Pricing and Packaging Your SEO Services for Clients

Part of 💼 Running the Business (Articles 19–21) in Launch and scale an SEO business using AI tools

Let’s just get this out there:
Pricing your own services can feel like trying to answer “What do you want for dinner?” when you’re already hangry and everything sounds wrong.

And when you’re new to offering SEO services — especially in the age of AI where everything’s moving faster than TikTok trends — it gets even trickier.

So many questions:

  • “Am I charging too much?”
  • “Too little?”
  • “What if they ghost me after I send my quote?”
  • “Should I do hourly? Packages? Performance-based? Vibes-based???”

Deep breath. You’re not alone. We’ve all been there — refreshing our inbox like a lonely raccoon at 2am waiting for a “Let’s move forward!” reply.

This guide isn’t going to give you some fake guru formula. It’s going to walk you through how to price and package your SEO services in a way that:

  1. Makes sense to you
  2. Feels fair to your clients
  3. Doesn’t make you want to crawl under your desk after quoting someone

Sound good? Cool. Let’s dive in.

💸 Step 1: Know What You’re Really Selling

First things first — you’re not just selling keywords or backlinks.

You’re selling growth. Visibility. Relief from digital obscurity. A shot at ranking over their annoying local competitor whose website still has a “Coming Soon” banner from 2017.

When you realize that, pricing becomes less about time or tasks and more about value.

Now don’t get me wrong — you still need to define what you’re delivering. But the mindset shift here is crucial.

Ask yourself:
“If I help this business rank #1 for their most valuable keyword, what’s that actually worth to them?”

Not how long it took you. Not how many words were written.
But what it does for them.

That’s where the money is.

🧃 Step 2: Pick Your Pricing Model (And Why You Shouldn’t Overthink It)

Alright, real talk — there’s no perfect pricing model. But here are the usual suspects, with some pros, cons, and maybe a little sass:

  1. Hourly

Classic. Easy to understand. But also: can cap your income and reward inefficiency.

  • Good for: One-off consulting, audits, quick fixes.
  • Red flag: You’re not a digital wrench-turner.

“Wait, you charged me 4 hours to write a blog post?”
Nah, better to move toward value-based work.

  1. 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 you’re using AI tools to streamline tasks).
  • Tip: Set boundaries. Don’t become their 24/7 SEO hotline.
  1. Project-Based

Great for new SEO folks. Clear deliverables. Clear price.

  • Example: “Full SEO setup for your Shopify store – $750 flat.”
  1. Performance-Based

Be careful here. Might sound sexy (“you only pay if you rank!”), but also risky — especially if the client has a broken site and no content budget.

  • Only do this if: You control the variables. Or you like gambling.

🛍️ Step 3: Create Packages That Make Sense (And Don’t Feel Like a Fast Food Menu)

Let’s kill the “Bronze, Silver, Gold” thing. It’s tired. Feels like you’re selling used car warranties.

Instead, design packages that reflect where the client is in their SEO journey.

Starter Package – “Let’s Get You Found”

  • Keyword research
  • AI-assisted content strategy
  • On-page SEO setup (titles, meta, etc.)
  • Google Search Console + Analytics setup

Price range: $500–$1,000 depending on scope
Great for: new businesses, solo entrepreneurs, side hustlers.

Growth Package – “Let’s Level You Up”

  • Everything in Starter
  • 2–4 blog posts/month (AI-assisted + human edited)
  • Basic link building outreach
  • Monthly reporting & strategy tweaks

Price range: $1,200–$2,000/month
Great for: local businesses, service providers, niche ecom stores.

Authority Package – “Dominate Your Niche”

  • 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: $2,500–$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. That’s extra value.

🧠 Step 4: Use AI to Package Smarter, Not Harder

AI isn’t just for content — it can help you build, price, and sell your services.

Here’s how I use it (feel free to copy me):

  • Ask ChatGPT to help write sales copy for each package:
    “Write friendly, benefits-focused descriptions of my 3 SEO packages for a Notion portfolio.”
  • Use AI to compare market rates:
    “What’s the average cost of SEO services for small businesses in 2025?”
  • Generate client-ready pitch decks or proposals in Google Docs, Notion, or Canva.

Heck, you can even use AI to pre-fill estimates:
“Estimate how long it will take to optimize a 10-page local business site for 3 keywords using Surfer + ChatGPT.”

And then… price accordingly.

🧯 Step 5: What If They Say You’re Too Expensive?

Oof. That stings.

Here’s what I do:
I pause, smile (internally), and say:

“Totally understand. There’s a wide range of SEO pricing out there. What’s your budget range? Maybe I can suggest something more aligned — or recommend someone I trust.”

Sometimes they walk away. That’s okay.
Sometimes they say, “Well, actually, I could do $X…” and now we’re negotiating respectfully.

Don’t drop your pants on pricing too fast.
It tells them you didn’t value it that much to begin with.

🫀 Step 6: Price With Empathy, Not Fear

I want to wrap with this, because it matters more than anything:

You’re allowed to charge money for your time, your knowledge, your effort — even if you’re still learning.

If you’re helping someone grow their business using SEO — especially powered by AI tools that give real ROI — you deserve to be paid fairly.

You don’t have to feel guilty. You don’t have to feel greedy. And you definitely don’t have to justify your entire existence in a 3-page PDF.

But you do need to:

  • Be clear about what you’re delivering
  • Be confident in how it helps them
  • Be ready to walk away if it’s not a fit

That’s real business energy.

🧭 TL;DR Recap

✅ Start by understanding what you’re actually selling: results
✅ Choose a pricing model that aligns with your work style
✅ Create 2–3 packages that reflect real client needs
✅ Use AI tools to enhance everything — from deliverables to your own proposal writing
✅ Don’t apologize for your prices. Let them reflect your value, not your fear

 

Coming Up Next in the Course:
👉 “How to Find SEO Clients (Without Feeling Like a Sleazy Salesperson)”
Spoiler: It’s more about connection than cold-pitching 1,000 LinkedIn strangers.

 

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