SEO Audit Pricing: How Much Does An SEO Audit Cost?
Last update: 10 November 2023 at 02:19 pm
3.00/5Your notions behind SEO auditing might be many – perhaps you want to determine how your website is working or wish to detect any issues with the site or simply want to gain additional insights.
Irrespective of what the reason is, you must be wondering, “how much will I end up spending on SEO auditing,”?
In this blog, we will unveil everything from the basics – “what is an SEO audit?” to the more complex information – “why you must hire a reliable agency for SEO audit?” and everything in between, even the SEO audit cost.
What Is an SEO Audit?
Just as your vehicle might require regular maintenance to run smoothly on the road, your website needs regular maintenance to function smoothly on the internet.
An SEO audit is a procedure that involves a complete assessment of a website from the perspective of search engine optimization. It helps uncover both strengths and weaknesses of a website.
Based on the audit performed, you will receive a list of suggestions from your hired agency. These suggestions are typically based on the information gathered during the audit. And are implemented as soon as you provide the indication to proceed.
How Much Does an SEO Audit Cost?
When it comes to identifying the true price of an SEO audit, there are several variables to take into consideration.
A simple audit, for instance, depends upon the total number of pages, the scale of the audit, the number of domains, etc. Then, you require choosing which type of audit you wish to perform (we will talk about it in the next section) because each type of SEO audit needs different scopes of work.
Naturally, as a larger organization, you will end up paying more for an SEO audit than a small-to-midsize business (SMB) – irrespective of whether you hire a digital marketing agency or use an SEO audit platform in-house.
On average, the SEO audit pricing can be between $650 and $14,000 for an SEO audit for both larger organizations and SMBs.
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Find an agency!Types of SEO Audits
There are five types of SEO audits that a digital marketing agency might include their SEO audit services, such as –
Technical audit
The technical audit evaluates the website from the technical SEO perspective.
A technical audit involves looking for broken links that direct users to 404 error pages or duplicate content that harms the SEO ranking. Technical SEO is a standard procedure that most audit services include.
Competitive audit
As the name might suggest, a competitive audit is a process of assessing both your and some of your competitor’s websites.
The final audit report is similar to a comparison chart that highlights your weaknesses and strengths. This SEO audit report also displays ways to enhance your website and make it better than your competitors.
Some SEO agencies utilize additional competitor analysis tools for accurate reporting. These tools compare the websites based on organic traffic, keywords, and more. Advanced tools also offer data-driven recommendations to help you move ahead of your opponent.
Social audit
Through the social audit process, the agencies investigate your brand’s presence on social media.
The social audit determines how many people like, share and comment on your posts on popular social media sites like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, etc. This professional SEO audit also ensures adding social sharing buttons for your website, thereby encouraging the users to share your website.
Link audit
Through a link audit, the agency reviews the link profile of your website.
The link audit process involves checking the quality and quantity of links pointing back to your website. For instance, if you own a clothing company and have shared blog posts that offer details about styling tips, fashion trends, etc., then fashionistas or influencers may have shared your blogs by linking them.
Content audit
The content audit evaluates the content on the website, which can be anything from blog posts to service pages and even website content.
The features that are examined through content auditing include optimization of title tags, site images, targeted keywords on the page, etc.
However, it is important to note that the tools used by SEO agencies vary from one another, and so does what they audit using those tools. In general cases, SEO audits include technical analysis of the site. It deals with assessing your website and developing the upcoming steps.
How Long Does It Take to Conduct an SEO Audit?
The duration of an SEO audit may vary based on the complexity of your SEO audit requirement and the experience of the agency.
On average, the experts can take anywhere between 30 and 45 days to complete the audit. However, some agencies tend to complete the same audit in a week or two, too.
The size of your website plays a key role in determining the duration, too. For instance, a site with 10 to 15 pages takes a week at max. However, if your site features up to 100 or more pages, the SEO audit might take 45+ days.
Consider speaking with your provider to determine the exact estimation.
What Factors Influence SEO Audit Costs?
A variety of factors influence the final SEO audit cost. Listed below are some common factors –
Size of the website
One of the most influential factors that impact the cost of auditing is the size of the website. As we discussed before, the more pages you have the longer the audit duration will be. A website that features 100+ pages will require more time than one that has only 50 pages.
Perhaps you might be thinking of auditing just a few pages of the website to save a few dollars, but doing so will only give you a partial view of your SEO’s strengths and weaknesses. You may also miss 404 error pages, duplicate content, etc.
If you have a huge website, consider requesting a custom quote from the SEO agency.
Experience the agency has
The cost of obtaining SEO audits is also influenced by the experience your chosen digital marketing agency has. For instance, an experienced agency might offer you several perks.
