SEO Packages & How to Choose the Perfect One

There is a whole other level of complexity to search engine optimization. It’s a challenge to implement a strategy that keeps track of Google’s ranking factors and changes to the algorithm frequently.

You should definitely consider outsourcing your SEO needs to a digital marketing agency if you don’t have a dedicated SEO specialist on your marketing team. Since SEO is a continuous process, signing up for a monthly package makes sense. You will be able to navigate these challenges more effectively if you follow this approach.

The following information will help you understand SEO packages. Find out what needs to be considered before investing, from components to costs.

Understanding SEO Packages

With SEO packages, you won’t have to do any work yourself. Your website’s organic search engine ranking can be improved by using this bundle of related services.

The arrangement can be compared to a retainer. A monthly subscription allows you to take advantage of the most important SEO services for a more affordable price. A recurring monthly subscription is typically set up.

Basic Components of an SEO Package

There are various types of SEO packages, including local SEO and eCommerce SEO. Regardless of which industry they target, these packages commonly include the following components:

• Keyword research to identify target keywords
• Target pages
• Website audits 
• Website speed optimization
• On-page SEO
• Link building
• Content creation

Most Important Components

Check that the packages include the components listed below when searching for potential packages. A good strategy is built on these principles.

1. Target keywords

Although targeting keywords remains a foundational part of SEO, there is more to it than just adding them to blog posts and website pages. Your website’s content informs search engines how to find your website, and it helps people find your website. In addition to being important, they should never take precedence over providing valuable and relevant content.  

You should also look for a package with advanced keyword strategies that include LSI keywords (words and phrases related to the target keyword) and SERP analysis because target keywords can also affect specific search engine results page (SERP) features such as local packs and featured snippets.

When you search for local services or products, local packs display local business listings. Keyword research (especially local keyword research) is also important if you want to get included despite backlinks and online reviews. 

Content from websites appears as snippets in a separate box above organic search results and can be shown as a list, table, or short paragraph. Businesses are very interested in getting featured in this coveted spot because it has a high click-through rate. The featured page must rank on the first page of search results in order to have a chance. Researchers have found that long-tail keywords are particularly important.  

Tracking and analyzing how these keywords perform is another important step in keyword research. These tasks are typically handled by SEO agencies using tools like Semrush and Ahrefs. By using Semrush’s Keyword Overview tool, for instance, you can ensure that your keyword strategy covers all four types of keyword intent: navigation, information, commercial, and transactional.   

You should keep in mind when shopping for SEO packages that the choice of target keywords will impact the price and scope. Price increases will be associated with high-competitive keywords. Popular keywords are harder to rank for, since they are more competitive. The scope of your project will also be impacted if you operate in a competitive industry. 

In addition to content creation and optimization, the target keywords will also impact link building efforts. High-quality content creation, optimization of current web pages, and building links are essential for businesses that want to rank for highly competitive target keywords.

2. Target pages

In general, target pages refer to your website’s main pages, such as your homepage, “About Us” section, and “Contact Us” section. Website visitors are generally attracted to these pages.

It’s crucial to make sure they’re optimized as a result. One of the things that will be done is to identify and optimize keywords.

There is generally a limit on how many pages and keywords can be optimized in SEO packages. There’s a limit of 20-30 optimized pages for entry-level packages at both Comrade Digital Marketing and WebFX.

3. Website audits

The importance of website audits cannot be overstated. You can only gauge the current search engine optimization of your website by doing this.

You can only gauge the current search engine optimization of your website by doing this. As well as helping you improve your SEO, website audits can increase conversion rates and outperform competitors, as well as boost your website’s overall performance.

It is typically the following items (and opportunities for improvement) that are checked during a website audit:

• Duplicate versions of the website and indexing issues
• Design that is responsive and mobile-friendly
• Site speed
• Internal linking
• Backlinks
• Technical errors
• Meta descriptions
• Image alt text
• Design
• User experience (UX)
• Website content quality

Inquire if the package includes an audit of the website. The Technical Website Analysis and Opportunity Report is what WebFX calls it, for example. Auditing or analysis should be included in the package, and not just optimization services.

