“$9,000 a month for SEO? You’re joking, right?”
That’s the reaction I got from a potential client recently. And honestly? I get it. That number sounds insane if you don’t understand what’s behind it.
Let me explain when it makes sense – and when it doesn’t.
Why the Sticker Shock? 😱
SEO isn’t like buying a car. You can’t kick the tires. There’s no shiny thing to point at and say “that’s what I’m paying for.”
What you’re paying for is invisible work that makes your phone ring more. And that’s a hard sell when you’re writing the check.
Here’s the Math That Matters
Forget the cost. Ask yourself: What’s one new customer worth to your business?
💰 If one customer = $500
You need 18 new customers/month to break even on $9,000 SEO. That’s a lot. Might not make sense yet.
💰💰 If one customer = $5,000
You need 2 new customers/month to break even. Everything after that is profit.
The price isn’t the question. The ROI is.
Why We Don’t Charge $9,000 Upfront
Here’s our dirty secret: We don’t actually charge flat monthly fees.
Our pricing is based on results. You pay per keyword, and you don’t pay until those keywords actually rank on page one.
- Month 1-3: You might pay $2,000-3,000 as rankings build
- Month 4-6: Keywords start hitting page one, costs increase
- Month 6+: More rankings = higher fees, but also more traffic and sales
The $9,000 figure? That’s when you’re ranking for dozens of valuable keywords and getting serious traffic. By then, you’re making way more than $9,000 from that traffic.
Realistic Expectations 📊
After a year of solid SEO work, here’s what keyword performance typically looks like:
🥇 ~25% at #1
Your stars. These drive most traffic.
🥈 ~25% at positions 2-5
Strong performers. Still getting clicks.
🥉 ~25% at positions 6-10
On page one. Some traffic.
🔄 ~25% still climbing
Work in progress.
Anyone promising all #1 rankings is lying. SEO is competitive. But page one presence across your important keywords? That’s achievable.
The Honest Take
$9,000/month for SEO makes sense when:
- Your customer lifetime value is high
- You’re in a competitive market worth dominating
- You have margins that can absorb the investment while waiting for results
It doesn’t make sense when:
- Your profit per customer is low
- You need immediate results (SEO takes 3-6 months minimum)
- You can’t afford it without guaranteed returns
That’s why we don’t lock anyone into contracts. If the math doesn’t work for your business, you shouldn’t be spending that money. Simple as that. 📈