This is How Much Small Businesses Spend Each Month on SEO
American small business owners spend an average of $497 per month on SEO services, according to a new study by Backlinko.
The survey also found that higher monthly spend was tied to client satisfaction. SEO clients that spent over $500/month on SEO were 53% more likely to consider themselves satisfied with their investment.
The joint Backlinko-Northstar Research Partners survey polled a representative sample of 1,200 small business owners and decision makers based in the United States. The survey was conducted online from March 28-April 1, 2019.
Their “2019 SEO Services Report” investigated several factors that impacted clients’ satisfaction levels with SEO agencies and freelancers.
Global Satisfaction With SEO Services is Low: Using Net Promoter Score, the survey found that only 30% of respondents would recommend their current SEO provider to a friend or colleague.
SEO Service Turnover is High: 65% of respondents stated that they’ve worked with several different SEO providers before. 25% claimed to have worked with 3 or more providers.
Most Business Owners Move On Due to Lack of Results: 44% of small business owners leave their current SEO provider due to “Dissatisfaction with business results”. 34% cite poor customer service as a reason for moving on.
The survey also investigated how small business owners choose specific providers, and once work begins, why they decide to retain or leave their SEO agency or freelancer.
Most Look for SEO Providers via Referrals, Google Searches and Online Review Websites: 28% look for SEO services through one-to-one referrals, 26% use Google and 18% use review websites (like Yelp and Google Maps). Only 11% of panelists stated that they found their current SEO provider through offline advertising.
Reputation is Key: When it comes to choosing a specific service provider, 3/4 of the business owners in the survey cited an SEO provider’s reputation “very” or “extremely” important.
Small Business Owners Expect SEO to Boost the Bottom Line: 83% of our respondents stated that SEO providers need to help them “access new customers.”
