Factors that Affect the Cost of SEO Packages

Although the majority of business owners understand the importance of SEO, not all of them consider the option. Some feel their reputation is enough to lure customers in and to leverage on referrals. If you are one of the business owners who think this way, you are missing out on a lot. Search engine optimization is the most important investment you can make in online marketing. This is particularly so when you consider the simple fact that people will always start their search with search engines when searching for information online. If your website cannot be found through the search engines, your competitors will beat you hands down.

The best thing about SEO today is that you don’t have to do all the work yourself. There are many service providers who are willing to give you the support you need to achieve your online marketing goals. All you need to do is to find that one company that understands your industry and your business. The service provider will take over your search engine optimization needs for a small fee. This means you can concentrate on the core operations of your business without ever worrying about the online marketing part. Even so, you should never spend more than you should have to in SEO. This is why finding an affordable SEO package is one of the key things you need to do.

Finding an affordable package is not easy. However, you can increase your chances of finding the ideal package by understanding the factors that affect the cost of SEO. Below are the three main factors that affect the cost of SEO.

Reputation of the service provider

This is a no-brainer. The most reputable service providers tend to charge more for their products and services. The case is the same when it comes to SEO services. Companies that have been in the business the longest understand what needs to be done to achieve the set goals. Because they have the experience, the skills and the resources needed to market your business, they are less likely to haggle with you. They have more business coming their way and will, therefore, leverage on their reputation to win you over.

All in all, you should note that not all service providers who claim to be experienced have what it takes to help you achieve success. Before committing to the most experienced service providers, it is imperative that you take the time to look at their history. Focus more on their recent success. You also need to take a look at the range of services they offer. Are these services worth the cost?

Size of the package

Another factor that will affect the cost of the SEO package is the size of the package. The more services you request, the more money you will have to spend. SEO companies offer two options: standard and custom packages. The standard packages are less expensive but they are not as comprehensive. The custom packages, on the other hand, are tailored to your unique needs.

When choosing a package, you need to make sure that it only includes the relevant services that you need. The following are the services you have to ensure your package has:

·         Website analytics

·         Website speed optimization

·         Text/video content creation

·         User experience optimization

·         Content marketing

·         Press outreach for links

·         Search results tracking

·         Social media marketing

·         Brand and reputation monitoring

The above are just the basic services you can expect to receive from almost any SEO company. You should note that there are many more services that may be included. Always remember that the more services you get the more expensive the package will be.

Pricing model

The third factor you have to consider is the pricing model. SEO companies have different pricing models. There are basically 7 pricing models that are used by SEO service providers:

·         Keyword-based pricing

·         Hourly payments

·         One-time fee

·         Retainer

·         Pay for performance

·         Variable fee

·         Packages

The best pricing model is the pay per performance. This is because, with this option, it will be like working with a business broker. You only pay the service provider for results and not the work done. All in all, most companies will not provide you with this option. The second best payment model is the retainer model.

As you can see, there are so many things that come into play when determining the cost of SEO. If you are looking for an affordable package, here are the important things you should consider doing.

·         Compare

The most obvious thing to do when searching for an affordable package is to compare. SEO companies charge different prices for their services. By taking a look at what the leading companies are charging for their services, you will be able to find one that fits in your budget. Only focus on service providers who have a good track record. You should also not just compare the prices but also what is included in the package.

·         Choose only the services you need

The second strategy is to choose only the services that you need. For starters, you need to stay away from the standard packages. They are cheap but they include irrelevant services. Go for the custom package and customize it to match your business. If you don’t need your website’s content rewritten, there is no need for you to choose that service. Make a list of the things you want to accomplish then use that list to select services from your preferred service provider.

·         Don’t focus too much on the most popular providers

You should also not focus too much on the most popular service providers. There are so many great companies you can work with that are not very popular but are very good in what they do. These companies will not extort you simply because they know you need their services.

Finding an affordable package from an SEO company is never easy. Even when you find the perfect package, you have to evaluate it keenly to ensure that it is what your business needs.