Dental SEO Pricing Guide
The ultimate guide to how much SEO should cost your dental practice.
How much does dental SEO cost?
Most dental practices spend between $500 and $5,000 per month on SEO. Basic local SEO starts at $500–$1,000 monthly, while comprehensive campaigns in competitive markets can exceed $3,000 monthly.
How much should my practice spend on SEO?
The cost of dental SEO for your practice varies based on many factors including:
- How quickly you want to see results
- The keywords you’re targeting (e.g. implant dentist)
- The current strengths and weaknesses of your website’s SEO
- The level of competition in your area
- Your investment in other marketing tactics
This guide will help you break down these factors and provide insights into common pricing ranges, so you can determine what’s fair and right for your practice.
Free Strategy Proposal and Price Quote
Researching dental SEO pricing can be time-consuming, but we’re here to simplify the process. Instead of navigating the complexities alone, reach out to us for a free strategy proposal and price quote. Based on your practice goals, we’ll discuss:
- What your practice needs
- What you should expect to spend
- The results you can expect to see
What is Dental SEO?
To understand how dental SEO is priced, it’s essential to know what it is and why it matters for your practice. Dental SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the process of optimizing your website and online presence to rank higher in search engine results for dental-related keywords. SEO involves many tactics including:
Keyword Research
Identifying the search terms potential patients use, like "dental implants in [city]," helps a dental practice understand what content it should create.
Content Creation
Writing high-quality content based on keyword research improves rankings and ensures you have the right content to turn website visitors into customers.
On-Page SEO
Optimizing page titles, headers, and internal links ensures your site aligns with search engine algorithms for better rankings.
Technical SEO
Improving site speed, mobile-friendliness, and security ensures your website performs well for both users and search engines.
Off-Site SEO
Building backlinks, managing reviews, and optimizing local citations grows your site’s authority and reputation.
Reputation Management
Reputation management is the process of shaping and maintaining how your dental practice is perceived online. This includes managing reviews on platforms like Google, Yelp, Facebook, and other sites where potential patients may evaluate your services.
Is SEO a good investment?
For most dental practices, SEO is an excellent long-term investment. While it doesn’t deliver instant results, it lays the foundation for a future where your practice attracts free patients by ranking at the top of Google organically. Explore the full list of SEO benefits below to see how it can help your practice.
Benefits of SEO
Rank at the top of Google for valuable searches
SEO improves your website’s ranking on search engines, making it easier for potential patients to find your practice when searching for dental services.
Better site experience
SEO optimizes your website for speed, mobile-friendliness, and usability, ensuring visitors have a seamless experience, which increases engagement and conversion rates.
Lower Google Ads Costs
A strong SEO strategy enhances your website's relevance and user experience, which can improve your Google Ads Quality Score. A higher Quality Score means you pay less for ad placements while achieving better visibility, making your advertising budget stretch further.
Reduce Reliance on Google Ads
SEO provides a sustainable way to attract patients without depending heavily on paid advertising. By improving your organic search rankings, you can drive consistent traffic to your website, while reducing spend on paid ad campaigns.
Content Tailored to Patient Needs
SEO helps you create content that directly addresses the questions and concerns potential patients are searching for. By optimizing your website with relevant, informative content, you not only improve search rankings but also ensure visitors find the answers they need, building trust and encouraging them to choose your practice.
What determines Dental SEO costs?
The cost of dental SEO depends on key factors that influence the level of effort and investment required to achieve your goals. From the competition in your market to the quality of your website, these elements play a significant role in shaping your SEO strategy and pricing. Let’s explore the key factors:
Competition
Ranking for a term like “cosmetic dentist in Beverly Hills” is much harder than in Bentonville, Arkansas, due to more dentists and higher investment in marketing. Competitive markets require more effort, which can increase costs.
The Quality of Your Website
Websites with high-quality images, videos, and clear navigation rank better than those with blurry photos or broken links. If your site needs updates, it can add to SEO costs.
