How Much Does SEO Cost? 2026 SEO Pricing
SEO usually costs $500 to $5,000 a month if you hire it out. In Ahrefs’ poll of 439 SEO providers, 63% of prices fall in that range, and agencies average $3,209 a month against $1,348 for freelancers. Backlinko’s survey of over 300 SEO pros found $1,001 to $2,500 is the most common retainer.
Software that does the work costs less. Outrank, which we make, is $99 a month for 30 published articles and link building.
We make Outrank, so weigh this yourself. Nothing else on this chart publishes 30 articles a month and builds links for $99. It is software, so it will not bring the judgment of a good SEO. First year: $1,188 against $38,508 for the average agency.
Try Outrank free for 3 days- OutrankBest value$99 to $259a month, typically $9930 articles a month researched, written and published, plus keyword research and exchange backlinks. 90 articles cost $259.
- Freelancer$501 to $2,500a month, typically $1,348About 19 hours a month at the $71.59 average rate. If it all went to writing, that is 1 to 3 articles of 1,500 words.
- Agency$1,001 to $5,000a month, typically $3,209About 32 hours a month at the $98.90 average rate. You get people who bring judgment, strategy and reporting.
- In-house hire$6,563 to $9,848a monthOne full-time person, about 173 paid hours a month. The top of the range includes benefits. Software and link budget are extra.
- DIY with software$29 to $249a month, typically $129Software only. You do the work: 4 posts a month takes about 13 hours at the 3 hours 20 minutes average.
Bars show the price range on a log scale, and the dark tick marks the typical price where a source gives one. Sources and how each bar is built are in the method section. Want an estimate from your keyword count instead? Use the SEO cost calculator.
The numbers
SEO cost in 8 facts you can quote
SEO cost is what you pay for the work that lifts search rankings: pages, links and technical fixes, plus the people or software that produce them. You usually pay it as a monthly retainer, an hourly rate, a project fee, or per article and per link.
63% of SEO prices in Ahrefs' poll of 439 providers fall between $500 and $5,000 a month.
Page updated August 2024. The poll date is not given, so treat it as at least two years old.
Ahrefs, 2024: SEO Pricing: How Much Does SEO Cost? 439 People Polled
SEO agencies average $3,209 a month, freelancers $1,348 and consultants $3,250.
Averages assume each provider charges the top of their price band.
Ahrefs, 2024: SEO Pricing: How Much Does SEO Cost? 439 People Polled
$1,001 to $2,500 a month is the most common SEO retainer in Backlinko's survey of over 300 SEO professionals.
Backlinko, 2025: SEO Pricing: How Much Does SEO Cost?
Freelance SEO rates average $71.59 an hour, against $98.90 for agencies and $171.18 for consultants.
Averages assume each provider charges the top of their price band.
Ahrefs, 2024: SEO Pricing: How Much Does SEO Cost? 439 People Polled
An in-house SEO specialist costs about $118,173 a year: $82,721 average salary on Indeed, with benefits at the 30% of employer cost that BLS reports.
Our calculation. Benefits share from BLS, June 2026, across all private industry jobs.
Indeed, 2026: SEO Specialist Salary in the United States
A guest post link costs $295 on average bought direct and $461 through a vendor. A digital PR link costs $1,250 to $1,500.
Marketplace data across 257,267 sites for guest posts, as of October 20, 2026.
BuzzStream, 2026: Link Building Pricing and Costs (Updated for 2026)
A 1,500-word blog post from a freelance writer costs $375 to $675 at 25 to 45 cents a word.
Median rate ranges from a survey of over 1,100 members. The article total is our calculation.
Editorial Freelancers Association, 2026: 2026 Editorial Rates
Outrank costs $99 a month for 30 published articles plus keyword research and exchange backlinks, or $3.30 an article.
We make Outrank. Price from our pricing page.
Outrank dataOutrank pricing
Price tables
SEO pricing by model
Retainer, package, hourly, project, article, link, hire and software. Each price links to where we read it.
