Top 10 Cheap SEO Services for Startups and SMBs in 2025

Finding cheap SEO services that deliver real results can feel impossible. For small businesses, startups, and e-commerce stores, every marketing dollar has to count. The problem is, the SEO world is filled with overpriced agencies that produce limited content and low-cost providers that use risky tactics. You need a solution that’s affordable, effective, and transparent, one that builds compounding organic growth without requiring a massive budget or a long term contract.

That’s where the right affordable SEO partner makes all the difference. Modern services like Rankai combine AI-driven content production with human expert strategy, delivering the volume and quality needed to rank. Instead of paying thousands for a handful of pages, you can get a steady stream of optimized content that continuously improves, driving traffic and generating leads.

What Are Affordable SEO Services vs. Cheap SEO Services?

The distinction between “affordable” and “cheap” SEO is critical. Cheap SEO services often rely on unethical “black hat” tactics like buying spammy links or stuffing content with keywords. These shortcuts can lead to severe Google penalties, including getting your website completely removed from search results. Recovering from such a penalty can take months and be very costly.

Affordable SEO, in contrast, focuses on ethical, “white-hat” strategies that create sustainable, long term growth. It’s about working smarter within a budget, prioritizing high impact activities that move the needle. This means focusing on quality content, technical website health, and strategic link building. An affordable provider delivers value and measurable results without compromising your site’s integrity.

For small businesses, the sweet spot for affordable SEO is often a fixed monthly plan. While hourly rates from agencies typically range from $100 to $200, many small businesses find success with monthly packages around $500. In fact, businesses spending over $500 per month on SEO are 53.3% more likely to be extremely satisfied with their results.

How SEO Pricing Models Work on a Small Budget

Understanding how agencies price their services helps you find the right fit for your budget. Most providers use one of these common models:

• Monthly Retainer: This is the most common model, where you pay a fixed fee each month for ongoing SEO services. Monthly retainers for small businesses can range from $500 to $5,000. This model is ideal for consistent, long term growth.
• Project Based Pricing: You pay a one time fee for a specific, defined project, like a website migration or a comprehensive SEO audit. Project costs can range from $500 to $30,000 depending on the scope.
• Hourly Consulting: You pay an hourly rate for SEO expertise. Rates often fall between $75 and $200 per hour. This is best for businesses that need guidance on specific tasks but can handle the implementation themselves.
• Pay for Performance: This model ties payment to specific results, like achieving a certain ranking or traffic milestone. While it sounds appealing, it can be risky as it may encourage unethical tactics to achieve short term gains.

For startups and small businesses, a predictable monthly retainer offers the best balance of consistency and value. A service like Rankai provides a clear, flat-rate subscription of $499/month for a set number of deliverables, making it easy to budget for compounding growth. If you’re comparing budget options, read our breakdown of low-cost SEO services to see what to expect.

The Risks of Unsafe “Cheap” SEO and How to Spot Them

Extremely cheap SEO services often come with hidden risks that can cause long term damage to your brand. Providers offering services for less than $150 a month may be using unethical black hat techniques that violate Google’s guidelines.

These risky tactics include:

• Keyword Stuffing: Overloading a page with keywords to the point that it becomes unreadable for humans. Learn how to avoid keyword stuffing without hurting readability.
• Link Schemes: Buying low quality, irrelevant backlinks to artificially inflate a site’s authority.
• Cloaking: Showing different content to search engines than to users.

Engaging in these practices can lead to severe penalties, including a dramatic drop in rankings or complete removal from search results. Rebuilding your site’s reputation after a penalty is a slow and expensive process.

What a Good Affordable SEO Service Includes

A trustworthy and effective affordable SEO service should provide a core set of deliverables focused on long term results. Here’s what to look for:

An innovative approach, like the one offered by Rankai, includes a “rewrite until it ranks” workflow. If a piece of content doesn’t perform well within a few weeks, it’s automatically queued for a rewrite, ensuring your budget is always working towards tangible results.

