Contractor growth · Local SEO pricing
How much does local SEO cost?
Nearly every page that answers this question is written by a company that sells local SEO, and most repeat the same unsourced price bands. This puts the surveys that state a sample next to the prices agencies and tools actually print, with the date we read each one.
WritingBy Landon LittleOctober 10, 20268 min read
The short answer
Local SEO is the monthly work that gets a business into the map results and local searches: a complete Google Business Profile, consistent listings, a page for each service and town, reviews and reporting. It is sold three ways: a retainer with an agency or freelancer, a fixed package, or a tool you run yourself. Here is what each costs, from the surveys that state a sample and the prices that are actually printed.
What the surveys found
| Survey | What it found | Sample | How solid |
|---|---|---|---|
| BrightLocal Local Search Industry Survey (2023) | US agencies average $799 a month per client in the first year, $1,349 in the second and $1,569 in the third | 534 responses, 72% US-based | Self-selected sample from BrightLocal's own channels; revenue per client can cover more than SEO |
| Ahrefs, SEO pricing | Local SEO averages $1,557 a month; agencies $1,819, freelancers about $1,150; most common hourly rate $75 to $100 | 439 SEO providers, websites checked by hand | Averages assume each respondent charges the top of their price band, which pushes them up |
| SE Ranking (2025) | 64% of agencies charge under $1,000 a month and 30% under $500; 22% of US and Canadian agencies charge over $2,000 | 260 agencies, 94% serving small or local businesses | The page itself says the sample may be too small for statistical significance |
| Backlinko | Typical small local business investment: $500 or less a month; only 7% of US, UK and Australian providers offer retainers under $500 | Over 300 SEO professionals | Thin method; the local figure is a band, not a measured average |
| BrightLocal (2020) | Solo consultants averaged $766 a month; agencies billed $127 an hour; first-time citation cleanup averaged $389 | 475 local marketers | Six years old |
| Credo | US SEO agencies average $147.93 an hour | 320 respondents worldwide | Last updated 2023; hourly, not monthly |
Read together: the typical local retainer sits around $800 to $1,600 a month, many small agencies charge under $1,000, and US agencies charge more than global averages. None of these surveys is independent of the SEO industry. BrightLocal, Ahrefs and SE Ranking sell SEO software, and Backlinko is owned by Semrush, which does too.
Agencies and services that print a price
| Provider | Published price | What it covers | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boostability | Local Search Starter $299 to $499 a month; Growth plans $600 to $1,800 | Local search for businesses starting out | Also sells wholesale to agencies |
| Thrive | Small business plans from $500 a month | Local SEO, content, on-page work, link building and technical fixes | Its FAQ puts local SEO at $500 to $1,500 a month |
| WebFX | From $575 a month | Local SEO services | Its own guide range is $500 to $3,000 a month |
| Whitespark | Done-for-you SEO $499 to $1,999 a month | Local SEO service | Canadian company; prices in US dollars |
| BrightLocal Managed SEO | $1,299 a month | Managed local SEO | BrightLocal also sells the software below |
| Digitaleer | $1,500, $2,500 or $5,000 a month, month to month | Growth adds local SEO and Google Business Profile optimization | Fixed packages, no scoping call |
| SEOProfy | Local package from $1,600 a month | One location, up to 30 tracked keywords | Agency |
| W3era | $399, $699 or $1,599 a month | One to three Google Business Profile locations | India-based agency |
| WolfPack Advising | From $79 a month, plus $39 per extra location | Citation management and reporting only | Low-cost local SEO provider |
| Nova Solutions | $597 a month | Service-area pages, citations, on-page work, Google Business Profile upkeep | No setup fee; cancel anytime |
| HigherVisibility, LocaliQ, Hibu, The HOTH | Not published | Quote, demo or call only |
Do-it-yourself tools
| Tool | Price | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Moz Local | $20, $30 or $40 a month billed monthly; $199 to $399 a year (a sale banner was showing) | Listings, review monitoring and responses |
| Semrush Local | $30 or $60 a month per location | Google Business Profile management and listings; review management on the $60 plan |
| BrightLocal | $41, $54 or $65 a month for one location billed monthly; $31 to $49 a month billed annually | Rank tracking and listings; review tools on the top plan |
| Synup | $49 a month for one location | Listings and profile management |
| Localo | $49 a month, or $39 a month billed annually | Google Business Profile tasks and tracking |
| Yext | $199 to $999 a year for one location | Listings across directories |
| Whitespark | Local Platform $1 a month per location; citation finder $33 to $149 a month; rank tracker $14 to $200 | Citations, profile management and rank tracking |
| SE Ranking | Core $129 a month, with local marketing for three locations | All-in-one SEO with listings and map rank tracking |
A tool does the listings and the tracking. It does not write the page for each town you serve or keep the profile current; that is the part a retainer pays for.
Google Business Profile management
The profile itself costs nothing: Google says creating a Business Profile and listing your business is free. What you pay for is the upkeep: posts, photos, answers to questions, categories and review replies.
| Option | Published price | Who does the work |
|---|---|---|
| Google Business Profile | $0 | You |
| Merchynt Paige | $99 a month per location | AI software |
| Localo | From $49 a month | Software with guided tasks |
| eCreations | $400 a month, cancel anytime | An agency's staff |
| Nova Solutions | $149 a month | Done for you |
The guide that ranks for this search, from SlashPost, which sells profile posting software, puts a freelancer at $150 to $400 a month per location and an agency at $300 to $1,500, partly from forum anecdotes.