Monthly retainers: SEO agency pricing
A retainer is a fixed monthly fee for ongoing work. 78.2% of the providers in Ahrefs’ poll charge this way. These are the prices to expect from an SEO agency or consultant.
| What | Price | Source |
|---|---|---|
All SEO providers, average | $2,917 a month | Ahrefs |
Agency, average Most common band is $500 to $1,000. | $3,209 a month | Ahrefs |
Consultant, average Most common band is $2,501 to $5,000. | $3,250 a month | Ahrefs |
Freelancer, average Most common band is $251 to $500. | $1,348 a month | Ahrefs |
Local SEO, average Agencies $1,819, freelancers about $1,150. | $1,557 a month | Ahrefs |
One published agency price WebFX publishes this on its pricing page. | From $2,900 a month | WebFX |
Outrank Organic Growth plan (we make it) Software, not people. $999 if you pay yearly. | $99 a month | Outrank pricing |
SEO pricing packages: what each tier includes
Most agencies sell tiers. These bands and services come from Backlinko’s survey. In the US, UK and Australia, only 7% of providers offer the entry tier.
| What | Price | Source |
|---|---|---|
Small local business Basic on-page SEO and simple reporting. | $500 a month or less | Backlinko |
Established small business Adds technical fixes and content suggestions. | $501 to $1,000 a month | Backlinko |
Mid-sized business Adds content creation and basic link building. The most common range. | $1,001 to $2,500 a month | Backlinko |
Competitive industry Adds advanced technical SEO and active link building. | $2,501 to $5,000 a month | Backlinko |
Enterprise or large business Adds custom strategy and dedicated specialists. | $5,000+ a month | Backlinko |
Hourly: freelance SEO rates and consultants
Hourly pricing suits advice and small jobs. 34.8% of the providers in Ahrefs’ poll charge this way.
| What | Price | Source |
|---|---|---|
Freelancer, average 36.6% charge $75 or more. | $71.59 an hour | Ahrefs |
Agency, average | $98.90 an hour | Ahrefs |
Consultant, average | $171.18 an hour | Ahrefs |
Most common rate, all providers 24% charge this. 90% charge $150 or less. | $75 to $100 an hour | Ahrefs |
Newer professional US, UK and Australia average: $45. | $50 an hour or less | Backlinko |
Senior professional US, UK and Australia average: $130. | $101 to $150 an hour | Backlinko |
Per project: audits, migrations and campaigns
A project is a one-off fee for a defined job. 48.9% of the providers in Ahrefs’ poll charge this way.
| What | Price | Source |
|---|---|---|
Most common fee, all providers 21.2% charge this. | $2,501 to $5,000 | Ahrefs |
Agency, average | $9,508 | Ahrefs |
Consultant, average | $8,686 | Ahrefs |
Freelancer, average Most common fee is $101 to $250. | $2,349 | Ahrefs |
Basic audit or keyword research | Under $1,000 | Backlinko |
Full audit or content package | $1,000 to $5,000 | Backlinko |
Full strategy or technical overhaul | $5,001 to $10,000 | Backlinko |
Per article
Articles are priced per word by writers, and per plan by software.
| What | Price | Source |
|---|---|---|
Freelance blog post $375 to $675 for 1,500 words. $74.50 to $87.50 an hour. | 25 to 45 cents a word | Editorial Freelancers Association |
Ghostwritten blog post | 25 to 40 cents a word | Editorial Freelancers Association |
Ghostwritten business or marketing writing | 50 cents to $1 a word | Editorial Freelancers Association |
Your own time Average across 1,042 content marketers. | 3 hours 20 minutes a post | Orbit Media |
Outrank, 30 articles a month $184 for 60, $259 for 90. AI-written and published for you. | $3.30 an article | Outrank pricing |
Outrank with human editors The Human Curated add-on is $1,399 a month. | $49.93 an article | Human Curated |
Per link: link building cost
Link prices depend on the type of link and the authority of the site. Here are the market averages.
