17 replies to this topic

[thewebster]

Hi Everyone i just want to know how much you guys charge to your clients and by what you guys charge it by. i mean do you optimize it once and chagre for one year and bill them next year or what?

[Randy]

Sorry thewebster.

Even though I'm not an SEO anymore so don't charge others to SEO their site, I know that people cannot discuss how much they charge. Price Fixing/Collusion is not something anyone ever wants to be accused of or prosecuted for.

Figure out how much your time is worth, then charge per hour.

Some people's time is worth more because they've been at it longer or have more experience or whatever. So what some charge is not necessarily what you should charge.

[thewebster]

thats true but i just wanted to know how they charge because i know people charge them once a year and thats it i just want to know if everybody does that or its other way of doing business

[Randy]

I can't speak for others and don't do that sort of thing anymore, but when I did it was an ongoing billing thing. It's pretty much impossible as far as I'm concerned to set an accurate price for an entire year. Since you can never be sure just how much work is going to be involved.

So my model was much like an attorney or other professional consultant. There was an upfront fee that was basically a Retainer. I billed against those funds initially, then they had to pay after it was used up.

A lot depends upon what all is going to be involved though.

[MaKa]

I know there is a topic somewhere on the forum discussing the different billing options, but I couldn't find it quickly. I'd recommend having a browse around.

[projectphp]

The answer is likely all of the above, so I think you need to add a bit more context.

[Kirtan]

So my model was much like an attorney or other professional consultant.  There was an upfront fee that was basically a Retainer.  I billed against those funds initially, then they had to pay after it was used up.

OK. How much to analyse (keyword, competition, etc) a site?

[torka]

If you're asking for specific rates or dollar amounts, Kirtan... as Randy said above, we won't discuss that here. In the USA, that's called price-fixing and it's illegal.

Do your market research and charge whatever is justified in your market for someone offering similar services to yours with a similar level of experience.

In terms of how you structure your pricing (monthly retainer vs. hourly fee vs. per-project vs. whatever)... As others have already mentioned, there are probably as many different pricing models as there are practitioners in the field. How you structure your fees will depend on the specific services you're offering, the typical length of your contract, what's "standard" in your market and your own personal preferences.

And your pricing model may well change over time -- just because you start out with one pricing model doesn't mean you're stuck with it until the end of time. If you try one way and it doesn't seem to be working well for you, just change it and try another until you find the one that does work best for your business and your clients.

--Torka

[Kirtan]

Question rise in my mind about minimum price for seo services, after reading randfish's article at seomoz. Because i think i am undercharging to show result in 1st page of both major two SEs.

Edited by torka, 13 November 2006 - 09:54 AM.

[torka]

It depends on your market, what specifically you offer, and your own level of experience, Kirtan. That's why we keep saying you need to do your own market research.

What a well-known and experienced practitioner such as Rand or Jill can charge for their services has no relationship to what a just-starting-out SEO "trainee" can charge, for instance. Some industries are more competitive than others. It may make a difference whether your specialty is local marketing for small businesses / entrepreneurs or global SEO for major corporations.

In any case, we are not going to discuss specific prices here on this forum.

--Torka

[Kirtan]

Thank you Torka for your clarification. I just wonder about the figures. I know an amature cann't charge like a professional.

[Nueromancer]

If you're asking for specific rates or dollar amounts, Kirtan... as Randy said above, we won't discuss that here. In the USA, that's called price-fixing and it's illegal.

--Torka

well only if you collude with others to pricefix and thats almost imposible with SEO as the entry costs are so low.

otherwise survays on labour rates would be ileagal :-) and the Govenment uses those to help set base rates, employers for barganing setti g CEO rates

geting political - i sould add unless your a farmer

[Shane]

I agree with Nueromancer. It's only price fixing if we all get together and agree to charge exactly the same thing. Discussions about rates and lists like Rand's aren't price fixing. Many of us post our rates in plain sight on our sites anyway, so a lot of that is public information.

As to how though, I normally do a three-month contract, with month-to-month charges after that determined by how much work still needs to be done.

[Randy]

Your opinions are of course valid, and you can feel free to post whatever rates you want to on your own site. Then you're the one taking any and all the risk with your belief of what the Law is and says.

However please do not feel free to put Jill's tush on the line by discussing rates here, because if you do the they'll simply be removed.

[projectphp]

if you don't plan to charge a similar ammount, why do you need to discuss it? If you do, that is price fixing So either you don't discuss, or you price Besides, it is not like getting a quote is terribly difficult, just that asking a forum is the lazy way out.