How much does SEO cost in 2026?
Retainers, project fees and hourly rates on the market — and our published prices for audits, technical work, content and ongoing programs.
Published, before you ask
Starting prices in USD. TopClick is not VAT-registered. The final scope and price are fixed in writing before work starts.
| Service | You get | Billed | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| SEO audit ↗Focused · up to 1,000 URLs $[X] · Full · up to 50,000 URLs $[X] · Enterprise · 50,000+ URLs $[X] | Issue register with owners and checks | /project | $[X] |
| Technical SEO ↗ | Root causes and fix specs | /project | $[X] |
| SEO strategy ↗ | Question-to-page map | /project | $[X] |
| SEO content ↗ | Briefs and published pages | /page | $[X] |
| SEO program ↗ | Analysis, strategy and agreed link and profile work | /month | $500 |
| SEO consulting ↗ | Written recommendation per question | /hour | $[X] |
| Local SEO ↗ | Location pages and profile fixes | /location | $[X] |
What the market charges
Figures from third-party surveys and guides, as published — check the source and date. Our prices are in section 01.
- $501–$1,000the most common monthly SEO retainer, charged by 20.4% of providersSource: Ahrefs survey of 439 SEO providers (opens in a new tab) · updated 2024
- $3,209the average monthly retainer charged by agencies; $2,917 across all providersSource: Ahrefs survey of 439 SEO providers (opens in a new tab) · updated 2024
- $75–$100the most common hourly rate; the average is $111 an hourSource: Ahrefs survey of 439 SEO providers (opens in a new tab) · updated 2024
How it’s priced — and what to watch
The same work can be sold four ways. Each has a catch.
| Model | How it works | Good for | Watch out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly retainer | Ongoing work for a fixed monthly fee. | Steady progress on a long list of fixes and content. | Ask for named monthly deliverables, not just hours. |
| Project | A fixed scope: an audit, a migration, a strategy. | A clear start, end and price. | Who implements the findings after the project? |
| Hourly | Consulting billed by the hour. | Advice for a team that does the work itself. | Costs grow with every question. |
| Performance-based | You pay for rankings or traffic. | Feels low-risk. | Rewards quick, risky tactics; rankings aren’t revenue. |
Why two quotes differ
Ask every vendor how they handle these. The answers explain most of the gap.
- 01Site sizePages and templates to check and fix.
- 02CompetitionHow strong the pages ranking above you are.
- 03ImplementationWhether your team or ours makes the changes.
- 04Content volumeNew and refreshed pages per month.
- 05Markets and languagesEach market adds research, content and links.
Estimate your budget
Pick services and quantities. Starting prices are in USD. TopClick is not VAT-registered.
- 1 × SEO audit · Focused · up to 1,000 URLs1 × $[X]
- Guaranteed #1 rankings
- A retainer with no named deliverables
- Reports that show only rankings
- Long contracts with no exit
- “Secret” methods
Questions about SEO pricing
01Why is an audit priced by URLs?
Because work grows with site size: Focused up to 1,000 URLs, Full up to 50,000, Enterprise above that.
02How long before results?
Technical fixes can show in weeks; content and links over months. We report work completed, search observations and business results apart.
03Can we start with a one-off project?
Yes — an audit or a scoped project, then decide on a program.
04Is the price fixed?
Scope, deliverables and price are agreed in writing before work starts.
Get a written quote
- 1Send your site — we’ll confirm the scope and price in writing
- 2We check search and AI visibility
- 3PDF by email: five website problems and AI visibility, within two business days of receiving your website URL
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