What the guides claim, and how solid each is
| Source | What it claims | Who wrote it | How solid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstrakt Marketing Group | $500 to $5,000+ a month; projects $300 to $3,000+; $75 to $200 an hour | A marketing agency that sells local SEO | No data given |
| WebFX | $500 to $3,000 a month; projects $500 to $5,000; $75 to $200+ an hour | WebFX, which sells local SEO | Cites "our survey" with no sample |
| SEO.com | Local SEO $500 to $2,500 a month | Part of WebFX | No data given |
| SEOProfy | $500 to $2,500+ a month | An SEO agency | No data given |
| Hennessey Digital | Small business $400 to $900 a month; comprehensive $900 to $2,000 | An SEO agency | Last updated 2023 |
| The Search Sherpa | Small contractors $1,000 to $3,000 a month; warns that offers at $300 to $500 a month leave no room for real work | Sells contractor SEO | Summarizes other providers' price lists |
| WolfPack Advising | Small businesses $100 to $450+ a month | Sells low-cost local SEO | No data given |
| Fiverr | $250 to $3,000+ a month; $50 to $250 an hour | A freelance marketplace that sells local SEO gigs | No data given |
What to ask before you sign
- What gets done each month, by name: pages written, listings fixed, profile posts, review replies and a report.
- How many towns or service areas the price covers. More areas mean more pages and listings.
- How they bill. BrightLocal's 2024 agency survey found 54% charge a monthly fee for set deliverables, 41% per project, 29% a monthly fee by hours and 9% per lead.
- Who owns the pages, the listings and the profile if you leave.
- Whether there is a contract term or a setup fee.
- If a quote prices AI search optimization as its own line, what it does that the local SEO work does not.
Where Nova fits
Nova's Local SEO is $597 a month, flat, with no setup fee and no contract. It covers service-area pages for the towns you work in, citation building and cleanup, monthly on-page work and Google Business Profile upkeep, and it stacks on any Nova website tier. Showing up in AI answers is part of the same work, not a separate line. If the full line is more than you need, Google Business Profile management on its own is $149 a month. Websites start at $600 setup plus $149 a month (pricing).
For a contractor deciding where the money goes, How much do plumbing and HVAC leads cost? puts the pay-per-lead side next to this, and GEO vs SEO covers what changed with AI search.
Sources
- Surveys read on October 10, 2026: BrightLocal 2023, BrightLocal 2020, BrightLocal 2024 agency edition, Ahrefs, SE Ranking, Backlinko and Credo.
- Provider pricing pages read on October 10, 2026: Boostability, Thrive, WebFX, Whitespark, BrightLocal, Digitaleer, SEOProfy, W3era, WolfPack Advising, Moz Local, Semrush Local, Synup, Localo, Yext, SE Ranking, Merchynt and eCreations.
- Google on Business Profile costs: Google Business Profile and Google Business Profile Help, read October 10, 2026.
- Guides read on October 10, 2026: Abstrakt, SEO.com, Hennessey Digital, The Search Sherpa, Fiverr and SlashPost.
- Prices are copied from each page on the read date and change often, so check the provider's page before you buy.
Questions this post answers
- How much does local SEO cost per month?
- Surveys put the average at roughly $800 to $1,600 a month: BrightLocal's 2023 survey found US agencies averaging $799 a month per client in the first year, and Ahrefs' poll of 439 providers found $1,557. Agencies that print a price start at $299 to $575 a month (Boostability, Thrive, WebFX). Nova's Local SEO is $597 a month.
- Is $500 a month enough for local SEO?
- It is a common price. SE Ranking found 30% of agencies charge under $500 a month, and Backlinko lists $500 or less as the typical investment for a small local business. The Search Sherpa, which sells contractor SEO, warns that offers at $300 to $500 a month leave no room for real work. Judge any quote by what it delivers each month: pages written, listings fixed, profile upkeep and a report.
- How much does Google Business Profile management cost?
- The profile itself is free: Google charges nothing to create one or list your business. Managed services we read publish $400 a month (eCreations, done by its staff) and $99 a month per location (Merchynt's AI tool), and Localo's software starts at $49 a month. Nova manages a profile on its own for $149 a month.
- How much do local SEO tools cost?
- On their own pricing pages: Moz Local $20 to $40 a month, Semrush Local $30 to $60 a month per location, BrightLocal $41 to $65 a month billed monthly, Synup $49 a month, and Yext $199 to $999 a year. Tools handle listings and tracking; someone still has to write the pages and keep the profile current.
- How much should a contractor pay for local SEO?
- The published numbers put most small businesses between a few hundred dollars and about $1,600 a month. The Search Sherpa, which sells contractor SEO, puts small contractors at $1,000 to $3,000 a month. The number of towns you serve drives the price, because each service area needs its own page and listings.
- Is local SEO a one-time cost?
- Mostly not. BrightLocal's 2024 agency survey found 54% of agencies bill a monthly fee for set deliverables and 41% bill per project, and its 2020 survey put first-time citation cleanup at an average of $389. Setup is a project; keeping listings, the profile and the pages current is monthly work.
See what Local SEO would cover for you.
Local SEO is $597 a month, flat, with no setup fee: service-area pages, citations, on-page work and Google Business Profile upkeep. Showing up in AI answers is part of the same work. Profile management on its own is $149 a month.
Building in this trade? See Contractor websites, or see pricing.