Top 10 Cheap SEO Services

Now that you’re equipped with the knowledge of what to look for in an affordable SEO provider, it’s time to dive into some of the best options available. In this section, we’ll explore a curated list of the top 10 cheap SEO services that offer a fantastic balance of value and results. These companies have been selected for their proven track records in helping businesses boost their online visibility without requiring a hefty financial investment.

1. Rankai

Rankai blends AI speed with human QA to ship search-intent content and on-site fixes at a predictable, flat rate. If you’ve been stalling on SEO because custom retainers feel risky, this gives you volume, cadence, and measurable movement without the sticker shock. Best for: startups and SMBs on WordPress, Shopify, or Webflow that want fast, affordable execution.

Price snapshot: From $499/month; month-to-month with no long-term contract.

What you’ll get each month:

• 20 SEO-optimized pages (titles, meta, internal links) published on a steady cadence
• Expert-vetted keyword research each month to target winnable opportunities
• A “rewrite until it ranks” workflow to iterate on underperformers
• Weekly, plain-language reports focused on rankings, traffic, and priorities
• Core on-site technical fixes to keep the site crawlable and clean
• Excludes off-page link building and digital PR

Pros & cons

• Pros:
  • Flat-rate pricing and meaningful volume deliver strong value for small teams.
  • High content velocity plus iterative rewrites accelerates learning and wins.
  • No commitment, making it easy to test, pause, or scale up.
• Cons:
  • No link building or PR; you’ll need a separate plan for off-page authority. See our guide to top link-building services for vetted options.
  • Standardized scope may feel limiting for complex or enterprise environments.

2. The Hoth

The HOTH is the all-you-can-pick marketplace of SEO: choose à-la-carte content, links, or step into HOTH X for a fully managed campaign. It’s built for scale and clarity, especially if you’re reselling or coordinating deliverables across multiple clients. Best for: agencies and SMBs that want flexible, white-label, productized SEO.

Price snapshot: From $1,000/mo plus setup; month-to-month plans available.

What you’ll get each month:

• Dedicated U.S.-based campaign manager guiding priorities
• Your budget converted into a mix of links and content (e.g., ~3 outreach links, DA20 to 30+)
• Consistent content cadence (e.g., two 1,000-word blog posts)
• On-site copy updates and optimization where needed
• Technical and local SEO tasks folded into managed campaigns
• 100% white-label dashboard for client reporting

Pros & cons

• Pros:
  • Huge menu of services makes it easy to right-size spend.
  • Built-in white-label reporting is agency-friendly.
  • Clear examples of what each budget tier buys.
• Cons:
  • Fully managed plans start at a higher price point.
  • Most link/content placements aren’t pre-approved before publishing.

3. SEO Reseller

SEO Reseller packages local and national SEO at wholesale rates, giving agencies a repeatable backbone for SMB retainers without locking them into contracts. It’s the kind of fulfillment partner that keeps reporting clean, scope predictable, and margins workable. Best for: agencies reselling budget SEO to local businesses.

Price snapshot: From $499/mo (wholesale); billed monthly with no long-term contracts.

What you’ll get each month:

• Initial technical audit and on-page optimization for up to 10 pages
• Guest-post outreach delivering roughly 3 to 6+ links from DA10 to DA40+ sites
• Ongoing content production (one to two pieces/mo) plus SEO maintenance tasks
• Local SEO including Google Business Profile and citations
• White-label dashboard (GA, GSC, GBP integrations)

Pros & cons

• Pros:
  • Low wholesale pricing and no contracts are perfect for resellers.
  • Pre-packaged deliverables simplify client reporting and fulfillment.
  • Robust, brandable reporting out of the box.
• Cons:
  • Standardized campaigns limit deeper customization unless you add services.
  • Advanced technical work appears in higher tiers only.

4. FATJOE

FATJOE is the pay-as-you-go workhorse for affordable links, content, and citations, which is ideal when you need output now without a retainer. Orders are transparent, timelines are tight, and everything ships white-label for easy resell. Best for: agencies, resellers, and SMBs who want on-demand deliverables.