4. On-page SEO

An immediate impact can be achieved with on-page SEO, also referred to as on-site SEO. Shortly, it involves optimizing your web pages so that both search engines and your target audience will find them useful. 

The concept of off-page SEO may be better understood if you understand what it involves. You optimize elements that are not part of your website’s pages with off-page SEO. Guest postings, influencer marketing, and external backlinks are examples of marketing activities included in this group. 

As a result, everything else is part of the on-page SEO process.

• Title tags
• Meta descriptions
• Images
• Website content
• Internal links
• Featured snippets
• Keywords
• Site architecture
• Website speed
• Responsive design
• E-A-T signals

However, on-page SEO can produce results fast, even though it is an ongoing process. Identifying the most effective on-page SEO factors should be part of your agency’s strategy. 

Aside from structured data (or schema markup), JavaScript SEO (if the site is JavaScript-based), content optimization for semantic search, and topic clustering, you should also ask about other advanced SEO factors. In addition to these, SEO also includes other factors. 

In the search results, Google can include extra information such as prices, delivery costs, and ratings by using structured data (a form of code). 

Optimizing your website for semantic search will also be easier if you use structured data. As a result of semantic search, Google is able to understand search queries better by using other factors, such as similar phrases and location. This can be accomplished by optimizing a page for various keywords that belong to the same cluster, for example.

It is recommended that you only begin implementing social media (a form of off-page SEO) at the end of month five by WebFX. As explained earlier, you should start with a website audit before moving on to tasks such as keyword planning, website modifications, content creation, and other technical procedures.

5. Link building

The importance of link building cannot be overstated. Internal links and external links are two types of link building that you should focus on.

A visitor to your website can navigate to another web page by clicking on an internal link. This type of link improves your website’s user-friendliness as well as its search engine optimization.

Putting in-text links in blog posts isn’t the only part of an effective internal linking strategy. Your best web pages need to be identified, they need relevant links so they can be indexed, and you need to select appropriate anchor text.

In addition, broken links need to be addressed. It is also necessary to identify and fix these issues.

The importance of external links cannot be overstated. Linking to another website (or an external link) is called an outbound link.

The obvious benefit is that you will get more traffic if the external links point to you (on another website). Additionally, if the website links to yours, you can also improve the reputation of your site, helping it to rank better.

It is also beneficial to include external links on your website if you are trying to improve your overall search engine optimization. Please note that this only applies to reputable sites. You will therefore be viewed more positively and usefully by search engines as a result of this. As a bonus, it also makes your website more search engine friendly.

The importance of quality over quantity when it comes to link building has already been mentioned. In addition to evaluating the links, it is also important to evaluate the quality of them.

Posting spam links in a forum or Facebook comment is an example of a bad linking practice. Rather than working with agencies who follow this approach, you should avoid them.

There is also controversy surrounding paid links. A sponsored link should be declared if you opt for this route.

Checklists are recommended for ensuring quality in link building. As a result, opportunities can be identified much more easily.

Tools such as Ahrefs and Semrush can help in addition to a checklist. You can check domain ratings of websites with Ahrefs’ backlink checker, for instance, to identify valuable opportunities. Semrush’s backlink audit can help you monitor your backlink profile.

Is it possible to customize SEO packages?

An SEO agency that offers quality packages will be able to customize them to meet your specific requirements. Paying for what you need is what you should do at the end of the day. 

Besides saving money, you’ll also want to be able to customize it to fit your business needs. Consider your target market and sector when developing your package. As an example, most cleaning companies don’t care about building brand awareness if their target market is Airbnb rentals.

Your website might not also require all of the included services, depending on its state. Normally, a generic package with a specific set of services won’t be the most effective for your business. If you have no problems with page speed optimization, for example, why bother paying for it?

Benefits of SEO Packages

The importance of SEO cannot be overstated. SEO remains the most effective channel for achieving your marketing objectives, according to yours truly’s Digital Marketing Benchmark Report 2024. Aside from that, it is also considered to be the most cost-effective marketing channel.

The cost-effectiveness of pre-built packages can even be higher than the cost of individual SEO services. According to a pricing survey conducted by Ahrefs, the top SEO tool, the average hourly rate for SEO services is between $75 and $100.

