Pricing Services in Web Promotion
and Search Engine Optimisation

There has always been a lot of discussion about pricing models and structures within the forums that are frequented by the professional and semi-professional search engine optimisation workers.

There are as almost as many different payment models for SEO work as there are companies and individuals who will perform such work. I cannot shed light on what methods of payment are right for others, but I can explain my own fees, and explain why I chose the payment structure that I have.

I charge by the hour for my services. This suits my role as a consultant, and my rate is both reasonable, and more importantly, offers excellent value to my clients. I believe that I offer greater value for money than any of my competitors.

Many companies offer 'package deals' that then offer a set price for a set package of services. This is a tempting type of pricing structure, because it offers simplicity. Customers can choose a 'package' of services that suits their needs, and see immediately the price that goes with it.

Unfortunately, I offer bespoke services. I tailor marketing campaigns for the exact and specific site, market and business that I provide my services to. There is no such thing as a package of services in my work, not even in the portion of my services that is pure SEO.

Sure, I could place some of the common features as individual package deals. The lowest-common-denominator services such as search engine submissions, could be called a 'bronze service' or such, but to be honest, what would be the point?

Not all sites need submission. Many of my clients have already used lesser SEO companies in the past, companies who already made submissions. As the search engines get better at indexing more and faster, the value of mere submissions is lessening.

No, I felt that most 'off-the-shelf' package deals I could offer, would only weaken my true service value: the value of providing services that are uniquely tailored to each client, each site, each market, and the specific marketing objectives of that time (and budget).

Lowest-common-denominator packages are just not valuable enough, not effective enough, and do not offer the high ROI that I pride myself on offering to all my clients.

There are many other payment models of course. Many companies charge low fees for actual services, but tie the clients into ongoing monthly 'maintenance' fees. Many companies will charge clients each month for resubmitting their site, despite the fact there is no value in resubmitting a site, unless one also examines and fixes whatever factor cause the extremely rare event of the site being 'dropped' from a search engine index.

I don't go for that either. Monthly payments for 'maintenance' are not usually in the interests of the client, and do not offer the high ROI that I pride myself on.

If something else needs doing, or redoing for a client in a few months time, it is cheaper to hire me again for that, than to pay any maintenance fee that I have ever seen charged.

Many SEO companies will charge a maintenance fee not just for resubmission, but for 'monitoring' and providing reports. I prefer to offer to train my clients to create their own reports and analysis. It offers far better value for money in the medium to long term.

I prefer to charge by the hour, and to charge only when work is done that merits it. I often develop longer relationships with clients, but it is by their choice and desire, and represents further campaigns to increase and build upon earlier completed work.