If you want everything done for your small business in the US and are on a tight budget, a good SEO consultant is better than an SEO agency. If you have someone in-house who can do the work, an SEO agency is a better fit.
Three things will help you decide between the two: your income, the time you have, and how much work you want to do yourself. It costs less to have a consultant help you with your strategy. An agency has a full team that takes care of content, links, and technical issues.
In this article, you will learn about seo consultant vs seo agency. We also answer some common hiring questions to help you decide which option is best for your US small business. One more thing that MyroBuzz does is offer fixed-price SEO packages for companies that want results without having to pay a big agency fee.
What Is an Organic SEO Consultant?
An organic SEO consultant is a freelancer who helps your website get free (non-paid) traffic from Google. They evaluate your site, study keywords, design a strategy and tell you what to fix and publish. Some do hands-on work too, but the key service is guidance, and you or your team are the ones doing the work.
What Is an SEO Agency?
An SEO agency is a team that handles SEO for you start to finish: technical fixes, content, link development, local SEO and monthly reporting. They perform all the labour, and you pay a monthly fee. This technique is sometimes packaged as an SEO management service.
SEO Consultant vs SEO Agency: What Do US Small Businesses Pay?
| SEO Consultant | SEO Agency | |
| Hourly | 75-250 | Usually not hourly |
| Monthly retainer | 1,000-5,000 | 1,500-10,000+ |
| One-time audit | 500-5,000 | 1,000-5,000 |
| Who does the work | Mostly you or your team | The agency team |
MyroBuzz has 4 SEO packages. Our Small Package is full on-page SEO with keyword research at $5 per page, 5 pages per day. The Regular Package is $150 for 20 pages and delivered in 7 days covering on-page and technical SEO. For Technical SEO, we use SEMrush and Google Search Console to correct 404 and other issues. We price this out by the number of errors. Monthly Package $250 Includes on-page, technical, free backlinks, custom strategy, 3 blog entries (800+ words) per month, 4-month minimum.
What Questions Should You Ask Before Hiring an SEO Expert?
Ask these before you sign anything:
- Can you provide case studies with actual numbers and named clients?
- Who’s going to conduct the actual work and who is my contact?
- What am I actually getting each month?
- How do you report the findings? (For leads and revenue, not just rankings.)
- What is your experience in my industry and region
- What techniques do you employ for links & content?
- What is the length of the contract? How can I cancel?
- If we break up, do I own my accounts, content and data?
Google’s guidance on hiring an SEO. Red flag: Anyone promising #1 rankings.
Should Startups Hire a Freelance SEO Expert or an Agency?
For most companies, the first step should be to hire a freelance SEO specialist or consultant. Budgets are small and priorities shift frequently. A freelancer can create a strategy, fix the key issues and lead your team for less. When to move to an agency:
- Organic search becomes a key growth channel
- You need material, links and technical work all done at once
- You don’t have the time or staff to do the work anymore.
The usual process is to initially employ a consultant and subsequently to move to an agency as revenues develop. Also know how to rank higher locally through SEO services.
How Much Would You Charge Hourly as an SEO Consultant?
In the US, you’ll usually find SEO experts charging $75 to $250 an hour, depending on experience, industry and scope. Freelancers & newbies will get roughly 75-100; established consultants can charge 150-250+
We believe in simple pricing. That’s why we provide fixed packages, rather than charging hourly. You know exactly what you’re paying for up front. Our Small Package is complete on page SEO with keyword research for $5 per page. We do 5 pages a day. Regular Package $150 for 20 pages of on-page and Technical SEO. Delivery Time 7 Days Monthly Package: $250/month. Includes: On-Page SEO, Technical SEO, Free Backlinks, Custom SEO Strategy & 3 SEO Optimised Blog Posts (800+ words) per month with a minimum of 4 months. We charge for technical SEO.
Real Client Result: How MyroBuzz Grew Organic Traffic
One of the websites we optimised for a client in the US got 15,200 pure clicks and 717,00 google impressions in just 3 months. After we fixed technical errors, did on-page SEO, and posted blog posts that were optimised for SEO, the number of daily clicks went from less than 100 to over 300. It’s now 12.7 on average, which means that more keywords are moving up to page 1. Kno more about, Google Search Console.
It’s best for small businesses with limited funds and some in-house help to hire an SEO consultant. This person can help you plan your approach and let you or your team do the work. An SEO agency is good for companies that don’t want to spend their own time managing tasks and just want someone else to do everything for them, like technical fixes, content, links, and reports.
If you want to save money and talk to a specialist who knows your business, a freelance SEO expert is better. If you need a full team to handle technical work, content, and links all at the same time, an agency is better. This is especially true for bigger websites, online stores, or goals for fast growth.
Based on their goals, the competition, and where they are located, most small businesses in the US spend between $1,000 and $5,000 a month on SEO. Local businesses in areas with less competition usually pay less. On the other hand, e-commerce stores and industries with a lot of competition need bigger budgets to get good results from their organic search efforts.
Yes. A lot of companies start with a planner to help them make a plan, and then as they grow and need more help, they switch to an agency. Make sure you keep copies of your audits, reports, and account access, such as to Google Search Console and Analytics, so that the handoff goes smoothly and no work is lost.
Early improvements, such as better rankings and fixed technical issues, often show within 3 to 4 months. Meaningful growth in traffic and leads usually takes 6 to 12 months. Timelines depend on your competition, website health, content quality, and how consistently the SEO work is done each month.
About 3 to 4 months in, you should start to see early improvements like higher rankings and fixed technical problems. On average, it takes 6 to 12 months for business and leads to grow in a meaningful way. When things need to be done depend on your competitors, the health of your website, the quality of your content, and how often you do SEO work every month.
Ask for real-life case studies that show how much money was made, who did the work, and what you get every month. Check to see how results are shared, what the contract says, and if you can keep your data, content, and accounts if you decide to leave. People who promise first-page rankings are not worth your time.
Because money is tight and needs change quickly, most new businesses should start with a freelance SEO expert or consultant. Freelancers are cheaper and give you more freedom while you try different things. When SEO becomes a big way to make money and you need more content, links, and technical work, it’s time to hire a service.
Final verdict
If you don’t have a lot of money, have someone in-house who can post content and make changes to the website, and just need a clear plan, an SEO consultant is the best choice. You can talk to one expert directly, pay less, and have more freedom with the terms. There’s also less chance that you’ll pay for work you don’t need yet.
If you don’t have the time or staff to do the work yourself, an SEO agency is the best option. They can also help if you have an online shop or a business with multiple locations and need help with content, links, and technical issues all at the same time. It costs more, but you get a full team and a steady amount of work every month.
As a general rule, hire a consultant if you need a plan. Hire a firm to do the work for you if you want it to get done.