First of all, such agencies work on developing SEO strategies every day. Second, they are aware of the industry standards and know proven tricks to meet them. Third, expert agencies develop actionable reports using tools like Google Search Console that comply with the best SEO practices.
Agencies with extensive expertise often charge higher rates than those in business for a few years.
Elements that need auditing
If you look closely, you will notice that the agencies promote different features of their audit on their website. For instance, some focus a lot on technical audits, while others emphasize including link audits in their SEO audit services.
The types of audits the agencies include in their service package will determine the final cost of the audit.
An agency that offers basic technical auditing services may charge lesser than one that offers comprehensive technical auditing services. This is one of the reasons why you must check what the services include.
It is best to work with agencies that customize the package as per your needs. This, however, might increase the final SEO auditing price.
If possible, avoid partial auditing, especially if the SEO audit was last done over a year ago. Or if you wish to revamp your website.
Size of the agency
The size of your chosen SEO agency will also determine how much you will end up paying for the audit.
For instance, an agency that has around 25 members will cost more than one that has 450+ team members. The cost difference here is due to the lower threshold of work at smaller agencies. Since they can accept only so much work, their costs increase.
Larger companies, on the other hand, can handle a much bigger workload. Their huge team is capable of taking up more projects, which leads to lower rates of services.
Implementation process
Besides audits, many digital marketing agencies offer implementation services, too. This means the auditing agency will conduct the audit, generate an SEO audit report, suggest the changes and make the changes after your approval. Such agencies save you immense time, especially when you have little knowledge about technical SEO.
The cost of implementation usually varies from project to project. For instance, a 100-page website that has dozens of problems will cost you higher than a 100-page website with only a few minor problems.
Similarly, the severity of the error and the time invested by the agency to tackle it can result in higher SEO audit costs, too.
Agency’s turnaround time
Similar to other SEO services, you can request an urgent SEO audit, too. However, rush services will cost you more. If you are fine with waiting for a few days, you may not have to worry about this concern.
The expedited SEO audit’s cost will depend upon the agency, your website, and the deadline. For instance, a 50-page SEO audit may cost similar to a 100-page cost, meaning double what you would pay.
For faster turnarounds, it is best to partner with an agency that has a large team of professionals. Why? Because a vast team can audit the website and implement the changes in time.
Benefits of Working With an SEO Agency
Save time and money
As a business owner or marketing manager, you might know the importance of time. Without enough time in hand, you may not be able to run the SEO audit properly. You will need external assistance for the successful completion of the SEO audit.
By choosing to work with highly skilled individuals at the agency, you can free up your time and even save yourself from costly mistakes that you might make without enough SEO knowledge.
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Gain access to expertise and tools
When you hire a digital marketing agency, it is like hiring an entire department of in-house experts minus the overhead expenses. And since most agencies have different departments, you gain access to experts in different digital marketing areas.
Reliable agencies can handle a wide range of digital marketing services and not just the SEO audit itself. All your SEO concerns are met under one roof.
Another best thing about partnering with agencies is that they have access to myriad tools and licensed software like Google Search Console, which is typically included in the package.
Improve the site’s performance
By choosing to work with a full-service SEO agency, you gain the opportunity of resolving the issues highlighted in the audits on time. And we all know that in this competitive digital realm, even a little delay in updating the changes can cost first-page ranking, click-through rates, leads, and eventually profits.
Experts at your disposal can help you maintain a healthy, well-optimized website that boosts your profits immensely.
Know what your competitors are up to
A professional SEO audit conducted by experts provides you with an in-depth and closer look into your competitor’s working ethics.
The agency will conduct a full analysis to determine what your competitor is doing differently to rank higher, the keywords they are targeting, blog headlines they are using to succeed, their website’s hierarchy, and their overall digital marketing strategies.
With such a detailed SEO audit report, you will know what exactly your competitor is doing. The information gained through such reports can be used to improve your company’s marketing strategy.
Better ROI
Even though SEO audit pricing may seem high, especially if you own an SMB, the investment in it will be well worth it. Research conducted by BrightEdge suggested that more than 40% of online revenue is a result of organic search.
Your choice to invest in a comprehensive website analysis can help you enhance the overall appearance of your website in the organic search results and eventually generate more revenue.
Final thoughts
It is evident from the blog that the details gathered through SEO audits help make data-driven decisions for the website and business alike. Without a proper SEO audit, you may struggle to comprehend your place in today’s cutthroat digital business marketplace.
Also, now that you have a fair idea of how much the cost of SEO audits and the factors that impact SEO audit pricing, we are sure you must feel a little more confident in making the right decision.
