Part of đź Running the Business (Articles 19â21)Â in Launch and scale an SEO business using AI tools
Letâs just get this out there:
Pricing your own services can feel like trying to answer âWhat do you want for dinner?â when youâre already hangry and everything sounds wrong.
And when you’re new to offering SEO services â especially in the age of AI where everythingâs moving faster than TikTok trends â it gets even trickier.
So many questions:
- âAm I charging too much?â
- âToo little?â
- âWhat if they ghost me after I send my quote?â
- âShould I do hourly? Packages? Performance-based? Vibes-based???â
Deep breath. You’re not alone. We’ve all been there â refreshing our inbox like a lonely raccoon at 2am waiting for a âLetâs move forward!â reply.
This guide isnât going to give you some fake guru formula. Itâs going to walk you through how to price and package your SEO services in a way that:
- Makes sense to you
- Feels fair to your clients
- Doesnât make you want to crawl under your desk after quoting someone
Sound good? Cool. Letâs dive in.
đ¸ Step 1: Know What Youâre Really Selling
First things first â youâre not just selling keywords or backlinks.
Youâre selling growth. Visibility. Relief from digital obscurity. A shot at ranking over their annoying local competitor whose website still has a âComing Soonâ banner from 2017.
When you realize that, pricing becomes less about time or tasks and more about value.
Now donât get me wrong â you still need to define what youâre delivering. But the mindset shift here is crucial.
Ask yourself:
âIf I help this business rank #1 for their most valuable keyword, whatâs that actually worth to them?â
Not how long it took you. Not how many words were written.
But what it does for them.
Thatâs where the money is.
đ§ Step 2: Pick Your Pricing Model (And Why You Shouldnât Overthink It)
Alright, real talk â thereâs no perfect pricing model. But here are the usual suspects, with some pros, cons, and maybe a little sass:
- Hourly
Classic. Easy to understand. But also: can cap your income and reward inefficiency.
- Good for: One-off consulting, audits, quick fixes.
- Red flag: Youâre not a digital wrench-turner.
âWait, you charged me 4 hours to write a blog post?â
Nah, better to move toward value-based work.
- Monthly Retainer
This is your bread and butter once you land long-term clients. Predictable income, consistent effort, less explaining.
- Good for: Ongoing SEO (especially if youâre using AI tools to streamline tasks).
- Tip: Set boundaries. Donât become their 24/7 SEO hotline.
- Project-Based
Great for new SEO folks. Clear deliverables. Clear price.
- Example: âFull SEO setup for your Shopify store â $750 flat.â
- Performance-Based
Be careful here. Might sound sexy (âyou only pay if you rank!â), but also risky â especially if the client has a broken site and no content budget.
- Only do this if: You control the variables. Or you like gambling.
đď¸ Step 3: Create Packages That Make Sense (And Donât Feel Like a Fast Food Menu)
Letâs kill the âBronze, Silver, Goldâ thing. Itâs tired. Feels like youâre selling used car warranties.
Instead, design packages that reflect where the client is in their SEO journey.
Starter Package â âLetâs Get You Foundâ
- Keyword research
- AI-assisted content strategy
- On-page SEO setup (titles, meta, etc.)
- Google Search Console + Analytics setup
Price range: $500â$1,000 depending on scope
Great for: new businesses, solo entrepreneurs, side hustlers.
Growth Package â âLetâs Level You Upâ
- Everything in Starter
- 2â4 blog posts/month (AI-assisted + human edited)
- Basic link building outreach
- Monthly reporting & strategy tweaks
Price range: $1,200â$2,000/month
Great for: local businesses, service providers, niche ecom stores.
Authority Package â âDominate Your Nicheâ
- Advanced SEO audit
- Content clusters & topical authority
- Link building strategy (HARO, digital PR, guest posts)
- Custom AI-powered reporting dashboards
- Strategic consulting calls
Price range: $2,500â$5,000/month
Great for: startups, big blogs, businesses aiming for serious growth.
⨠Bonus idea: Add optional AI coaching or tool setup! Teach them how to use AI tools like Surfer, Jasper, or ChatGPT to support internal teams. Thatâs extra value.
đ§ Step 4: Use AI to Package Smarter, Not Harder
AI isnât just for content â it can help you build, price, and sell your services.
Hereâs how I use it (feel free to copy me):
- Ask ChatGPT to help write sales copy for each package:
âWrite friendly, benefits-focused descriptions of my 3 SEO packages for a Notion portfolio.â - Use AI to compare market rates:
âWhatâs the average cost of SEO services for small businesses in 2025?â - Generate client-ready pitch decks or proposals in Google Docs, Notion, or Canva.
Heck, you can even use AI to pre-fill estimates:
âEstimate how long it will take to optimize a 10-page local business site for 3 keywords using Surfer + ChatGPT.â
And then… price accordingly.
đ§Ż Step 5: What If They Say Youâre Too Expensive?
Oof. That stings.
Hereâs what I do:
I pause, smile (internally), and say:
âTotally understand. Thereâs a wide range of SEO pricing out there. Whatâs your budget range? Maybe I can suggest something more aligned â or recommend someone I trust.â
Sometimes they walk away. Thatâs okay.
Sometimes they say, âWell, actually, I could do $XâŚâ and now weâre negotiating respectfully.
Donât drop your pants on pricing too fast.
It tells them you didnât value it that much to begin with.
đŤ Step 6: Price With Empathy, Not Fear
I want to wrap with this, because it matters more than anything:
Youâre allowed to charge money for your time, your knowledge, your effort â even if youâre still learning.
If youâre helping someone grow their business using SEO â especially powered by AI tools that give real ROI â you deserve to be paid fairly.
You donât have to feel guilty. You donât have to feel greedy. And you definitely donât have to justify your entire existence in a 3-page PDF.
But you do need to:
- Be clear about what youâre delivering
- Be confident in how it helps them
- Be ready to walk away if itâs not a fit
Thatâs real business energy.
đ§ TL;DR Recap
â
Start by understanding what youâre actually selling: results
â
Choose a pricing model that aligns with your work style
â
Create 2â3 packages that reflect real client needs
â
Use AI tools to enhance everything â from deliverables to your own proposal writing
â
Donât apologize for your prices. Let them reflect your value, not your fear
Coming Up Next in the Course:
đ âHow to Find SEO Clients (Without Feeling Like a Sleazy Salesperson)â
Spoiler: Itâs more about connection than cold-pitching 1,000 LinkedIn strangers.