What each budget buys
- $500 to $800/mo: local SEO, Google Business Profile, citations, a little content. Good for a single-location service business.
- $1,000 to $1,500/mo: the above plus real content and light link building. Where most small businesses should be.
- $2,000+/mo: competitive terms, multiple locations, aggressive content and links.
Pricing red flags
"$99/month, rank #1 guaranteed" is a scam, nobody can guarantee rankings, and that price only covers a bot spamming links. Also watch for no reporting, no named contact, and contracts that lock you in for a year with no exit.
Common questions
Why is SEO monthly instead of one-time?
Rankings are competitive and always shifting, competitors publish, Google updates, and content ages. SEO is maintained, not installed once.
Is a cheaper SEO company a bad sign?
Under ~$300/month, yes, real SEO takes human hours. Cheap providers automate low-quality links that can trigger penalties and set you back months.
What does Fivenson charge for SEO?
We scope a monthly plan to your market and goals after a free consult, no locked-in year, and you see exactly what we do each month.