"How much does SEO cost?" is one of the most common questions we get — and one of the hardest to answer honestly, because the range is genuinely massive. You'll find SEO services priced anywhere from $99/month to $10,000+/month.
This guide breaks down what's actually behind those numbers, what local SEO costs for small businesses specifically, and how to avoid paying for things that don't work.
The Short Answer
| Service Type | Typical Monthly Cost | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Local SEO (small market) | $500–$1,000/mo | Single-location businesses in smaller cities |
| Local SEO (competitive market) | $1,000–$2,000/mo | Businesses in competitive niches or larger cities |
| Full-service organic SEO | $1,500–$5,000/mo | Businesses targeting non-geographic keywords at scale |
| Enterprise SEO | $5,000–$20,000+/mo | Large websites, national brands, e-commerce |
| One-time SEO audit | $500–$2,500 (one-time) | Starting point before ongoing work |
| One-time optimization project | $1,000–$5,000 (one-time) | Getting foundations in place |
Why Is There Such a Big Range?
SEO pricing varies because the scope of work varies enormously. Here's what you're actually paying for:
Local SEO ($500–$2,000/month)
This is the right category for most Kitsap County small businesses. It typically includes:
- Google Business Profile optimization and ongoing management
- Citation building and cleanup (getting your business listed consistently on 40+ directories)
- Review generation and response management
- On-page SEO updates to your website
- Local content creation (1–2 pieces per month)
- Monthly reporting and rank tracking
At $500/month, you're getting the basics done well. At $1,500–$2,000/month, you're getting aggressive content production, active link building, and deeper competitive strategy.
What Affects Price
- Competition — A dentist in Silverdale (15+ competitors) costs more to rank than a niche contractor in Kingston (1–2 competitors).
- Current baseline — Starting from zero costs more than improving an already-decent foundation.
- Number of locations — Each additional location adds scope.
- Content volume — More content = faster results = higher cost.
- Agency vs. freelancer vs. in-house — Each has different cost structures.
What $99/Month SEO Actually Gets You
Bluntly: not much. Agencies that charge $99–$300/month for "SEO" are typically providing one or more of the following:
- Auto-generated reports that look impressive but show no actual work
- Citation building on 10–20 low-quality directories (done once, never updated)
- Automated content that's thin, keyword-stuffed, and potentially harmful
- Account managers handling 200+ clients who have no idea what your business does
Real local SEO for a single-location small business requires 10–20 hours of actual work per month. At $99, someone is working on your account for maybe 1–2 hours — if at all.
What to Expect at Different Price Points
$500–$750/month
- GBP fully optimized and actively managed
- Core citations built and corrected
- Review generation system set up
- Monthly GBP posts
- Basic on-page SEO
- Monthly reporting
Good for: Businesses in low-competition markets who just need solid fundamentals.
$750–$1,500/month
- Everything above, plus:
- 2–4 pieces of local content per month
- Active link building
- Competitor monitoring
- Website optimization updates
- More aggressive review strategy
Good for: Most Kitsap County businesses wanting real momentum.
$1,500–$3,000/month
- Everything above, plus:
- High-volume content production
- Technical SEO
- Video content integration
- Conversion rate optimization
- Dedicated strategy calls
Good for: Competitive markets (healthcare, legal, home services in dense areas) or businesses wanting to dominate fast.
Is SEO Worth the Cost?
The right way to think about this: what's a new customer worth to you?
A plumber charging $200–$500 per job who gets 15 new customers/month from SEO is generating $3,000–$7,500/month in new revenue. At $1,000/month in SEO spend, that's a 3–7x return.
A dentist with an average patient lifetime value of $4,000 who gains 5 new patients/month from local SEO is generating $20,000/month in long-term value. The SEO cost is negligible in comparison.
The question isn't "can I afford SEO?" — it's "can I afford the leads I'm missing without it?"
Red Flags to Avoid
- 🚩 Guarantees of "#1 on Google" (no one can promise this)
- 🚩 Prices under $300/month for "full-service SEO"
- 🚩 No reporting or opaque reporting (you can't see what they're doing)
- 🚩 Lock-in contracts longer than 6 months with no performance clauses
- 🚩 You own nothing if you leave (they hold your GBP, website, or content)
- 🚩 No discovery — they quote you without asking about your business or market
Getting a Quote for Kitsap County SEO
We offer a free SEO audit that shows you exactly where your local search presence stands before you spend a dime. No pitch, no pressure — just a clear picture of your situation and what it would realistically take to improve it.
See our Local SEO service →
Buzz Cue is a marketing agency in Poulsbo, WA. We help Kitsap County businesses dominate local search. Talk to us →