SEO Rates Philippines: Packages & Pricing of SEO Services In 2023

by Yesh Quijano  - August 20, 2023

Curious about the rates and cost of SEO packages in 2023? What's a fair price to pay for an SEO Expert in the Philippines? As a veteran in the digital marketing industry, I think I'm in a good position to break down a good, fair cost of SEO campaigns in the Philippines.

Every business, from startups to SMEs, wants their brand to be the first thing users see on search engines. This is where SEO services come into play. For businesses, understanding the cost and pricing models of SEO is pivotal for making informed decisions and maximizing ROI.

Let's dive into the intricacies of SEO rates in the Philippines and take a look at some pricing models for such comprehensive SEO services.

Pricing Scale for SEO Services In 2023

Be warned, many "SEOs" (notice the quotes) will offer their SEO services at bottom-of-the-barrel prices just to get an unknowing business owner to sign a contract.

But think about it this way: How far can $250 to $300 per month really take your business?

Here's a typical pricing scale for SEO services if you're thinking of outsourcing in the Philippines:

If for any reason you decide to hire freelancers in the $300 price range, be sure to vet the SEO Specialist properly and ask what specific tasks will be included in their proposed SEO campaign. Ask questions like:

  • How many links will you provide per month? What kind of links will they be?
  • How many target keywords will you optimize?
  • Will you write the content yourself? How about creating linkable assets?
  • May I ask for references?
  • What's your ethos regarding SEO strategy?

Breakdown: A Hypothetical Scenario on SEO Costs

Let me share with you a "hypothetical" scenario.

Let's say you're a real estate agent offering a rent-to-own scheme for homebuyers. You want to rank your website for terms like "rent to own homes in Maricopa AZ", with the following assumptions:

  1. 1
    Your main goal is to increase signups and inquiries through your website.
  2. 2
    You have a timeline of about six months.
  3. 3
    My rate is $15/hour, which is on the cheaper side

A typical SEO campaign might include these tasks:

Task

Est. Hours

6-month cost

Keyword Research

10 hrs

$150

Content Creation + On-Page SEO

I start creating relevant content. These tasks include using tools like SurferSEO and RankMath to make sure that each page is optimized for the SERPs. Let's say you want to cover 23 counties. That's 23 pages..

138 hrs

$2070

Technical SEO

Ensure that each page is mobile-optimized, loads fast, and can be easily indexed by search engines.

24 hrs

$360

Link Building

Finally I kickstart a link building campaign to secure high-domain authority websites at a rate of about 5-7 links per month. Budget of links: $100/link

Outreach: 240 hrs

Link Budget: $3000

$6600

Conversion Rate Optimization

Test various landing page set ups, button colors and placements, and landing page copies to find the version that converts the most leads.

48 hrs

$720

SEO Tools

  • Ahrefs: $199/month (I will split the cost across 3 clients)
  • Mailshake: $59/month
  • SurferSEO: $99/month
Cell

$1349

TOTAL 

Cell

$11,249

An average of $1,874/month. Take note that these are on the lower end of the cost spectrum. Depending on the expertise and scope of the project, the SEO Specialist might charge higher rates.

Want a more profitable business in 6 months? 🚀

What Factors Affect SEO Services Cost?

Monthly SEO pricing varies based on several factors:

  • Scope of services
  • The size and complexity of the website in question
  • Industry
  • The website's current SEO health
  • Reputation and expertise (Brand Strength) of the SEO provider.

Competitive industries, such as finance, gambling, or e-commerce, often entail steeper SEO costs due to the intensive efforts needed to rank.

The website's current SEO health can also influence prices: sites with minimal prior SEO might need more foundational work and, consequently, might be pricier to optimize.

Finally, the reputation and expertise of the SEO service provider come into play. Established industry leaders might charge more, banking on their proven track record, while newcomers might offer competitive rates to gain a foothold.

For example, 10 links per month for a local travel agency might be enough to take the first page, but a similar volume of links will be grossly inadequate for multinational companies in finance.

Our SEO Packages & Pricing for 2023

Our SEO packages come with a website audit, keyword research, content strategy and creation, on-page SEO, link building, and monthly growth reports.

Our general packages is indicated below, but please reach out to us for more details about the plans.

Choose your plan

starter plan

$

750/mo

A starter SEO package for businesses in less competitive industries that want a steady influx of leads.

custom plan

Let's Talk

Perfect for medium to established businesses looking for fast, aggressive growth within 6 months to 1 year.

