We consistently recommend that agencies base their SEO pricing for clients on the time invested in managing those accounts rather than the expenses of the tools employed in delivering the service, such as the cost of Hike.
Our suggestion is to determine your charges by considering your hourly rate and the amount of SEO work that you have planned to complete for the client.
There are other ways in which agencies price their SEO work, including:
- Keyword Pricing: While charging based on keywords targeted is a strategy, we recommend pricing based on hours due to the fluid nature of SEO work. It helps justify the work done behind the scenes, giving clients a clearer insight into what they are paying for.
- Free Until Ranking Offers: While enticing, these promises can be risky and unsustainable. The unpredictable nature of SEO doesn't guarantee rankings, and such models could compromise your revenue.
Many agencies, consultants, and freelancers prefer a retainer model for their SEO services. This approach is popular primarily for two reasons.
- SEO typically involves extensive work, and spreading costs and time allocations over an extended period tends to simplify budgeting for both the client and the agency.
- SEO is not an overnight process, and even well-implemented strategies can require months before you begin to witness the desired outcomes.
We recommend establishing a 12-month roadmap outlining the specific tasks you'll tackle each month. This plan allows you to set a monthly fee based on your standard hourly charge, offering clients a consistent monthly retainer for your SEO expertise.
Here's a glimpse of what such a strategy might include:
| Activity | Method/Tool | Frequency | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Creating or reviewing the keyword strategy | Hike’s keyword ideas tool | Quarterly | 2-4 hours (depends on site size) |
| Crafting a landing page strategy | Hike’s sitemap keyword assignment tool | Quarterly | 2-4 hours (depends on site size) |
| Creating or updating content strategy | Hike’s content ideas tool and competitor analysis tool | Quarterly | 4+ hours (depends on site size) |
| Conducting a ‘content’ website audit | Hike’s action engine (for necessary changes) | Quarterly | 4+ hours (depends on site size) |
| Conducting a 'technical' website audit | Hike’s action engine (for necessary changes) | Monthly | First month: 4+ hours; Ongoing: 1-2 hours (depends on site size) |
| Competitor analysis | Hike’s competitor audit tool | Quarterly | 4+ hours (depends on site size) |
| Link building | Hike’s backlink opportunities and journalist outreach tools | Monthly or Bi-monthly | 2-4 hours per link |
| Conducting a link audit | Hike’s backlink tool | Month 2 | 4 hours |
| Reporting | Hike’s reporting tool | Monthly | 2+ hours (depending on the size of the report) |
In addition to this, you may want to offer various tiers of service offerings to cater to different client needs and budgets, such as Bronze, Silver, and Gold packages. This breakdown makes it easy for clients to choose the commitment level that suits their needs, which could be 4, 6, or 8 hours of dedicated SEO work per month, or however you want to frame it.
In summary, setting the right price for your SEO services means showing clients the real work you're putting in, not just the tools you're using. It's smart to have a clear plan that spreads out over an extended period of time and explains what you're doing each month. This way, clients can see why SEO takes time and why they're paying each month. Also, offering different service levels makes it easier for clients to pick what they can afford and what matches their needs. This strategy helps build trust with your clients and sets your agency up as a key player in helping their business grow.