How to choose between the project and monthly SEO services?

According to the recent review of the TOP optimization agencies in the US, the most of the leading firms provide hourly rates on their services. With the general picture of how much some companies charge per hour for optimization services, many businesses are asking themselves how the hourly payment strategy might compare to hiring an SEO firm on a monthly rate basis. 

The problem of different pricing models and their value has been widely discussed over the years. Several years ago the vast optimization player Moz conducted a research campaign distinguishing the average pricing on SEO services in the world. 

It must be noted that each payment model offers many different advantages. However, what might work well for one business might be worthless for another. That is why to select the right pricing model businesses need set their goals and requirements. 

In this article we will have a closer look at different optimization services and payment models, comparing them and looking at their strong and weak sides. This information will help you to choose the best SEO services for your business.

Hourly SEO services

Hourly SEO payment model is popular among businesses as it does not require huge investments at once. You can pay for each hour and stop your optimization process whenever you need. This payment strategy offers what feels like very quantifiable and straightforward terms.  

However, it is worth to mention that hourly pricing is also not stable. It may vary widely from company to company. Hourly SEO pricing ranges from $70 to $300 per hour, depending on company’s location, its size, reputation and demand they carry. Sometimes, a price on hourly optimization may depend on your business type and the goals you set. 

Hourly SEO provides a lot of benefits, starting from complete transparency and finishing with a breakdown of service costs. It is convenient when you can allocate time very specifically. So, this type of payment model is perfectly suited for those who have a specific deadline to launch a product or website. Moreover, using this kind of payment, you can predict your spendings. That is why hourly SEO is popular among small businesses that have a limited budget. 

To my mind, the primary problem which is associated with this type of payment is that you may not obtain optimization effect as quickly. Complex website optimization especially if it is done for the first time requires a significant amount of time (at least six months). As a result, most businesses are upset when they discover that they may not be able to accomplish their intended goals without exceeding their hourly limit. So, as a result, using this payment model you may end up with the larger bill than your budget. 

Monthly SEO services 

Monthly SEO is another commonly used payment model which is suited for both middle-sized business and small businesses. With monthly optimization plans, a business typically pays a fixed fee each month for the previously discussed amount of services as well as continued maintenance. 

Monthly optimization payment model is usually chosen for long-term approaches to SEO. It provides an unlimited amount of hours. It means that optimization agency devotes much longer time to get a good optimization effect for your business. According to this pricing model, SEO consultants can’t claim that they have a limited amount of time or budget to accomplish a task or continue conversion. It means that you need to worry that the hours you paid for are out. If more hours are needed to accomplish a task, an optimization agency should continue to work in most cases. It will help you to develop better client-agency relationships and synchronize your efforts for success.

The problem is that working under monthly rate agreement businesses often feel like they are not getting their money’s worth if there are a lack of updates. Investing money in monthly optimization, people expect to see the result and updates on regular basis. However, the expected results may not occur in a month or two. It may take up to 12 months to raise website traffic and improve indicators. This type of payment may be more of a challenge during a not profitable month. If you have a seasoned business, you may find yourself stretched thin during not profitable months when you still need to pay for your SEO. 

Project SEO services

The project-based payment model is offered by almost all full-stack optimization agencies that work with big and middle-sized businesses. It is often used as an introduction to the services of a particular firm. This optimization is usually served as a bridge between hourly and monthly SEO. Project-based SEO gives an unlimited amount of hours to accomplish goals. However, it still has a set a date for the conclusion. This type of SEO pricing is commonly used for maintenance of a particular SEO component (e.g., website mobile adaptation, website audit, keyword research, etc.).

Project-based SEO is the clearest and straightforward payment model according to which you pay a fixed price for an accomplished task. Using this kind of SEO, businesses have an opportunity to maintain and predict their budget without requiring an ongoing payment plan. According to this pricing model, you get exactly what you paid for. So, you should not care about time and resource spendings. You pay only for the result. Project-based SEO model is the best for those companies that need to improve a particular area of their business. 

At the same time, this pricing model can be quite risky. Paying for project-based SEO, you can easily get overcharged. Some companies intentionally charge you more than the time and efforts that are actually required for the project. Moreover, if you did not define your expectations, some optimization agencies might shortchange the client when it comes to results. 

Final thoughts

When it comes to search engine optimization services, it is difficult to distinguish one-size-fits-all variant. The choice of optimization services should be based on your company’s needs and requirements. Whether you go monthly or project-based the numbers need to work out.