Price snapshot: From $72 per link; pay-as-you-go with no contract.

What you’ll get each month (as you order):

• Blogger outreach and niche edits from DR10+ publishers
• Manual local citation building across the US, UK, AUS, and CAN
• Press release distribution to 350+ outlets
• On-demand article writing with optional Surfer SEO optimization
• Unbranded tracking and reporting via a white-label dashboard
• Excludes end-to-end strategy and on-site implementation

Pros & cons

• Pros:
  • Clear, low per-order pricing allows you to scale up or down anytime.
  • Fast turnarounds (links in ~14 days; content in ~2 days).
  • Purpose-built for resellers with a white-label experience.
• Cons:
  • Not a full-service solution; you own strategy and integration.
  • Placements aren’t typically pre-approved.

5. SeoTuners

SeoTuners keeps budgets sane with flexible, no-contract monthly SEO that covers the essentials: local visibility, white-hat links, and technical clean-up. It’s the pragmatic choice for SMBs that want measurable progress without committing to a heavy retainer. Best for: budget-conscious local businesses that need adaptable, month-to-month SEO.

Price snapshot: From $500 to $5,000+/mo; month-to-month, no long-term contract.

What you’ll get each month:

• Keyword discovery and on-page optimization across priority pages
• Technical audits and fixes for speed, errors, and mobile readiness
• Google Business Profile optimization and citation management
• White-hat link acquisition via manual outreach
• Monthly performance reporting and progress check-ins
• Custom scope; no fixed content or link quotas

Pros & cons

• Pros:
  • Flexible terms and pricing aligned to SMB realities.
  • Balanced coverage across technical, on-page, and local SEO.
  • Solid entry point without long commitments.
• Cons:
  • Custom pricing can feel less transparent than fixed tiers.
  • Link sources should be vetted for quality.

6. Digital Guider

Digital Guider takes the guesswork out of budget SEO with fixed, transparent packages that bundle on-page, off-page, and local essentials. It’s a straightforward way to get foundational visibility moving, especially for local service businesses. Best for: SMBs that want clarity on deliverables at a low entry price.

Price snapshot: From $500/mo; month-to-month with no long-term contract.

What you’ll get each month:

• On-page optimization for 10 to 40 target pages
• One to five on-site blog posts to grow topical coverage
• Backlink acquisition (40 to 200 links) with a mixed approach
• Local SEO including Google Business Profile setup and optimization
• Core technical SEO fixes (sitemap, schema, speed checks)
• Monthly reporting and reviews with a dedicated account manager

Pros & cons

• Pros:
  • Transparent deliverables and low pricing fit small-business budgets.
  • Local SEO and GBP optimization included in most plans.
  • Dedicated account management and monthly reporting across tiers.
• Cons:
  • Entry tiers may skip competitor analysis and advanced technical work.
  • Some legacy link tactics may require oversight for quality.

7. Softtrix

Softtrix delivers white-label SEO at competitive India-based rates, balancing strategy, on-page fixes, local SEO, and scalable link building. Reporting is client-ready, so agencies can plug it into their stack without friction. Best for: agencies needing white-label fulfillment and SMBs seeking low-cost monthly SEO.

Price snapshot: From $249/mo; month-to-month, with discounts for longer agency retainers.

What you’ll get each month:

• Full site audit, keyword mapping, and competitor analysis
• On-page and technical fixes (meta tags, sitemaps, GA4 setup)
• One to two blog posts and ongoing content optimization
• Local citations, directory submissions, and competitor backlink analysis
• Guest posts and PR distribution in higher tiers
• Weekly rank tracking and monthly white-label dashboards

Pros & cons

• Pros:
  • Very low entry price with transparent packaging.
  • White-label reporting tailored for agency partnerships.
  • Clear counts for content, links, and on-page tasks.
• Cons:
  • Lower tiers lean on foundational link tactics.
  • Deeper technical work and premium links reserved for upper tiers.

