To acquire a better understanding of the present SEO industry, Backlinko recently interviewed about 1,200 business owners. The report’s main focus is on people’s SEO expenditure, why they prefer working with SEO companies over independent agencies or freelancers, and their average spending.
What did the finding say? We have provided a summary below.
Working with SEO Companies for at Least $500/Month
Most small businesses do not hesitate to spend $497.16 monthly for quality SEO services.
There are, however, cases of large scale SEO spending. According to Backlinko’s survey, 50 per cent of respondents claimed to have spent $1,000 in 12 months. 14 per cent have also spent $5,000 annually while 2 per cent has a yearly SEO expenditure of $25,000.
Freelance SEO providers are less likely to get paid more than SEO companies. These companies receive an average of $1,000 to $2,000 per month as opposed to the $500 to $1,000 per month that freelance specialists usually receive.
Not many are aware that 24 per cent of SMEs partner with reputable SEO agencies. Their minimum digital marketing investment is around $10,000. Some small businesses invest as much as $25,000 per year for maximum results and higher ROI. Only 2 per cent of the SME sector opts to work with an independent SEO specialist.
On average, small-medium enterprises allocate $497.16 every month for their SEO campaign. Moreover, this client base prefers to work with SEO companies than freelancers or independent agencies.
Do You Get What You Pay For with SEO Companies?
Data gathered by Backlinko shows that monthly SEO expenditure correlates with client satisfaction.
So do you get what you pay for? Yes, if statistics were any indicator.
To be more specific, studies show that clients who spend $500 per month had better return on investments than clients who spent less than that amount. In fact, 53.3 per cent of survey respondents claims to be extremely satisfied. The satisfaction rate is low among those spending less than $500 each month.
Report Highlights
1. Small-medium enterprises are fine with spending $497.16 each month for SEO services that work.
2. 74 per cent of business owners consider an SEO specialist’s reputation is as highly important. Their service packages and their company website’s rank on Google rankings were likewise important.
3. A number of SMEs find SEO companies through referrals, search results and online reviews. Only 8 per cent worked with an SEO company after clicking an online ad.
4. There is a strong correlation between bigger spending and client satisfaction rates. 53.3 per cent of extremely satisfied clients were those who spent more than $500 per month on SEO services.
5. Social media presence and client case studies were not crucial factors for choosing an SEO company.
6. Most SMEs are working with SEO companies to bring them instant traffic and grow their customer base in a short period of time. 83 per cent of Backlinko’s survey respondents expects SEO companies to give them “access” to new customers.
7. Overall, client satisfaction rates are on a case to case basis. Approximately 30 percent would recommend their existing SEO specialist to people they know. However, the survey discovered that client satisfaction among digital marketing agencies was higher than freelancers.
8. Not surprisingly, clients are highly satisfied with SEO providers that help them get more traffic and customers. Moreover, 61 per cent of business owners cites that “increasing brand awareness” is important to them.
9. An SEO provider’s location also seems to play a key role in whether or not a client chooses to work with or stay with an SEO agency. 78 per cent of these small business owners considers their provider’s location a really important factor.
10. There is high turnover in the SEO industry. Majority of the respondents (65 per cent) said they have worked with various SEO companies. 25 per cent have worked with 3 or more providers.
Helpful Resources:
- What Kind Of Brand Would You Like To Be?
- Cheap SEO Solutions = Cheap Results
- Why It’s Important To Work With A Professional Web Design Company
