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Search engine optimization (SEO) is a process that helps improve your website’s visibility in search engine rankings. With improved visibility, you’re making it easier for your target audience to find your business, learn more about what you have to offer, and drive conversions. When done effectively, SEO has the power to help grow your business, no matter its size.
Whether it’s looking up a local business or researching a product or service, 81% of consumers use online channels like search engines, social media platforms, and even eCommerce websites like Amazon and eBay to access information about a business, product, or service. Now, you might think that SEO is expensive, given that it’s a complex process involving a lot of tasks designed to optimize your website. The good news is that there are now plenty of options when it comes to high-quality yet affordable SEO services. We’ve compiled a list of the 5 affordable SEO service providers for SMBs, startups, and eCommerce businesses.
Top 5 Affordable SEO Services
WebFX is a digital marketing agency that offers an array of services, including affordable SEO services. Its custom SEO services provide clients with bespoke strategies, full-funnel ROI tracking, SEO content generation, SEO optimizations, and more to improve your bottom line and optimize your digital marketing strategy. WebFX also offers the following: Thrive is an award-winning full-service digital marketing agency that offers affordable SEO services. It has over 15 years of experience in providing clients worldwide with SEO solutions. Thrive has helped businesses from various sectors improve their organic search traffic by as much as 126.5%, grow their organic revenue by 130%, and boost qualified leads by up to 763%. Thrive’s affordable SEO services include: Thrive Internet Marketing Agency is a full service agency specializing in SEO, PPC, Social Media Management, Web Design, Link Building, and more. Best for: Enterprises, Large and Small brands Thrive Internet Marketing Agency is a full service agency specializing in SEO, PPC, Social Media Management, Web Design, Link Building, and more. SmartSites is another award-winning digital marketing agency that provides SEO services. SmartSites follows a comprehensive and unique approach to helping clients get qualified traffic on relevant search terms. It analyzes all the variables that affect SERPs, such as domain authority and site speed. Its SEO campaigns have helped clients double their traffic within a six-month period. The agency’s SEO services include: Outsmart the competition with best-in-class digital marketing services. With over 1,000 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ reviews online, SmartSites ? is America's #1 rated digital marketing agency. Get more traffic. Acquire more customers. Sell more stuff. SmartSites... Best for: Small and Medium Size Businesses Outsmart the competition with best-in-class digital marketing services. With over 1,000 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ reviews online, SmartSites ? is America's #1 rated digital marketing agency. Get more traffic. Acquire more customers. Sell more stuff. SmartSites... Straight North is staffed by experienced SEO professionals who have worked with various business verticals (from automotive to tourism and hospitality); they specialize in link acquisition and engaging copywriting. Its SEO services cover national, local, eCommerce, and enterprise campaigns for businesses of all sizes. What sets it apart from other affordable SEO service providers is that Straight North uses a proprietary reporting technology called the “GoNorth! Reporting” platform. Through this platform, you can monitor the performance of your SEO campaigns. Plus, metrics are regularly updated so you’ll always be in the loop. Trusted by many top brands like Agora, SoFi, and GE Digital, Victorious is an award-winning digital agency that specializes in SEO. Its SEO services include: Victorious has worked with a wide range of companies, from SaaS start-ups to family-owned businesses, helping them achieve results like a 188% increase in organic search conversions, a 3,708% increase in organic search revenue, and a 780% increase in ROI.1. WebFX
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2. Thrive Internet Marketing Agency
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5. Victorious
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Types of Affordable SEO Services
Finding the right affordable SEO services for your business can be challenging. Knowing the different types of affordable SEO services can help you better determine what your business needs and what you need to look for in an agency that offers SEO services.
1. SEO Audit and Consulting
Conducting an SEO audit helps you make an informed SEO strategy. An SEO audit involves evaluating various elements of your website, such as your on- and off-page SEO and technical SEO performance, and identifying errors preventing your website from being more visible or having a better ranking. SEO audits cover specific areas and factors, including:
- Keyword usage
- Sitemaps
- Backlinks
- Page load speeds
- Site security
- User experience
- Competitor benchmarking
- Indexing
Meanwhile, SEO consulting services help businesses make sense of the SEO audit results and implement strategies to improve their site’s ranking. While some companies offer consulting services, you can also consider working with an independent SEO consultant for this.