Choose your plan

starter plan

$

600/mo

A starter SEO package for businesses in less competitive industries that want a steady influx of leads.

custom plan

Let's Talk

Perfect for medium to established businesses looking for fast, aggressive growth within 6 months to 1 year.

Great value: with our SEO packages you get the same or better services at up to 75% less cost. We're also not too affordable to the point that shortcuts or compromises has to be made to run your campaign.

Please note that custom campaigns come with a free SEO audit and SEO analysis to see if a custom SEO campaign is a good fit for you.

Price vs Other Countries

Here's a quick comparison of my rates vs how much it would cost you to hire locally.

Country

SEO Expert PH

USA

UK

Canada

Australia

New Zealand

Annual Salary (USD)

$11,988 → $29,988

$56,656

$55,752.51

$44,146.51

$49,816.58

$35,715.30

Data taken from glassdoor.com on August 2023. There might be some discrepancy when you check it yourself, but probably only by a small margin. I only included 5 countries because these are where all my clients come from. 

seoexpert.ph vs other countries

This means on average, a client with SEOExpert.ph will save any where from 13% to 75%  a year in SEO costs, depending on the package they avail with us. In dollar values, that's around $6,429 to $36,429 a year in SEO costs.

Full-Time Employee vs. Freelancers/Agencies

Should businesses rely on in-house teams, traditional SEO companies, or SEO freelancers or agencies ? Here's why many are finding that freelancers might provide a more tailored solution for ongoing SEO services:

Cost Efficient: Hiring a freelancer an agency means you don't have to bear the overhead costs associated with full-time employees, such as health benefits, retirement contributions, workspace, utilities, and equipment.

Additionally, freelancers and agencies often charge based on the project or by a monthly retainer. This means you only pay for what you get, rather than a fixed monthly salary regardless of output.

Flexible: You can easily adjust the scope of work based on your current requirements. During lean periods or off-seasons, you can cut back, and during peak times, you can ramp up without the complexities of hiring or laying off staff.

Quick Onboarding: Most freelancers and SEO agencies are used to jumping into projects and quickly getting up to speed. This reduces the ramp-up time typically needed with new full-time employees.

Additionally, if things don't work out or if the freelancer or agency's expertise doesn't align with your needs, it's generally easier to part ways without the human resource complexities of ending full-time employment.

SEO Pricing Models In The Philippines

What's A Fair Price?

How much does it cost for a business to climb the search engine rankings? It's important to be familiar with the average pricing of SEO service providers in the Philippines and some common pricing models.

Below is a quick table to compare various pricing models, but you can find a detailed analysis of each below the table.

Model

Price Range

Hourly

$10 - $200 per hour

Monthly SEO Packages

$400 - $10,000 per month

Project-Based

$1,000 - $10,000

Performance Based

Depends on the agreement

Hourly

$10 to $100 per hour, depending on the experience and expertise of the SEO agency.

Paying an SEO expert on an hourly basis is akin to hiring a specialist for a focused task, much like getting a consultant for a business strategy session.

In this model, you’re billed for every hour the SEO professional or team dedicates to your project. The hourly rates for SEO services in the Philippines can range from $10/hour for fresh consultants to $300/hour for industry veterans with a wealth of experience.

Advantages

  • Flexibility: Perfect for businesses that don't require full-time SEO but occasionally need expert guidance. It's like having a tech guru on speed dial, ready to assist you when needed.
  • Transparency: You know precisely what you're paying for. If you've requested four hours of keyword research, that's exactly what you'll be billed for. This makes it easy to track and manage costs.
  • Adaptability: SEO trends and search engine algorithms are ever-changing. With an hourly model, you can quickly pivot and request the expert to focus on a new development or strategy.

Challenges

  • Costs Can Stack Up: Without a clear scope or if issues arise during the SEO process, the hours can quickly add up, leading to higher costs than initially anticipated.
  • Requires Oversight: To ensure efficiency, businesses might need to keep a closer eye on the tasks being performed in the allocated hours.
  • Inconsistency: Since you're not hiring them for a prolonged period, there might be times when there's a gap in the SEO work, leading to inconsistent results.

Scenario

Imagine you’ve just redesigned your website. While the visuals are on point, you're not sure if the structure is SEO-friendly.

Instead of opting for a comprehensive SEO package, you decide to hire an expert for a few hours to review the site. They identify areas of improvement, advise on changes, and you implement them.

