Let's Chat! 1-(888) 262-6687
1st on the List Promotion Inc.
  • Home
  • Services
    • SEO
      • Custom SEO Services
      • Local SEO Services
      • SEO Consulting Services
      • SEO Page Experience
      • Technical SEO Audit
      • Content
      • Link Acquisition SEO
      • Social Media
      • Analytics and Reports
      • Additional SEO Services
    • Website Design
      • WordPress Web Design
      • Ecommerce Website Design
      • Website Content
      • Conversion Rate Optimization
      • Security and Maintenance
    • PPC
      • Custom PPC
      • Local PPC Mgmt
      • PPC Audits
      • PPC Ad Retargeting
      • PPC Social Media Ads
    • Content
      • SEO Content
      • Copywriting
      • Content Audits
      • Strategy Development
      • Training
  • Our Work
    • Case Studies
    • Website Design Portfolio
    • Client Results
  • About
    • What Sets Us Apart
    • Our Headquarters
    • Our Team
    • Who We Work With
    • Testimonials
    • FAQ
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Start a Project
  • Menu Menu
SEO

Why is search engine optimization (SEO) so expensive?

Reading Time: 4 minutes

One of the questions our firm often gets asked a lot is, “Why does SEO cost so much?” In reality, SEO is perhaps “the” most cost-effective online marketing strategy you can undertake.

Search engine optimization really is the most cost effective form of website advertising with:

  • A low cost-per-acquisition (CPA)
  • And a much higher return on investment (ROI)

Studies have shown that dollar for dollar, without a doubt SEO is the best form of advertising… online and offline.!

SEO Is Proactive – The customer is actively looking for the products and services you provide.

Traditional Advertising Is Passive – You are hoping to spark someone’s interest and get them thinking about buying your products and services.

“Why does SEO cost so much” is really the wrong question to ask. Compared with other forms of advertising, website promotion/ Internet marketing accomplished through search engine optimization is very inexpensive. Think about how much your business spends on television, radio, newspaper, magazine, and yellow pages ads. If you break these costs down on a monthly basis, SEO would cost the least and deliver better results. 

To test this, 1st on the List looked into advertising in a couple of national US magazines as well as newspapers, yellow pages, and radio spots in some major Canadian cities. The following table represents the average cost per month for each.

Advertising Medium
Bus. Magazines (US)
Radio (CAN)
Newspapers (CAN)
Yellow Pages (CAN)
SEO
Audience Reach
United States
Local
Local
Local
World Wide
Size, Type, Frequency
1/3 column, B/W, 1/mth
30-second, 60-spots/mth
bus-card size, B/W, 4/mth
bus-card size, B/W
10-20 Keywords
*Cost Per Month
$12000
$6000
$2000-$2500
$180-$365
$249-$499
* Guidelines only as actual costs will vary depending on market conditions, geographical location, and your own preferences.

It is difficult to provide precise numbers because there are so many different variables that can come into play. What we tried to do was keep the variables as consistent as possible from one medium to the next.

Magazine Ads in the business magazines were the most expensive but they provided the greatest audience reach (next to SEO) and because the size of the ad was larger than the newspaper and yellow pages ad.

Radio Ads came in as the next most expensive. We asked to run a 30-second commercial that would be aired 60-times in a month (the recommended number of airings was 100).

Newspapers Ads came in third only because the frequency option we selected was one ad appearing once per-week (Saturday issue) and because the size of the ad was fairly small.

Yellow Page Ads came in around the same cost as SEO, but what good is a yellow pages ad to an online business?

SEO on the other hand, had one of the lowest costs, and provided the greatest audience coverage with 24×7 exposure.

Which of these forms are you currently using? How effective have they been? Do your own research and see what you come up with. Because of the variables, your numbers will be different than ours, but when you break them down to measure the overall costs (CPA, ROI)… the majority of you will see that hands down, search engine optimization is the best option.

Instead of “Why does SEO cost so much?” you might want to rephrase the question to “How can I take advantage of SEO for my Business?”

It doesn’t matter what form of advertising you are using… for online success, SEO really is the most cost effective and efficient way to promote your business. That’s why search engine optimization is gaining in popularity with everyone from small one-person operations to large, multi-national Fortune 500 companies.

SEO lets you target your message to the right people at exactly the right time… when they are looking to buy… at a fraction of the cost of other advertising media and a better ROI.

Read this Moz.com post on SEO Trends for 2020.

Let us show you how your website can benefit from highly successful, proven website promotion and search engine optimization strategies, please email [email protected] or call us toll-free at 1-888-262-6687.


Carissa Krause

Carissa Krause is a Digital Marketing and Project Specialist at 1st on the List. Over the last 12+ years she has worked in our Abbotsford office with clients on a wide range of projects that include areas like local SEO, project reporting, backlink profile review, content development, strategic planning, and more. Whatever the project may be Carissa focuses on achieving greater efficiencies and putting plans into action. When away from her desk you’ll likely find her drinking all the coffee while sitting on the floor driving cars with her two young boys. Learn more about Carissa.
View all posts
June 18, 2008/by Carissa Krause
Share this entry
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on WhatsApp
  • Share on Pinterest
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share on Reddit
You might also like
Chris Genge head shot1st on the List is First on Clutch
Graphic on a desktop screen showing a man writing on a bar graph.5 SEO Tweaks You Can Make When Updating Your Website
laptop and cellphone with a camera lens beside them.Maximizing Your Website and SEO ROI – How to Build Future Sales, Meet Long Term Goals and Earn a Return
Keezing Kreations website displayed on a laptop and a tablet.3 Simples Ways Improve Your SEO Content Writing
Person holding a magnifying glass over the word "keywords"Keyword Research For SEO In 2019 – How To Do It And How It Has Changed
laptop and cellphone with a camera lens beside them.The Importance of Having A Steady SEO Campaign In Order To Build Rankings Over Time

Recent Posts

  • How to Attract Local Customers
  • Optimize Your Google Business Profile
  • How Mobile Local SEO Can Help Your Business
  • The Perfect SEO Page
  • What is Local SEO?

Explore Topics

  • Social Media Blogs
  • mobile SEO
  • GBP Profile
  • Business & Marketing
  • Company News
  • Content & Keywords
  • e-commerce
  • Google & Bing
  • Lead Generation
  • Link Building
  • Local PPC
  • Local Search
  • Mobile Search
  • Search Engine Marketing (PPC)
  • SEO in the News
  • Social Optimization
  • Technical SEO
  • SEO
  • Conversion Optimization
  • Web Design

1st on the List celebrate 25 years

Trusted SEO Experts, Delivering Results Since 1997. We’ve spent 25 years getting the best rankings and branded exposure for our clients in Canada and the US through winning SEO, Web Design, and PPC Strategies. Join our growing list of happy clients today!

GET PROPOSAL

COMPANY

About
Team
What Makes Us Different
Who We Work With

OUR WORK

Client Results
Case Studies
Web Design Portfolio
Testimonials

SERVICES

SEO
Local SEO
Technical SEO Audits
SEO Consulting
Web Design
Content
Pay Per Click
Social Media

CONTACT

201 – 33119 South Fraser Way
Abbotsford BC, Canada
V2S 2B1

34878 Millar Crescent
Abbotsford BC, Canada
V2S 7K5
1-888-262-6687
 [email protected]

© Copyright 1997-2023 - 1st on the List Promotion Inc. All Rights Reserved.
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Youtube
  • Blog
  • Press and Partners
  • Resources
  • FAQ’s
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sitemap
Scroll to top
By continuing to use this website, you agree to the use of cookies.AcceptRejectPrivacy Policy