| What | Price | Source |
|---|---|---|
Link insertion Range $20 to $1,500. 62,916 sites. | $179 average | BuzzStream |
Guest post, direct from the site Range about $150 to $10,000. 257,267 sites. | $295 average | BuzzStream |
Guest post, through a vendor | $461 average | BuzzStream |
Digital PR Campaigns of $5,000 to $10,000 land 6 to 7 links. | $1,250 to $1,500 a link | BuzzStream |
What SEOs call an acceptable price An opinion from 412 survey answers, not a market price. | $508.95 a link | Editorial.Link |
Outrank link exchange No cash per link. You earn credits by hosting a relevant link in your own articles. | Included in the $99 plan | Outrank pricing |
Outrank marketplace placement DR times 4 credits, at $0.64 a credit on the $899 Scale plan. $180 at DR 70. Includes the article. | $77 at DR 30, $154 at DR 60 | Outrank backlinks |
In-house hire
Hiring costs more than the salary. Add benefits, software and a content or link budget.
| What | Price | Source |
|---|---|---|
SEO specialist, average salary 891 salaries from job postings. | $82,721 a year | Indeed |
Marketing specialists and analysts, median The closest BLS occupation. It is broader than SEO. | $78,760 a year | US Bureau of Labor Statistics |
Salary plus benefits, our calculation About $9,848 a month. Wages are 70% of employer cost. | $118,173 a year | US Bureau of Labor Statistics |
SEO software
Monthly billing. Most tools measure and advise, and you still do the work. Semrush and Surfer showed us euros because we checked from France.
| What | Price | Source |
|---|---|---|
Outrank Writes, publishes and builds links for you. | $99 a month | Outrank pricing |
Ahrefs Starter $29, Lite $129, Standard $249, Advanced $449. | $29 to $1,499 a month | Ahrefs |
Moz Pro Standard $99, Medium $179, Large $299. $79, $143 and $239 if paid yearly. | $49 to $299 a month | Moz |
Semrush SEO €134, Starter €190, Pro+ €286. Advanced is custom. | €134 to €286 a month | Semrush |
Surfer Discovery €59, Standard €119, Pro €219, Peace of Mind €359. | €59 to €359 a month | Surfer |
Budget slider
What $500, $1,000, $2,500 and $5,000 a month buys
Move the slider. Each number is the budget divided by the sourced price, so you can see what a quote should cover.
Enough for a part-time freelancer or a real link budget. Backlinko’s survey lists technical fixes and content suggestions at this price, not content creation.
| A month buys | $500 | $1,000 | $2,500 | $5,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freelancer hours | 7 | 14 | 35 | 70 |
| Agency hours | 5 | 10 | 25 | 51 |
| Share of one hire | 5% | 10% | 25% | 51% |
| Freelance articles | 0 to 1 | 1 to 2 | 3 to 6 | 7 to 13 |
| Guest post links, vendor | 1 | 2 | 5 | 10 |
| Digital PR links | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Outrank spend | $298 | $998 | $1,998 | $3,397 |
Unit costs
Cost per article and cost per link
Retainers hide what you get. These charts compare what you pay for one article and one link.
Cost per article
- Outrank, 90 a month$2.88$259 a month, AI-written and published
- Outrank, 30 a month$3.30$99 a month, AI-written and published
- Outrank with human editors$49.93$1,498 a month, editors review every article
- You write it$1673 hours 20 minutes at $50 an hour, Orbit Media 2026
- Freelance writer$375 to $67525 to 45 cents a word, EFA 2026 rates
Cost per link
- Outrank marketplace$128 to $152DR times 4 credits at the Scale rate. Includes the article. Scale is $899 a month.
- Link insertion$212Your link added to an existing post. BuzzStream average.
- Guest post, direct$470You pay the site. BuzzStream average.
- Guest post, vendor$759A middleman writes and places it. BuzzStream average.
