There’s no doubt about it – the home buying experience begins with a search. In fact, over 90 percent of home buyers use real estate websites and 76 percent search for properties on a mobile device.
To get in front of these home buyers and potential clients, you need SEO. You know this. A solid search engine optimization strategy can get your name in front of their eyes every time they perform a home search.
It can also maintain your presence whenever they go online. Talk about a lead gold mine!
That said, implementing a solid optimization strategy takes expert knowledge and most of all, time. As a real estate agent, time is something in short supply.
This leaves just one course of action – paying a professional to get results and do all of the hard work for you.
However, while search engine optimization can be much more affordable and evergreen than PPC and other forms of advertising, it isn’t exactly cheap.
So, how much does SEO for real estate cost, exactly?
Real Estate SEO Pricing Models
Whether you’re looking to boost your search presence or takeover your local real estate market, there are several different pricing models to choose from, including:
• Hourly rate
• Project-based rate
• Monthly retainer
Most agents take the monthly fee approach, but let’s have a look at the pros and cons of each.
Hourly Rate
If you’re a realtor just starting out or an agent simply testing the SEO waters so to speak, paying an hourly rate to a freelancer or optimization consultant might be something to consider.
This cost model is usually applied to minor projects or specific work like website audits or keyword research.
Depending on the requirements of the job, rates can range anywhere from $100-$200 or more per hour. So, it’s not really the most cost-effective solution.
Project-Based Rate
If a single project is involved without a need for recurring work, which is rarely the case, a project-based rate may be applicable.
Project-based real estate search optimization and marketing prices can range anywhere from $500-$5,000 or more depending on the complexity of the project. Some larger agencies have been known to charge an even higher price, sometimes costing tens of thousands of dollars.
Monthly Retainer
For most real estate agents, a monthly retainer is the way to go. It’s also the most common price and payment arrangement for search marketing agencies.
For a set monthly fee, a realtor receives a full technical audit of their website and other digital properties, keyword research, backlinks, regular content production, and more. As a realtor, this price structure allows you to see real and ongoing SEO results at a fixed monthly cost according to your marketing budget.
Some agencies offer tiered packages. With this setup, the more keywords you want to target and the bigger the impact you want to make, the higher the monthly fee. That said, monthly retainer fees for most agencies range anywhere from $500-$5,000 on average.
The Truth About Real Estate SEO Pricing
Optimizing your real estate website to rank high in the search engines is a must if you want to stand out from your competition. However, doing so will cost you one of two things: time or money.
If you choose to go at it alone, be prepared for endless hours of study and work. Even if you’re a certified geek and search optimization specialist in addition to being a real estate agent, maintaining a high-profile search and online presence would take hours of work.
Since there probably isn’t enough hours in the day already, your only real option is to outsource the work and fit it into your monthly marketing budget.
To give you the best idea of what you can expect to pay, we gathered some data from industry sources and several reputable websites, such as Clutch.co.
Here’s what we found:
• Average cost per hour is $100-$500 for US agencies.
• Average monthly cost is $500-$5,000.
• Project costs can reach upwards of $50,000.
While they can be staggering, don’t let these numbers fool you. The actual hourly, monthly, or project-based price of a search optimization campaign is determined by a variety of factors.
Most of these factors are uncovered during the auditing process. Afterwards, you can work with the agency to develop the best plan to meet both your needs and budget requirements.
Outrank the Competition with Value-Driven Real Estate SEO
Every home buyer begins their search online. From researching real estate agents to viewing property photos and listing details, home buyers turn to the Web to get the info they need. That’s how it is.
To get ahead of your competitors, you need to work with a reputable agency to improve your ranking, produce more leads, and grow your business.
From keyword research and off-page optimization to content creation and Google My Business integration, an agency can do all of this and more to give you the edge you need at a price that makes sense.
Check out our comprehensive services and schedule a consultation today!
