One-off audit
From about $1,000 to $5,000 for a full technical and content review of the site with a prioritized list of fixes.
SEO consultant who starts with an audit, not with a promise of page one
Rankings slipped, or they never came, and you want one person who knows why. Tell us about your site and your goal, and within 24 hours we assign an SEO consultant who has already ranked websites in your industry. From the audit to the fixes to the reports, a senior project manager with 15+ years in marketing checks each stage against the scope you agreed on.
Free, no obligation. A senior project manager walks you through the analysis.
Free analysis in 24 hours
Send us your website. Within 24 hours, you'll get a written analysis comparing your marketing with your competitors'.
Free marketing analysis
- PDF analysis
- 5 competitors
- Prioritized action list
Your analysis is prepared by a senior project manager with 15+ years of experience in marketing.
Key takeaways
The short version
Before you read on
- Within 24 hours you're matched with someone who fits your industry and the scope you need.
- You sign off on the audit, the fixes and the report one at a time, with your project manager checking each against the scope.
- We review portfolios and references before assigning anyone, and a project manager with more than 15 years in marketing checks each stage before it reaches you.
- US rates usually sit at $75 to $200 an hour, and ongoing care of a small site starts around $1,000 to $1,500 a month.
Good to know
Working with an SEO specialist picked for your site
Organic visibility rests on three layers: the technical state of the site, content that answers what people search for, and links from other websites. The person we assign handles all three, from a technical SEO review to keyword-focused rewrites and link building. We look for someone with real ranking experience in your industry, whether they freelance full time or take on projects alongside a salaried job.
We're not an SEO agency with a payroll to keep busy. Before anyone gets client work, the project manager reviews their portfolio and references and talks through fixes they've actually shipped. The work comes in three stages (audit, implementation and report). You sign off on each one with the project manager, who holds it up against the scope you agreed on. On the first call we set the goal and what the right person should bring.
A project manager with more than 15 years in marketing stays with the project, checks the audit, the implementation and the report before each one reaches you, and keeps the scope and the deadlines on track. Your price comes in the estimate that follows the free analysis. For a broader, team-based program, see our SEO service page.
What you get
What the work covers, from first audit to holding rankings
The scope depends on where your site stands today. It can be anything from a first audit to defending rankings for the long haul.
Technical and on-site audit
We look at indexing, load speed, heading structure, metadata and internal linking, and you get a list of fixes in order of priority.
Content aligned with search intent
Keywords chosen for what searchers really want, fuller versions of your existing pages and a plan for new pages around phrases with traffic potential.
Link building and link profile
Natural links earned from other sites, harmful ones disavowed, and your domain's visibility tracked against competitors.
Ranking and traffic reports
Regular reports from Google Search Console and Google Analytics, written so a business owner can follow them without a glossary.
Step by step
Getting the right person on your site within 24 hours
Step 1
A short brief
You tell us about the site, the industry and the goal: more traffic, specific phrases or a comeback after a visibility drop.
Step 2
Matching
The project manager assigns a practitioner who has ranked sites in your field and sketches out a proposed scope.
Step 3
Scope and kickoff
Before the audit starts, you agree on what the first stage includes and how you'll sign off on it.
Step 4
Audit, fixes, report
You and the project manager review each finished stage for scope and quality, and only then does the next one start.
Checklist
Signs you're talking to someone who knows search
Before you commit, make sure the person works this way.
Checklist
- Begins with an SEO audit instead of promising a set position by a set date
- Shows real work or references from a similar industry
- Can explain the difference between on-page, off-page and technical work
- Avoids tactics that break Google's guidelines, often called black hat
- Sets measurable goals: target phrases, organic traffic and search visibility
- Reports progress on a regular schedule rather than only at the end
The details
SEO freelancer rates and retainers in the US market
These are common US price points for independent search work, and they vary with experience. Use them as a benchmark; your free analysis will show which one fits your site.
Ongoing care for a small site
About $1,000 to $3,000 a month for content optimization, link building and rank tracking.
Hourly rate
About $75 to $200 an hour, depending on experience and project size (a large online store sits at the top).
In short
Matching and screening at a glance
24 hours
to assign a search practitioner to your project
15+ years
in marketing for the manager overseeing your SEO work
Portfolio
and references checked before assignment
Industry
experience ranking businesses similar to yours
Side by side
Matched practitioner or classic ranking agency
The audit and each change are judged by the same firm that did the work
A project manager with 15+ years of experience reviews every stage before it reaches you
Everything goes through an account manager, and you barely see the actual work
Direct contact with the person optimizing your site, and a scope you can see
A multi-year arrangement that is hard to exit
Stages of audit, implementation and report, with the option to end after any of them
Rankings are handled by whoever has spare hours
Someone chosen for your industry and screened before the start
What you can count on
Safeguards built into every search project
Every project gets a screened practitioner and a project manager who stays with it.
Reviewed up front
We check portfolios and references before assigning anyone, whether they freelance or hold a day job.
Fit for your field
Audits and implementations go to someone with ranking experience in your industry, not to whoever has a free slot.
Deadlines kept on track
A veteran project manager keeps each stage of your SEO project on the schedule set at kickoff.
One stage at a time
The project manager checks the audit, the fixes and the report against scope, and each one gets your sign-off before the next begins.
FAQ
Questions companies ask us
Short answers. The free analysis call covers anything specific to your company.
01How much does an SEO consultant charge?
Across the US, hourly rates mostly run from $75 to $200, and ongoing care for a small website starts at about $1,000 a month. A one-off audit usually starts around the same $1,000 mark and climbs with the size of the site. You'll get an exact estimate after the free analysis.
02How soon can someone start on my project?
Usually the day after your request. The project manager assigns a practitioner suited to your industry and the size of your site, and you get a specific proposal for scope and timeline.
03How is this different from hiring an SEO agency?
An agency staffs your account from its own team. Here we pick the person for your industry from practitioners we reviewed in advance. You sign off on each stage with a senior project manager who has no stake in defending the work.
04How is the work divided and billed?
The work comes in three stages: audit, implementation and report. The estimate sets a scope and a price for each. The project manager checks every finished stage, and you sign off together before the next one starts.
05Who checks the quality of the SEO work before I see it?
The project manager, who has more than 15 years in marketing, holds the audit, the implementation and the report up against the scope you agreed on before each one reaches you. Since the work is split into stages, you sign off on one at a time and always know what comes next.
06Can an ecommerce SEO consultant handle my online store?
Yes. For store projects we assign people experienced with product pages, category structure and feeds, including store-specific issues like faceted navigation and duplicate product URLs. A good freelance SEO consultant can also cover local SEO if you run physical pickup points.
Free analysis
See where your marketing stands, then decide what to do next
Send us your website. Within 24 hours, you'll get a written analysis comparing your channels with your competitors', plus a call with a senior project manager who has run marketing for 15+ years.
- Analysis within 24 hours
- No obligation
- PDF covering 5 competitors
- Team picked by your PM
Free marketing analysis
- PDF analysis
- 5 competitors
- Prioritized action list
Your analysis is prepared by a senior project manager with 15+ years of experience in marketing.
Are you a marketer with experience in a specific industry? Join the team