What our SEO plan costs
Montrelia's SEO + GEO plan is a monthly retainer of $2,000 for small businesses in Virginia and Washington, DC, which includes Alexandria and the rest of Northern Virginia. The price is the same in every city we serve.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Price | $2,000 per month |
| Setup fee | $1,000, one time, charged once when the plan starts |
| Minimum term | 3 months, which with the setup fee is $7,000 in total. After that, month-to-month. |
| Every week | A written report, including the raw AI answers |
| Every 2 weeks | A 60-minute call |
| Google Business Profile | Full Google Business Profile work: setup, optimization and review management |
| Each month |
|
| Accounts | You own GA4, Search Console, Google Business Profile, your domain, your site code. If we stop working together, you keep all of them. |
What published figures say
Local SEO pricing varies a lot and no source is authoritative. These are the two sources with specific figures that we found, read on October 3, 2026. Check the dates and who published each one.
| Source | Figure | Date | Who publishes it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ahrefs poll of 439 SEO providers | Local SEO averages $1,557 per month: $1,819 for agencies, about $1,150 for freelancers. For SEO in general the average is $2,917 per month, and 42.8% of providers charge $501 to $2,000. | Updated August 15, 2024 | An SEO software company. The figures come from providers' own answers. |
| Virginia SEO Company, "How Much Does SEO Cost in Virginia?" | Small local businesses: typical costs of $1,000 to $3,000 per month. | June 9, 2026 | An SEO agency that sells these services. |
How SEO is priced: most providers charge a monthly retainer. In the Ahrefs poll, 78.2% do. Others bill by the hour or by the project. The average hourly rate for SEO in that poll is $111, and the most common hourly rate for local SEO is $75 to $100.
Freelancers are the cheaper end of the market: about $1,150 per month for local SEO in the poll, against $1,819 for agencies. A freelancer can be the right choice, so the longer list of what to ask is below.
Where we sit: $2,000 per month is above the local SEO average in the Ahrefs poll, including its agency average of $1,819, and at the top of the most common range, $501 to $2,000, before the one-time setup fee. It falls inside the $1,000 to $3,000 the Virginia agency gives for small local businesses.
What these numbers cannot tell you: neither source is specific to Alexandria, the Ahrefs poll is from 2024 and is not limited to the US, and we have not measured what other Alexandria agencies charge. A price alone also does not say what you receive for it, which is what the next section is for.
What to check in any quote
- What you receive and how often, in writing. Ours is a written report every week and a call every 2 weeks.
- Who owns Search Console, GA4 and the Google Business Profile, and whether you have owner access, not only a manager link.
- The minimum term, the total it adds up to, and how you leave.
- What is promised. Google's own documentation says no one can guarantee a #1 ranking.
- How reviews are handled. Reviews that are bought, written for you or collected only from happy customers are a red flag.
The longer version, with six questions and a verdict on named competitors, is in how to choose a marketing agency.
Do you need an agency?
Not every business does. The SEO cost calculator asks six questions about your business and tells you whether the $2,000 plan fits, needs a custom quote, or is not needed yet. How SEO and AI search optimization (GEO) differ is in GEO vs SEO, and what the plan covers is on the SEO page and the GEO page. Paid search is a separate service, described on the Google Ads page.
Questions people ask
How much does SEO cost in Alexandria, VA?
Our SEO + GEO plan is $2,000 per month plus a one-time $1,000 setup fee, with a 3-month minimum, then month-to-month. Published figures differ: a poll of 439 SEO providers by Ahrefs (updated August 15, 2024) puts local SEO at $1,557 per month on average, and $1,819 for agencies. One Virginia agency lists $1,000 to $3,000 per month for small local businesses (June 9, 2026). Neither source is specific to Alexandria, and we have not measured what other Alexandria agencies charge.
What does SEO cost for a small business in Virginia?
One Virginia agency lists $1,000 to $3,000 per month for small local businesses (June 9, 2026), and the Ahrefs poll puts local SEO at $1,557 per month on average (updated August 15, 2024). Ours is $2,000 per month. The agency sells SEO and the Ahrefs poll is not limited to Virginia, so read them as a range, not a quote.
What is the average SEO cost per month?
In the Ahrefs poll of 439 SEO providers (updated August 15, 2024), SEO costs $2,917 per month on average and local SEO $1,557. Local SEO averages $1,819 at agencies and about $1,150 at freelancers. The poll is not limited to the US, so treat the averages as a guide. Ours is $2,000 per month.
Is SEO a monthly retainer or a one-time fee?
Most providers charge a monthly retainer: 78.2% of the providers in the Ahrefs poll do. Ours is a monthly retainer of $2,000 with a 3-month minimum, then month-to-month, plus a one-time $1,000 setup fee. The website is the other one-time item: $2,000.
Do you have SEO packages or tiers?
One plan, no tiers: SEO + GEO at $2,000 per month plus a one-time $1,000 setup fee. A website is separate ($2,000, one time), and so is paid ads management. Every price is on the pricing page, next to its conditions.
Is the price different in Alexandria than in the rest of Northern Virginia?
No. It is $2,000 per month, plus the $1,000 setup fee, for every business we serve in Virginia and Washington, DC.
What do I get for $2,000 a month?
A written report every week, including the raw AI answers, and a 60-minute call every 2 weeks. Each month: Your Google Business Profile updated every month: photos, updates, questions and answers, and replies to reviews; Up to 2 new or improved pages on your site per month; Your business name, service area and phone kept the same on the main directories; Technical issues found in Search Console fixed. Full Google Business Profile work: setup, optimization and review management are part of the plan. A one-time setup fee of $1,000 is charged once when the plan starts.
Is Google Business Profile optimization included?
Yes. Full Google Business Profile work: setup, optimization and review management are part of the plan, and the profile is updated every month: photos, updates, questions and answers, and replies to reviews. Review management means asking your real customers for reviews and replying to them. We ask all recent customers, not only the happy ones, and we never buy, write or filter reviews.
What is GEO, and is it an extra cost?
GEO is AI search optimization: work to get your business named when someone asks ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity or Google AI Mode for a recommendation. It is not an extra cost. SEO and GEO are one $2,000 plan, and the weekly report includes the raw answers those assistants gave to your buyers' questions. We do not promise that a business will be named.
Is SEO worth it for a small business?
We cannot tell you in advance, and we do not promise a ranking, a date or a number of leads. Do the sum for your business: the minimum term, with the setup fee, is $7,000, so compare it with what one new customer is worth to you. For some businesses the answer is that SEO is not needed yet, and the SEO cost calculator says so when that is the case.
What costs more, SEO or Google Ads?
They are different jobs with different bills. SEO is $2,000 per month. Our Google Ads management is $4,000 per month for Google Ads alone, or $6,000 for Google and Meta together, plus a one-time setup fee of $1,000 per platform and the ad spend itself: we require at least $1,500 per channel per month, paid by you directly to the platform.
Can I leave after 3 months?
Yes. The minimum is 3 months, which with the setup fee is $7,000 in total. After that the plan is month-to-month. You own GA4, Search Console, Google Business Profile, your domain, your site code, so you keep all of them if we stop working together.
Do you guarantee a ranking?
No. Nobody can, and we do not promise a ranking, a date or a number of leads.
Do I need a website before SEO?
Yes. SEO needs pages to work on. If you do not have a site, start with the website: $2,000, one time, up to 10 pages, live 3 business days after your materials arrive.
Last updated October 3, 2026