How much does an SEO agency cost?

Multi-location and ecommerce programs run from about $2,500 to $15,000 a month, and one-off audits and setups add a few hundred to a few thousand dollars on top. Settr Search does the monthly work from $79/month.

What do SEO agencies charge per month?

Prices depend on how competitive your market is, how many locations you have and how much content the work includes. These are the ranges published by the largest provider survey and by agencies' own pricing guides:

Read these as ranges, not quotes. Most published pricing comes from companies that sell SEO, and the surveys record what providers ask, not what buyers paid. Digital Applied's 2026 pricing roundup makes the same point, and adds that you should only compare quotes when the scope, deliverables and hours match.

Why is the average so much higher than the typical price?

Because a few large retainers pull it up. Ahrefs found an average of $2,917 a month, yet the single most common band was $501 to $1,000, and 68.8% of providers charged $2,000 or less. Ecommerce programs at $5,000 to $15,000 sit in the same average as a local plumber's retainer.

For a local business, the useful numbers are the local ones: an average of $1,557 a month among providers serving local markets in the Ahrefs survey, and $300 to $2,000 in CodeWCG's local pricing guide.

How do SEO providers bill?

In the Ahrefs survey, 78.2% of providers bill a monthly retainer, 48.9% bill per project and 34.8% bill by the hour. Many use more than one model, which is why the three add up to more than 100%.

The average hourly rate was $111, and the most common band was $75 to $100 an hour. By provider type, freelancers averaged about $72 an hour, agencies about $99 and consultants about $171. Ahrefs calculated those averages from the top of each respondent's price band, so read them as ceilings. Per project, the most common fee was $2,501 to $5,000.

What does a monthly SEO retainer usually include?

There is no standard retainer, so ask for the list in writing. Google's guide to hiring an SEO lists the useful services an SEO can provide:

• a review of your site's content or structure
• technical advice on website development, such as hosting, redirects, error pages and JavaScript
• content development
• management of online business development campaigns
• keyword research
• SEO training
• expertise in specific markets and geographies
• optimizing for generative AI

For a local business, a complete monthly program also covers your Google Business Profile, your listings across directories, and rank tracking across the area you serve, not just from one spot. Today it should also check whether AI apps like ChatGPT can reach your site, and whether their answers mention you.

What do SEO quotes often leave out?

• Setup and audits. One-time local setups usually fall between $500 and $2,500, according to CodeWCG, and a standalone audit costs about $1,000, according to IndoorMedia. Both are often billed before the retainer starts.
• The minimum term. CodeWCG says six and twelve month retainer contracts are common, and that a good agency should accept a shorter first term of two to three months.
• Content beyond the monthly quota. Extra pages and posts are usually priced on top.
• Redirects during a website rebuild. If your web addresses change, every old one needs to point to its new one. Google's site move guide asks you to map each old URL to its new URL with permanent redirects and keep them for at least a year. Ask who does that, and whether it is in the price.
• Who owns what. Make sure your Google Business Profile, Search Console, analytics and content stay yours if you leave, a point IndoorMedia's guide makes as well.

What red flags does the industry name itself?

Google's guide is blunt: “No one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google.” It tells you to beware of SEOs that claim to guarantee rankings, allege a “special relationship” with Google, or advertise a “priority submit” to Google. It also reminds you that “you are responsible for the actions of any companies you hire.”

Agencies' own pricing guides add more. Webtonic flags results promised within eight weeks, contracts of 12 months or more with no exit, and link promises nobody will explain. CodeWCG treats a $199 a month “full local SEO service” as a likely red flag.

That last one deserves a straight answer from us, since Settr Search starts from $79/month. A low price is a warning when it is meant to pay for hours of a person's work that cannot exist at that price. Agents change what the work costs: software crawls, checks, tracks and drafts, and you approve what goes public. The test is the same either way. You should be able to see every change.

What does AI change, and what does it not?

Much of the monthly work can now run on its own. Page writing and Google Business Profile posts can be drafted by AI and approved by the owner. Two things do not change: reviews come from your customers, and links come from real sites that choose to mention you. A provider who says it automates those is describing what Google's spam policies call link spam, or what its Business Profile policy calls fake engagement.

Should you hire an agency, run tools yourself, or use AI agents?

What should you ask any SEO provider?

Google suggests questions to ask before you hire anyone. These are the ones that matter most for a small business, in Google's words where we quote it:

• “Will you share with me all the changes you make to my site, and provide detailed information about your recommendations and the reasoning behind them?”
• “What kind of results do you expect to see, and in what timeframe? How do you measure your success?”
• “Do you follow the Google Search Essentials (previously known as Webmaster Guidelines)?”
• “What's your experience in my industry?” and “in my country/city?”
• “How can I expect to communicate with you?”
• Our addition: who owns my Search Console, Business Profile and domain, and what happens to the work if I leave?

Settr Search answers these in the product: every change is in your room with a before and after, progress is measured against a baseline recorded on day one, and you stay the owner of every account. How Settr Search replaces an agency walks through it.