- Digital PR$1,250 to $1,500Editorial links from news sites, at any DR. BuzzStream.
Before you sign
Red flags in cheap SEO quotes
All of these come from Google’s own guide to hiring an SEO. Google’s line on rankings is short: “No one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google.”
A guaranteed #1 ranking
Google says no one can guarantee a top spot. If an audit promises first place, Google says to find someone else.
Ask: What results do you expect, by when, and how will you measure them?
A "special relationship" with Google or "priority submit"
Google warns about both. It never takes money to include or rank a site, and appearing in organic results is free.
Ask: Do you follow Google Search Essentials? Show me where this tactic fits in it.
An unsolicited email offering SEO
Google asks you to treat these with the same doubt as miracle diet pills.
Ask: Can you show past work, and can I talk to past clients?
Secret methods
Google says to be careful if a company will not clearly explain what it plans to do. You are responsible for what they do to your site.
Ask: Will you share every change you make and explain why?
Asking for full control before an audit
For an audit, Google says to grant read access to Search Console and no write access.
Ask: What exact access do you need for this stage?
Link schemes and shadow domains
Google lists both as harmful, and spam tactics can get a site demoted or removed from results.
Ask: Where do the links come from, and can I see every one?
Deceptive content made in your name
Google says misleading content an SEO creates for you can get your site removed from results entirely.
Ask: Can I review every page before it goes live?
Bundling ads as a way to rank
Google says advertising has no effect on where you appear in organic results.
Ask: What in this quote is SEO, and what is paid advertising?
Source: Google Search Central. Page updated Jun 5, 2026. Our own test, not Google’s: divide the quote by $98.90. A $300 “full SEO package” buys about 3 hours. Trying to spend very little on purpose? Read our guide to cheap SEO that works.
We make Outrank
The best value for most small businesses and SaaS: $99 a month
We make Outrank, so read this knowing that. Here is what the price covers, and when you should spend your money somewhere else.
What $99 a month includes
- 30 SEO articles a month, written and published to your site
- Unlimited keyword research, done for you
- Automated backlink building through the link exchange
- In-article AI images
- Articles in 150+ languages
- WordPress, Webflow, Shopify, Wix, Framer, Notion and Ghost, plus a webhook for anything else
- Unlimited users
It fits best for
- A small business or SaaS that needs steady content and links, and has no SEO team
- A budget below $500 a month, where a person would only have a few hours
- A team with strategy but not enough writers
From our data: The median Outrank site reaches 2.04× its pre-Outrank Google clicks 7 months after joining, and 2.37× after about 11 months. Sites that join are not a random sample, and results vary. See the full results and limits.
When you should not choose us
- Choose an agency
For a site migration, deep technical problems, digital PR or press coverage, or a competitive market that needs a human strategy. Outrank does not do these.
- Choose an in-house hire
When search is a main channel and the work never stops, and about $9,848 a month is a sensible share of your budget. Someone inside the company also knows the product best.
- Choose a freelancer
For a one-off audit, a clear list of fixes, or managing a Google Business Profile and local reviews. Outrank does none of those.
- Choose expert writers
When your content must come from named experts, such as medical or legal advice. Outrank checks links and dates, not each claim.
How we checked this
Method and sources
We read every number on this page at its source on . No SEO survey is recent and neutral, so we show who ran each one, when, and on how many people. Many of these sources sell SEO services, and so do we.
- Ahrefs: SEO Pricing: How Much Does SEO Cost? 439 People PolledPage updated Aug 15, 2024. 439 SEO providers, each website reviewed by hand. Used for: retainers, hourly rates and project fees.Old. The page does not say when the poll ran, so treat it as at least two years old. Its averages assume each provider charges the top of their price band, its summary and body name different most common hourly rates, and it gives two most common bands for freelancers. We use the body figure and the $251 to $500 band.