8. Mainstreethost

Mainstreethost has been serving small businesses since 1999, bundling the essentials of SEO into low-cost tiers with optional add-ons for local and technical depth. It’s a practical starting point if you want foundational improvements without complex link campaigns. Best for: cost-conscious local service businesses.

Price snapshot: From $99/mo; annual billing required for the advertised rate.

What you’ll get each month:

• Initial site audit, keyword research, and on-page implementation
• Google Business Profile optimization and citation management
• Technical backlink analysis to flag potential issues
• Google Analytics and Tag Manager setup with ongoing reporting
• High-volume content and editorial link building are excluded in starter tiers

Pros & cons

• Pros:
  • Extremely low starting price opens the door to professional SEO.
  • Established U.S. agency with clear add-ons for local/technical work.
  • Foundational analytics setup and reporting included.
• Cons:
  • Annual commitment needed for the best rate.
  • Starter plans don’t specify volumes for content or links.

9. MarketKeep

MarketKeep runs budget-friendly, fixed-scope SEO programs that emphasize local visibility and steady growth. If you prefer clear deliverables and frequent communication, this is a straightforward way to build momentum month over month. Best for: local and service-area SMBs seeking transparency and consistency.

Price snapshot: From $225/mo; initial 3-month term, then month-to-month.

What you’ll get each month:

• Google Business Profile optimization and a one-time citation build
• On-page SEO: title/meta updates and content revisions
• Approximately two to four blog posts to build topical coverage
• Ongoing link acquisition with set monthly volumes
• Weekly keyword and analytics reports; frequent check-ins (bi-weekly or weekly)

Pros & cons

• Pros:
  • Clear entry price and itemized monthly deliverables.
  • Strong local SEO fundamentals baked in.
  • Short initial commitment before flexible terms.
• Cons:
  • Pricing and inclusions vary across pages, so you should clarify before signing.
  • Link building is volume-driven; vet for quality and relevance.

10. Pearl Lemon

Pearl Lemon takes a white-hat, publisher-first approach to authority building, pairing technical SEO and content with pre-approved guest posts. It’s a safer long-game for businesses that value editorial standards over quick wins. Best for: SMBs that want pre-approved, white-hat editorial links.

Price snapshot: From £2,000/mo; 6 to 12 month commitment recommended, with 6-week tests available.

What you’ll get each month:

• Full SEO audits and technical fixes (Core Web Vitals, indexing)
• Keyword-led content plans and on-page optimization
• Local SEO for Maps and geo-targeted visibility
• White-hat guest posting with publisher pre-approval and DA thresholds
• Bi-weekly communication and detailed monthly reports
• No PBNs or black-hat link tactics. Ever.

Pros & cons

• Pros:
  • Accountable link building with publisher pre-approval and monitoring.
  • Short test projects let you validate before a longer retainer.
  • Full-service SEO beyond links, including technical and local.
• Cons:
  • Higher starting retainers than budget vendors.
  • Requires a discovery call for detailed pricing; no public rate card.

How to Choose the Right Affordable SEO Company

Selecting the right partner is crucial for getting the most out of your investment. Beyond the services offered, you need a provider you can trust.

Green Flags to Look For:

• Customized Strategies: Avoid one size fits all packages. A good provider will tailor their strategy to your unique business goals and industry.
• Transparency: Look for clear communication about their process and pricing. They should be able to explain their methods without hiding behind “secret” techniques.
• Case Studies and Proof of Results: Reputable agencies will have case studies or data to back up their claims. Look for examples of success in industries similar to yours.
• Focus on Ethical Practices: They should be open about their commitment to white hat SEO techniques.

Red Flags to Avoid:

• Guaranteed #1 Rankings: No one can guarantee a specific ranking on Google, as algorithms are constantly changing. Promises like these are a major red flag.
• “Secret” or Proprietary Methods: A trustworthy SEO company will be transparent about their strategies. Hiding their methods suggests they may be using risky tactics.
• Lack of Communication: If they are hard to get in touch with or provide vague answers to your questions, it’s a sign of poor service.
• No Reporting: If an agency isn’t providing regular, clear reports on your campaign’s performance, they are not being held accountable.

