SEO Cost Calculator
Estimate your monthly SEO investment in seconds.
Mid-point: $8,641/mo
Pay for outcomes, not retainers.
Sight AI replaces the content production line item entirely - same long-form quality, fraction of the cost. 7 free articles to compare.
How it works
- 1
Tell us what kind of business you run
Industry sets the baseline - legal and finance cost more than local services because the SERP is more brutal.
- 2
Pick competition + scope
A national SaaS in a crowded category will spend 4–5x what a single-city service business spends to see the same ranking lift.
- 3
Set your content + technical needs
Volume of new articles per month is the single biggest cost lever. Add link building if your domain authority is below 30.
- 4
Read the breakdown
See the monthly range and how it splits across strategy, content, technical, and links so you can negotiate or DIY any line item.
A small detail that compounds.
Most SEO agencies quote a single monthly retainer with no breakdown - making it impossible to know if you're being overcharged for one line item or completely missing another.
A realistic monthly SEO budget in 2026 is anywhere from $1.5K (local) to $25K+ (national fintech). Anything below $1,500/month is usually hobbyist or cookie-cutter; anything above $50K should come with serious in-house ownership.
The biggest line item is usually the one we automate.
Look at the breakdown above. For most businesses, content production is 40–60% of the monthly spend. That's where Sight AI flips the math.
Our 13+ AI agents handle research, outlines, writing, internal linking, image generation, and CMS publishing - at a tiny fraction of what an agency or in-house writer costs. Same long-form quality, same SEO discipline, dramatically lower run rate.
- Replace $2K–$5K/mo content production with a flat platform fee
- Keep your strategist; replace the production line
- Track AI search visibility alongside Google rankings
- 7 free articles when you sign up - see the quality before you commit
Common questions.
How accurate is this calculator?
It's based on US agency and freelance benchmarks for 2026. Real quotes will vary by ±25% depending on agency reputation, your existing site authority, and how aggressive your goals are.
Why is finance/legal more expensive?
Higher CPCs and brutal SERP competition mean every ranking position is fought over by well-funded competitors. You need higher-quality content, more authoritative links, and more frequent updates - all of which cost more.
Can I get away with under $1,500/mo?
Sometimes - if you're local, low competition, and willing to publish in-house. But under $1,500 you're usually buying templated content and basic on-page tweaks; not enough to move the needle in any competitive market.
Does this include paid search (PPC)?
No, this is organic SEO only. Paid search budget is separate and is typically 2–10x your SEO spend depending on industry.
Get 7 free articles with Sight AI
Sight AI writes long-form, SEO-optimized articles for you and tracks how AI assistants like ChatGPT and Claude see your brand. Create a free account to claim your 7 starter articles.
7 articles, AI visibility tracking, and our full publishing suite included.
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