In this situation, an hourly rate works perfectly as you need a specific service for a limited time.

Monthly SEO Packages

Including keyword research, page optimization, and more, can range between $400 to $10,000.

Choosing a monthly pricing model for SEO services is like entering into a continuous partnership. Businesses pay a fixed amount each month to an SEO company in return for a set of agreed-upon services.

In the Philippine market, monthly rates can vary significantly based on the depth and breadth of services provided, with packages typically ranging between $700 to $,5000/month.

Advantages

  • Consistency: With a monthly commitment, your website gets regular attention. From constant keyword research, and page optimization to periodic content updates, search engines recognize and often reward this consistency with better rankings.
  • Budget-Friendly: Knowing the exact amount you'll be spending on SEO each month allows for better budget planning. There aren't any surprise costs as you might find in hourly or project-based models.
  • Holistic Strategy: Monthly packages often come with a comprehensive SEO plan. This ensures that all aspects of SEO, from backlink building to on-page optimization and content creation, are addressed, giving a holistic boost to your online presence.

Challenges

  • Long-Term Commitment: Some agencies might require you to commit to a lengthy contract. If you're not seeing results or wish to change strategies, this could become a bottleneck.
  • Varying Quality: Not all monthly packages are created equal. Some might offer a plethora of services but might not deliver on quality, while other SEO providers could focus on a few high-impact areas with excellence.

Scenario

Consider a Filipino restaurant chain planning to expand nationally. They already have a significant online presence but need to maintain their search engine rankings and even improve them. They opt for a monthly SEO package from a reputed agency.

The agency conducts extensive keyword research based on different localities, keeps the website updated with fresh content, builds quality backlinks, and ensures that the site remains optimized as search engine algorithms evolve.

The restaurant chain started noticing a consistent uptick in online reservations and inquiries. The monthly model, in this case, provides the continuous boost needed for their expansion goals.

Project-Based

Tailored for specific SEO projects, these can vary significantly from $1,000 to $10,000 based on several factors like complexity and scope.

In the project-based pricing model, businesses and SEO service providers come to an agreement on a fixed price for a specific SEO project or set of tasks.

Unlike the ongoing nature of monthly packages or the hour-by-hour structure of the hourly rate, this model focuses on achieving particular objectives within a predetermined timeframe.

Depending on the complexity and range of services required, prices for project-based arrangements in the Philippines can span from $1,000 to as high as $10,000.

Advantages

  • Defined Scope: Everything is laid out from the get-go. You know what to expect in terms of deliverables, making it easier to track progress and results.
  • Clear Budgeting: With a set price for the whole project, budget allocation becomes straightforward. There aren’t fluctuating costs to contend with.
  • Performance Driven: SEO agencies are bound to deliver the promised results within the project's scope, leading to a potentially more result-focused approach.

Challenges

  • Limited Flexibility: Any alterations or additions outside the agreed-upon scope might lead to extra charges or contractual revisions.
  • Cost-Estimation Errors: They say hindsight is 20/20 and some SEOs might underestimate or overestimate the cost of the project, which may result in disagreements.
  • Varied Expertise: Depending on the project's nature, the agency might need to bring in specialists or external consultants, which could impact the project's cohesion.

Scenario

Let’s picture an e-commerce company launching a limited-edition line of summer wear. They want a focused SEO campaign for these products for the next three months.

They collaborate with an SEO company, defining clear objectives: keyword optimization for the new product range, creation of product-specific content, and a backlinking campaign to boost visibility. The agency, understanding the project's time-bound nature, dedicates resources to ensure maximum visibility for the summer line.

Once the campaign concludes and objectives are met, the engagement ends, unless the company has a new project in line.

Pay per Performance

Pay per Performance, sometimes also called "Performance-Based SEO," is a model where businesses pay the SEO service provider based solely on the results achieved.

This means that unless specific agreed-upon outcomes (like ranking for a particular keyword on the first page of search engines) are met, the SEO company might not receive their full payment. In the Philippines, where the market can be competitive, this model is attractive to businesses looking for guaranteed results.

However, personally speaking, this model has some unattractive downsides - both for the service provider and the client.

Advantages

  • Risk Mitigation: For businesses, the primary benefit is minimal financial risk. You're essentially saying, "Show me the results, and then I'll pay."
  • Results-Focused: SEO service providers are extremely motivated to deliver, ensuring strategies are on point, and execution is flawless.
  • Transparency: Outcomes and expectations are crystal clear from the outset. Either the SEO service provider meets the target, or they don’t.

