-up ranges, no “it depends” hand-waving.
What the surveys actually found
| Survey | Monthly retainer | Hourly | One-time project |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ahrefs— 439 providers, Aug 2024 | $501–$1,000 most common (20.4%) | $75–$100 most common (24%) | $2,501–$5,000 most common (21.2%) |
| Backlinko— 300+ professionals, Dec 2025 | $1,000–$2,500 average | $50–$100 average | $1,000–$5,000 standard |
| WebFX— pricing guide | $1,500–$3,500 small business | $75–$200 | $500–$5,000 |
Why the spread? Two published reasons: agencies charge about 30% more than freelancers on average, and US-based providers cost 3–5× more than providers in emerging markets (both Backlinko, Dec 2025). The cheap end of the internet’s SEO offers lives in that second gap — and so does most of the junk.
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Pick what fits your situation. The estimator only ever shows the published survey ranges above — it just picks which one applies, and names the source with the number.
SEO cost estimator
Every number this tool can show is a published survey figure with its source printed next to it. Nothing here is our estimate.
$1,000 to $2,500 per month
Backlinko survey of 300+ SEO professionals (Dec 2025) — the average monthly cost for SEO.
Agencies charge about 30% more than freelancers on average (Backlinko, Dec 2025).
How much does SEO cost for a small business?
The published anchors: $501–$1,000 a month is the most common retainer across all providers (Ahrefs, 439 providers, Aug 2024), and $1,500–$3,500 a month is WebFX’s published small-business agency range. The trap is underneath the surveys, not above them — $99-a-month “SEO” that’s a software report nobody acts on. If a price is far below what 439 surveyed providers actually charge, you’re not getting a discount; you’re getting a different, mostly worthless product.
What changes the price — and what you’re really buying now
Competition and scope drive every quote: a bakery in a small town needs less work than a personal-injury firm in a big metro, and “fix my website once” costs less than “keep me ahead every month.” One more thing has changed: search itself. SEO isn’t dead, but customers increasingly get one written answer from Google or ChatGPT instead of a page of links — so the work worth paying for is the work that gets your business named in that answer, not just ranked under it. That’s exactly the job our Get Recommended service does for $97 a month flat — standalone, for owners keeping their own website, no contract, price never changes — and it’s included in the $297 AI Website for owners who want the whole thing handled.
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SEO Cost — FAQ
How much does SEO cost?▾
Most businesses pay between $500 and $2,500 a month. Ahrefs' August 2024 survey of 439 SEO providers found $501-$1,000 the most common monthly retainer (20.4% of providers), and Backlinko's December 2025 survey of 300+ SEO professionals puts the average at $1,000-$2,500 a month. Hourly work runs $50-$100 (Backlinko) to $75-$100 (Ahrefs' most common tier), and one-time projects typically cost $1,000-$5,000.
How much does SEO cost per month?▾
The most common monthly retainer is $501-$1,000 (Ahrefs, 439 providers, Aug 2024). Backlinko's Dec 2025 average is $1,000-$2,500 a month, and WebFX's guide puts a small-business retainer at $1,500-$3,500 a month. Agencies charge about 30% more than freelancers on average (Backlinko), which explains most of the spread between those surveys.
How much does SEO cost for a small business?▾
The published anchors: $501-$1,000 a month is the most common retainer across all providers (Ahrefs, 439 providers), and WebFX's small-business agency range is $1,500-$3,500 a month. Be careful at the very bottom: work priced far below the surveyed ranges is usually automated junk that does nothing or gets you penalized. If the budget doesn't reach the real ranges, doing the basics yourself beats buying fake versions of them.
Is a one-time SEO project enough?▾
A one-time project ($1,000-$5,000 per Backlinko; $2,501-$5,000 is the most common fee per Ahrefs) can fix technical problems and restructure a website, and that alone helps. But rankings and AI recommendations are competitive and move monthly — competitors publish, reviews accumulate, AI models update. The fix stays fixed; the position doesn't hold itself.
Why is Get Recommended only $97 a month if surveys say SEO costs more?▾
Because it's a different, narrower job done mostly by software. Traditional SEO retainers bill human hours across everything — audits, content, links, reporting. Get Recommended is focused on one outcome: getting your business named when customers ask Google and ChatGPT who to hire. It's $97 a month flat for owners who keep their own website, the price never changes, and the honest timeline is 3-6 months — if you're not named in 6 months, walk away and keep every improvement.
More honest answers: What does a marketing agency cost? · Is SEO dead? · Can ChatGPT do an SEO audit?