How much should a small business pay for SEO per month?
Most small businesses pay between $500 and $2,000 a month. Ahrefs surveyed 439 SEO providers and found 42.8% of monthly retainers fall in the $501–$2,000 band, with $501–$1,000 the single most common range. SE Ranking found 64% of agencies charge under $1,000. The surveys are self-reported, so treat them as a benchmark, not a quote.
Search for what SEO costs and you get a dozen round numbers with no source. Two surveys of the people who actually sell SEO exist, and they are worth reading side by side because they measure different things. We have not averaged them together, because that would invent a figure neither survey reported.
How much do SEO retainers cost per month?
Per month, the middle of the market is $500 to $2,000. Ahrefs found the most popular retainer range is $501–$1,000 (20.4% of providers) and 68.8% of retainers are $2,000 or less. SE Ranking found 64% of agencies charge under $1,000 and 30% under $500.
| Measure | Ahrefs survey | SE Ranking survey |
|---|---|---|
| Who answered | 439 SEO service providers | 260 responses (170 survey, 90 agency-catalog listings) |
| Most common monthly retainer | $501–$1,000 (20.4%) | $500–$1,000 |
| Retainers of $2,000 or less | 68.8% | Not reported |
| Agencies under $1,000 a month | Not reported | 64% |
| Agencies under $500 a month | Not reported | 30% |
| Average agency retainer | $3,209 | Not reported |
| Average freelancer retainer | $1,348.63 | Not reported |
Note the gap between the most common price and the average. Ahrefs' agency average of $3,209 is pulled up by a small number of expensive providers, which is why the most common band is a better guide to what a typical small business will actually be quoted.
Is a retainer the only way to pay for SEO?
No. Retainers are the most common model, but hourly and per-project pricing are widespread. Ahrefs found 78.2% of providers sell monthly retainers, 48.9% price per project and 34.8% charge hourly. Providers could pick more than one model, so those shares add up to more than 100%.
| Pricing model | Most common range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly retainer | $501–$1,000 | Ahrefs, 439 providers |
| Hourly | $75–$100 (24% of providers); average $111/hour | Ahrefs, 439 providers |
| Hourly | $50–$100 (45% of agencies) | SE Ranking, 260 responses |
| Per project | $2,501–$5,000 (21.2% of providers) | Ahrefs, 439 providers |
| Per project | $500–$2,000 (about 66% of agencies) | SE Ranking, 260 responses |
What does a very small local business typically pay?
Ahrefs puts the average for small businesses at about $1,557 a month, the same as its local SEO average, with 42% of providers charging small businesses $250–$1,000. Local work averaged $1,557 against $3,473.74 for providers worldwide, so a single-location business should expect the lower end.
- Local SEO average: $1,557.08 a month, against $3,473.74 for worldwide campaigns (Ahrefs).
- Local project average: $5,723.53, against $8,056.56 worldwide (Ahrefs).
- Local hourly average: $93.89, against $106.69 worldwide (Ahrefs).
What should you check before paying any retainer?
Check what you are buying, not just what it costs. A retainer should name its deliverables, report impressions and clicks by month, and state how long it takes to see movement. A low price with vague scope is the most common way small businesses overpay.
- Ask for the monthly deliverables in writing: pages written, fixes made, links earned.
- Ask for Search Console access in your own name, so the figures are yours to audit.
- Ask what the first three months are for. Our own four months of Search Console data show clicks lagging impressions, so a flat month two is not proof of failure.
- Ask whether AI-assistant visibility is included. Answer-engine work is a separate deliverable from classic rankings.
- Check the contract length. A twelve-month lock-in on a retainer you cannot measure is the real risk.
How reliable are these numbers?
Treat them as benchmarks. Both surveys are self-reported by providers who chose to respond, and neither is a random sample. Ahrefs' article was last updated in August 2024 and SE Ranking's is dated December 2024, so prices today may be somewhat higher. Neither survey measures what the work delivered.
Our own prices for website, care-plan and AI-visibility work are published on our pricing page rather than buried in this article, so they cannot drift out of date here. For how long results take, see our four-month Search Console write-up; for the AI side, see what answer engine optimization services include.