How Much Does Local SEO Services Cost?

SEO can help local businesses get found by nearby customers. To achieve this, you need a solid strategy targeting the right keywords and intent. If you’re new to this, then you may want to hire an SEO specialist or agency.

But how much do local SEO services cost?

On average, local SEO services cost between $200 and $3,000 per month, $50 to $250 per hour, or $5,000 to $30,000 per project.

Read on to learn about common pricing models, average costs, and factors that impact rates.

How much do local SEO services cost?

On average, local SEO services costs range from $250 to $3,000 per month, $50-$250 per hour, and $5,000 to $30,000 per project in 2024. The actual cost depends on factors, like your business size, goals, budget, and more.

Below is a breakdown of local SEO services costs based on:

• Per month: Paid on retainer or subscription basis

• Per project: Payment for specific or entire project

• Per hour: Fees charged for every hour of service performed

Local SEO services cost per month

On average, local SEO services cost $250 to $3,000 per month. The amount you’ll pay will depend on your business’ size, with small-to-midsize businesses spending less than large organizations and enterprises, which often coordinate with a company’s local SEO needs.

Local SEO services cost per project

On average, local SEO services cost $5,000-$30,000 per project, though some businesses pay more than $30,000. The actual local SEO project costs for your business will depend on the scope, requirements, and timeline.

Local SEO services cost per hour

On average, local SEO services cost $50 to $250 per hour, but some businesses pay less than $50 per hour. What you’ll pay for local SEO project costs will depend on the scope, requirements, provider’s location, and timeline.

👉Note: These are general estimates. Actual costs may vary based on specific project requirements.

What factors impact local SEO services costs?

Several factors determine local SEO services pricing, including:

• Local SEO strategist, agency, contractor, or freelancer’s experience

• Pricing model (per month/project/hour)

• The size of your business

• Scope and scale of local SEO strategy

• Status of existing local SEO plan

• Local SEO goals

More often than not, more experienced local SEO service experts and agencies charge higher prices. Similarly, if your local SEO strategy has a bigger scope and scale, you’ll likely pay higher than a business with a smaller scope and scale.

What are the common local SEO services pricing models?

There are three main local SEO services pricing models:

• Per month: $250 to $3,000 per month

• Per project: $5,000 to $30,000 per project

• Per hour: $50 to $250 per hour

What do local SEO services include?

Local SEO services should include:

• Local SEO audit: $100 per year to $2000 per month

• Local citations: $150-$300

• Local website pages: $300-$500 per page

• Local links: $150-$300+ per link

• Content marketing: $150-$2,000 per blog post

• Google My Business management: $200-$500 per month

• SEO reporting: $100+ per month

• On-page, off-page, or technical SEO optimizations: $500 to $5000 per month

“We want to see if any quick wins can be had and make sure the client can develop their local business persona,” says Pip Seymour, founder of Seymour Digital Media. “We would search the first pages of Google for their brand name, primary services, areas they want to target, phone number address, and any other potential variation of the business name or target keywords When we do this, we analyze how many pages they take up in the SERP (Search Engine Results Pages).”

Many providers offer custom local SEO packages structured to meet a company’s unique needs.

Which is the best local SEO services pricing model?

Small businesses with smaller SEO projects for growing visibility or investigating website traffic drop can opt for hourly or monthly pricing models. Larger companies that want one-time SEO projects, like improving sitewide SEO, can use the project-based model.

“Pricing for local SEO campaigns at my agency hinges on several key factors,” says Steve Pogson, founder and strategy lead at First Pier digital marketing agency. “These include the depth of the local market competition, the client's current online footprint, including website health and local listings, and their objectives for market penetration and visibility. We tailor our strategies for each client, with costs structured around a monthly retainer ranging from $750 for basic local SEO operations up to $5,000 for more intensive, comprehensive local strategies.”

Next, let’s compare local SEO costs based on business size and service providers.

Local SEO services costs by business size

Larger companies and enterprises pay more for local SEO services than smaller and midsize businesses because of:

• Scope: Larger companies and enterprises have more complex local SEO strategies, which require larger, more comprehensive local SEO teams to develop and manage.

• Industry and competition: The more complex the industry or higher the competition, the more you’ll invest in local SEO services. That’s because you’ll need more relevant pages with better content to increase your domain authority and rank better in search engine results pages (SERPs) for specific brand-related search terms.

• Scale: Small and midsize businesses operate on a smaller scale with fewer products to promote via local SEO in a few markets. Large companies and enterprises with more markets and products pay more to target more keywords related to their products or services and rank for each of the locations or markets they operate in.

• Service provider’s reputation: Larger businesses often have bigger budgets and prefer to work with local SEO service providers whose experience and capabilities deliver higher SEO rates and return on investment (ROI). Smaller and midsize companies with leaner budgets consider providers based on the value they can get at the most affordable investment possible.

