How Much for B2B & SaaS SEO Services?
“How much does SEO cost?”
This is one of the top questions we get from B2B & SaaS companies who want to rank higher, snatch keywords away from their competitors, and improve their overall digital marketing efforts.
It’s also a complicated question to answer.
To compute the total SEO cost of a project, you need to consider factors like the size and scope of the project, the location of your target market, the competitiveness of your industry, and more.
On top of that, you also need to think about the deliverables you want from your SEO firm, such as link building, keyword research, on-page optimization, and content marketing.
At Common Ground, we exercise 100% transparency when it comes to pricing our B2B SEO services.
As part of that commitment, we provide every client with a detailed breakdown of the SEO cost for their specific project. This way, there are no surprises, and you know exactly what you’re paying for.
To give you a better idea of SEO pricing, we’ve put together this detailed guide that covers all the factors you need to consider.
Importance of SEO for B2B & SaaS companies
70% of leading B2B organisations use Google to search for supplier businesses online. This number is only going to grow as time goes on, which makes SEO an increasingly important investment for B2B & SaaS companies.
SEO is a set of marketing strategies and techniques that improve the visibility of websites in search results.
There are many benefits that come with a successful B2B SEO campaign, such as the following:
Ranking higher than your B2B SaaS competitors
A well-executed SEO strategy can help you rank higher than your competitors in search engine results pages (SERPs). And the higher you rank, the more likely you are to generate organic traffic and leads.
A recent study found that the first organic search result gets 33% of the traffic, while the second result gets 18%. However, the numbers drop off significantly from there, with the third result getting just 9% of the traffic.
So, if you want to get the lion’s share of traffic from potential B2B clients, you need to be in that top spot. And the only way to do that is with SEO.
Generating leads from B2B SEO
B2B SEO is also an effective lead-generation tool. In fact, SEO has been shown to generate more leads than any other marketing channel, including paid search, display advertising, and social media.
Think of it as a cascade effect: the higher you rank in the SERPs, the more traffic from targeted audiences you’ll get. And the more traffic you get, the more leads you’re likely to generate. Of course, a well-designed SEO campaign will also mean that many of those leads will be qualified.
Increase brand awareness for your B2B SaaS company
Another effect of a high SERP ranking is that people are more likely to remember your brand. Research also shows that the higher you rank, the more likely people are to trust your company and the more likely they are to do business with you.
SEO provides a competitive edge
In the B2B & SaaS world, SEO can provide a significant competitive advantage. Many companies have not yet caught on to the power of SEO and are not investing in it. This leaves the door open for you to take advantage of the situation and get ahead of your competitors.
SEO can help you save on advertising expenses
Organic traffic from SEO is free. Once you rank high for a certain keyword, you’ll start getting traffic from that keyword without having to pay for it. This can help you save a lot of money on paid advertising, which is often one of the biggest line items in a B2B & SaaS company’s budget.
B2B & SaaS SEO cost factors
Without a doubt, SEO is a value-packed investment for B2B & SaaS companies. But, like all marketing initiatives, it does come at a cost.
There are several factors that will influence how much you need to budget for your SEO campaign, including:
SEO agency or contractor experience
B2B SaaS marketing is a complicated and ever-evolving process. You don’t want to waste money on an SEO agency without proven experience driving results for B2B & SaaS agencies like yours.
Naturally, more experienced agencies will tend to charge more than those just starting out. But the upfront cost is just one part of the equation.
Working with an experienced B2B SEO agency can help you avoid common pitfalls and mistakes that can cost you time and money. Not to mention, they’ll also be up-to-date on the latest changes in Google’s algorithm, so you can be confident that your campaign is using the most effective tactics.
SEO pricing model
The four most common pricing models for digital marketing campaigns are:
- Hourly
- Monthly
- Service-based
- Project-based
We’ll discuss this in more detail later on, but typically, an SEO agency’s pricing model won’t impact the overall cost of the campaign. Instead, it will simply give you options so you can choose the arrangement that works best for you and your company.
