Feeling confused about prices for SEO packages? I can assure you you’re not the only one.
After all, we all like to know we’re getting our money’s worth, don’t we?
That is especially true in business, as paying too much out and not getting much in return could leave you in a sticky situation. However, when it comes to finding SEO services in Edinburgh, things can get particularly confusing.
A quick 10-minute online search will provide you with a wealth of prices for SEO packages, with services being touted from as little as £20, to £10,000 a month.
So, what should you be paying?
How much SEO should really cost
It goes without saying, SEO services that come with a hefty price tag can be off-putting, making the cheaper deals seem more tempting than ever. However, it’s worthwhile to bear in mind that when it comes to SEO, you really get what you pay for.
In other words, be wary of really cheap SEO, as more often than not, it’s probably not going to do much at the end of the day.
According to Website Magazine, the average monthly cost of SEO services is $750 (that’s just under £500). At an hourly rate, you should expecting to be paying around £65.
However, as you’ll probably be aware, the actual cost of SEO can also vary depending on the different types of packages and services you use.
So, how do you work out which service is right for you, and which is ripping you off?
Work out the true value of SEO
My advice here is not to focus too much on cost; instead, try to think about the value an SEO service is going to bring to your business.
Take a close look at a few SEO company websites. What are they offering? If they say they can increase your sales by 500 per cent, it’s probably too good to be true. However, they should be able to demonstrate the value you’re going to get back from their services, and explain how they’re going to do it.
Remember, getting to the top of Google rankings isn’t necessarily the best SEO practice. Nor is simply directing a lot more traffic to your website. What you really want to know is how many more sales and leads the service is going to generate for you over the next 6 – 12 months.
You can’t expect solid promises, as nothing is ever guaranteed, but a company should at least be able to give you a good estimate of the return of your investment.
Do your homework on SEO agencies
If possible, really do your research before committing to an SEO company by looking at the company’s history, and any third party reviews online.
Don’t just check customer testimonials published on their website; actually speak to these previous customers directly and find out whether they’ve actually seen tangible results.
Next, interview the company. By asking the right kind of questions, you should be able to work out the true value of your investment, and whether the cost is justified.
The most affordable way to use SEO
It’s important to note here that SEO on its own won’t work – it needs to be part of a wider strategy – such as inbound marketing – to actually be successful.
If you don’t want to spend a lot of money on SEO for your business, my advice is to go it alone. Sounds scary, doesn’t it? It’s really not.
All you really have to do is spend time understanding the questions your customers are asking, and then write about them.
Why all this talk about inbound marketing?
Marketing is changing, and the behaviour of your customers has already changed. No longer can a TV ad, radio ad or any outbound marketing guarantee success.
The reason for this? Customers are smarter! They have so much choice available and they can easily tune out of your marketing message. Measuring success of outbound sales tactics has always been difficult and sometimes impossible.
People don’t want your business message pushed to them; they would rather figure it out on their own. Inbound marketing is about creating content that your target market would pay for, but you give it to them for free.
Take a look at your visitor data and you will see that a high percentage of your traffic leaves without performing any further action.
This can be for many reasons; perhaps they were in research mode and not ready to buy – they might even have been looking for specific answers to their questions.
Inbound marketing helps your website move your visitors through the marketing funnel and turns more of them into customers. See the sales funnel below.
Conclusion
I hope you’ve found this blog post helpful, and that you’ll be inspired to ask the right questions and award careful scrutiny when looking for prices for seo packages.
The good news is that most SEO companies are wising up to the fact that marketing nowadays means a lot more than keywords and traffic, however it doesn’t hurt to keep the above in mind when looking for an SEO vendor that is the right fit for your business.
Do you want to know more about prices for seo packages, or about digital marketing as a whole? Feel free to leave me a comment below, or don’t hesitate to get in touch directly if there’s anything else I can help you with.