How much should your average "SEOer" be payed?

[pagi]

Hi,

Let me explain my current situation, I have been learning about SEO for around 3 years now. Basically self-taught with alot of great advice from this very forum

Over the last 3 years I have been reading up on the subject, while performing SEO duties for my boss's website on a part-time basis. In this time, I have got the website into at least the top 5 for all our highly competitive core keywords within Google.

I recently got told that my boss could not offer me anymore work at this time, as the development team are too busy, whatever that means.

So I visited various IT job websites in-order to see if I could get a SEO related vacancy, but as I have taught myeslf and only worked for the one website, I was unsure if I was good enough.
Fortunately all the potential employers that have contacted me (around 20) seem to be very impressed by the search engine rankings I have achieved in my previous job. With at least a top 5 position for highly competitive, core keywords.

On that back of that, I have been in regular contact with two of the SEO companies in my local area, who are willing to offer me a per project vacancy. Although I have a problem as they are asking me how much I charge for optimising their site, because I have been self taught, and only worked on the one site (in-house) I have no idea what I should be asking for? Or what I am worth?

Anyone able to give me some pointers?

[gazzahk]

Hi,

Let me explain my current situation, I have been learning about SEO for around 3 years now. Basically self-taught with alot of great advice from this very forum

Over the last 3 years I have been reading up on the subject, while performing SEO duties for my boss's website on a part-time basis. In this time, I have got the website into at least the top 5 for all our highly competitive core keywords within Google.

I recently got told that my boss could not offer me anymore work at this time, as the development team are too busy, whatever that means.

So I visited various IT job websites in-order to see if I could get a SEO related vacancy, but as I have taught myeslf and only worked for the one website, I was unsure if I was good enough.
Fortunately all the potential employers that have contacted me (around 20) seem to be very impressed by the search engine rankings I have achieved in my previous job. With at least a top 5 position for highly competitive, core keywords.

On that back of that, I have been in regular contact with two of the SEO companies in my local area, who are willing to offer me a per project vacancy. Although I have a problem as they are asking me how much I charge for optimising their site, because I have been self taught, and only worked on the one site (in-house) I have no idea what I should be asking for? Or what I am worth?

Anyone able to give me some pointers?

Base your quote around what you realalistically expect to be paid an hour times how many hours you expect work on the website (don't be greedy). Include sepratley on you quote any fees that you will need to pay to subcrotrancters (add in markup) etc. Initally do not charge them for the time you spend learning. Do a good job for them and than you will have the necessary references to get more work

best of luck on you new career.

[naphets66]

I have been an affiliate marketer for a while and taught myself seo through that. About six months ago, I moved into the seo/developer position at my job and sales on the ecommerce site have gone from $30K a month to $60k.
What I asked for was less hours and no cut in pay per week, so that I can start taking on clients. But most seo's would laugh at what I am billing. I have read in many places that if you are billing less than $60 a hour, you are cheating yourself. Than I am really cheating myself.
But there are many options. For example, I get a cut of the website's profits along with less hours for the same pay.

[pagi]

Gazzahk you said what you should expect to be payed is:

£ per hour x hours spent on the project

That sounds very logical but I do-not know what I should be asking for per hour

Another point, I have been offered the choice between a business share, where I get a % of the revenue generated and be paid that way or just pricing up for the project.

Is a business share ever a good idea?

[freespace]

The salary is different depending on where you are in the world. US generally pays more than other countries.

What you can do is hit the job boards and see what the current SEO jobs are being offered.

You also have to remember that SEO jobs is not based on the actual hours you work but more on the value you can give to the client.

If the client is a bluechip you should command more if they are a small startup then ask for less.

[Noj]

Depends how good you are, and where you were

from your level of exprtise if you were salaried in the UK id expect to pay you $20 -22,000 per year.

So that is 40,000 -45 000 US dollars, so as a salary expect £23.00 per hours.

For contract work multiply that by 2.5 so $50 -$60 an hour seems reasonable, but Geography and local market will dictate variation.

[pteam]

I would not go for a % share. How do you know theyre going to tell you how much they made?

What if they dont make any money for a year?

What if they don't pay you after you did all your work?

Make sure you at least get 25% or 50% up front.

[ICHORS]

Hi,

Let me explain my current situation, I have been learning about SEO for around 3 years now. Basically self-taught with alot of great advice from this very forum

Over the last 3 years I have been reading up on the subject, while performing SEO duties for my boss's website on a part-time basis. In this time, I have got the website into at least the top 5 for all our highly competitive core keywords within Google.

I recently got told that my boss could not offer me anymore work at this time, as the development team are too busy, whatever that means.

