In today's ever-evolving digital landscape, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) remains a cornerstone for businesses aiming to boost their online visibility and drive organic traffic. However, one of the most common questions is how much does SEO cost? 

Understanding SEO pricing is essential for businesses to manage budgets effectively and achieve desired results. That’s why we’ve analyzed 350 SEO agencies and 706 SEO packages to give you clear insights into SEO pricing and save you valuable time on research. 

Using verified data from Clutch, we focused on agencies with strong client reviews, transparent pricing, and a global reach. By breaking down hourly rates, project sizes, and monthly packages, we uncovered key trends to help you make informed decisions.

We’re committed to keeping this information current and valuable, with regular updates to reflect the latest developments in the SEO industry.

Key Takeaways:

• Average SEO Hourly Rate: $115.61/hour
• Average Minimum SEO Project Size: $3,500
• Average SEO Monthly Retainer: starting around $1,159.89
• Average SEO Pricing by Regions: $65.28/hour

SEO Pricing Models

SEO pricing isn't one-size-fits-all; it varies based on several factors, including the scope of work, expertise required, and desired outcomes. Here are the primary SEO pricing models prevalent in 2025:

Hourly SEO Pricing

Average Hourly Rate: Approximately $115.61/hour based on an analysis of 350 SEO agencies.

Hourly pricing offers flexibility, allowing businesses to pay only for the hours worked. However, costs can increase if the project is extended longer than anticipated.

The average cost of hiring an SEO company on Clutch ranges between $100-$149 per hour.

Suitable Scenarios:

• Consultations: Ideal for businesses needing expert advice on specific issues.
• Small Projects: When the scope is limited, such as keyword research or a site audit.
• Flexible Needs: Companies that require sporadic SEO assistance.

Project-Based SEO Pricing

Average Project Cost: the average minimum project size costs $3,500.

The average SEO package price is $1,159.89 based on an analysis of 697 SEO agencies. 

• Small Projects (50–100 hours): $5,780 – $11,561
• Medium Projects (100–200 hours): $11,561 – $23,122
• Large Projects (200+ hours): $23,122+

Note for SEO package prices: this is the pricing for small, medium, and large projects calculated based on estimated hours and hourly rates.

Project-based pricing involves a flat fee for a specific scope of work. It provides clarity on deliverables and costs upfront, which helps in budgeting. 

Suitable Scenarios:

• Specific Objectives: Website redesigns, content overhauls, or technical SEO fixes.
• Fixed Budget Projects: When businesses have a set budget for a particular project.
• One-Time Needs: Ideal for companies not requiring ongoing SEO services.

Monthly Retainers SEO Pricing

Average Monthly Retainer: starting around $1,159.89 (basic packages for 10–15 hours of work).

So, how much is SEO per month? Here’s the final analysis based on our data:

• Basic Retainers (10–15 hours/month): Pricing starts at $1,159.89 and ranges up to $1,800.
• Mid-Tier Retainers (20–25 hours/month): Pricing ranges from $2,312.20 to $2,890.25.
• High-Tier Retainers (30–40 hours/month): Pricing starts at $3,500 and can exceed $4,600.

Note: this is the pricing for basic, mid-tier and high-tier retainers based on average hours worked and costs.

Monthly retainers are the most popular pricing model, offering consistent support and regular reporting. This model aligns the agency's goals with the client's success, fostering a collaborative environment for achieving long-term results.

Suitable Scenarios:

• Ongoing SEO Efforts: For continuous optimization and maintenance.
• Long-Term Partnerships: Businesses seeking to build a lasting relationship with an SEO agency.
• Comprehensive Services: When a range of SEO activities is required regularly.

Average SEO Pricing by Region

Overall Average SEO Pricing (All Regions): $65.28/hour‍

This data from Clutch provides insights into global SEO pricing trends, helping businesses understand cost expectations by region.

SEO Pricing by Business Type

The size and nature of your business significantly influence SEO costs.

