If you plan to set up an SEO service, then you need to come up with a plan which will help you accurately judge how to charge the client. Without a proper know-how of the factors involved that make up the costs of SEO, you might end up undercharging and get paid less than what you deserve. Below, we look at 3 factors that will help you decide how much you should charge the client for your SEO service.
SEO Position Of The Client
One of the first things to take into consideration is the existing SEO position of the client. Are they completely new to SEO, with a website having no prominent inbound links, search position etc? If so, you will inevitably have to work extra hard on their website. And as a result, you will have to charge them a higher rate. For example, for a client with a website which is already appearing on the 2nd page of Google, you may only charge $1000 for SEO aimed at making it appear on the 1st page. But if the website is not even in the first 10 pages of Google search results, then you will have to put in a lot more effort, and therefore may end up charging $3000-$4000 or more.
Aim Of The Client
Another factor to take into account is what the client wishes to achieve through the SEO? Does he want the site to appear in the first three results of the Google search page? Or is he satisfied with his website appearing on the first page, and not concerned specifically with the first three positions? Does he want to focus more on generating traffic by posting good quality content, or is he more focused on getting website clicks no matter what tactic is used? The client should answer all such questions. This will give you a clear idea of which services will be required to achieve the client’s aim, allowing you to accurately decide what to charge for SEO.
Tactics To Be Used
If the client is unsure of what SEO services he specifically needs, then you will have to come with a mix of tactics that can meet the client’s requirements. A basic SEO package will involve content creation, link building etc. So, be sure to involve all these when calculating the final fee. And remember to never sacrifice any service just to meet the client’s budget. If you think that you will need to hire a good quality content writer and that this will cost an extra $500 per month but exceed the client’s budget, then make sure that you convey it to the client appropriately. If you choose to neglect content creation, your client might not get the expected results, and you will have a very low client satisfaction and retention rate.
As such, it is better that you don’t lower your service quality just to meet a client’s budget. Instead, focus on providing quality results. And as long as you deliver results and charge reasonable rates, you will definitely build up a client list.
