How pricing works
with an SEO consultant
I bill by the hour, per project or as monthly retainers of 10, 20 or 30+ hours, depending on how we work together. The intro call is free, and after it you get a quote.
What the price depends on
How much does effective SEO cost?
The price of SEO depends on 6 factors: the business goal, the size of the website, the starting position, the competitiveness of the industry, the resources available and the time horizon.
It is the most common question, and the only honest answer is: “it depends”.
Good SEO is not an off-the-shelf product. It works like treatment by a specialist: first you need a diagnosis, and only then can you prepare a plan and estimate its cost.
In practice
In SEO you pay for a specialist’s time and resources, not for “magic tricks”.
The more difficult the industry, the more work it takes to get ahead of the competition.
01
Business goal
Do you want to increase revenue from search by 10–20%, or overtake the leaders in a competitive industry? The scope and the cost depend on the goal.
02
Size and complexity of the website
Working with a local service website is different from working with an international store with a million products and content loaded by JavaScript.
03
Starting position
A new domain, a website with a history, or recovering losses after a failed migration or a Google penalty?
04
Competitiveness of the industry
Finance, telecommunications or insurance need much more work than local niches with little competition.
05
Available resources
Do you have your own developers who will implement changes quickly, or will technical fixes go in more slowly?
06
Time horizon
A one-time audit or ongoing work on the website: the scope of work translates directly into the structure and size of the quote.
Services and billing
How is each service billed?
All six SEO services with their billing model and typical time. We agree on the exact price after a call, once I know the scope.
| Service | Model | Typical time | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| SEO audit | One-time project | 5 days to 3 weeks | Technical, content and links |
| SEO consulting | Hourly rate | from 90 min | Shortest session 90 min, billed after the session |
| Ongoing SEO | Monthly retainer | 10, 20 or 30+ h a month | Start package (10 h of work a month) |
| Technical SEO | Project / retainer | 3 days to 3 weeks | Depends on the number of URLs and the technology |
| AIO/GEO | Project / retainer | 1–2 weeks (audit) | Audit of visibility in AI answers |
| SEO training | Workshop / day | 3–8 h | For companies, online or in person |
SEO audit: a one-time project
A one-time project with no retainer. It covers a full technical audit (crawling, rendering, Core Web Vitals, server logs) and an analysis of content and the link profile. The result is a list of recommendations ordered by priority, ready for developers to implement.
SEO consulting: hourly rate and terms
An hourly rate, with no fixed commitments and no minimum contract period. The shortest session takes 90 minutes. Billed after each session or after a block of hours. This model works best for companies with their own marketing or IT team.
Ongoing SEO: a monthly retainer
A fixed retainer with a set number of working hours per month (10 h, 20 h or 30+ h). For every month you get a summary of the time worked, not an “agency package” with no accounting of hours. No hidden costs. The first contract covers 6 months, then a one-month notice period applies.
Technical SEO: a project quote
The price depends on the size and complexity of the website: websites up to 500 URLs, with 500–5,000 URLs, and larger or JavaScript-based websites are quoted at different levels. The scope covers, among other things, JavaScript SEO, crawl budget, server log analysis and server-side rendering. I give an exact quote after the free intro call.
AIO/GEO: optimization for AI search
The audit of visibility in AI answers is a one-time project. Further work depends on the size of the website and on how often AI already cites your brand. It covers an analysis of citations in ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and AI Overviews, restructuring the content and an E-E-A-T strategy.
SEO training: workshops for companies
SEO training for in-house marketing, editorial and development teams, online or in person. The price depends on the number of participants, the scope and the format. I give an exact quote after the intro call.
Model 1
SEO consulting
Billed by the hour
The hourly rate is my basic and most flexible model: no long contract, no fixed commitments.
90 min
shortest session, then by the hour
My basic and most flexible way of working. It works for companies that have their own marketing or IT teams and need an experienced SEO specialist, or that face a difficult technical problem.
You pay only for the time I actually spend, with no commitments lasting many months. We work in short cycles or ad hoc, always starting with the tasks of the highest priority.
What I do most often
- In-depth technical SEO audits (rendering, crawl budget, Core Web Vitals, server logs)
- Overseeing website migrations
- Strategic planning and information architecture for large portals
- Support and consulting for development teams
- Workshops and training for in-house SEO and marketing teams
- Content audits and strategies
Sample time estimate
Example: a medium-sized fashion store, a redesign and a migration to a new platform. Fear of losing visibility, optimization for Core Web Vitals.
