Q3 2026 · 8 markets · 5 industries tracked
Compare city rates, industry benchmarks and service levels — then see exactly what a retainer decomposes into. No discovery call, no gatekeeping.
The price landscape
How to read it — each ridge is a market and each peak is what its businesses pay per month. Taller ridge, pricier market. Hover either the chart or a market below.
City index
Method — median of quoted retainers from active agencies, normalised to a 12-month term. Figures in USD. Canadian markets reflect local supply and are typically 10–15% below US equivalents. Trend indicators are directional pending our first full quarterly survey.
| Market | Monthly range | Competition | Time to first page | 12-mo trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New YorkUSA | $2,800 – $5,500 | High | 4–6 months | |
| Los AngelesUSA | $2,600 – $5,200 | High | 4–6 months | |
| ChicagoUSA | $2,200 – $4,800 | Med–High | 3–5 months | |
| TorontoCanada | $2,000 – $4,500 | Med–High | 3–5 months | |
| HoustonUSA | $1,800 – $4,000 | Medium | 3–5 months | |
| VancouverCanada | $1,900 – $4,200 | Medium | 3–5 months | |
| MontrealCanada | $1,600 – $3,600 | Medium | 3–5 months | |
| CalgaryCanada | $1,500 – $3,400 | Medium | 3–5 months |
$2,100
Across all eight tracked markets, at entry scope.
$2,700
New York, where the market premium reaches 78% above Calgary.
3 mo
Observed in medium-competition markets with an already-optimised site.
Service levels
All plans include monthly reporting and strategy calls. Prices in USD; Canadian pricing typically 10–15% lower.
$800 – $1,500/mo
For small businesses making their first real investment in search.
$1,500 – $3,500/mo
For businesses with a site that works and a market worth winning.
$3,500 – $7,500/mo
For competitive markets and aggressive growth targets.
Anatomy of a retainer
A $3,280 retainer is not $3,280 of work. Some of it is delivery, some is tooling, and some is margin. Margin is fine — it is how an agency stays alive. Paying for deliverables that never arrive is not.
Toggle the receipt to see the split. We publish ours so you can interrogate anyone else's.
Industry index
Why it differs — competition density and customer lifetime value set the ceiling. Legal and healthcare carry the highest premiums because a single client is worth thousands.
High competition, high lifetime value.
$2,500 – $5,000/mo
Trust, compliance, and local precision.
$2,000 – $4,500/mo
Emergency intent and service-area targeting.
$1,500 – $3,500/mo
Reviews, menus, and local relevance.
$1,000 – $2,800/mo
Scale and seasonality.
$2,000 – $5,000/mo
Detailed calculator
Directional only — actual pricing depends on scope, competition and contract length. Nothing here is a quote.
Quick wins
Eight things you can do this week without hiring anyone. Sorted by the time they actually take.
Audit and rewrite your page titles for better click-through rates.
Scripts and templates for requesting customer reviews that actually work.
Stop cannibalizing your own rankings by structuring content around single topics.
The 3-click rule and how to implement it on any size of website.
Free tools and techniques to improve page speed on most platforms.
Everything needed to optimize your Google Business Profile and citations.
Formulas and examples across different industries and search intents.
Tools and methods for identifying and repairing broken internal and external links.
Nothing in this category yet.
A three-location dental practice had no local visibility. We rebuilt site speed, optimized 120+ service pages, and put a review system in place.
Resources
Read before you buy — guides and checklists written for the person signing the invoice, not for marketers.
What to look for in a proposal, and the specific warning signs that mean you should look elsewhere.
Read articleManaging consistent local presence across many locations without losing your mind.
5 min readThe hidden costs of low-budget work and why it rarely compounds.
7 min readHow to build a schedule your team will still be following in month four.
10:24
15:36
12:18
“We finally understood what we were paying for — and what we should expect. It gave us the confidence to choose the right agency.”
Maya Chen
Owner, Brightwood Dental
Used by teams at
Three things drive it: how competitive your industry is, how big your geographic market is, and how much work your site needs before anything else can happen. Legal and healthcare carry the highest premiums because a single client is worth thousands. A restaurant in a small market can see movement on a fraction of that.
Measurable improvement typically starts at 3–6 months, with the compounding results showing up between 6 and 12. Your starting point matters more than your budget here — a site with existing authority moves faster than a new one, and a site with technical debt moves slower.
Local SEO targets a radius: your Google Business Profile, citations, service-area pages, reviews. It is cheaper and faster because you are competing with a handful of neighbours. National SEO competes with everyone, which means content volume, link acquisition, and a materially larger budget.
You need content. You do not necessarily need to buy it. If you have someone in-house who can write with real subject knowledge, buy strategy and editing instead. If you do not, budget for it — and check whether the agency subcontracts the writing, because that is where quality usually slips.
You can, but it behaves like fitness rather than a subscription. Stop and competitors keep moving; momentum decays quietly for a few months and then shows up as lost rankings. If budget is tight, cut scope — drop link building, keep technical and content — rather than stopping entirely.
Ask for the receipt. Any agency should be able to tell you how much of your retainer is delivery, how much is tooling, and what the margin is. Then ask what happens in month one — if it is not an audit before a commitment, that is your answer. Walk away from anyone guaranteeing a ranking position.
One page, no pitch
We'll send a one-page summary with pricing ranges for your city and industry, plus the receipts behind the numbers.
Your pricing summary is on its way. We'll follow up within one business day.