Local SEO services costs by service provider

The price range for local SEO services varies based on the service provider you hire. Most business owners work with or hire:

• In-house SEO team

• Agency

• Freelancer

• SEO consultant

A local SEO company or agency is pricier than hiring a full-time SEO team, freelancer, or consultant because it has:

• More SEO team members and software

• More knowledge, experience, and expertise

• Ability to scale based on a business’s needs

For example, Foxxr Digital Marketing agency charges $1750 and $2,500 per month for its ROI Pro and ROI Master local SEO services.

Source: Foxxr Digital Marketing

On the other hand, a freelance SEO expert on Fiverr may cost anywhere from $5 for a simple Google Maps citation to $1,350 per month for 10 SEO Pages, 75 citations, GMB, Schema, GeoTag 20 IMG, 70 keywords, and local backlink building.

Some freelancers charge more than $1,300 per month depending on their skills, expertise, experience, offerings, and price model.

The service provider you choose will depend on multiple factors other than price, like your business goals, overall input in the local SEO strategy, and other services you need from a provider.

Here’s a breakdown of the local SEO costs by service provider:

What is included in local SEO services costs?

So far, we’ve covered the average costs you should expect to pay for local SEO services. But what does it get you?

Here’s an overview of the services to expect from a local SEO provider:

With this in mind, let’s review what a typical local SEO service provider offers based on a monthly, hourly, or per project rate.

Local SEO service deliverables per month

Here’s an overview of the monthly deliverables for local SEO projects:

• Access to local SEO expert

• Citation claiming and management

• On-page and off-page SEO

• Technical SEO

• User review management

• Monthly reporting

A fixed monthly pricing model ensures you have ongoing access to a local SEO expert for guidance and a dedicated team of SEO professionals who can prioritize your project without further negotiations.

Here are tips for negotiating a monthly retainer:

• Outline your expectations, scope of SEO work, and services.

• Set clear, realistic, and attainable goals aligned with what the local SEO service provider can achieve each month.

• Negotiate a monthly fee based on the expertise and service you need and your local SEO budget.

Local SEO service deliverables per project

• Access to local SEO expert

• Local SEO audit

• Keyword research

• Project-specific optimizations

• Quality content creation

• Reporting

Local SEO service deliverables per hour

• Access to local SEO expert

• SEO audit

• SEO recommendations and/or implementation

• Monitoring SEO issues

• Reporting

Hourly rates for local SEO services are calculated based on the service provider’s expertise, industry-specific knowledge, case studies, and location. Generalist local SEO providers will typically charge less than specialists who are hyper-focused on a specific location and industry.

Here’s how to ensure accountability and transparency when working with a local SEO service provider on a per-hour basis:

• Communicate your goals and tasks clearly.

• Use time-tracking tools to track hours worked and check in regularly to monitor the time spent on your project.

• Request regular, detailed reports on work done, progress, and metrics.

How to evaluate local SEO service costs

When evaluating a local SEO provider’s prices, do the following:

• Review the deliverables: Know what you’re getting per month/project/hour for the price. If the deliverables seem too good to be true and prices seem lower than the average costs per month/project/hour, it could indicate cheap, ineffective SEO.

• Discuss pricing and deliverables: Find out whether there are additional or hidden costs you may not immediately see on the proposal. Not all local SEO providers are reputable. Some advertise cheap local SEO prices just to get your business.

• Read the contract: Carefully read the local SEO service contract to pick out finer details on the costs and terms and conditions.

• Read customer reviews: Find out what customers say about the freelancer, consultant, or agency, particularly common complaints based on the expert’s work quality, results, and client satisfaction.

Is it worth paying for local SEO services?

Yes, it’s worth paying for local SEO—with a reputable local SEO service provider who will work to deliver a return on your investment.

While the cost of SEO can seem expensive, it’s not always the case. In fact, it’s more economical than paid advertising, like pay-per-click (PPC).

However, local SEO takes time to work because you need to optimize your website for a few months before you see results, compared to paid ads, which generate results as soon as you launch them.

Plus, it takes multiple skills and experience to pull off local SEO, which is why many businesses outsource it to freelancers or digital marketing agencies.

Local SEO is better than paid ads because:

• It works 24/7 driving more traffic, potential customers, sales, and results around the clock.

• It drives conversions, especially when you optimize your site for user-focused elements like page speed, which reduces users’ pain points in the conversion process.

• It targets the entire sales funnel, boosting reach and helping you connect with users and nurture conversions across the buyer’s journey.

Get local SEO services on Fiverr

Now you know how much local SEO services cost, what determines the pricing, and how to evaluate local SEO prices.

If you’re looking to work with a local SEO services expert, head to Fiverr to find and hire talented professionals who can meet your local SEO business needs no matter your business size or budget.

Fiverr’s digital marketplace connects you to thousands of SEO professionals skilled in local SEO, ecommerce SEO, digital marketing, and more.

Sign up to Fiverr today to work with local SEO experts for your business.