SEO BASICS
SEO is the process of improving a website’s position for specific keywords on popular search engines. Appearing on top spots of search engines for high-traffic keywords will drive success to businesses in South Africa. SEO is a new industry, and there is a lot of confusion around subjects such as SEO services and SEO prices. This article will discuss several factors that influence SEO Prices in South Africa.
WHAT PEOPLE SHOULD EXPECT TO PAY FOR SEO IN SOUTH AFRICA
The SEO price ranges for a number of reasons. People in South Africa should expect to pay for On-Page SEO and Off-Page SEO Services.
ON-PAGE SEO PRICE
On Page SEO is a once off cost. It includes making changes to your website and can cost anywhere between R500-R2500 to optimize each webpage.
ON-PAGE PRICE
R500 Per Page
FOR INSTANCE
If a website has 5 pages that need to be optimized, and an SEO company charges R500 per page, it will cost R500 X 5 = R2500 once off.
OFF-PAGE SEO PRICE
Off Page SEO is a monthly cost. It includes creating and sharing content on relevant websites to build on your brand’s reputation. It can cost anywhere between R2500- R50 000 per month.
OFF-PAGE PRICE
R2500 Per Page
FOR INSTANCE
If a website has 5 webpages to build backlinks, an SEO company charges R2500 per page, it will cost 5 X R2500 = R12 500 per month.
FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE THE SEO PRICE
THE COMPETITION
Competitive markets have many SEO specialists implementing advanced and consistent SEO practices.
INCREASED EFFORT
In competitive industries, SEO experts must increase workload and employ advanced methods that must be optimized and monitored consistently. The more work employed, the higher the costs.
QUALITY CONTENT
Successful SEO campaigns rely on quality content. The higher the quality of content, the more SEO points will be assigned to a website. Competitive markets require High-Quality writing and Content on a regular basis.
THE SIZE OF THE WEBSITE
The size of a website significantly influences the price of SEO. Small websites are limited to the number of keywords targeted, while bigger websites require targeting more keywords.
MORE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
Bigger websites in South Africa usually have more products and services. SEO specialists need to optimize each individual webpage to rank for as many keywords as possible. The more products to market, the more keywords targeted, the more SEO required.
INCREASED LINK BUILDING
The success of SEO depends on the quality and the number of backlinks built. Linking from high-quality sites is a vote of confidence by Google. Each webpage requires backlinks to be created on a weekly basis.
THE SEO TECHNIQUES
Many SEO companies implement either White Hat SEO, Black Hat SEO or Grey Hat SEO. Each form of SEO requires different levels of SEO work.
WHITE HAT SEO
This is the safest and most legitimate form of SEO. White Hat SEO is a long-term process. It is the most expensive as it implements safe practices to rank a website on Page 1 of Google. These practices include creating high quality content and linking from relevant and high-authority websites.
BLACK HAT SEO
This is the most dangerous and cheapest form of SEO. It is short term process and drives traffic to a website for a limited period. Once Google picks up on the Black Hat SEO, it will either temporarily ban, or permanently ban a site from their search engine. Black Hat SEO must be avoided at all costs.
GREY HAT SEO
Grey Hat SEO involves using both White Hat Techniques and Black Hat Techniques together. Many SEO specialists have discovered ways to save costs on content and produce backlinks that are still safe and effective. Grey Hat strategies are usually implemented by businesses with low budgets.
TOOLS OF THE SEO PROVIDER
Every SEO company has their own set of tools and techniques. SEO companies that have found great success have used effective tools for tracking and improving performance of SEO campaigns.
KEYWORD RESEARCH TOOLS
Many SEO companies have their own Keyword Research Tools to find beneficial keywords to target for the campaign. The paid keyword tools provide more information regarding on keywords than Google’s free keyword planner.
SEO TOOLS
SEO companies use SEO tools to perform a number of functions such as finding valuable opportunities to establish relationships with relevant websites online, and it can be also used or track performance. These SEO software tools can be expensive and further increase the SEO price.
THE TIME FACTOR
SEO, unlike Google Ads, takes time to build a reputation and improve its ranking positions for important keywords. SEO must be seen as a long-term investment.
RETURN OF INVESTMENT
SEO has the best return of investment than any form of marketing today. The main issue is time. Websites that implement SEO can expect to wait 1-3 years before receiving valuable traffic to a website. This means businesses won’t see any results in the first year of investing.
BUDGET
Businesses that reside in competitive markets require big budgets. Competitive markets are difficult to penetrate and staying consistent in your SEO is key to success. Businesses with limited budgets should avoid SEO at the beginning of their marketing journey, and rather focus on Google Ads.
THE KEYWORDS TARGETED
SEO specialists will do Keyword Research and determine which keywords are beneficial to target. Beneficial keywords are targeted and popular. Targeting High Traffic keywords will take time and money to rank.
SHORT TAIL KEYWORDS
Short Tail Keywords are 1-2 words long. They aren’t considered targeted keywords and appear to a broad audience. Short tail keywords have the highest search volumes associated with them, but they take the longest time to reach Page 1 of Google. They are effectively used to create brand awareness.
MEDIUM TAIL KEYWORDS
Medium tail keywords are between 3-4 words long. They are targeted and appear to a specific audience. Medum tail keywords have good search volumes and take around 1 year to reach Page 1 of Google. They are used to drive leads and sales.
LONG TAIL KEYWORDS
Long tail keywords are 5 words and longer. They are the most targeted and appear to a highly engaging audience. Long tail keywords have the least search volumes but take around the shortest time to reach Page 1 of Google. They are used to drive leads and sales.
EXPERTISE OF THE SEO SPECIALISTS
The knowledge and experience of an SEO provider plays an important role in the price of the SEO.
EXPERIENCE
SEO providers with limited experience will not charge as much as an experienced SEO specialist. SEO experts who have a proven track record and comply with the latest algorithm updates will charge the most.
FORM
SEO experts can implement expensive White Hat strategies, or they can focus on affordable grey hat strategies. The price is determined by the SEO provider, several experts are generous, and others want to overcharge you.
FACTORS TO CONSIDER
ALGORITHM UPDATES
SEO is a complicated industry. What worked one year ago, can become an ineffective strategy in the current market. Google have been improving their systems and upgrading from the early days of SEO. The upgrades enhance the search engine to deliver better results for the browsing user. SEO specialists who do not comply with these system updates may fall behind in the SEO race and provide redundant SEO techniques.
STRICT POLICIES
To rank high on search engines, a website needs to meet strict standards by Google. Failing to meet these standards can lead to stagnant or disastrous outcomes. Websites that copy information from other websites will not appear on high on Google, as it is known as “Duplicate Content” violation. Websites that fail to have an SSL certificate will not appear in good positions too, and many times will not load in the users browser. A poor constructed website can have the best Off-Page SEO but will not work without meeting Google’s strict policies.
TIME DELAYS
Its difficult to predict when a website will reach page 1 of Google. SEO companies may provide a time estimation, but there is no guarantee the website will appear in good positions in that period. SEO is an unpredictable game, whereby the website rankings are heavily dependent on the SEO practices implemented. Time delays will dig into the business budget and could lead to frustrated customers who will doubt if the SEO is working.
NEW WEBSITES
Brand new websites are not trusted by Google. Many SEO experts believe that Google place websites (that are under 6 months) in a sandbox. The sandbox prevents organic rankings of new websites. Its ideal to start marketing websites that are one year and older. Websites that are 10 years and older tend to work much quicker with search engine optimization.