B2B SEO goals and objectives
The cost of your SEO campaign also depends on what your goals and objectives are. For example, more targeted, niche goals will require a more targeted, niche SEO strategy – and thus be more expensive – than broad, general goals.
SEO project timeline
How long you want or need your SEO campaign to run will also influence the cost. A shorter timeline will generally mean a smaller budget, while a longer timeline will allow for a more comprehensive strategy and, thus, a higher budget.
Location of the SEO agency
If you’re working with an SEO agency based in a different country, there may be additional costs associated with communication and travel. Therefore, all things being equal, it’s usually best to work with an agency that’s located near you.
SEO scale (e.g. local vs international)
The size and scope of your SEO campaign will also play a role in how much it costs. A local SEO campaign will be less expensive than an international one, for example. That’s because a local campaign will require less work, such as keyword research and link building, than an international one that needs to account for multiple language versions and country-specific search engines.
Existing SEO status
If you already have a strong SEO foundation in place, your campaign will likely be less expensive than if you’re starting from scratch. This is because it will take less work to get you ranking highly for your target keywords. Otherwise, you’ll need to account for the cost of an SEO audit as well as any penalty removal services that may be necessary.
Additional resource costs
There are also some additional resource costs that you may need to factor into your budget, such as the following:
- Tools – There are a number of different tools that can help with various aspects of your SEO campaign, from keyword research to link building. Many of these come at a cost, though some do offer free versions with limited functionality.
- Content – In order to rank highly in search results, you need to have high-quality, keyword-optimised content on your site. If you don’t have the in-house resources to produce this content, you’ll need to outsource it – which will add to the cost of your campaign.
- Links – One of the most important ranking factors for SEO is links. In order to get high-quality links, you may need to purchase them from a link-building service or engage in link exchanges with other websites.
The best way to get an accurate estimate of how much your B2B & SaaS SEO campaign will cost is to get in touch with us so we can assess your specific needs and requirements.
During our conversation, we’ll also talk about the deliverables that we’ll provide and how we’ll measure success, so you can be confident that you’re getting value for your money.
B2B & SaaS SEO deliverables
The exact deliverables will depend on the specifics of your campaign, but in general, these are what Common Ground clients can expect to receive:
Full technical SEO audit
Before we can create a winning SEO strategy for you, we need to know what we’re working with. So, our team will conduct a full audit of your website, looking at everything from your site structure to your content to your backlink profile.
This will give us a clear picture of where your website is currently at in terms of SEO and where there are opportunities for improvement.
Competitor analysis
In order to outrank your competitors, you need to know what they’re doing. Therefore, we’ll conduct a comprehensive analysis of your main competitors, looking at their SEO strategies and tactics.
We’ll also assess their strengths and weaknesses, so you can identify areas where you have a competitive advantage.
Keyword research
The initial step in any SEO campaign is keyword research. We’ll use a variety of methods to identify the best keywords for your business – keywords that will help you attract your target audience and convert them into customers or clients.
Google Analytics setup
If you don’t already have Google Analytics installed on your website, we’ll do it for you. Once it’s set up, we’ll configure it properly so we can track all the important data points related to your SEO campaign.
Ongoing SEO monitoring and reporting
Once we’ve implemented our SEO strategy, we’ll continuously monitor your progress and produce regular reports so you can see how well your campaign is performing.
We’ll also make adjustments to our strategy as needed to ensure that you’re getting the best results possible.
Content development and promotion
High-quality content is essential for any SEO campaign. We’ll help you develop content that is optimised for your target keywords and designed to engage and convert your audience.
On top of that, we’ll also suggest you promote your content through various channels, such as social media and email marketing, to get it in front of as many people as possible.
Site speed audits
One of the ranking factors for SEO is site speed. We’ll audit your site speed and then produce a list of tasks to prioritise to speed up your website. Then your visitors will have a better experience and Google will see your site as being worthy of a high ranking.
