How Much Does Digital Marketing Cost? A Complete Pricing Guide

Digital Marketing Pricing: What to Actually Expect

If you’re researching digital marketing costs, you’re likely ready to invest in growing your business. Here’s an honest breakdown of what digital marketing services cost and what you should expect at each price point.

SEO Pricing

• $500-$1,500/month — Basic local SEO. Suitable for small businesses targeting one location
• $1,500-$5,000/month — Comprehensive SEO. Multi-location, content creation, link building, technical optimization
• $5,000-$10,000+/month — Enterprise SEO. National/international targeting, aggressive content strategy, competitive verticals

PPC/Google Ads Pricing

• Management fee: Typically 15-20% of ad spend or $1,000-$3,000/month minimum
• Ad spend: $1,000-$50,000+/month depending on market and goals
• Expected ROI: Profitable campaigns should generate 3-5x return on total investment

Social Media Marketing Pricing

• $1,000-$2,500/month — Content creation and posting for 2-3 platforms
• $2,500-$5,000/month — Full social strategy including paid advertising, community management, and analytics
• $5,000-$10,000+/month — Comprehensive social with influencer partnerships, video production, and multi-platform paid campaigns

Web Design Pricing

• $3,000-$10,000 — Professional small business website (5-15 pages)
• $10,000-$25,000 — Custom design with advanced functionality
• $25,000-$100,000+ — Enterprise websites, custom web applications, e-commerce platforms

What Determines Price?

The biggest factors: your market’s competitiveness, geographic scope, number of services needed, and how aggressive your growth goals are. A dental practice in a small city needs a very different investment than a national e-commerce brand.

Red Flags in Pricing

Be wary of agencies charging under $500/month for SEO (you get what you pay for), agencies that won’t show you where your money goes, long-term contracts with no performance guarantees, and prices that seem too good to be true.