• Small Businesses: Monthly retainers range from $1,159.89 to $1,800, ideal for businesses needing 10–15 hours per month of basic SEO services such as local SEO or small campaigns.
• Medium-Sized Businesses: Expect to pay between $2,312.20 and $2,890.25 for 20–25 hours of SEO work, including content creation, on-page SEO, and strategic growth efforts.
• Enterprise SEO Pricing: These companies, requiring 30–40 hours of advanced SEO services, will typically see costs from $3,500 to $4,600+ per month, focusing on comprehensive strategies, technical SEO, and national reach.
• Ecommerce SEO Pricing: For large-scale SEO services, including product page optimization and detailed campaign management, pricing can range from $5,780 to $11,561 for 50–100 hours of SEO each month.

SEO Pricing by Industry

Here’s an analysis of typical SEO pricing for different industries based on the monthly retainers SEO pricing data with the specific needs of each industry:

1. Healthcare: SEO for healthcare providers typically focuses on local SEO, content optimization, and medical SEO strategies. The costs for healthcare SEO services usually start around $1,500 to $5,000/month, depending on the complexity of the services offered and the region.
2. Real Estate: Real estate businesses often require a mix of local and national SEO, including property listings, real estate-specific content, and optimization for Google Maps. Monthly retainers range from $2,000 to $5,000 for smaller projects, but more complex real estate websites can cost upwards of $6,000+ per month.
3. E-commerce: E-commerce websites, due to their dynamic content, extensive product pages, and high level of competition, typically require comprehensive SEO strategies. Pricing for e-commerce SEO services usually starts at $3,000/month and can exceed $10,000/month for larger businesses with extensive product catalogs and nationwide reach.
4. Legal Services: SEO for law firms focuses on local SEO, content creation (e.g., blog posts, landing pages), and keyword optimization for highly competitive legal terms. Monthly SEO retainers generally range from $1,500 to $6,000 depending on the type of legal services (e.g., personal injury, family law, corporate law).
5. Finance & Banking: Financial institutions require SEO strategies that ensure compliance with regulations while targeting competitive financial keywords. SEO pricing for this industry typically starts around $2,500/month and can go beyond $7,000/month for larger financial services firms or banks.
6. Education: Educational institutions and online courses require SEO to attract prospective students, with a focus on content marketing, keyword optimization, and local SEO. Pricing for education-related SEO services ranges from $1,000 to $5,000 per month, depending on the institution's size and marketing goals.
7. Travel & Hospitality: The travel and hospitality industry requires SEO strategies that highlight destinations, hotels, and travel packages. SEO prices range from $2,500 to $6,000 per month, but larger agencies and international travel platforms may see pricing starting at $8,000/month and higher.

SEO Pricing by Service Type

SEO services vary widely depending on the specific needs of your business. Here’s a brief overview of popular SEO service types and their average hourly cost:

This data was sourced from Clutch, an established B2B review and ratings platform.

• Link Building ($25–$49/hour): Enhances your website’s ranking by acquiring high-quality backlinks from reputable sites, boosting your site’s authority and visibility.
• Local SEO services pricing ($100–$149/hour): Optimizes your website to rank higher in local search results, ideal for businesses like lawyers, dentists, and retail stores looking to attract nearby customers.
• Multilingual SEO ($25–$49/hour): Optimizes your website for multiple languages, allowing you to reach a global audience and rank in different regions.
• On-Page (On-Site) SEO ($25–$49/hour): Focuses on improving elements like keywords, meta tags, and content on your website to increase visibility and improve rankings.
• Technical SEO ($25–$49/hour): Improves your website’s backend, enhancing site speed, structure, and crawlability to ensure better performance and higher search rankings.
• SEO Content Creation ($100–$149/hour): Involves creating high-quality, optimized content to improve your site’s ranking and engage your target audience.
• SEO Mobile Optimization ($25–$49/hour): Ensures your website is fully optimized for mobile devices, providing a seamless experience and better rankings on mobile search results.

How We Collected and Analyzed the Data

To provide you with accurate and reliable information on SEO pricing in 2025, we conducted a comprehensive analysis based on data from reputable sources. This section details our data collection methods, selection criteria, and analytical processes to ensure transparency and legitimacy.

Data Source

Our primary source of data is Clutch.co, specifically focusing on the Top SEO Firms with 15+ Reviews. Clutch.co is a well-respected platform that features verified reviews and ratings of agencies across various industries, including SEO. By selecting firms with at least 15 client reviews, we ensured that the agencies included in our analysis have a substantial track record and credible client feedback.