- Backlinko: SEO Pricing: How Much Does SEO Cost?Page updated Dec 29, 2025. "Over 300" SEO professionals, exact count not given. Used for: package tiers, what each tier includes, hourly and project bands.The survey dates and method are not published.
- WebFX: SEO Pricing: How Much Does SEO Cost?Live price read Oct 31, 2026. One agency’s published prices. Used for: a real published agency price.WebFX sells SEO, and this is one company’s price.
- BuzzStream: Link Building Pricing and Costs (Updated for 2026)Prices as of Oct 20, 2026. 257,267 sites for guest posts and 62,916 sites for link insertions. Used for: cost per link by type and by Domain Rating.List prices from marketplace data. BuzzStream sells outreach software.
- Editorial.Link: Link Building StatisticsPage updated Mar 25, 2026. 518 SEO professionals, 412 answered the price question. Used for: what SEOs consider an acceptable price for one link.This is an opinion, not a market price. Editorial.Link sells link building.
- Editorial Freelancers Association: 2026 Editorial RatesSurvey Nov 2025 to mid-Jan 2026. Over 1,100 members. Used for: freelance blog writing rates per word and per hour.General editorial freelancers, not only SEO writers. The rates are median ranges.
- Orbit Media: Blogging Statistics 20262026 edition. 1,042 content marketers. Used for: average time to write a blog post.
- Indeed: SEO Specialist Salary in the United StatesPage updated Oct 17, 2026. 891 salaries from job postings over 36 months. Used for: SEO specialist base salary.
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics: Market Research Analysts: Occupational Outlook HandbookMay 2025 wage data. National wage survey. Used for: low end of the in-house salary range.BLS has no SEO category. This is the closest occupation, and it is broader than SEO.
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employer Costs for Employee CompensationJune 2026 data. Private industry workers. Used for: benefits share of the cost of an employee.An average across all private jobs, not SEO roles.
- Google Search Central: Do you need an SEO?Page updated Jun 5, 2026. Official guidance. Used for: red flags and the questions to ask an SEO.
- Google Search Central: Spam policies for Google web searchPage updated Aug 28, 2026. Official policy. Used for: how Google treats paid links and link exchanges.
- Ahrefs: Ahrefs pricingLive price read Oct 31, 2026. Vendor price list. Used for: software prices.
- Moz: Moz Pro pricingLive price read Oct 31, 2026. Vendor price list. Used for: software prices.
- Semrush: Semrush pricingLive price read Oct 31, 2026. Vendor price list. Used for: software prices.Semrush showed us euro prices because we checked from France. The currency you see depends on where you are.
- Surfer: Surfer pricingLive price read Oct 31, 2026. Vendor price list. Used for: software prices.Surfer showed us euro prices because we checked from France. The currency you see depends on where you are.
How the budget chooser works
- Freelancer: low end from the most common bands, typical from Ahrefs’ averages ($1,348, or $1,150 for local), high end from Ahrefs’ note that 68.8% charge $2,000 or less, and Backlinko’s most common band. Large or very competitive uses Backlinko’s $2,501 to $5,000 tier.
- Agency: typical from Ahrefs’ averages ($3,209, or $1,819 for local), up to the $5,000 top of Ahrefs’ main range. Large or very competitive uses Backlinko’s $5,000+ tier, up to the $10,000 Ahrefs names as the usual top.
- In-house: from $78,760 a year in salary alone to $118,173 a year with benefits. We assume about 173 paid hours a month.
- DIY: Ahrefs plans as the price example, because Ahrefs showed us dollar prices. Time from Orbit Media’s average per post.
- Technical goal: one-off project fees from Ahrefs and Backlinko, not monthly prices.
- Hours bought: the monthly price divided by the average hourly rate for that kind of provider. That is our calculation, and real retainers vary.
- The best-value label is our judgment, using these prices. We make Outrank, so check the reasoning.
It runs in your browser. Nothing you pick is sent to us. Outrank prices come from our own pricing configuration.
FAQ
SEO pricing: questions
Short answers, each drawn from the sources above.
