Why do SEO prices feel like they jump all over the place? One quote says a few hundred a month. Another sends you something closer to a mortgage payment. The short answer is this. Full service SEO usually costs between $1,500 and $10,000 per month in Canada, with some agencies charging more for large or competitive projects. The longer answer, the one most business owners quietly want, is why the numbers vary so wildly and what you actually get for it. That is what this article uncovers, written with plain language, a behaviour lens, and a few honest Aussie insights for good measure.

What affects the cost of full service SEO in Canada?

If you have ever asked for SEO quotes, you have already seen the spread. A café in Perth I worked with a few years ago told me they received three quotes ranging from $900 to $4,400. Same goals. Same website. Same location. What changed was the scope. Full service SEO is a broad category. It includes the job of fixing technical issues, creating new content, analysing competitors, managing links, improving user experience, and reporting. Some problems need a quick tune up. Others need weeks of technical work. That is where the price difference sits.

The main cost factors include.

• The size of your website

• The competitiveness of your industry

• The amount of content you need

• Whether you need technical repairs

• Whether ongoing link work is required

• How fast you expect results

• How experienced your SEO team is

Most agencies do not hide these factors. They often use them to anchor expectations. Anchoring is a behavioural principle that shapes how we interpret value. If the first number you hear is ten thousand, a quote of four thousand starts to feel like a bargain. Many agencies use this without realising it.

Is full service SEO worth the higher price?

This question usually comes from a place of frustration. You want to know if you are being charged for effort or outcomes. It helps to view SEO as an asset. If you buy a second-hand ute, you expect to pay for reliability. Cheap fixes cost more in the long run. I have seen this firsthand with a Brisbane electrician who paid a budget provider for six months. He saved two grand upfront, then spent eight grand fixing the mess. His rankings bounced back eventually. His trust in SEO did not.

Full service SEO is worth the cost when.

• Your business depends on organic traffic

• You want predictable lead flow

• You operate in a competitive niche

• You want long term compounding growth

That last point matters. Organic search grows like superannuation. Small increments add up. Once your pages hold steady on the first page, they keep delivering without the constant spend of ads.

What do you actually get in a full service SEO plan?

People often expect full service to include everything. In reality, it covers a core set of activities.

1. Technical SEO

This includes site speed, crawlability, indexation, core web vitals, redirects, broken links, and mobile optimisation. Technical issues are like potholes. If the road is not smooth, customers never arrive.

2. On page optimisation

This covers meta tags, keyword targeting, schema, internal linking, and content structure. It is where strategy meets execution. A strong on page setup creates clarity for Google, which rewards clarity.

3. Content creation

This is usually the most time consuming part of SEO, especially for complex industries. Businesses need blogs, guides, landing pages, FAQs, and category pages. Agencies price this based on research time, writing time, and editing time.

4. Link building

One of the biggest cost drivers is links. Good links are slow to earn and slow to place. They require outreach, negotiation, and quality control. They are also one of the strongest ranking signals.

5. Reporting and strategy updates

Full service SEO often includes monthly reports, competitor updates, strategy calls, quarterly plans, and refinement. Some agencies include video walk throughs to help businesses understand what is happening behind the scenes.

Why do Canadian SEO prices range from $1,500 to $10,000 per month?

The range reflects two things. Skill and intensity. You can hire a junior SEO for a low amount. You can hire a team of specialists for a higher amount. Some industries require more than one expert. For example, a local e commerce shop in Ottawa may need a technical specialist, a content strategist, a writer, and a digital PR person. Four people working even part time hours cannot be cheap. You pay for labour and depth.

I have spent over a decade watching SEO costs shift. What has changed recently is the rising importance of technical improvements. Google has become stricter about user experience and quality. That means agencies are investing more in developers and UX specialists. Those salaries influence the price you see.

How much does full service SEO cost by business type?

Different businesses need different levels of SEO. Here is a quick breakdown of average costs.

Local businesses
$1,500 to $3,500 per month
This suits cafés, tradies, clinics, gyms, and small retailers.

Service area businesses
$2,000 to $5,000 per month
This includes plumbers, removalists, electricians, real estate, and cleaning companies.

E commerce
$3,000 to $10,000 per month
Product pages, category pages, technical fixes, content creation, and link work add to the workload.

National brands
$5,000 to $20,000 per month
Large sites require constant monitoring. They often compete in national markets with long buying cycles.

These ranges are not random. They reflect the number of hours required for research, writing, optimising, and maintaining rankings. The more competitive your industry, the more hours you need.

How long before full service SEO shows results?

Most Canadian businesses see the first signs of improvement between three and six months. Full gains often come between nine and twelve months. This timeline is shaped by industry competition, domain authority, content volume, and historical performance. Patience matters. SEO rewards consistency.

The behavioural principle at play here is commitment. Once a business commits to long term SEO, they tend to stay consistent. This consistency is one of the strongest drivers of growth. The more stable your approach, the faster Google learns to trust your site.

Do cheaper SEO plans ever work?

Yes, but with limits. Cheaper SEO can suit tiny businesses or those in low competition towns. For example, I once worked with a landscape gardener in Launceston. His site needed only basic fixes, two new pages, and a few citations. He ranked well within three months. His competitors had weak sites, so he climbed quickly.

If your competitors are larger, better funded, or more established, cheaper plans may not move the needle. You might not see harmful outcomes, but you may see slow or minimal results.

What should you look for in a full service SEO provider?

You can use a simple checklist.

• Clear explanations, no jargon

• Transparent reporting

• Proven examples of rankings

• Honest expectations

• Realistic timelines

• Human communication

• A strategy that suits your industry

Good SEO providers do not hide behind fancy language. They offer value upfront. That taps into the reciprocity principle. When someone gives you clarity before you pay, trust grows.

Why SEO in Ottawa can cost more or less than the national average

Ottawa has growing competition in sectors like tech, construction, healthcare, and home services. This creates a wider pricing spread. Small businesses might pay near the lower end. Companies in competitive niches might pay more. Agencies often adjust pricing based on local demand, industry saturation, and the complexity of your website.

If your keyword focus includes phrases like seo service in ottawa, you may notice higher bids. These phrases signal competitive intent. Agencies recognise the effort needed to rank for them.

What can you expect after investing in full service SEO?

You should expect gradual improvement that compounds over time.

• Stronger visibility

• Higher click through rates

• More qualified leads

• Improved site speed

• Better content quality

• A clearer brand message

SEO influences perception. Customers who find you naturally through search tend to trust you more. Social proof builds through visibility.

FAQ

How much does a one off SEO project cost?

One off projects usually cost between $1,500 and $7,000. They often include audits, repairs, and initial optimisations. They do not include ongoing ranking work.

Are long term SEO contracts necessary?

Not always. Some agencies offer month to month plans. Contracts sometimes exist because SEO requires sustained work to deliver reliable outcomes.

Can full service SEO include Google Ads?

Some agencies bundle SEO with ads, but most separate them. Ads require different management, reporting, and strategy.

Final reflections

SEO costs can feel confusing at first, yet once you see how labour, competition, content volume, and technical requirements shape the workload, the pricing gap starts to make sense. Most Canadian businesses end up investing in full service SEO because of its long term reliability and compounding growth. If you are curious about how pricing shifts across regions, this deeper breakdown of seo service in ottawa gives a grounded comparison, and this extended overview of local SEO service structures offers another angle worth considering.