Selection Criteria

We selected a total of 350 SEO agencies (filtered out of 662 Companies) based on the following criteria:

1. Minimum of 15 Client Reviews: Agencies must have at least 15 verified client reviews on Clutch to be included. This ensures a reliable assessment of their performance and pricing.
2. Disclosed Pricing Information: Agencies that publicly listed their hourly rates and minimum project sizes. This transparency is crucial for accurate analysis.
3. Geographical Representation: Inclusion of agencies from diverse regions, including North America, Europe, Asia, and others, to provide a global perspective.
4. Service Focus: Firms that specialize in SEO services, including on-page SEO, off-page SEO, technical SEO, and local SEO.
5. Exclusion of Incomplete Data: Agencies with undisclosed pricing or insufficient information were excluded to maintain data integrity.

Data Dimensions

To enhance our analysis, we included additional data dimensions beyond standard hourly rates and project sizes. These dimensions provide a nuanced understanding of SEO pricing:

1. Pricing by Service Type:
   • Collected pricing data for specialized SEO services, including technical SEO, local SEO, and on-page SEO.
   • Segmented pricing to identify variations based on service offerings.
2. Pricing by Location:
   • Gathered hourly rates and project sizes from agencies across diverse regions.
   • Analyzed pricing differences between North America, Europe, Asia, and other locations.
3. SEO Plans/Packages (Monthly):
   • Collected 706 SEO packages listed on Clutch, focusing on recurring monthly plans.
   • Data included agency names and starting package prices, providing insights into typical ongoing SEO costs.

Data Collection Process

1. Data Extraction: We extracted publicly available data from Clutch.co for each selected agency, including:
   • Agency Name
   • Location
   • Hourly Rate
   • Minimum Project Size
   • Client Ratings
   • Number of Reviews
2. Data Verification: Cross-referenced agency websites and other reputable sources to confirm the accuracy of the extracted data.
3. Data Compilation: Organized the data into a structured format for analysis, ensuring consistency in units (e.g., converting all hourly rates to USD).

Data Processing and Analysis

To derive meaningful insights from the collected data, we performed the following analytical steps:

1. Standardizing Hourly Rates

• Dealing with Ranges: For hourly rates presented as ranges (e.g., "$50 - $99/hour"), we calculated the midpoint to standardize the data.
  • Example: For "$50 - $99/hour," the midpoint is calculated as (50 + 99) ÷ 2 = $74.5/hour.
• Single Values with "+": For rates like "$300+/hour," we used the base value ($300) for conservative estimates.
• "Less Than" Values: For rates listed as "< $25/hour," we assumed an average of $20/hour.

2. Calculating Average Hourly Rate

• Total Sum of Hourly Rates: Multiplied the number of agencies in each rate bracket by the standardized rate.
• Weighted Average: Calculated by dividing the total sum of hourly rates by the total number of agencies.

3. Standardizing Minimum Project Sizes

• Assigned Base Values: We used the base value for calculations for project sizes listed as "$1,000+," "$5,000+," etc..

4. Calculating Average Minimum Project Size

• Total Sum of Project Sizes: Multiplied the number of agencies in each project size bracket by the assigned base value.
• Weighted Average: Determined by dividing the total sum by the number of agencies.

Ensuring Data Legitimacy

• Verification of Agency Profiles: Only included agencies with verified profiles and client testimonials on Clutch.co.
• Cross-Validation: Checked agency data against other reputable sources like agency websites, LinkedIn profiles, and industry reports.
• Transparency in Assumptions: Clearly stated any assumptions made during data processing (e.g., using midpoints for ranges).

Limitations and Considerations

While we strived for utmost accuracy, it's important to acknowledge certain limitations:

• Data Availability: Only agencies that disclosed their pricing were included, potentially excluding relevant agencies with undisclosed rates.
• Dynamic Pricing Models: SEO pricing can be highly customized; thus, the averages may not reflect bespoke pricing models.
• Market Changes: The SEO industry is dynamic, and pricing trends can shift rapidly due to market conditions, technological advancements, and changes in search engine algorithms.

Final Thoughts

SEO remains an essential tool for businesses seeking to improve their online presence. Understanding SEO pricing structures is important to making an informed decision that aligns with your goals and budget. With the right strategy and provider, SEO can significantly boost your visibility, drive targeted traffic, and increase your business’s growth and success over time.