How much does good squarespace SEO cost | Squarespace SEO

Buckle up because we're going to talk real dollar amounts and actual NUMBERS today!

As a Squarespace SEO expert, I get asked allllll the time : how much does good SEO cost?

My clients, subscribers on my email list and my blog/Youtube "audience" come to me with this question pretty much every dang day because honestly, there's a lot of conflicting information online and pricing can vary enormously.

People are looking for a straight answer. A single figure. Something that they can work with when budgeting business expenses.

Ugh if only it were that simple!!!

The truth is, there's no easy answer because it's not a black and white answer.

Pricing for GOOD SEO varies, depending on many different factors.

Not exactly the answer you were looking for but DON’T WORRY, I’m still going to point you in the right direction! ;)

I know what you're here for afterall, and I want to give you as much industry insight as I can which is why I'm going to go through several of those factors with you today.

This is me pulling back the curtain on the often mysterious world of Squarespace SEO!

So get comfy, grab a drink and let's take a quick look!

SQUARESPACE SEO SERIES

This article is part of my series on Squarespace SEO. I have so many tips to share on the subject that it would have been crazy to put it all in one article! There are many misconceptions about Squarespace SEO which is why I've dedicate so many posts to this topic. Enjoy!

Click to view all posts in the Squarespace SEO Series

Visit my Squarespace SEO page for lots more resources.

Pricing factors to consider with Squarespace SEO

1. Squarespace website hosting fee.

First order of business is making sure that you have a website up and running - without a website, there’s nothing to do SEO on :)

If you're reading this, I'm assuming you have a website and odds are it's already hosted by Squarespace. If your website is currently hosted on a different platform (like Wordpress or Wix), then you can always switch over to Squarespace.

Squarespace plans start at just $16 per month - more pricing info here.

2. DIY SEO vs an online course vs hiring it out

Let’s begin by looking at the entry point into Squarespace SEO, which is the DIY route. Some people choose to DIY their entire SEO strategy, especially if they have lots of time on their hands and are working with a tight budget. Depending on how much they learn, research and implement, this option is essentially free… however, results will vary and success is not guaranteed.

The middle ground is for people who purchase an online course such as my course, Top Squarespace SEO and then follow through with the lessons and strategies that way. It's an affordable investment that leads to great results.

The more expensive option would be to hire out SEO to a professional. SEO rates, pricing and packaging varies enormously, depending on factors that I'll talk about below. But basically you pay someone for their in-demand skills and they do it all for you.

3. Experience

When people decide to work with an SEO professional, one of the most important factors to consider is what type of experience they have.

One thing to consider is how long they’ve been in the SEO game: some people have been at this a while! They walk the walk and talk the talk. They’ve put in countless hours/weeks/months/years to hone their skills, learn through trial and error, develop their packages/offerings, and do the kind of client work they are interested in. Their work and experience is backed up with proven results, client case studies and glowing testimonials.

The more experienced someone is, the more they will charge for their services (rightly so, imo).

That being said, there are definitely people who are new to the game and are hungry to succeed and stand out in the SEO world. Their rates might be lower or comparably more affordable since they’re still building their portfolios and honing their skills - for now, but you'd better believe their rate is going to increase over time!!!

So yeah, the amount of experience someone has can impact SEO rates by hundreds or even thousands of dollars, depending on the scope of the project/package.

4. Initial investment + monthly retainer vs hourly / per-project

This is another factor to consider when looking at the cost of good Squarespace SEO, and it’s something that many business & website owners overlook!

Let's say you're going the paid route and you decide to hire out your entire SEO process. There are two main ways to go about this and it'll depend on who you decide to work with and what they offer:

Most of the time, SEO packages involve an initial start-up investment (usually $1000+) plus a monthly retainer
However, there are some SEO pros who do hourly work or one-off projects. Expect to pay at least $75-200 per hour

One option isn’t better than the other - it usually depends on both the client’s needs, the type of packages the professional decides to offer, and other things like availability and turnaround time. But many people overlook the fact that some SEO pros will take on one-off's whereas other SEO pros only do ongoing, longterm work. The cost will be totally different depending on what option you go for.

