SEO cost calculator
Free SEO Cost Calculator
Estimate what SEO should cost you per month. Compare freelance writers plus tools against agency retainers, an in-house hire, and an automated workflow, with cost per published article.
Built for SEO cost calculator
See what SEO actually costs before you commit a budget
This SEO cost calculator turns a simple content plan, articles per month, writer rate, and tools budget, into an estimated monthly cost, then compares it against the other common ways teams buy SEO.
It is useful for founders and marketers pricing out options, because the right number depends less on a headline rate and more on how many articles you publish and who produces them.
Common use cases
- Estimate a realistic monthly SEO budget for your publishing volume
- Compare freelance, agency, in-house, and automated delivery models
- See the true cost per published article, not just a retainer figure
Your Content Plan
Adjust the writer rate and tools budget to match your market. Typical freelance SEO articles run roughly $100 to $500 each depending on length and research.
$950
freelance writers + tools
$238
all-in, published
$99
Rankealo, per month
Monthly Cost by Approach
Agency and in-house figures are directional 2026 industry ranges, not quotes. Real pricing varies by market, scope, and seniority.
from your inputs above
directional: $2,500 to $7,500 per month
directional: loaded cost of a mid-level hire
plans, writes, and publishes; from $99 per month
How to Use the SEO Cost Calculator
- 1Enter how many articles you want to publish per month
- 2Set the cost per article a freelance writer would charge
- 3Add your monthly SEO tools budget
- 4Read your estimated monthly cost and cost per published article
- 5Compare it against agency, in-house, and automated approaches
Frequently Asked Questions
AI Search Guides
Connect this tool to the bigger AI-search workflow
Technical fixes and free tools help most when they support a stronger page program. These guides explain how AI-search visibility, answerability, and tracking fit together.
GEO
Generative Engine Optimization
The core GEO framework, case study, and operating model for AI search visibility.
AEO
Answer Engine Optimization
How to structure pages so answer engines can retrieve, trust, and cite them.
GEO vs SEO
GEO vs SEO
GEO vs SEO and SEO vs GEO: the difference between generative engine optimization and classic SEO, how much they overlap, and where AEO fits.
GEO SEO
GEO SEO
How generative engine optimization fits into modern SEO and why the overlap matters.
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