Pro Tips:
- Before conducting an SEO audit, it’s best to identify the goals of your SEO project. Do you want to boost organic traffic or improve your search engine rankings? Aside from defining your goals, it helps to identify who your target audience is and what their pain points are, as well as what this project’s target keywords are.
- Note that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to SEO audits. However, there are some key aspects that you should track, such as your XML sitemap, crawl optimization, and site accessibility.
2. On-Page SEO
On-page or on-site SEO services optimize elements on your website that can help improve its ranking on search engines. Depending on your site’s needs, on-page SEO services may include keyword research, URL optimization, adding internal and external links, and including and optimizing images used in your content.
Pro Tips:
- Focus on optimizing your website for the following key on-page SEO aspects: page speed, visuals, and page titles.
- Optimize your page so that it shows up on Featured Snippets. Work with affordable SEO service providers to see if your keywords rank for or are currently used in a featured snippet.
- Aside from Featured Snippets, consider asking your SEO service provider to include a schema markup for your website. Schema markups help search engines better understand your website’s contents and, thus, boost your chances of being more visible in search results.
3. Off-Page SEO
Off-page SEO refers to the actions you take outside of your website so that search engines and users view your site as trustworthy and authoritative. By building your site’s reputation through off-page SEO, you’re equipping it to rank better on search engines. That’s because search engines consider authoritative websites to have more Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (EEAT). Off-page SEO tactics include link building, content marketing, local SEO, and reviews.
In addition to these, your website’s structure also plays a crucial role in your SEO strategy. Your site structure map refers to how your website’s content is organized and helps search engines like Google better understand your website and which pages are most important. Without an updated site structure map, you run the risk of providing inaccurate or outdated information to search engines. This may confuse search engines attempting to crawl your site, which may cause you to lose indexed or searchable pages. Outdated sitemaps may also adversely affect your domain authority.
Pro Tips:
- Ask your SEO service provider to implement a NoFollow strategy when linking to external websites or competitors.
- Consider guest blogging or social media collaborations to boost your visibility and SERP rankings.
- Leverage local SEO or directory listings to boost your link building efforts and improve your visibility for local searches.
4. Local SEO
Local SEO services can help optimize your website and overall online presence to improve your site’s visibility in local search results. Businesses with physical locations can benefit from local SEO because it helps them appear in search results for “near me” searches. In 2022, 98% of consumers used the internet to learn more about a local business.
21% of consumers use the internet to find more information about local businesses daily. In addition to that, Google Maps searches for the keywords “shopping near me” have grown by 100% YoY. Local SEO services may include:
- Local SEO audits
- Optimizing your business for Google (Business Profile) to appear in Google Maps and local search results
- Creating local content
- Optimizing on-page SEO elements
Pro Tips:
- 46% of Google searches show local intent, which is why it’s crucial for you to also focus on building an effective local SEO strategy. To start, you can work with your SEO service provider to get a better understanding of Google’s “Local Pack,” how you can track local pack rankings, and how you can get your site featured there.
- You can also ask your SEO service provider to perform a local SEO keyword search. This gives you insights into the keywords your competitors are using and what your local audience is searching for.
5. Content Marketing
Content marketing is an integral part of any digital marketing strategy and, when done well, can complement and even bolster your SEO strategy. The goal of content marketing services is to optimize your website content so that search engines (and audiences) will see that you’re offering something valuable and will therefore move your website higher on SERPs.
Pro Tips:
- Create a content strategy and focus on making content that provides value and solves the pain points of your target audience.
- Perform keyword research to discover what your target audiences are looking for and determine ways to naturally incorporate these keywords into various aspects of your content.
6. Technical SEO
Technical SEO services cover your website’s infrastructure, helping search engines index and crawl your site more effectively. In a nutshell, technical SEO helps make your site easily accessible to search engines and rank in SERPs. Technical SEO also provides a better experience for visitors. This, in turn, can drive traffic to your site, as well as potentially increase your business’s revenue.
Pro Tips:
- Focus on the three main components of technical SEO, which are crawlability, performance, and indexation. Under each of these elements are several aspects that you need to pay attention to, such as your site structure, site speed, sitemaps, and internal links.