5. SEO Agency vs freelancer / consultant

An SEO agency is almost always going to cost more for the same work than if you go with a freelancer or consultant for one major reason:

Overhead, yo!

Think about it: an agency has major expenses such as the rent on a physical office space, utility bills, furniture, commercial property insurance, office snacks, etc., whereas a freelancer/consultant often works out of their home/a co-working space and doesn’t have to incur the same bloated expenses.

This can have a huge impact on rates and what you can expect to pay.

6. Local vs global

Yes, you can hop on Upwork and find an SEO pro working in a developing country who charges $5/hour.

However, I would caution against that.

I'm not saying that these people aren't talented… but in my own experience and from alllllll the client stories I've heard, this option is usually more trouble than it's worth.

In most cases, you get what you pay for which isn’t very reassuring.

Language barrier can be another massive consideration, especially for communications, timeline and expected results/outcome.

Of course it *can* work but time and time again, people come to me because they tried to cut corners on SEO the first time around and are now trying to fix the situation.

7. The type and scope of the website

Ahhh this is another excellent factor that can influence the pricing of SEO!

A basic 10-page personal/business website is going to be a lot less expensive than an e-commerce site that contains 100+ items. Like, duhhhh :)

You should also consider things like keyword difficulty and whether or not you’re trying to rank for local SEO or not. A basic, generic website that is super general is going to much more challenging to rank well for than a niche website focused on a certain area (e.g., an orthodontist in Portland, OR).

8. SEO softwares - paid vs free

This is more so something to think about if you’re going the DIY Squarespace SEO route, because you might have to pay for additional softwares out of your own pocket.

There are so many amazing SEO tools and softwares out there, both paid and free!

Some of my favourite free SEO tools and softwares include:

As for paid SEO tools, I use and love (among others):

All of these paid tools start at ~$99/month. Depending on how you use these SEO tools or softwares, you might only need them for a month or a few months while you get everything up and running. On the flip side, if you dive deep into DIY Squarespace SEO you might end up renewing these softwares for months/years - totally depends!

What does that mean for you?

Basically, this means that no matter where you are on your Squarespace SEO journey, there's something for you!

We all want to grow our websites and improve our online businesses, and SEO is a guaranteed way to do that.

You might start out by exploring all the amazing free tools and resources online. Heck, I have a whole Squarespace SEO section on my website to help you out!

But if you're serious about getting results and reaching more of your ideal audience, potential clients and customers online, then at some point you're going to invest in a professional.

This is where I come in.

The BEST place to start is with my Squarespace SEO Audit & Consulting sessions.

It's 1.5 hours of 1-on-1 time with yours truly, the industry leader in Squarespace SEO.

Each session is personalized and together we will come up with a custom SEO strategy that you can use going forward - whether you decide to do it on your own or hire it out, I've got you covered.

Book yourself in for one of my Squarespace SEO Audit & Consulting Sessions.

You'll get real, actionable advice and I'll set you up with strategic plan to follow that will take your website and online business to the next level.

Sign up for a consulting session now, we'll have a blast and it'll be a guaranteed win on your end!

Final thoughts

As you can see, there are a LOT of factors that go into SEO cost and pricing for your Squarespace website! There truly is an option for any budget and I hope this points you in the right direction.

Now it’s your turn to tell me, what do you think about all the options you have for Squarespace SEO? Where do you find yourself when it comes to pricing and finding out what route works best for your needs? Are you more of the DIY kinda website owner, or do you want to hand it all off to an expert? I’d love to know so leave me a note in the comments below!

If you want more SEO goodness, be sure to check out my Squarespace SEO page for all resources on the topic.

You can also sign up for my newsletter (right here or below), where I often share Squarespace SEO tips, tricks and high-quality exclusive content. I send out emails to my list every week and while I don’t talk about SEO every time, I can guarantee that you’ll still find the newsletter topics interesting, entertaining and worth your time.

Finally, shameless plug : hit me up with any specific questions you have about Squarespace SEO and your website because I’m your girl. You can reach out to me directly if you’re interested in working together on your website and we can talk about whether or not you would be a good fit for my consulting and ongoing services. I can’t take on every request to do SEO consulting but I do pick a few websites and businesses to work with every month and I’d love for you to be one of them.