When Is Budget SEO Enough? And When Should You Invest More?

Affordable SEO services are highly effective for many businesses, especially those just starting out or targeting a local market. For a small local business, a focused campaign on Google Business Profile optimization and local keywords can generate significant returns. Similarly, startups can gain initial traction and build a foundation for future growth with a budget friendly plan.

However, there are times when a larger investment is necessary. If you are in a highly competitive national or international market, you will likely need a more aggressive and comprehensive strategy. Businesses with large, complex websites or those in industries with very high competition may need to invest more in content, link building, and technical SEO to see meaningful results.

The key is to start with a solid, affordable foundation. As your business grows and your ROI from SEO increases, you can scale your investment accordingly.

How to Maximize Your SEO Budget

Even with a limited budget, you can make a significant impact by focusing on the right activities.

• Focus on Quality Content: Creating valuable, informative content is one of the most cost effective SEO strategies. It builds authority and attracts organic traffic over time. Use this guide to creating authoritative content for Google.
• Leverage Free Tools: Tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console provide invaluable data for free. Use them to track your performance and identify opportunities.
• Prioritize Local SEO: If you have a physical location or serve a specific geographic area, optimizing your Google Business Profile is a free and powerful way to attract local customers.
• Automate Where Possible: Using automation for simple, time consuming tasks can help you save time and money. Start with these SEO automation tools.

Services that blend AI efficiency with human oversight, like Rankai, are designed to maximize a small budget by producing a high volume of optimized content that would be cost prohibitive with a traditional agency.

Start Small, Stay Ethical, and Measure Everything

Investing in cheap SEO services doesn’t have to be a gamble. By choosing an affordable, ethical provider that focuses on sustainable growth, you can build a powerful engine for organic traffic. The key is to start with a realistic budget, prioritize high impact activities, and meticulously track your results. Over time, the compounding effect of consistent, quality SEO will deliver a return on investment that far outweighs the initial cost.

Ready to see how an AI first approach to SEO can deliver more content and faster results for a fraction of the cost of a traditional agency? Check out Rankai today!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a reasonable price for SEO services?

For small businesses, a reasonable price for SEO services typically ranges from $500 to $2,000 per month. This allows for a comprehensive strategy that includes keyword research, content creation, and technical optimization without the high overhead of larger agencies.

Can I do SEO on a small budget?

Yes, you can achieve significant results with a small SEO budget by focusing on high impact, cost effective strategies. Prioritize quality content creation, on page optimization, and local SEO to build a strong foundation for organic growth.

How long does it take for affordable SEO to work?

While some initial results can be seen sooner, it typically takes 3 to 6 months to see measurable gains from a consistent SEO strategy. SEO is a long term investment, and the benefits compound over time as your site builds authority and trust with search engines.

What is the ROI of cheap SEO services?

The ROI of truly cheap, low quality SEO can be negative, as it can lead to penalties that are costly to fix. However, the ROI for affordable, high quality SEO is often very high. Inbound leads from SEO close at a rate of 14.6%, compared to just 1.7% for outbound leads.

Are cheap SEO services worth it?

Cheap SEO services that use unethical tactics are not worth the risk. However, affordable SEO services that provide transparent, ethical, and effective strategies offer an excellent return on investment for small businesses looking to grow their online presence.

How much should a small business pay for SEO per month?

A common and effective budget for a small business is around $500 per month. This price point often allows for a package that covers the essential services needed to build and maintain a strong organic search presence.

What is the difference between black hat and white hat SEO?

White hat SEO refers to ethical strategies that follow search engine guidelines to improve rankings. Black hat SEO, on the other hand, uses deceptive and manipulative tactics to achieve quick results, which often leads to penalties.

How can I find a trustworthy, cheap SEO service?

Look for providers that are transparent about their pricing and methods, have verifiable case studies, and focus on creating customized strategies. Avoid any company that guarantees #1 rankings or uses “secret” techniques. A service like Rankai offers a transparent, flat rate plan focused on producing a high volume of quality content.