- Google recommends that you observe the following crawling and indexing best practices:
- Ensure that your links are crawlable.
- Pay attention to your crawl budget—if you have a very large website with hundreds of pages that regularly change, then Google might have some difficulty in crawling your entire site. If this is the case, use sitemaps to instruct search engines to crawl your most important pages.
- Work with your SEO service provider to implement robots.txt rules to prevent or limit crawling and hide duplicate content or less important pages.
Source: semrush.com
Other affordable SEO services worth considering include:
- eCommerce SEO: eCommerce SEO can help you drive more traffic to your online store. eCommerce SEO services optimize your website so that it meets the requirements of search engines and allows customers to easily find what they’re looking for. Aside from improving your business’s online visibility and traffic, eCommerce SEO also builds brand awareness and drives sales.
- Video marketing SEO: Video SEO is increasingly becoming a crucial digital marketing strategy. Articles with videos can drive up to 70% more traffic, while 89% of people who have watched a video are more likely to purchase a product or service.
- Social media SEO: This refers to SEO services that optimize your social media activities or content so that they can help improve your website’s organic traffic and allow social media users to find your content easily.
- Rank tracking: Rank tracking for SEO helps you determine whether your SEO strategy is effective or not. If it’s not, rank tracking lets you identify and address areas for improvement.
The Cost of SEO Services
When looking for affordable SEO services, you may encounter different pricing models. Some of the most common ones are:
- Hourly rates: If you’re working with digital marketing agencies or freelancers, then this flexible pricing model may be applicable. On average, they can charge $50-$200 per hour.
- Project-based fees: These are fees that are charged on a per-project basis and are suitable for quick SEO projects that have definitive starting and endpoints. According to an Ahrefs SEO Pricing survey, average project-based fees typically run between $2,501 and $5,000.
- Monthly retainers: Monthly retainers provide peace of mind for clients because they know that the agency will always be available for support. This type of pricing model also lends itself well to larger-scale SEO projects that require more time and resources.
Factors That Influence the Cost of SEO Services
Pricing can vary from one SEO agency to another. Some of the factors that influence pricing include:
- Industry competition: If you’re in a competitive or saturated field, then it’s likely that you’ll need a lot more SEO work done to edge out the competition and get higher rankings than them. Businesses in niche markets tend to have less competition, which makes it relatively easier for them to rank and takes less effort for SEO agencies, leading to lower costs.
- Website size and complexity: Your website’s scale will affect the cost of SEO services. If your website only has a few pages, then you’ll need less optimization work done on it compared to retail websites that typically have hundreds of pages. For example, maintaining a blog is not the same as maintaining and optimizing an e-commerce website that has thousands of products. That’s because larger and more complex websites require a lot of time and work to optimize for search engines. Furthermore, bigger sites are more likely to target more keywords, compared to smaller websites, which, in turn, requires more SEO maintenance for them to rank for these keywords.
- Geographic location: Prices for SEO services can vary based on your location and the number of locations your business operates in. If you operate in multiple locations, you’ll need to shell out more money to optimize your site for each location. For example, if you have websites in the US, Europe, and Latin America, you can expect to pay different rates. On average, SEO costs in the US can range between $100-$150 per hour, while hourly costs for Europe and Latin America can run from $75 to $100 per hour and $60 per hour, respectively.
- Pricing model selected: The cost of SEO services will also largely depend on the pricing model you select. For example, if you go with a fixed package, then you have a good idea of how much your entire project will cost. If you choose a customized SEO package, which usually combines different SEO tasks, rates will vary depending on the scope of your SEO needs. Note that the SEO professional’s expertise and experience will also be factored into the price. The more experienced the professional is, the more value you’ll get from their services, and the costs are likely going to be higher.
Warning Signs of Low-Quality SEO Services
Cheap SEO services don’t always translate to positive results. In fact, they may do more harm than good. Here are some warning signs to pay attention to:
- Grand promises like getting your site on the first page of Google
- Lack of transparency and poor communication with clients
- Prices that are too good to be true—service providers that promise great results for a low price may resort to unethical practices like buying links, stuffing keywords, or using black-hat SEO tactics
- Lack of reporting and accountability
- Not prioritizing their clients’ needs
Effective SEO takes time and it’s important to understand that before engaging with an affordable SEO service provider, you must set realistic expectations. It can take up to several months before you see actual results. Furthermore, many factors can influence SEO results, such as the quality of your content, keyword selection, quality of backlinks, user experience, and signals (social and brand).