The Topical Coverage of Your Website
A site with detailed pages for each service, like “teeth whitening” or “veneers,” ranks better than one with a single “services” page. Creating these pages requires time and resources, impacting costs.
The Keywords You Want to Target
Some keywords, like “family dentist,” are easier to rank for than specialized ones like “implant dentist.” The difficulty of your chosen keywords affects the level of effort needed.
How Long Your Practice Has Been Established
Older practices often have more backlinks, which act as votes of confidence for search engines. Newer practices may need to invest more in link-building to build authority.
How Quickly You Want to See Returns
If you need fast results, like ranking for a term in six months, it requires more work than a slower timeline. Combining SEO with Google Ads can balance immediate and long-term goals.
Access to the Website
If your SEO agency has limited access and must go through another partner to make changes, it slows progress and increases costs due to inefficiencies.
What are the Dental SEO Pricing Models
Dental SEO services can be priced in several ways, depending on the scope of work and your preferences. Here’s an overview of the most common pricing models, along with their typical costs and ideal use cases:
Hourly Rate
Some SEO professionals or agencies charge an hourly rate for their services. This model works well for practices that need occasional assistance or specific tasks like a website audit.
- Price: $75–$300 per hour
- Best For: Practices needing one-time tasks or short-term SEO help
Project-Based Pricing
With project-based pricing, you pay a fixed fee for a specific deliverable, such as creating a new website, optimizing existing pages, or performing a keyword analysis.
- Price: $500–$10,000+ per project (depending on complexity)
- Best For: Practices needing specific, one-time services like a website redesign or a detailed SEO audit
Monthly Retainer
The monthly retainer model is one of the most common pricing structures for SEO services. You pay a fixed monthly fee for ongoing SEO work, such as content creation, keyword tracking, link building, and performance reports.
- Price: $500–$5,000+ per month
- Best For: Practices seeking consistent, long-term SEO growth with regular updates and progress tracking
Packaged with Other Services
Some agencies, like ours, recommend packaged pricing where SEO is part of a larger performance package that includes content creation and Google Ads optimization. This approach works well for most dentists because it allows us to build a strategy that leverages the strengths of each tactic, ensuring they complement and amplify one another for maximum impact.
- Price: $1,500–$10,000+ per month (depending on services included)
- Best For: Practices looking for a comprehensive marketing strategy that combines short-term and long-term growth
Cost by SEO tactic
For those considering project-based SEO work, understanding the costs of individual tactics can help you budget effectively. These are the most common a la carte SEO services, chosen by practices looking for specific improvements rather than ongoing management.
Keyword Research
- What It Is: Identifying the search terms your potential patients use to find dental services. This foundational step guides your content strategy and ensures you’re targeting the right audience for maximum impact.
- Cost: $300–$1,000
Keyword Tracking
- What It Is: Monitoring the performance of your targeted keywords to see how your rankings improve over time. Keyword tracking provides essential data to measure the success of your SEO efforts.
- Cost: $10–$100 per month (depending on tools and scope)
Content Creation
- What It Is: Developing high-quality, optimized content like blogs, service pages, or patient FAQs. Engaging content improves search engine rankings while building trust with your audience.
- Cost: $100–$500 per page or article
On-Page SEO Audit
- What It Is: A detailed review of your website’s pages to identify optimization opportunities for meta tags, headers, internal links, and more. This audit ensures your content is fully optimized for search engines.
- Cost: $200–$1,000
Technical SEO Audit
- What It Is: Analyzing your website’s technical health, including speed, mobile responsiveness, and indexing issues. Fixing technical problems ensures search engines can crawl and rank your site effectively.
- Cost: $500–$2,000
Link Building
- What It Is: Acquiring high-quality backlinks from reputable websites to boost your site’s authority. Link building is one of the most impactful ways to improve your search engine rankings.
