Rates, 2026
What should an SEO specialist charge in a smaller market?
About $625 a day for a SEO specialist who is working and booked in a smaller US market. $475 in the first years, $775 when senior. An SEO audit and plan runs about $2,625.
Other markets: New York or LA · a major city · remote
First years
$475
a day · $60 an hour
Working, booked
$625
a day · $80 an hour
Senior, sought after
$775
a day · $95 an hour
The rate card, working level
- Day rate$625 per day
- Hourlyfor anything that does not fit a day$80 per hour
- An SEO audit and plan$2,625 per project
- Monthly retainerthe plan worked every month, ranked pages reported$2,625 per month
Sold a monthly retainer, a project fee, by the day. The month is the unit; one-off work is priced as a project.
What to charge for each thing
Ranges for a smaller US market: the low end is the first years, the high end is senior. Working and booked sits in the middle.
- Technical audit$700 to $2,450 each
- Keyword strategy$550 to $1,750 each
- Optimized page$100 to $275 per page
- Link building$700 to $2,800 per month
- Local SEO setup$550 to $1,750 each
How the number is made
SEO specialists at this level in this market day at about $625 ($600 to $1,200 in New York and LA). Put in the year you actually want on the perfect price page and the number moves with it.
An SEO audit and plan runs $1,500 to $6,000 and takes about 25 hours of your time; at your hourly that is $2,000. The number is the higher of the two, because the client is buying the outcome, not the hours.
A retainer is the month, not the hours: the plan worked every month, ranked pages reported. It is priced about 20% under the same work bought one at a time, in exchange for the certainty; three months minimum, or it is not a retainer.
Questions
- What is a fair day rate for a SEO specialist in a smaller US market?
- About $625 a day for someone working and booked, $475 in the first years, $775 when senior and sought after. Half days usually run 60% of the day.
- How much is an seo audit and plan?
- $2,625 at a working level in this market. The client is buying the outcome, so the price is the higher of what the market pays for it and what your hours in it are worth.
- What does a monthly retainer look like for a SEO specialist?
- Around $2,625 a month: the plan worked every month, ranked pages reported. About 20% under the same work bought one piece at a time, in exchange for certainty; three months minimum.
- Are these rates a rule?
- No. They are US 2026 ranges for the role, placed by level and moved for the market. What a client actually paid you beats all of it. The tool has a box for that, and it wins.
Your number, in five seconds.
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