On-page & user-experience optimisations
After we’ve completed keyword research for you we then need to implement it. We create a list of optimisations that can be actioned on each relevant page to get them ranking. But, it’s not enough just to get people to your site. You need to make sure they have a good experience while they’re there. We’ll also help you design and implement a user-friendly website that will keep visitors engaged and encourage them to take the desired action.
Internal link optimisation
Your website’s internal linking structure plays an important role in SEO. We’ll ensure that your links are optimised for both search engines and users, so you can maximise the benefits of your website’s link equity.
Off-site link building and backlink analysis
Link building is one of the most important aspects of SEO – Google says it’s in the top three! We’ll help you build high-quality links from reputable websites to your own. On top of that, we’ll also monitor your backlink profile and disavow any harmful links that could negatively impact your SEO.
Conversion rate optimisation
The goal of SEO is to increase traffic to your website and convert that traffic into leads or sales. We’ll help you design a website that is optimised for conversion so that you can get the most out of your SEO campaign.
Ongoing monitoring of Google updates and SEO changes
Finally, we’ll keep an eye on all the latest Google updates and changes to SEO so we can make sure your website is always compliant and optimised for the best possible results.
SEO pricing models
At Common Ground, we understand that your SEO needs are constantly changing, and so will your budget. That’s why we offer a variety of pricing models – only pay for what you need, when you need it.
Here are the SEO pricing models we offer:
Monthly retainer
Under this model, you pay a fixed monthly fee for clearly defined SEO deliverables, and goals. This is great for businesses that need a consistent, ongoing SEO strategy and want to see long-term results.
Hourly rate
This model is perfect if you need help with a one-time SEO project or occasional support on an ongoing basis. You’ll be billed for the actual hours worked, so you only pay for the SEO services you need.
Project-based
This model is ideal if you have a large, one-time SEO project, such as a website redesign or an international expansion. We’ll work with you to define the scope of the project, KPIs, and deliverables, and you’ll pay a fixed price for the entire project.
Service-based
With this model, you pay for specific SEO services on an as-needed basis. This could include link building, content creation, or conversion rate optimisation. This is a great option if you need help with specific aspects of your SEO but don’t need an ongoing strategy.
Note: all of our SEO pricing models are based on the same thing – results. We don’t believe in charging for SEO services that don’t produce results, which is why we offer a results-based pricing model.
If we don’t deliver the results we promised during the agreed-upon timeframe, then we’ll work for free until we do. No excuses – that’s the Common Ground guarantee.
How to measure SEO ROI
Finally, the last element of SEO pricing is measuring ROI.
At Common Ground, we believe in measurable results. We’ll work with you to define specific SEO KPIs and deliverables, so you can see exactly what your SEO campaign is achieving.
To do that, we’ll use tools like Google Analytics’ attribution modeling to estimate the gain from your SEO investment.
In the regular SEO reports we’ll send you, we’ll detail things like:
- How much of your current organic search traffic can be attributed to your SEO campaign
- How many conversions are directly attributable to organic search traffic
- How many keywords you’re now ranking for
- How your rank has improved for major keywords
- How much traffic you’ve gained from new keyword rankings
- A before-and-after comparison of your website’s organic traffic
You’ll never have to trust our word for it – we’ll let the data speak for itself when it comes to your ROI from your SEO investment.
And because it’s impossible to define a “good” or “average” ROI for SEO – since it varies so much from business to business and circumstance to circumstance – we’ll work with you to determine what an acceptable ROI would be for your business.
We want you to be happy with your SEO investment, and we’ll do everything we can to make sure you are.
Let’s talk SEO
There’s definitely a lot to consider when it comes to SEO pricing. But at Common Ground, we believe in being upfront and transparent about every element of your SEO campaign, including what you’ll get and how much it will cost.
We offer a variety of pricing models to suit every need and budget, and we’re always happy to work with you to find the perfect fit for your business.
If you’re ready to get started with an SEO campaign that will deliver results, we’re here to help. Get in touch with us today to learn more about our SEO services, or check out our case studies to see the results we’ve achieved for our clients.