Challenges

  • Potential for Shortcuts: To achieve quick results, some agencies might resort to 'black hat' SEO techniques that might give immediate results but can harm the website’s reputation in the long run.
  • Limited Scope: Pay per performance often revolves around singular goals (like rankings). This can sideline other crucial SEO aspects, like building a sustainable backlink profile or enhancing user experience.
  • Tense Relationships: This model can sometimes strain the client-provider relationship, especially if results are just on the brink of the agreed performance. It might lead to disputes or disagreements on payment and results interpretation.

Personally, I'm not a big fan of performance-based models. Most Philippine-based SEO agencies - and more so, freelancers - don't have the financial capabilities to spend on search engine optimization services upfront.


Those who take on clients with this model will most likely find ways to lower their upfront costs, often resulting in shortcuts or sub-par work.

Scenario

Consider a SaaS startup venturing into the organic health products market. They decide to employ an SEO company, agreeing to pay a substantial bonus if their website ranks among the top 3 for the keyword "organic health products NYC" within six months.

Motivated by the potential payout, the agency pulls out all the stops, from intensive keyword research, and on-page optimization, to aggressive backlinking campaigns.

Five months in, the startup's website reached the desired rank. Elated by the results, they happily pay the bonus. However, they also realize that they've paid more than they might have with a monthly package, albeit for guaranteed results.

Studies On The Cost of SEO Services

Since we make money off of offering SEO packages to our clients, I think it's fair to share some third-party studies or surveys of the cost of SEO.

  • Siege Media, a renowned digital marketing company says that you should run if an SEO charges below $1,000 per month. See here.
  • Ahrefs finds that the cost of SEO freelancers in 2023 is $2,348.63/month, on average. See here.
  • Our own research reveals that established SEO agencies in the Philippines with a portfolio of clients start their monthly SEO packages at $1,500. Due to a lack of operating costs (and partially an intentional pricing strategy), SEO freelancers might be a tad bit lower than that.

Why Choose SEO Expert Philippines?

Beyond the allure of tropical beaches, the Philippines has a robust digital marketing landscape. Opting for a Filipino SEO service provider means:

  • Client-Centric Approach: Your business isn't just another client. I take the time to understand your unique challenges and craft a tailored SEO strategy.
  • Cost-Conscious Strategies: Compared to Western markets, you get more bang for your buck without compromising on quality (up to 30% more, in fact!).
  • Consistent Results: I remain committed to maintaining - if not improving - the quality of my work whether it's two months or two years down the line.
  • Capitalist Ethos: Rooted in a capitalist ethos, the primary focus is always on maximizing your business's profit

Recap

When it comes to SEO, the saying "you pay peanuts, you get monkeys" rings true. However, that doesn't mean you have to pay top dollar every time.

Finding quality SEO services is a matter of educating yourself on what price range decent SEO services are and knowing what price model is perfect for your business needs and financial situation.

FAQs: Monthly SEO Packages In The Philippines

Is Search Engine Optimization a Good Investment?

Absolutely. In an age where digital presence determines brand credibility, investing in search engine optimization or SEO ensures you're visible online to potential clients and customers.

How SEO Can Be a Smart Investment for My Business?

With effective SEO, your business can experience increased organic traffic, better brand credibility, and higher conversion rates.

How Long Does SEO Take to Start Working?

SEO isn't instant. Typically, noticeable results (i.e., changes that directly impact earnings) are seen within 3-6 months.

However, during the first couple of months, you'll be able to see an increase in rankings (i.e., from the 5th page, your website is now on the 2nd page of search engine results pages or SERPs) or an uptick in website impressions and clicks.

Do You Guarantee Results?

No SEO service provider can guarantee specific rankings (i.e., "You'll definitely be #1 after 6 months") due to the unpredictability of search engine algorithms. Our guarantee, however, is that your website will receive an increase in organic traffic or site visitors for key pages on your website.

Want a more profitable business in 6 months? 🚀

Start your SEO Campaign Today

6 months from now, you'll look back and say, "I should've done this sooner!"

bonus

Get the free guide just for you!

Free

SEO Outsourcing Philippines: A Business Owner’s No-Nonsense Guide To Offshoring SEO Services
{"email":"Email address invalid","url":"Website address invalid","required":"Required field missing"}

You may be interested in

>