Case Studies and Success Stories
Below are some examples of how businesses successfully utilized affordable SEO services:
- Victorious helped Gentry Dentistry increase its organic search visibility for unbranded keywords by 161%, putting the website at the top of local search results.
- Victorious developed a strategy for Agora that increased the brand’s engagement significantly. Agora’s page one keywords generated over 260k clicks and over 8 million impressions.
- Thrive helped a STEM education provider boost its conversion rate by 150% and achieve a conversion ROAS of 5.54x.
- WebFX helped a client see a 71% increase in contact form submissions and a 25% YoY increase in organic form leads.
Future Trends in Affordable SEO
The field of SEO is constantly evolving, which is why it’s important to stay on top of emerging trends. These updates and developments may also impact the cost of affordable SEO services.
- Generative AI will be a game-changer in how users conduct searches. For example, when a visitor asks a question, a search engine can create a custom response.
- AI tools are speeding up the content creation process. Some SEO service providers will likely use AI tools to augment their capabilities and accelerate content creation.
- Search engines will likely focus more on the author’s authority, which is why your website should include author biographies or have author pages that serve as hubs that house all the articles written by that author for your website.
- There’s still an emphasis on creating value-added and relevant content.
- Digital marketers may start automating SEO tasks, such as keyword research and the detection of site issues, using AI tools. Some of the AI and marketing automation tools you can use include Google Trends and Answer the Public for audience research, Kissmetrics and Mixpanel for customer journey mapping, Clearscope and MarketMuse for idea generation and content research, and ChatGPT and Ubersuggest for keyword research.
Affordable SEO: Maximum Results on a Limited Budget
While working with SEO service providers can seem like an expensive undertaking, the good news is that there are still affordable SEO services for small businesses. While you can go the DIY route and use the best affordable SEO tools for this purpose, you can also look into budget-friendly SEO services like keyword research and on-page SEO.
Benefits of Affordable SEO for Small Businesses
Leveraging affordable SEO services for small businesses can unlock benefits, such as saving on your marketing budget while still following SEO best practices and improving your site’s SERP ranking. When searching for affordable SEO services for small businesses, look for agencies that have prior experience working with small businesses. Check to see if they offer a wide range of SEO services and make sure that they offer transparent pricing. You can start by interviewing potential SEO service providers, checking their references, and asking for price quotations so you’ll have a better idea if their services fit your budget.
Local SEO Services for Small Businesses
Local SEO services for small businesses are crucial in improving your website’s SERP ranking. With the best local SEO, you’re making it easier for your brand to reach out to local audiences. Plus, the best local SEO makes it easier for local audiences to find your business and learn more about what you have to offer. Here are some of the benefits of local SEO services for small businesses:
- Increasing your in-store traffic
- Enhancing your brand’s credibility and position as a thought leader in the industry
- Boosting your conversion rate and sales
- Getting access to more targeted traffic
- Improving customer trust and loyalty to your brand
Aside from these benefits, local SEO services for small businesses can help you gain a competitive edge. That’s because these services can give you valuable insights into what the competition is doing, what strategies are effective, and how you can leverage these strategies for your own SEO campaigns.
What else can affordable or local SEO services do for small businesses?
Competitive Analysis and Market Gap Identification
Affordable SEO services can provide competitive analysis and market gap identification reports. This can help you gather insights about your competitors, uncover their keyword and content strategy, and measure your current SEO performance against theirs. Meanwhile, a content gap analysis allows you to identify gaps in your website or online presence in the context of your competitors. By performing a content gap analysis, you can create more unique, relevant, and valuable content, optimize your website for specific target keywords, and improve your site’s technical SEO for search engines.
Customized Keyword Strategy for Niche Markets
The niche you’re in will influence your SEO strategy. Your target audience’s search and purchase behavior will likely vary depending on your niche. Your SEO strategy will also depend on the links that are available to your niche. Do people write about your topic? Do people in your niche link to sites similar to yours? Furthermore, your keyword strategy will depend on how competitive your niche is. Can you rank with your current keywords or are you using the terms that your target audience is actually using?