- Cost: $100–$500 per link
Citation Building
- What It Is: Listing your practice in online directories like Google My Business, Yelp, and Healthgrades. Accurate citations help with local SEO by improving your visibility in “near me” searches.
- Cost: $50–$300 per citation
By understanding the costs and benefits of these individual tactics, you can select the services that best align with your practice’s immediate needs and goals. This a la carte approach is ideal for practices seeking targeted improvements without committing to a full SEO package.
Why Do Some SEO Companies Cost More Than Others?
The cost of SEO services can vary widely depending on the company you choose, and there are several reasons why some providers charge more than others. Here are the key factors that influence pricing:
Industry Specialization vs. Generalization
Specialized agencies focus exclusively on one industry. For example, we only work with dentists, which allows us to bring in-depth knowledge and proven strategies to your campaign. Generalist agencies serve a variety of industries and must invest significant time learning about your field, a cost they inevitably pass on to you.
Efficiency Through Expertise
Agencies that specialize in dental SEO already know what works and can implement strategies quickly and effectively. Generalist agencies may spend extra time on research and trial-and-error, increasing costs without guaranteeing better results.
Showing SEO vs. Doing SEO
Some agencies focus on flashy reports, surface-level metrics, and quick wins to “show” results, often without addressing deeper SEO needs. These agencies prioritize appearances, which can inflate costs without delivering sustainable improvements.
Limited Website Access
When an SEO agency doesn’t have direct access to your website, even simple updates—like adding content or fixing technical issues—require back-and-forth communication with a developer. This slows progress, adds unnecessary complexity, and increases costs due to the extra time involved in coordinating changes. we exclusively provide SEO services for clients whose websites we manage.
Is the cost of SEO increasing?
Yes, the cost of SEO services has been rising over time. Several factors contribute to this trend:
Increased Demand: As more businesses recognize the importance of online visibility, the demand for SEO services has grown, leading to higher prices.
Complexity of Services: Modern SEO involves more than just keyword optimization; it includes content creation, technical SEO, user experience enhancements, and adapting to frequent algorithm updates, all of which require more resources and expertise.
Rising Operational Costs: Agencies face higher expenses for advanced tools, skilled professionals, and ongoing training to stay competitive, which are reflected in their pricing.
For instance, a survey by Ahrefs found that SEO agencies worldwide charge an average of $134.14 per hour, with U.S. agencies averaging $147.93 per hour. Additionally, monthly retainers can range from $500 to over $5,000, depending on the scope of services and the agency's expertise.
Negatives of Dental SEO
While dental SEO offers many benefits, it’s important to consider the potential drawbacks before committing to a pricey contract. Here are some of the key challenges and limitations:
Slow Results
SEO is a long-term strategy that takes time to show significant outcomes. Unlike paid ads, which can drive traffic immediately, results from SEO may take months to materialize.
Ongoing Investment
SEO requires continuous updates, content creation, and monitoring to maintain rankings. This ongoing need for resources may not suit every practice’s budget.
Unpredictability
Search engine algorithms change frequently, which can impact your rankings unexpectedly. Staying ahead of these changes requires adaptability and expertise.
Competitive Markets Are Expensive
Ranking in competitive areas with many dental practices often demands significant effort and investment. Smaller practices may find it difficult to allocate the required budget.
Requires Patience and Expertise
Dental SEO involves multiple components, such as technical optimization and link building, which require expertise to execute effectively. Without proper knowledge, results can be delayed or ineffective.
No Guaranteed Results
SEO cannot guarantee top rankings or immediate patient growth. Factors like market competition and search trends can influence performance.
While dental SEO has challenges, partnering with an experienced agency can help mitigate each of these issues. A strategic approach ensures your investment delivers long-term value for your practice.
Cost of SEO vs. Google Ads
When deciding how to allocate your marketing budget, it’s essential to understand the differences in cost and value between SEO and Google Ads. Both strategies have their advantages, but they differ in how they drive traffic and impact your practice.
