Bloated monthly SEO contract - or just pay one time?

This post was originally published on 1/31/24 and has been updated on 1/24/25 for accuracy, relevancy, and fresh visuals.

While page one of search results still gets the most attention, today’s users are more savvy—they scroll further and explore additional results if the first answers don’t meet their needs.

But let’s be real. Depending on the query, giants like Yelp, TripAdvisor, or Amazon will likely dominate the top spots. So how do small businesses with normal budgets compete against these corporate behemoths with million-dollar marketing teams and paid ad placements?

The answer lies in knowing your audience, understanding their search behaviors, and optimizing your website so your ideal customers can find you. This visibility can lead to sales, inquiries, or whatever action you want your audience to take.

However, SEO can feel massive and overwhelming, especially with the sheer number of service providers, strategies, and price points available. To complicate things further, some agencies offer SEO services on a flat-fee, project-based model, while others push expensive, long-term contracts. So how do you know which option is right for your business?

Let’s explore the basics of SEO, compare it to advanced strategies, and help you make an informed decision.

SEO Red Flags to Avoid

Before diving in, a quick PSA: If anyone promises you a No.1 ranking on Google or guarantees specific results by a tight deadline, run the other way. SEO is influenced by many factors—some within your control, some not—and no credible professional can guarantee rankings.

That said, there are ethical, tried-and-true strategies that can improve your website’s performance. Some clients see results within days, while others take longer. Every business, website, and industry is unique.

Basic SEO Essentials

Basic SEO Essentials lay the foundation for visibility in search results. These are the first steps an SEO professional will take when optimizing your site. While not exhaustive, this list gives you an idea of what’s involved:

Analysis: Using tools like Google Analytics to assess past performance, identify your audience demographics, and uncover what’s working (or not).

Keyword Research: Finding the words and phrases your audience uses to search for products or services like yours. Ideally, you’ll target keywords that are frequently searched, relevant to your business, and not overly competitive.

Competitor Research: Reviewing how competitors have optimized their websites and identifying opportunities to outperform them.

Website Inspection: Auditing your site to ensure it meets search engine requirements, eliminates spammy practices, and resolves issues like slow loading speeds that could hurt performance.

Initial Optimization: Updating content, organizing site elements, and tweaking technical details like meta tags, alt text, and headers to make your site search-engine-friendly.

Indexation: Officially submitting your site to search engines (like Google) so they can crawl and add your pages to their indexes. Without this step, your site may not appear in search results at all.

Ongoing Monitoring: Checking site performance with tools, addressing issues, and ensuring your SEO setup continues to run smoothly.

Basic Reporting: Communicating performance updates, such as how your site is ranking for key terms and how traffic is trending.

These steps can have a transformative impact on your website’s performance. Often, once these are completed, you can step back and let search engines work their magic.

At La Mejor Website, we only charge a flat fee for these services and encourage clients to participate in keeping their content fresh and active, reindexing as needed.

Advanced SEO

Advanced SEO is where things get more complex and labor-intensive. This level of service is highly customized and often involves ongoing work, which is why it’s typically offered under long-term contracts with higher price tags. These strategies are geared toward specific sales goals and require constant refinement.

Here’s what advanced SEO might include:

Social and Digital Marketing Integration: Combining SEO with ad campaigns and social media to maximize conversions.

Brand Monitoring: Tracking mentions of your company online and requesting backlinks from external sites when appropriate.

Networking and Outreach: Building relationships with related businesses and influencers to create high-quality backlinks (done carefully to avoid penalties for spammy practices).

Content Creation: Publishing new content, such as blog posts, infographics, and videos, both on your site and on external platforms to drive traffic back to you.

Funneling Strategies: Building additional websites or landing pages to support sales funnels and increase overall traffic.

Ongoing Monitoring: Continuously refining strategies based on data to meet key objectives.

Detailed Reporting: Providing customized updates that track progress against your goals.

This level of SEO requires serious expertise and time. It’s ideal for businesses that need a full-service partner to handle all aspects of digital marketing and search optimization.

Should You Choose Basic or Advanced SEO?

Basic SEO Essentials are extremely effective for small to mid-sized businesses and critical for any website to even show up in search results. At La Mejor Website, we often say a website without SEO is like a car with no gas in the tank - it can't go anywhere.

For many small businesses, a flat fee for foundational SEO is the most practical and affordable starting point. It provides the tools your site needs to perform well and lets you control your budget without being locked into a contract.

Advanced SEO, on the other hand, is best suited for companies that need comprehensive, ongoing strategies and have the budget to support a partnership. This option makes sense for businesses with long-term sales goals, dedicated digital marketing strategies, and more complex needs.

Tips to Avoid Bloated Contracts

If someone’s offering basic SEO services under a monthly contract, make sure they explain exactly what ongoing work they’re doing for you. Passive monitoring doesn’t count! Contracts should include specific advanced-level services, like content creation, backlink outreach, or detailed reporting.

At La Mejor Website, we offer both Basic SEO Essentials and Advanced SEO (no contracts, just one flat fee) for businesses that need a more customized approach. We even teach our clients how to use Google Analytics, so you can monitor your website’s progress firsthand.

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We believe in results, not contracts. Get effective SEO services with no long-term commitments, just real results for your business. Contact us for a free analysis and consultation. With 15 years of experience and over 160+ Five-Star Google reviews, we’ll provide honest recommendations to meet your needs. Let’s help your website go places!

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