Most local SEO agencies charge somewhere between $500 and $3,000 a month, and some also sell hourly help or one-time projects. At Provo SEO Pros, ongoing local SEO starts at $900 a month plus a $500 setup, and a one-time roadmap starts at $2,500. What is included matters more than the price tag.
Rich Soto has been doing SEO for local businesses since 2001, and we publish our starting prices right here, which most agencies guard like a secret family recipe. [Leans in, whispers.] The secret ingredient is a number.
If you typed "how much does SEO cost" into Google, congratulations: you just did your first bit of SEO research, and I did not even send you an invoice. The honest answer is "it depends," which is the second most annoying phrase in English, right after "we need to talk." So this post skips the shrugging.
You will see our real prices, what money actually buys at each level, the red flags, and the moment when paying for SEO is not worth it yet. [Cracks knuckles. Regrets it. Continues typing.]
On this page
- What we charge
- What most local businesses pay
- What each budget buys
- What makes SEO cost more or less
- A pattern we see all the time
- Red flags
- Questions to ask before you pay
- When SEO is not worth it yet
- Is SEO worth it for your business?
- SEO cost questions
What does Provo SEO Pros charge for SEO?
These are our starting prices, with no "call for a quote" button that leads to a very long pitch. Scope and terms are confirmed in writing before any work begins.
| Plan | Starting price |
|---|---|
| Local Visibility Starter | from $900/mo + $500 setup |
| Local Visibility Blueprint | from $2,500, one time |
| SEO & AI Search Optimization | from $2,500/mo |
| Guided Implementation | from $7,500 + $2,500/mo |
| Local Authority Managed Growth | from $15,000 + $4,500/mo |
Ongoing monthly plans have a 6-month minimum.
Yes, a price table, in a blog post, in public. [Somewhere, a marketing consultant faints onto a beanbag.] Every plan has more detail on our pricing page, so you can read the fine print without me standing over your shoulder humming.
How much do most local businesses pay for SEO?
Most local SEO agencies charge somewhere between $500 and $3,000 a month. That is a wide range, roughly the gap between a used lawnmower and a used truck, and yes, I know both have engines. Where you land depends on how many locations you have, how crowded your market is and how much work you hand off.
SEO is usually sold one of three ways:
| How it is sold | How it works |
|---|---|
| Monthly retainer | A set amount each month for ongoing work. The most common setup for local businesses. |
| One-time project | A fixed price for a defined job, like an audit, a roadmap or a batch of service pages. |
| Hourly | You pay for time, usually for advice or one specific fix. |
Hourly SEO is great if you enjoy watching a clock the way other people watch fireworks. [Checks watch. Watch is judging me.] Most owners just want the monthly number, and honestly, same.
And then there is the $199 plan. You have met it: it lives in your inbox, calls you "Dear Business Owner," and is somehow always "guaranteed." Hold that thought, because it comes back later, like a sequel nobody asked for.
What does SEO cost at each budget level?
Roughly: under $500 a month buys a little upkeep, $500 to $3,000 buys real ongoing work on one location, and more than that usually means several locations, a tough market or a lot of done-for-you work. This is practitioner consensus based on what agencies sell, not a published standard.
| Monthly budget | What it usually covers | Usually a fit for |
|---|---|---|
| Under $500 | Basic listing upkeep and a report. Rarely enough time for new pages or real fixes. | Owners doing most of the work themselves |
| $500 to $3,000 | Google Business Profile work, listings, service page improvements, review requests and reporting for one location | Most single-location service businesses |
| Over $3,000 | More pages, more locations, more competitive markets, or full done-for-you marketing | Multi-location businesses and very competitive markets |
Here is the goofy version: $150 a month buys about as much SEO as $150 buys drywall. [Holds up one sad sheet of drywall.] It is real drywall, it is just not a house.
Our Local Visibility Starter sits in that middle band, at $900 a month plus a $500 setup. I would love to tell you I picked that number with a dartboard, but it is just what the work takes for one location, done properly.
What makes SEO cost more or less?
Five things move the price the most:
- How many locations you have. Each one has its own Google Business Profile, listings and pages to look after.
- How crowded your market is. More competitors chasing the same searches means more work to stand out.
- How much of your website needs fixing first. A site with no service pages starts further back than one that only needs tuning.
- How much you hand off. Asking for reviews and taking job photos yourself costs less than having someone do everything.
- Whether you need a new website too. A rebuild is its own project with its own price, like our websites for contractors.
Notice what is not on the list: how fancy the agency office is. [Glances at my own desk, which is mostly coffee rings.] Your price should follow the work, not the lobby furniture.
A pattern we see all the time: the $199 plan
Remember the $199 plan? [Ominous music, played on a kazoo.] A pattern we see all the time goes like this.
A local contractor paid $199 a month for almost three years. The monthly reports showed "rankings" for phrases nobody actually searches, the Google Business Profile had never been touched, and the phone didn't ring any more than it did on day one. When they finally cancelled, they found out the agency owned the website.
That is close to $7,000 for reports about phrases nobody types. [Quietly sets the calculator down and walks away from it.] And the money is not even the worst part. The owner walked away with nothing, not even the website with their own name on it.
If this sounds a little too familiar, check three things on whatever you are paying for now:
- The report. It should show calls, forms and searches real customers type, not phrases nobody uses.
- Your Google Business Profile. Somebody should be updating it, and you should be able to see what changed.
