Custom SEO pricing starts with your business goals

Two businesses can want more inquiries and still need very different SEO work. One may have strong service pages but little authority. Another may need its content and website structure rebuilt before a larger link building effort makes sense.

A local firm with one market also faces a different challenge from a national company competing across several services. The number of pages, level of competition, quality of existing content, and implementation requirements change the scope.

A fixed list of deliverables can make comparison look straightforward while leaving the real question unanswered: is this the work that will help your business? I would rather define that work first and explain the investment against a plan you can understand.

The conversation starts with the business. Which services matter most to your growth? Who is the right customer? Which markets do you want to reach, and what is working or falling short today?

We also discuss your website, existing marketing, available expertise, and capacity to handle new inquiries. If you already have a team, it helps to understand who can provide subject knowledge, review content, and implement website changes.

You do not need a technical brief before getting in touch. Your website, a clear description of the business, and an honest explanation of the problem are enough to begin a useful conversation. If you have a budget in mind, that can help us discuss a realistic scope.

After understanding the situation, I assess the research and information needed to recommend a direction. Depending on the engagement, that can involve competitor analysis, content gaps, relevant searches, local visibility, technical concerns, and the strength of your existing authority.

The proposal connects the priorities with the work. It explains the services involved, the intended deliverables, the responsibilities on each side, and how progress will be reviewed. Where deeper analysis is needed before a larger commitment, that step is made explicit.

You should be able to ask why a task is included and receive a specific answer. A proposal is useful when the reasoning is clear, not simply when the list of activities is long.

Your starting point affects the effort required. A website with clear service pages and reliable access may be ready for a focused campaign. A site with missing content, weak navigation, or technical barriers may need foundational work first.

Your market changes the challenge. A competitive legal practice area, a local trade, and a specialist manufacturing capability involve different research, content, and authority needs. The geographic reach and number of services also affect how much work is useful.

The delivery model matters too. Some clients need strategy and a specific service. Others need coordinated content, local SEO, link building, and ongoing direction. Development support, professional review, and existing internal resources need to be considered rather than hidden in a standard allowance.

You may need a defined project, such as improving important service pages, reviewing a local presence, or planning a relevant link building campaign. A focused engagement can make sense when the problem and the surrounding foundations are clear.

You may also need a broader program connecting research, content, local visibility, authority, and AI search. In that case, the value comes from prioritizing those parts together and learning from the results over time.

The proposal reflects the diagnosis and the level of support you need. I do not assume that every client should buy every service, or that the same pace of work is right for every business.

Before work begins, the scope should make clear what is included, what requires input from your team, and what needs separate implementation or specialist support. Expectations about reporting, approvals, revisions, and the next review point should be discussed.

The investment and payment terms belong in the proposal and agreement for your engagement. I do not publish a starting price that suggests a standard scope when the work has not yet been defined.

A clear agreement gives both sides a useful reference. You know what the work is meant to accomplish, and we can assess progress against the priorities we actually agreed.