How much does an SEO audit cost? And what factors impact the average SEO audit pricing for a website?
You’ll find those answers and more in this detailed guide.
Below, you’ll get a complete explanation of the prices you can expect to pay for SEO auditing services such as a technical SEO audit, on-page optimization audit, and off-page analysis, and the key elements that affect the total cost.
How Much Does An SEO Audit Cost?
An SEO audit costs between $500-$30,000 on average depending on the size of the website and the type of audit being conducted, such as technical SEO, on-page optimization, and off-page analysis. Other factors that impact SEO audit pricing include the auditor’s experience, location, and auditing tool fees.
SEO Audit Pricing Table
Here’s a quick overview of the average costs for an SEO audit. After the table, I’ll explain each factor that impacts these prices.
| SEO Audit Type | Analysis Included | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Technical SEO |
| $5,000-$30,000 |
| On-Page SEO |
| $3,000-$30,000 |
| Off-Page SEO |
| $500-$5,000 |
SEO Audit Cost Factors
The quote you receive from an SEO auditor will depend on a number of key factors, including:
Website Size (Number of Pages)
The most significant factor affecting the cost of an SEO audit is the number of pages that need to be audited on the site. The more pages there are, the more time-consuming and demanding the job becomes.
Audit Type
As you’ll note in the table above, the three main types of SEO auditing come with their own associated costs. That’s because the scope of work involved varies between tasks.
A technical SEO audit is typically the most expensive as this requires a greater level of knowledge about how websites work and interact with search engines. Technical SEO audits also require the most time-consuming procedures, hence the higher price tag.
On-page SEO audits (or content audits) are usually the second most expensive type to purchase because the auditor has to analyze web page content and HTML code from top to bottom to find areas for improvement as well as do a competitor analysis for the target keyword phrases.
Off-page SEO audits are have the lowest price because the work involved consists primarly of assessing the quality and quantity existing backlinks which is done automatically with backlink analysis tools. Costs increase if you need recommendations on new backlink types and sources for link building outreach or services to get bad or toxic backlinks removed from a website’s backlink profile.
Of course, if you want a thoroughly comprehensive SEO audit that covers technical, on-page, and off-page, then your consultant should be willing to negotiate a discount; charging a lower fee than if you paid for the different audits separately.
SEO Consultant Reputation & Experience
As in any industry, the more experience an SEO auditor has, the more in demand they’re service is likely to be, which results in higher fees.
This can be a good thing, as the veteran auditor can draw on a wealth of successful case studies to provide insights and recommendations that someone who is at the start of their auditing career may overlook. Although a higher level of experience will cost more, it often provides greater value for the money.
However, experience is not the only factor to consider for a search engine optimization auditing specialist. It’s important to ask for client references and to read any testimonials you can find about the auditing agency or contractor. Legitimate client reviews can tell you a lot about what it’s really like to work with that auditor and the kind of results they produce for clients.
Auditor Location
Although SEO audits can be done remotely, the physical location of your SEO consultant will still factor into the fees they charge.
Auditors based in large cities typically have higher operating expenses than a consultant who works in a small town. Similarly, an SEO agency with many employees will charge more for SEO audits than a freelancer or small team because the agency has more overhead to cover.
Cost of the SEO Auditing Tools
The tools being used for SEO auditing also factor into the total cost for this type of website service.
The top search engine optimization professionals use platforms like Semrush and Ahrefs to analyze a site’s technical SEO performance, which can cost several hundred dollars per month. However, an auditing consultant who specializes in on-page SEO may use a cheaper tool like Surfer SEO for analysis which is priced around $49 per month.
As you can see, each SEO tool has its own fee which contributes to the overall cost of the SEO audit being performed. If a consultant is paying for multiple SEO analysis tools, then you can expect the audit cost to be higher because of the need to cover those monthly business costs.
Can I Get an SEO Audit for Free?
You can get an SEO audit for free by using an online SEO auditing software. Free SEO audits typically include a limited number of analyzed web pages and require you to sign up for a trial of the auditing service to get the results.
Popular software options like this include SE Ranking, Semrush, SEOptimer, SEOMator, SiteGuru, On-Page.ai, Surfer SEO, Screaming Frog, and SEO Powersuite. You can also use free tools such as Google Analytics and Google Search Console to carry out your own on-site audits.
Additionally, some SEO companies will offer a basic audit in the hopes of winning your business when it comes to implementing any improvements. Typically, this option requires a consultation call to go over the results with you as a way to pitch their SEO services.
Audits like these often include:
- Basic keyword optimization assessment.
- Backlink profile analysis.
- Technical SEO issues.
- Website speed scores.
- Organic SEO performance metrics.
Is An SEO Audit Worth It?
An SEO audit is worth it because SEO audits save you time and money and helps you identify important areas of your website that can be improved for search engine visibility.
A professional SEO auditing expert is skilled at finding obstacles that may be affecting your website’s rankings and traffic and can recommend new opportunities to achieve more visibility on search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing.
In general, the initial cost for an SEO audit return is small compared to the long-term return on investment (ROI) you can expect from increased rankings, traffic, and earnings for the website.
SEO Audit Costs Summary
I hope you enjoyed this guide answering the question about how much does an SEO audit cost.
As you discovered, the average SEO audit pricing for a website is between $500-$30,000 on average depending on the size of the website and the type of audit being conducted. Audits come in three types: technical SEO, on-page optimization, and off-page analysis, and several factors impact the cost of an SEO audit such as the auditor’s experience, location, and tools being used for the work.
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