How much does an SEO agency typically cost?

An SEO agency typically costs 1,500 to 5,000 dollars per month on retainer in the US, with specialist and enterprise agencies charging 10,000 or more. Hourly consulting runs 100 to 300 dollars. Prices have held roughly steady since 2024, with slight compression as AI trimmed the routine work.

One-off projects like audits or migrations usually land between 5,000 and 30,000 dollars. Cheap offshore packages under 500 dollars a month exist, but they lean on thin content and risky links.

How much you should expect to pay depends on scope. Content production drives most results, so check how much of the fee actually becomes published pages rather than meetings and reporting. In most retainers it is less than half.

For a content-first alternative, BlazeHive works as an SEO agency replacement for startups built around daily published pages.