I’m often asked about my SEO rates, so let me address them openly and explain the thinking behind them.<\/p>\n
It’s only natural to want a good deal \u2014 I’m exactly the same when I shop for products and services myself. There’s nothing wrong with wanting fair value for your money. And the question every business owner really wants answered is simple: why pay more than you have to?<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, I regularly hear from well-meaning entrepreneurs who’ve been taken advantage of by the many underqualified online marketing agencies and self-proclaimed specialists out there. The horror stories tend to follow a pattern: restrictive contracts of \u20ac2,000 per month for two years with no demonstrable results, lots of busywork and excuses. Or agencies that refuse to take on a project unless you commit to spending at least \u20ac500 per month on Google Ads. Or hourly rates north of \u20ac75.<\/p>\n
It’s disheartening. I have no interest in playing the conscience of the industry, but practices like these are exactly why SEO remains out of reach for so many freelancers and small businesses.<\/p>\n
I have no ambition to be the budget airline of the SEO industry. At the same time, I don’t want to be the five-star hotel either \u2014 loaded with the expensive, unnecessary frills that come with large online marketing agencies, all of which you ultimately pay for as the client.<\/p>\n
My mission is straightforward: to make high-quality, tailored SEO support accessible to small and medium-sized businesses.<\/p>\n
I work primarily with small companies \u2014 freelancers and SMEs with up to 10 employees. I do serve a handful of larger clients with around 50 staff, but roughly 90% of my work is with small businesses. I see it as my job to keep SEO affordable for this group.<\/p>\n
I also genuinely prefer working with smaller organizations. With larger companies, everything tends to move slowly: internal politics, red tape, three departments that all need to sign off, and so on. With a small business, an SEO plan drawn up in the morning can be implemented by the afternoon and paying off by the evening.<\/p>\n
Ongoing support (monthly subscription, cancellable each month):<\/strong> \u20ac12.50 per hour<\/p>\n One-off projects (such as an SEO quick scan, a one-time audit, or a single coaching session):<\/strong> \u20ac45 per hour<\/p>\n Ongoing work is my preference \u2014 I’ve now worked with some clients for more than five years. Long-term partnerships are where I do my best work and feel most at home. The longer I work with a particular website and organization, the more familiar I become with it, and that familiarity saves time. It also gives me a degree of security, knowing there’s likely to be work again next month.<\/p>\n I do enjoy sinking my teeth into a one-off project now and then for variety. Even so, my one-off rate is still remarkably low compared to most of my peers.<\/p>\n I keep my overheads low, both professionally and personally. I don’t rent an expensive office in the city center \u2014 I work from home. Because I work from home, I don’t need a car either. All I really need is a laptop and a reliable internet connection.<\/p>\n The only significant recurring costs I have, and the ones I won’t cut corners on, are subscriptions to professional SEO tools like Ahrefs and Semrush, at roughly \u20ac100 each per month. Without these, you simply can’t do the job properly as an SEO specialist \u2014 at least not in my view.<\/p>\n It also helps that SEO isn’t my primary source of income; I find investing more lucrative. So why not trade full-time? The markets are too volatile for my taste, whereas SEO is a marketing skill that will always be useful. On top of that, SEO is a genuine labor of love for me \u2014 I’d be bored without it. I think this is a healthier way to approach SME-focused SEO. Let’s be clear: you don’t get rich doing SEO for small businesses. I don’t know a single peer who drives around in a Maserati. You have to do it out of intrinsic motivation, a real love for the craft, and a desire to serve smaller organizations with your knowledge and skill.<\/p>\n An affordable hourly rate is one thing \u2014 but how many hours does it take to make a real difference, and what’s the total investment you should plan for? The answer depends on several factors:<\/p>\n As a rough guide, here’s how monthly costs tend to scale with competition:<\/p>\n For a one-off audit, check, or scan, the number of hours needed depends mainly on the size of your website (how many pages it has) and, to a lesser extent, on your industry.<\/p>\n Not sure about the quality of my work? Click the orange button in the top right and book a free, no-obligation consultation. I’d be glad to give you a taste of what I can do, with no strings attached.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I’m often asked about my SEO rates, so let me address them openly and explain the thinking behind them. It’s only natural to want a good deal \u2014 I’m exactly the same when I shop for products and services myself. There’s nothing wrong with wanting fair value for your money. And the question every business…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-7521","page","type-page","status-publish","placeholder-for-hentry","description-off"],"yoast_head":"\nWhy the difference between one-off and ongoing rates?<\/h3>\n
How can SEOGeek charge so much less than the rest?<\/h2>\n
What will SEO actually cost in total?<\/h2>\n
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\n \nLevel of competition<\/th>\n Examples<\/th>\n Estimated monthly SEO cost<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n \n Extremely competitive<\/td>\n Insurance, lending<\/td>\n \u20ac500+ per month<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Competitive<\/td>\n E-bikes, travel (general), clothing (general)<\/td>\n \u20ac400\u2013500 per month<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Moderate competition<\/td>\n Webshop specializing in a specific garment or interior item<\/td>\n \u20ac100\u2013250 per month<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Niche<\/td>\n Specialized freelance trade, webshop for obscure hobby goods<\/td>\n \u20ac100 per month<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n \n\n
\n \nWebsite size<\/th>\n Number of pages<\/th>\n Hours needed (cost)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n \n Large<\/td>\n 100+ pages<\/td>\n 1 working day (\u20ac360)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Medium<\/td>\n Fewer than 100 pages<\/td>\n Half a working day (\u20ac180)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Small<\/td>\n Fewer than 25 pages<\/td>\n 2 hours (\u20ac90)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n