PH Ranking - Online Knowledge Base - 2025-09-07

SEO Pricing Models: Monthly Retainer, Project-Based, Hourly, and Performance-Based

There are four main SEO pricing models commonly used by agencies and consultants: Monthly Retainer, Project-Based, Hourly, and Performance-Based. Each model suits different business needs and goals.

SEO Pricing Model Description Pros Cons
Monthly Retainer Fixed monthly fee for ongoing SEO services including technical SEO, content, link building, and monitoring. Continuous optimization, adapts to algorithm changes, long-term strategy, regular reporting. Higher cost, requires longer commitment.
Project-Based One-time fee for a specific SEO project with defined scope and timeline (e.g., audit, content optimization). Clear deliverables, good for short-term or specific needs, transparent cost. No ongoing optimization, limited to project scope.
Hourly Pay for actual time spent on SEO tasks like audits, consulting, or fixes. Flexible, low commitment, ideal for occasional help or advice. Costs can add up, no long-term strategy, unpredictable final cost.
Performance-Based Payment tied to achieving specific results such as traffic, leads, or rankings. Pay only for results, aligns agency incentives with business goals. Disagreements on metrics, risk of focusing on short-term gains over sustainable growth.

Monthly Retainer is the most popular model for businesses seeking ongoing SEO growth and maintenance, as SEO requires continuous work to adapt to search engine algorithm updates and competitive changes. It typically includes comprehensive services and regular reporting to track progress.

Project-Based pricing works well for businesses with specific, short-term SEO needs or limited budgets. The scope and timeline are clearly defined, but it lacks the ongoing optimization needed for sustained ranking improvements.

Hourly rates offer flexibility and are suitable for businesses needing occasional expert advice or small tasks. However, this model does not support a long-term SEO strategy and can become costly if used extensively.

Performance-Based pricing ties payment to measurable SEO outcomes like increased traffic or conversions. While attractive for aligning costs with results, it can lead to disputes over which metrics to use and may encourage short-term tactics.

Choosing the right SEO pricing model depends on your business goals, budget, and whether you need ongoing SEO support or a one-time project. Monthly retainers are best for sustained growth, project-based for specific tasks, hourly for flexible consulting, and performance-based if you want to pay strictly for results.

Internet images

PH Ranking offers the highest quality website traffic services in Philippines. We provide a variety of traffic services for our clients, including website traffic, desktop traffic, mobile traffic, Google traffic, search traffic, eCommerce traffic, YouTube traffic, and TikTok traffic. Our website boasts a 100% customer satisfaction rate, so you can confidently purchase large amounts of SEO traffic online. For just 720 PHP per month, you can immediately increase website traffic, improve SEO performance, and boost sales!

Having trouble choosing a traffic package? Contact us, and our staff will assist you.

Free consultation

Free consultation Customer support

Need help choosing a plan? Please fill out the form on the right and we will get back to you!

Fill the
form