The fact remains, agencies often charge over $100 for their services. The average charge is between $100 and $200 for about 20% of the cases.

It is no different with SEO packages when it comes to the monthly pricing as with hourly rates. The same Ahrefs survey suggests you can pay as little as $500 per month for a monthly retainer.

You can also benefit from predictability and ease of management in addition to cost-effectiveness.

By now, you’ve probably figured out that SEO goes far beyond simply adding a few keywords. All tasks involved in an SEO package will essentially be performed and tracked by someone else.

The same services will be provided to you every month, so you know what to expect each time.

A monthly strategy development and discussion is included in OuterBox’s plans, for example. The strategy will be reviewed every month, so you know what to expect.

How to Select the Right SEO Package?

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the strategic practice of enhancing website visibility and ranking in search engine results. By optimizing content and structure, businesses can attract more organic traffic, which is essential for building online presence and credibility. Meanwhile, the Generative AI landscape is rapidly evolving, encompassing technologies that can produce content, imagery, and even code that appears as if created by humans. This field is transforming industries by automating creative processes and offering new ways to engage with digital content. Both domains, SEO and Generative AI, are at the forefront of digital innovation, reshaping how we interact with the online world.

The following four steps will help you choose the right SEO package and avoid potential issues down the road:

1. Identifying your needs

How much attention you should pay to SEO will depend on your website and industry.

The first step is to create a website. There’s nothing stopping you from performing your own website audit, although any decent package includes one.

This service can be provided by a number of tools. This category again features Ahrefs and Semrush, but you may also be interested in Site Analyzer, Moz Pro, and Influencer Marketing Hub’s Website Grader.

The organic website traffic is also not impressive and does not appear high in the search engine results.

 These numbers can help you set a realistic goal and timeframe for SEO and determine how much attention you’ll need.

In addition, ranking higher than similar companies will be harder if you operate in a highly competitive field. Among the industries that require SEO the most, according to Brandlume, a leading SEO agency:

• Beauty services
• eCommerce businesses
• Real estate
• Home service and repair companies
• Food and beverage brands
• Legal services
• Travel and hospitality

2. Matching packages to your needs

It’s best to decide whether you want a basic SEO package or something more advanced once you understand how much you’ll need to invest in it.

You would also have discovered which areas need to be addressed through your own audit. How much does the package include in terms of services (such as link building and website speed optimization)?

Once again, let your industry (and business size) guide your decision. It makes no sense to purchase a national SEO package if your target market is primarily local. In the same way, eCommerce works. Your needs won’t be met by an eCommerce SEO package if you’re a B2B business.

3. Budgeting

SEO accounts for between 5% and 10% of a company’s marketing budget. Additionally, let your goals guide you in addition to this rough guideline. You might have to spend more on an SEO package if your needs dictate a greater investment in SEO.

If your website is optimized, you can dedicate some of the budgets for other strategies like PPC, email marketing, and content marketing.

Additionally, you should think long-term if you want the best results. Real results may not appear for months. You cannot just budget for one month of work, even though packages are available on a monthly basis.

Make sure that you can afford the SEO package for multiple months before blowing all your marketing budget on it.

4. Reviewing testimonials

You can learn if the agency can deliver based on testimonials and online reviews. Make sure you read between the lines as well. If you are looking for a company, you do not only want to see what past clients have said about them, but also how they worked with the company.

It is highly likely that you will be working with their team for quite some time. The results of your business may be negatively impacted by poor communication and long turnover times.

Key Takeaways

The importance of SEO cannot be overstated. You can achieve quick results by improving the loading speed of your pages, creating relevant internal links, and inserting keywords.

Furthermore, a well-optimized website is essential for many other strategies, such as email marketing. You’ll see benefits in other areas as well if you focus on SEO.

It’s clear that SEO is important, but it’s harder to discern what needs to be changed and what can be left! It can take months for you to recover from a wrong decision.

As a result, it’s better to trust experienced and trained professionals with more technical marketing strategies. The best way to start with SEO is by purchasing a package. They’re (more) affordable, easier to manage, and provide the continuity needed to make the strategy work.