Working with an affordable SEO service provider allows you to optimize your keyword strategy for niche markets. With their help, you can target the right keywords and optimize your search rankings based on your audience’s search intent and behavior.
Voice Search Optimization
More people are using voice assistants and owning smart speakers. In the US alone, nearly 150 million people use voice assistants. Furthermore, 36% of the total US population in 2023 owned a smart speaker, which they use to listen to podcasts and discover new content. For marketers, these present a new opportunity for discovery. By optimizing your content for voice search, such as by including relevant keywords in your title and descriptions, you’re making it more likely for smart device owners to discover your content.
Mobile SEO
More people are using mobile devices to perform online searches, which is why it’s crucial for your business to optimize your website for mobile. Having mobile-optimized sites or creating mobile versions of your site can help boost your visibility and drive website traffic. By tapping affordable SEO service providers for mobile SEO, you’ll have a site that loads quickly on mobile devices and shows your content in a more accessible manner. Moreover, optimizing your site for mobile SEO unlocks benefits, such as being able to provide better user experiences, decreased bounce rates, and improved site responsiveness across different device types.
Conclusion
Leveraging high-quality SEO services doesn’t need to break the bank. It also doesn’t mean that you have to scrimp on quality just to save money. While working with an SEO provider can seem like a daunting and expensive endeavor, many reputable agencies offer affordable SEO services. Most of the digital marketing agencies we’ve included in our list provide customizable SEO strategies, allowing you to access the right SEO solutions that your business needs.
Based on the rates mentioned earlier, the most affordable SEO service provider is Thrive Internet Marketing Agency, whose SEO rates start at $150 per hour. Meanwhile, the most expensive SEO service provider on the list is Victorious, whose SEO services can range from $3,000 to $10,000 per month. These affordable SEO service providers are capable of providing SEO services, such as link building, technical SEO, and keyword research. They’re also able to provide custom services based on your business’s needs. For instance, Straight North has SEO services that cover national, local, eCommerce, and enterprise SEO campaigns, while WebFX has custom SEO services that provide clients with services like full-funnel ROI tracking and SEO content generation.
Prior to working with an affordable SEO service provider, it’s important to assess their reputation, experience, and expertise, given that working with low-quality firms can do more harm to your business than good.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the best SEO service provider?
Some of the leading SEO service providers worth looking into include:
- WebFX
- Thrive Internet Marketing Agency
- SmartSites
- Straight North
- Victorious
Who are the cheapest SEO service providers?
One of the most affordable SEO service providers is Thrive, with an hourly rate of $150 for SEO projects.
How much should I pay for SEO services?
The cost of SEO services will usually depend on factors like services included, the type of agency you go with, and the scope of the SEO campaigns you’re planning to implement. Typically, SEO services can range anywhere between $2,500 and $10,000 per month if you’re working with agencies based in the US.
Is it worth paying an SEO company?
Yes, because you’ll have access to skilled SEO experts who have years of experience in the field. Companies specializing in SEO also have access to the right tools, know the best practices, and are up-to-date with the latest industry trends. They can help make your site more visible and improve your search rankings.
Is SEO still profitable?
Yes, it is. That’s because as long as people are using websites and search engines, SEO will still play a key role in helping your website get discovered. This, in turn, can help you see results like traffic growth, better ROI, and improved credibility.
Is SEO still worth it?
Yes. When done well, SEO can be an effective marketing tool. It helps people looking for brands like yours find out more about what you have to offer or how you can solve their pain points.
How do I choose SEO services?
Choosing the right SEO service provider for your business needs is crucial for optimizing your site’s search engine ranking and enhancing your online visibility. To help you make an informed decision, consider the following factors:
- Your business goals and SEO needs
- An SEO service provider’s reputation, track record, experience, and expertise
- The provider’s methodology, pricing plans, and scope of services offered
- Case studies and customer reviews or testimonials
- The provider’s communication style, values, cultural fit, and efforts to maintain transparency
- The SEO service provider’s reporting and analytics capabilities