Strategy workshop and platform analysis
4h
Technical SEO specification for developers
10h
301 redirect map
6h
Oversight of the test environment (staging)
8h
Support on migration day and monitoring afterwards
12h
Total time
A safe migration without losing traffic
40 h
Model 2
Strategic packages
Monthly retainer
Three packages that differ in the number of working hours: 10 h (Start), 20 h (Pro), 30+ h (Elite).
For companies that prefer a fixed budget and a clearly defined scope. The packages are not “SEO for 10 keywords”. They are a monthly retainer for my work, analyses and strategic advice.
Start package
Start
For companies building their position
10 h
of work per month
For local leaders and startups
- An audit of the quickest fixes to start with
- Ongoing technical monitoring (GSC, GA4)
- Content strategy (analysis of up to 10 topics a month)
- 10 hours of direct expert work
- A monthly strategy report
Most popular
Pro package
Pro
For growing companies
20 h
of work per month
For growing online stores and service businesses
- Advanced technical and content analysis
- Monitoring and support in Core Web Vitals optimization
- Link profile and competitor analysis
- 20 hours a month for consulting and oversight
- Priority support and reporting
Elite package
Elite
For mature organizations
30+ h
of work per month
For industry leaders and large players
- Ongoing oversight of technical SEO, content and UX
- Advanced analytics, including server log analysis
- Support in conversion rate optimization (CRO)
- 30+ hours for consulting and workshops
- Direct contact and regular strategy meetings
Not sure what to choose?
The packages are a starting point for a conversation. During a free intro call you tell me about your needs, and I recommend the model that fits them best.
Comparison
SEO consultant vs SEO agency: how the costs compare
Agency SEO retainers vary widely, and part of the work is often done by juniors. I have worked in SEO since 2012, and I bill only the time actually worked.
| Criterion | SEO consultant (freelancer) | SEO agency |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly rate | Stated in the quote | Usually hidden, included in the retainer |
| Who does the work? | Senior (in SEO since 2012) | Mix: junior + mid + senior |
| Minimum contract | None (you can start with a single project) | 3–12 months |
| Report transparency | Working hours (timesheet) | Marketing report |
| Quote | Fixed, with the hours listed | Package price without hours |
| Contact with the expert | Direct | Through an account manager |
An SEO agency has its advantages: it has processes, a team and can serve many clients at once. You pay for that structure in the retainer, though, often without knowing how many hours of an experienced specialist actually go into your project.
A consultant does not have that layer. The retainer or the hourly rate goes to the specialist’s work, with no margin for account managers, rotating juniors or hidden structural costs.
SEO consultant vs in-house specialist
A full-time SEO specialist means a salary, employer costs, recruitment and onboarding. It is a fixed monthly cost, regardless of how much SEO work your company needs at a given moment.
An SEO consultant means no fixed costs: you pay only when I work. With fewer than 20 hours of SEO a month, a consultant is usually cheaper. With more than 40 hours, it is worth considering a full-time hire or a mixed model: your own specialist plus a consultant.
FAQ
Common questions about SEO pricing
How much does SEO cost per month?
It depends on the scope and the number of expert hours. My monthly retainers include 10, 20 or 30+ hours of work, and you get a fixed quote after a free call. Agency retainers vary widely and also include the cost of their structure and account managers. Small companies with a limited budget can pay by the hour (the shortest session is 90 minutes).
How much does an SEO audit cost?
An SEO audit is a one-time project. The price covers the technical audit, the content audit and the link profile. The audit is a one-time project with no retainer. The scope and the exact price are agreed after the intro call, in which I look at the size and complexity of the website.
Does SEO pay off?
SEO pays off when the cost of acquiring a customer from organic traffic is lower than from paid channels. It pays back fastest in stores with repeat purchases and in companies whose customers research for a long time before deciding. SEO builds a lasting customer acquisition channel, while Google Ads brings traffic only while the campaign runs. We discuss a first estimate of SEO profitability in the free intro call.
What does an hourly rate mean for the client?
You pay the same rate for every hour of work, with no agency margin and no account manager costs. In monthly packages an hour costs less than in one-time consulting. I state the rate in the quote after the intro call.
How do I hire an SEO specialist?
To start working with an SEO consultant, book a free intro call. Based on it, you get a quote for the project or a suggested retainer model that fits your budget and goals. The first step is usually an SEO audit, which identifies the priorities and estimates the cost of further work.
How much does SEO for a website cost?
Ongoing SEO on a retainer starts with the Start package: 10 hours of work a month. The scope depends on the industry, the competition and the website’s current position. I do not set a price without an initial analysis, because SEO “for any budget” is an empty promise.