Is SEO worth it for a small business?+
It depends on one thing: whether your customers search for what you sell. A dentist, plumber, restaurant or lawyer has people typing their service into Google every day in their city — that traffic is worth a great deal because the intent is immediate. A business whose customers come entirely through referral or Instagram may get more from $499/month of video than from an SEO retainer. We'll tell you which you are before taking your money.
Why is SEO so expensive per month?+
In the US, because it's labour — a technical specialist, a content writer and an outreach person, on US salaries, working every month. Where it stops being worth it is when most of that labour goes into producing the report rather than doing the work. The question to ask any agency is 'what did you actually change on my site last month', and the answer should be specific.
How long before SEO pays for itself?+
Local and map-pack improvements often show inside 30–90 days. Competitive organic keywords take 4–6 months to move meaningfully, and payback on a competitive term is usually 6–12 months. If you need customers this month, that's an ads budget, not an SEO budget — and it's worth running both while the SEO matures.
Are cheap $300/month SEO packages ever worth it?+
Almost never, and often actively harmful. At that price nobody is doing manual work, so it's automated directory submissions and low-quality links — the exact profile that earns a manual penalty. If your budget is genuinely $300, spend it on a one-time audit and implement the fixes yourself. That's better value than twelve months of automation.
Should I pay for an audit first?+
Usually, yes. $349 tells you whether your problem is technical, content, links or the fact that nobody searches for what you sell — and those need very different budgets. Any agency that proposes a twelve-month retainer without looking at your site first is selling a package, not a plan. We credit the audit fee back if you start a retainer.
Do you guarantee first-page rankings?+
No, and neither does any honest agency — Google's systems aren't ours to control, and anyone guaranteeing a position is either lying or targeting terms nobody searches for. What we guarantee is transparent work logs, fixes actually implemented, and monthly reporting you can verify yourself in Search Console rather than take on trust.
What's the difference between local SEO and regular SEO?+
Local SEO is about the map results and 'near me' searches for your city — Google Business Profile, citations, reviews, proximity. Regular or organic SEO is about the blue links, driven by content and authority. If customers physically come to you, local is usually the higher-ROI spend and it's what $799/month covers. If you sell nationwide, $1,499/month fits better.
Can I do SEO myself?+
Some of the highest-value parts, genuinely yes — claiming and completing your Google Business Profile, asking every happy customer for a review, and writing honest answers to the questions your customers actually ask. That's a real chunk of local SEO and it costs you time rather than money. Technical remediation, competitive content strategy and link acquisition are where outside help earns its fee.
