The Spectrum
$49–149/mo: Software tools with dashboards. Not SEO — SEO data.
$300–500/mo: Freelancer doing narrow scope. Reasonable for low-competition local businesses.
$800–1,500/mo: Actual SEO program. Keyword research, content, technical fixes, citations. Sweet spot for most SMBs.
$2,000–5,000/mo: Full content marketing. Multi-location, competitive verticals.
$10,000+/mo: Enterprise. Appropriate for some, overkill for most.
How to Decide
What's one new customer worth? How many do you need per month? How competitive is your market? Multiply customer LTV by close rate, back into a budget that pays for itself in 90-120 days.