Upfront vs. Ongoing Costs
SEO requires an upfront investment and ongoing efforts for content creation, optimization, and link building. In contrast, Google Ads operates on a pay-per-click (PPC) model, where you pay each time someone clicks your ad. While Google Ads offers immediate results, the costs can add up quickly, especially in competitive markets.
Short-Term vs. Long-Term Benefits
Google Ads delivers quick visibility and immediate traffic as long as you’re paying for ads. SEO, on the other hand, takes time to build momentum but provides lasting benefits. Once your site ranks organically, you’ll continue to receive traffic without ongoing ad spend.
Cost Per Lead
Google Ads often has a higher cost per lead due to the pay-per-click model, especially for competitive keywords like “cosmetic dentist.” SEO can significantly reduce your cost per lead over time, as organic traffic is essentially “free” once rankings are achieved.
Visibility and Trust
While ads appear at the top of search results, many users trust organic results more than paid listings. Investing in SEO can build credibility and trust with potential patients, whereas ads may be viewed as more promotional.
Combining Both for Best Results
Many practices find that a combined approach works best. Google Ads can drive immediate traffic while your SEO strategy builds over time. This synergy allows you to capture both short-term wins and long-term growth.
When comparing costs, think of Google Ads as renting space and SEO as owning it. Both are valuable, but SEO provides compounding benefits that make it a cost-effective strategy in the long run.
Can You Do SEO Yourself?
It’s possible to handle SEO for your dental practice on your own, but it requires time, effort, and a willingness to learn. Here are the key considerations if you’re thinking about taking a DIY approach to SEO:
Learning Curve
SEO involves many components, including keyword research, content creation, technical optimization, and link building. Learning these skills and staying updated on search engine algorithm changes can be time-intensive and challenging.
Tools and Resources
Effective SEO requires access to specialized tools for keyword research, performance tracking, and technical audits. While many tools are available, their subscription costs and complexity may be barriers for beginners.
Time Commitment
SEO is a long-term strategy that demands consistent effort to achieve and maintain results. As a busy dental professional, dedicating time to SEO may take focus away from other priorities, like patient care or running your practice.
Risk of Mistakes
Without experience, it’s easy to make common SEO mistakes, such as keyword stuffing, using low-quality backlinks, or neglecting technical issues. These errors can harm your rankings and even result in penalties from search engines.
Potential Savings
Doing SEO yourself can save money upfront, as you won’t need to pay an agency or consultant. However, the lack of expertise could lead to slower results or missed opportunities, costing you more in the long run.
When DIY Works Best
A DIY approach can work if you’re in a low-competition market and willing to invest time in learning the basics. It’s also a good option for small practices with limited budgets that want to focus on foundational strategies, like optimizing Google My Business or creating basic service pages.
While doing SEO yourself is possible, most dental practices benefit from working with an experienced SEO partner. Professionals can save you time, avoid costly mistakes, and deliver results more efficiently, allowing you to focus on what you do best—caring for your patients.
Other FAQs About Dental SEO
Do SEO Freelancers Cost Less?
Yes, freelancers often charge less than agencies because they typically have lower overhead costs. However, freelancers may lack the resources, tools, and team support that agencies provide, which can impact the quality and scalability of your SEO strategy.
Does Dental SEO Cost Vary by State and City?
Yes, dental SEO costs often vary depending on your location. Practices in highly competitive markets, such as major cities, may need to invest more due to higher competition, while practices in smaller towns or less competitive areas may see lower costs.
Does Google SEO Cost More Than Bing?
The cost of optimizing for Google versus Bing depends on your target audience and competition. Google SEO is often more expensive because it commands a larger share of search traffic and has more competition. However, Bing SEO can be a cost-effective option for practices targeting specific demographics, as Bing users often skew older and have higher income levels.
