The small business SEO service fee model has always been a problem for global SEO service providers. This article describes the charging model of American SEO peers. If both parties are honest, you can try to practice.
The SEO service fee model has been plagued by both sides of the global SEO market. The following is the charging model of an American SEO peer. Jiexin Internet Marketing Agency believes that this model may not be suitable for China's general national conditions, but it is also a useful thinking and attempt, especially on the basis of both parties being relatively honest. Here is a description of this SEO peer:

As an SEO service provider, you are hired for your professional skills, which start to make a difference when you start doing SEO services for a small business:
1. SEO planning
2. Design goals
3. Competitor Analysis
4. Keyword panorama analysis
5. Evaluate the client website
6. Write an evaluation report
7. Expand implementation proposals and plans
8. Write an executive report
9. Others.
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The tasks depend on the type of SEO services you provide. For consulting services only, the above list accounts for 80-90% of the tasks, and it only takes a few months. The actual implementation work is up to the client. Once the above work is completed, my work becomes simple, mainly the following work:
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1. Guidance and implementation by phone or email
2. Simulation analysis
3. Repeat keyword analysis and research
4. Do SEO cutting-edge information training
5. Others.
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The second stage takes less time and less work.
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SEO Contracts and Upfront Payments
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There are two things to say before discussing SEO fees:
1. You need a contract. On this point, I don't agree with your point of view. We need a contract because we now live in a "success ready" country and a contract protects you as well as your client. Please do not skip this step.
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2. I don't like prepayment. If you receive an advance payment, you will find ways to do it, whether it is something that needs to be done or does not need to be done. The customer will pay you xx yuan every month, so even if that thing is not necessary to do, it will not help the customer, and you are obliged to do it for him.
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How will I be charged for SEO services?
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My SEO contract reads like this:
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1. Signing target
2. Accurately point out the production status and delivery time of our products
3. Cost per deliverable
4. Start date and contract timeline (6 to 12 months in some regions)
5. Total cost of the project
6. Payment plan
7. After the time specified in the contract ends, if the customer intends to renew the contract with us, the fee during the renewal period will be calculated on an hourly basis. During this period, the contract can be modified at any time if additional work items are required.
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Regarding the above schedule, I usually give the client four or five months to pay off these fees. The first fee is usually 40%-50% of the total project price, and the monthly fee will be gradually reduced until it is fully paid. In other words, the monthly payments for a $20,000 project are roughly: $8,000, $6,000, $3,000, $3,000.
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If the customer asks us to do a job that is not stipulated in the contract, we will politely inform the other party that it will require additional fees, and send the other party an additional invoice at the beginning of the next month to reflect the additional work and the cost details. (To avoid objection, this item will also be reflected in the contract.)
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IMPORTANT NOTE: Note that in the above list, the contracts do not have an end date, only a start date and timeline. The contract is followed by instructions: "After the time stipulated in the contract, if the customer intends to renew the contract with us, the fee during the renewal period will be calculated on an hourly basis." leave. With this assurance, my work has been going smoothly. Take one of my current clients as an example, it took him 6-8 months to pay the full bill, including the renewal fee, and we have been working together for 5 years if I remember correctly.
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This is how I bill the client:
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1. No advance payment.
2. In the month stipulated in the contract, if we are required to work for two extra hours, I will issue an invoice for these two additional hours.
3. We will not issue an invoice if we are not required to do extra work within the month stipulated in the contract.
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We've been working together for a long time and it's like a team now, and this solution has helped us a lot. I know this approach may not be suitable for everyone. Also, I have a great tip: I outsource the billing to a "third-party financial agency" so I don't have to worry about billing every month.