Local SEO is crucial for small businesses that want to rank higher in SERPs and reach local customers. Though many local search optimization tactics can be done on your own for free, working with experienced local SEO strategists may be a more effective way to boost your online presence. Below is a comprehensive cost breakdown of local SEO services this year.
Factors Influencing Local SEO Cost
Businesses investing in local SEO must remember there isn’t a set price for this marketing service. To gain a better understanding of the cost of local SEO for your business, consider the following factors.
Type of Local SEO Service
Citation building, local search audits, and link building are all examples of local search services your business may be offered in a bundled local SEO plan. For a full-service local SEO package, you might pay anywhere from $1,500 to $5,000 per month.
However, many of these services are offered a la carte by marketing agencies and freelancers. So, estimating your overall local SEO costs will depend on which sub-services you’re interested in. Here’s the going rate for the most common local SEO services.
| Local SEO Service | Average Cost |
| Local Search Audit | $200 to $15,000 per audit |
| Local Link Building | $100 to $250 per link |
| Local Citation Building | $100 to $200 per month |
| Google Business Profile | $400 one-time or recurring |
| Directory Management | $200 one-time or recurring |
The cost of other local search services, like keyword research and content creation, are more difficult to estimate because they’re often included in (or considered extensions of) typical local SEO services.
If your local SEO budget is tight and you can’t afford all of these services—or if you have extra cash to splurge on certain categories—Hurrdat’s Local Search Director, Alexi Wilt, says,
“Regardless of your business’ budget, prioritize optimizing your website and Google Business Profile because Google Business Profile signals and on-page signals are most important to your local SEO strategy. They make up 51% of the local pack ranking factors.”
Scope of Local SEO Services
- Basic Local SEO Package (Google Business Profile management, NAP data audit, local citation optimization): $1,500 to $2,500 per month
- Comprehensive Local SEO Package (Content strategy, technical local SEO strategies, listing management, monthly reporting): $3,000 to $5,000+ per month
If you’re a new business owner, basic local SEO services a la carte will probably be all you need to get started building your online presence and creating a Google Business Profile. For more established businesses, you may want to invest in more advanced local SEO services on an ongoing basis to continue ranking on Google and attracting local traffic.
Size of Your Business
- Small Business Local SEO Cost: $400 to $2,500 per month
- National Business Local SEO Cost: $2,500 to $5,000 per month
Smaller businesses with more limited offerings should expect to spend less on local SEO than multi-location businesses with a fuller product or service list. Here’s what to ask yourself about your business before creating an annual local SEO budget:
- How many locations do you have? The more locations, the more Google Business Profiles and citations will need to be created and managed, driving the cost up.
- Are your locations near one another or spread across a larger region? Having locations close together will likely make your local SEO cost lower because optimizing for a concentrated area requires less work than starting from scratch in each new city.
- Do you offer a wide range of products and services? All of your products and services should have their own localized webpages and prominence in Google Business Profile. So, the lengthier your offerings, the higher your budget should be.
- What is your business niche? If your industry is highly technical, your local SEO strategy will be more costly because it’ll take more time researching your niche and educating your audience.
- How many main competitors do you have? Typically, very saturated markets require complex, expensive local SEO strategies to outrank many top players.
Estimated Project Time
- Less than 10 Hours: $500 to $1,500 per month
- More than 10 Hours: $1,500 to $5,000+ per month
The size of your local SEO project affects how long it will take to complete, and the longer the duration, the higher the cost. The duration of your local SEO project depends on which services you need and whether you’re investing in a one-time or long-term local optimization strategy.
One-time local SEO services take less time to complete than ongoing local SEO plans, meaning they are typically more affordable. So, if you’re a small business owner with basic local SEO needs, your total cost will trend lower since much of the initial local SEO strategy is a one-time service that doesn’t need routine maintenance. Large business seeking a more comprehensive SEO strategy that requires recurring services will likely face costs on the higher end since it’ll take more time per month to manage.
Level of Expertise
- DIY: $
- Freelance: $$
- Agency: $$$
Who you get to complete the work is one of the largest factors in the cost of local SEO. On the low end, you can enroll in free local SEO courses and manage your own strategy at little to no cost. With this approach, you have complete control over the direction of projects and always know exactly what’s being done. But you probably have limited time and experience with local SEO, making the potential for mistakes or missed opportunities much higher.
The next tier up is outsourcing the work to freelancers or employees. This option frees up your time and gives you more expertise, but you risk both communication and the quality of work being inconsistent. Generally, freelance local SEOs charge $100-$250 per project or $50-$150 an hour.
Or you could choose the most expensive option, hiring a full-service digital marketing agency to run your local SEO strategy for you. On the high end, a local SEO agency could cost up to $5,000 per project or $2,000 a month. That fee grants you access to resources and knowledge that the DIY or contracted approaches don’t have. And you’re not left questioning a local SEO agency‘s quality of work or how they talk with clients because many already have a proven track record with case studies and success stories to back them up.
Common Local SEO Pricing Models
Local search optimization costs vary from business to business and depend on whether you’re taking advantage of automated local SEO tools, partnering with a freelancer, working with an agency, or trying a combination of these options. While there is no “exact” price, you can still calculate roughly how much of your marketing budget to allocate for local SEO services using the following pricing models.
One-Time Payment
- Automated Local SEO Tools: $80 to $1,000 per year
- Freelance: $100 to $250 per project
- Agency: $300 to $5,000 per project
One-time services are generally project-based or results-based, and are typically paid in a lump sum. These rates vary based on the number of sub-services offered, but it’s important to note that one-time payment services don’t involve an ongoing local SEO strategy, meaning it’s unlikely you’ll remain competitive unless you continue maintenance on your own.
If you choose this local SEO pricing model, you can expect a series of tasks be completed at once. Then, you should revisit your local search optimization six months after your one-time payment to see where your business stands in local results. This will help you determine whether to refresh your optimization yourself or consider hiring a freelancer or agency.
Recurring Payments
- Automated Local SEO Tools: $50 to $600 per month
- Freelance: $50 to $150 per hour
- Agency: $300 to $2,000 per month
With recurring payments, you’ll see a certain set of tasks finished on a regular basis. This local SEO pricing model is best for those with many ongoing tasks and a complete local SEO strategy. Services like directory management and local link building lend well to a regular payment plan since they should be ongoing, long-term techniques.
Though this pricing model may seem more costly than one-time payments, it could save you money in the long run since you’re able to stack multiple services together instead of having to pay for each individually.
Looking for help with local SEO? Hurrdat Marketing’s experienced team of local SEO experts offers a variety of website and local SEO services—including Google Business Profile setup and other Local Search Fuel solutions. Contact us today to learn more!