So I visited various IT job websites in-order to see if I could get a SEO related vacancy, but as I have taught myeslf and only worked for the one website, I was unsure if I was good enough.
Fortunately all the potential employers that have contacted me (around 20) seem to be very impressed by the search engine rankings I have achieved in my previous job. With at least a top 5 position for highly competitive, core keywords.

On that back of that, I have been in regular contact with two of the SEO companies in my local area, who are willing to offer me a per project vacancy. Although I have a problem as they are asking me how much I charge for optimising their site, because I have been self taught, and only worked on the one site (in-house) I have no idea what I should be asking for? Or what I am worth?

Anyone able to give me some pointers?

Pricing structures have always been the source of much discussion among professional SEO’s. Knowing how much to charge for SEO services is difficult, and it depends on so many factors. So in the beginning, most SEO’s tend to charge less for their services, then slowly but surely, they raise the price of his or her work to a more equitable amount.

Besides the wide differences in charges, there is also a wide assortment of pricing plans, from flat charges to individual charges for individual services, and even to charges based on traffic or sales.

What I recommend is try to arrive at one that suits both the clients and you, one that is fair for both sides. Because this will help you in long term at those satisfied customers (hopefully) recommend your SEO services to other potential customers.

[distinctseo]

MY firm will charge 50-250 / hr depending on the job. Piddly web coding issues 50/bucks. Business planning/strategy making and SEO implementation and you get more expensive. It does depend on what you're doing, how much, how long, competitiveness of industries, etc. There is no out-of-box answer for cost. I hate it when customers ask that first, 'how much'. How am I supposed to know, what do you need and where do you want to go then I'll tell you how much!

[SEO_AM]

First... they, the company, are full of crap. All SEOs are self-taught. There is no recognized SEO classes or degrees. Your degree are the results you have been able to garner for your prior employer. Which, apparently, bodes well for your SEO ability.

If you can afford it... why don't you start up a site or two on your own and do you own thing? To help support it... do some SEO consulting on the side. Would this be an option?

[webseomaster]

Well,

Indeed this topic is very controversial and a sensitive one. I have been working as an SEO for more than 3 years. I have recently launched my own SEO company.
There are many factors which come in place when you have to charge a new client.
- in case your client knows nothing about SEO, it is almost useless to explain him/her why should he pay a certain amount of money and results are on the long run rather than a few weeks especially if the client's niche website encounters a high competition
- there are many companies from India for ex. which are charging a $100 for their SEO services which is almost ridiculous
- as an SEO you have to measure your value the value you are selling to your clients
- as a professional SEO you must enjoy doing it and consider your client's website as it would be yours
- prior accepting a new SEO project, the SEO company or guru should make a careful analysis of the business potential of client's industry and only after that quote for the project
- the best scenario is that your client knows details about SEO and understands the costs as well as the time needed to do it RIGHT
- in my country if I am telling someone I am working as an SEO they are staring at me and asking questions like what the ... is that? So before charging people like this, you might need to teach them and explain the benefits of an SEO service, hopefully they will understand and accept your proposal
- My opinion is that an SEO service Agreement should not be signed for less than a 6 months period, that would be the minimum to be able to provide viewable results

[dazfree]

Hi,

I live in the UK in the north (not london, so not stupid salary/wages but also no london living costs). I started learning SEO about 8 months ago now and have acheived some good results.

I recently applied for an SEO Executive (starter position) vacancy in one of the UK's biggest SEO agency and the salary is £20,000 per annum (with quick career progression). I have also applied for SEO analyst position in a company and once again the salary is £20,000 (which is approx $40,000). Both of these seen starter positions in SEO so therefore outside of London in the UK a SEO starter position typically pays about 20k.

I've got interviews for both soon.

Thanks,

Darrell

[sensei]

I think I'll move to UK . Those wages are way way more than what I could earn by working as a SEO here in Romania.

Hi,

I live in the UK in the north (not london, so not stupid salary/wages but also no london living costs). I started learning SEO about 8 months ago now and have acheived some good results.

I recently applied for an SEO Executive (starter position) vacancy in one of the UK's biggest SEO agency and the salary is £20,000 per annum (with quick career progression). I have also applied for SEO analyst position in a company and once again the salary is £20,000 (which is approx $40,000). Both of these seen starter positions in SEO so therefore outside of London in the UK a SEO starter position typically pays about 20k.

I've got interviews for both soon.

Thanks,

Darrell

[dazfree]

But then any benefit in the UK would be take away by the increased living costs.

[tamama]

I work for one of the biggest and best known corporations in the world here in Canada and I'm paid in the $40k range + beenfits. But I'm sure people from the States who work in similar positions as mine in this company earn alot more than I do, even though I'm a one man wrecking crew up here and they have a whole team dedicated to SEO/SEM.