Pricing
Local SEO Costs for Contractors: How to Compare Quotes
What local SEO and Google Business Profile management cost depends on scope. How to compare quotes line by line, spot hidden costs and read the terms.
TLDR
- Price follows scope: how many locations, how many areas, how much competition and how much work happens each month.
- Compare quotes line by line, not by the total at the bottom.
- Ask about setup fees, contract length and who owns the work before you sign.
“How much does local SEO cost?” is a fair question with an annoying answer: it depends on what you’re buying. Two quotes for the same number can cover completely different work, and two very different numbers can cover about the same thing.
So instead of a price list, here’s how to figure out what a quote is actually worth.
What drives the cost
Local SEO and Google Business Profile management are mostly labor: someone researching, writing, building pages, fixing listings, replying to reviews and reporting. The price goes up with the amount of that work. Five things move it most.
- Locations. Each location has its own Google profile, reviews and listings to manage.
- Service areas. Covering 3 towns takes fewer pages than covering 30.
- Competition. A plumber in a large metro is up against more established companies than one in a small town.
- Your website. If the site needs rebuilding before SEO can work, that’s real work, and it may show up as a setup fee or a higher plan.
- Monthly content. Posts, photos, new pages and articles every month cost more than a set-it-and-forget-it setup.
What a monthly scope usually includes
A solid local SEO and profile management scope for a contractor usually covers some mix of these:
- Profile optimization: categories, services, service area, hours, description and photos set up correctly.
- Ongoing profile activity: regular posts, new photos and replies to reviews.
- Website work: a page for each service and each area you serve, plus schema so Google understands the business.
- Listings: your business name, address and phone number made consistent across the directories Google trusts.
- Reviews: a routine for asking customers, and a reply to every review.
- Reporting: calls, messages, direction requests and leads, in plain language.
Not every business needs all of it on day one. A good quote tells you which pieces you’re getting now and which come later.
Compare quotes line by line
The total at the bottom of a quote tells you almost nothing. Put the quotes side by side and go down the list.
For every line, ask three things:
- Is it included, and how much of it? “Google posts” could mean 4 a month or 20.
- Who does it? In-house, or resold to someone you’ll never talk to?
- How will I see it? If it’s in the quote, it should be in the report.
Read the terms, not just the price
The terms can cost you more than the monthly number.
- Contract length. Month to month means the agency has to earn the next month. A 12-month lock-in means it doesn’t.
- Setup fees. Ask what the fee pays for. A website rebuild is real work. A “setup fee” for logging in isn’t.
- Ownership. Your Google profile, domain and ad accounts should stay in your name. See our agency checklist for the details.
- Ad spend. If ads are included, ask whether the agency marks up the money you spend on Google.
What about Google Business Profile management alone?
Some contractors only want their profile handled: posts, photos and review replies. That’s a smaller scope, so it should cost less than full local SEO. Compare it the same way: how many posts, how often photos are added, who replies to reviews and how quickly, and what the report shows.
If your profile is set up but quiet, profile management alone can be a sensible start. If your website has no service pages, profile work will only take you so far.
How we price ours
We publish our prices because we think you should see them before you call. Our plans are month to month with no long-term contract, and each one lists exactly what’s included. Custom websites and web apps are quoted per project, in writing, before any work starts.
You don’t have to choose us. But whoever you choose should be able to show you a scope this clear.
The bottom line
Don’t buy local SEO by the number at the bottom. Buy it by the work on the page, the terms in the contract and the report you’ll get every month.
Need a second opinion on a quote you already have? Send it to us and we’ll walk through it with you, line by line.
Want a hand with your profile?
Tell us about your business and the towns you serve. We can help you decide what to work on next.