- Ownership. Get it in writing: who owns your domain, your website and your Business Profile.
Not sure what your current SEO is actually doing? Request a free written SEO audit. Rich reviews your website and Google Business Profile and emails you a short report with the top fixes first.
What are the red flags when you buy SEO?
Google says it plainly in its own guide to hiring an SEO:
No one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google. Beware of SEOs that claim to guarantee rankings, allege a "special relationship" with Google, or advertise a "priority submit" to Google. Be careful if a company is secretive or won't clearly explain what they intend to do.
My favourite line on that page tells you to treat unsolicited SEO emails with the same skepticism as "burn fat at night" diet pills. [Nods so hard my neck makes a noise.] Google wrote that, the same Google that is famously mysterious about Google.
The red flags to watch for, and what to ask instead:
| Red flag | What to ask instead |
|---|---|
| Guaranteed rankings, number one spots or map pack placements | What will you actually do each month? |
| A "special relationship" with Google | Can you show me your work in plain English? |
| Cold emails or calls saying your site is "not listed" | Who are you, and how did you find me? |
| Reports full of rankings, with nothing about calls or forms | Will the report show calls and form fills? |
| Nobody can tell you what was done last month | Can I see a list of last month's work? |
| You do not know who owns your domain, website or Business Profile | Who owns each of them, in writing? |
The $199 plan from earlier ticked three of these without breaking a sweat. [Counts on fingers. Runs out of patience before fingers.] If yours ticks one, ask questions; if it ticks three, you already know what I am going to say.
What should you ask before you pay for SEO?
Ask these five questions, out loud, before you sign anything:
- What exactly will you do each month?
- How will you report results, and will the report include calls and forms?
- Who owns my domain, my website and my Google Business Profile?
- Is there a minimum term, and what happens after it ends?
- What do you need from me, and how much of my time will it take?
Practice them in the mirror if you need to. [Practices in the mirror. Mirror asks about the minimum term.] If the answers get vague, that is your answer.
When is paying for SEO not worth it yet?
This part is serious, so the jokes are waiting in the truck for a minute.
If you can't set aside at least $500 a month for six months, I'd hold off on paying for SEO. Put that money and a few hours a month into the free stuff first:
- Fully fill out your Google Business Profile.
- Ask every happy customer for a review.
- Make sure your name, address and phone match everywhere online.
- Give each service its own clear page on your site.
Those basics are what paid SEO builds on anyway. Once the phone starts ringing from them, you're ready for more.
Google agrees, by the way. Its own guidance says: "If you run a small local business, you can probably do much of the work yourself."
Okay, the jokes are back out of the truck. [They were eating my sandwich.]
Is SEO worth it for a small business?
It is worth it when the extra jobs it helps bring in are worth more than what you pay, over the time you give it. Nobody can promise those extra jobs, so do the math before you sign, not after.
| Step | Your number |
|---|---|
| 1. What one average job is worth to you, after costs | $______ |
| 2. The monthly fee you are being quoted | $______ |
| 3. Extra jobs a month needed to cover it (step 2 divided by step 1) | ______ |
| 4. Months you can keep paying while you find out | ______ |
Then ask yourself whether the number in step 3 sounds realistic for your trade and your area.
This is the least exciting math you will do all year, and I say that as someone who once got excited about a spreadsheet. [Clears throat.] Twice. If one extra job a month covers the fee, the decision gets a lot easier; if it takes twenty, scroll back up to the section before this one.
Does AI search change what SEO costs?
For most local businesses, not much. The things AI tools read about you are mostly the same things Google reads: clear service pages, accurate business details, reviews and straight answers to common questions. Robots, it turns out, like the same things your customers like. [Everyone in the room: we knew.] This is practitioner opinion, not a published rule.
So if someone quotes you a separate, eye-watering "AI package" on top of basic local SEO, ask what is actually different. [Squints like a detective in a raincoat that is slightly too big.] If you want both handled together, that is what our SEO & AI Search Optimization plan is for.
SEO cost questions
How much does local SEO cost per month?
Most local SEO agencies charge between $500 and $3,000 a month. Our Local Visibility Starter plan starts at $900 a month plus a $500 setup. Scope and terms are confirmed in writing before any work begins.
Is cheap SEO worth it?
Plans under $500 a month usually cover very little hands-on work. Before you sign, ask exactly what gets done each month, how results are reported, and who owns your website and Google Business Profile.
How long does SEO take to work?
There is no fixed timeline, and nobody can promise one. Google says some changes might take effect in a few hours, others could take several months.
Can I do SEO myself?
Yes, a lot of it. Google says that if you run a small local business, you can probably do much of the work yourself. Start with your Google Business Profile, reviews, matching business details and a clear page for each service.
Do your plans have a minimum term?
Yes. Ongoing monthly plans have a 6-month minimum. Scope, price and terms are confirmed in writing before any work begins.
Do you guarantee rankings?
No. No one can guarantee rankings on Google, and we don't promise rankings, calls, leads or timelines.
Want a straight answer for your business?
If you have one location and want ongoing help, start with our local SEO plan for service businesses. If you would rather know where you stand first, request a free written SEO audit. Or call (866) 402-6849, Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM MT.
Rich Soto is the founder of Provo SEO Pros and has been doing SEO for local businesses since 2001. He works with service businesses across Utah County and Salt Lake County.