How much does an in-house SEO hire really cost?
The salary is only the start. Count all of these:
- Salary and benefits
- Software and tool subscriptions
- Training and time spent keeping up with changes
- Management time from you or a senior colleague
- Recruitment, and the risk of a poor hire
- Idle time when client work is thin
An in-house hire also covers one person’s skills. If your clients need technical fixes, content and link work, one person rarely does all of it well.
What does white label SEO cost?
Plan | Price | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
Audit | $200 one-time | A first project, or a client you are not sure needs a full retainer yet |
Starter | $500 per month | One site, on-page work and monthly reporting |
Growth | $1,000 per month | Adds content briefs and manual link building |
Full | $2,000 per month | Technical fixes, e-commerce catalogues and multi-location support |
Plans are billed per end-client site, with a three-month minimum and month-to-month after that. Every plan includes a named contact, weekly written status updates, white-labelled reporting and a full handover with no lock-in. See the current white label SEO pricing page for the latest details.
When does hiring in-house make more sense?
In-house is stronger when:
- You have enough steady SEO clients to keep a specialist fully busy
- You need the person embedded in your team, in your meetings and your tools
- SEO is central to what you sell and you want to build that skill as an asset
Want to see how we work before committing? Request a free white label SEO audit.
What control do you give up with white label?
How can you work out your own break-even point?
Use this simple method:
- Add up the full monthly cost of an in-house hire using the list above.
- Multiply the white label plan price you would need by the number of client sites.
- Compare the two numbers at your current client count, and at the count you expect in twelve months.
If the white label total is lower today but you expect to pass the break-even point soon, you can start with white label and revisit the decision later. Because there is no lock-in, switching is straightforward.
How do you vet a white label SEO provider?
Ask these questions before signing:
- Will I get a named contact?
- How do you separate brand and non-brand results in reporting?
- What happens to my accounts and data if we stop?
- Can I see a sample report?
- How do you report on work that has not paid off yet?
If the provider gets uncomfortable about any of these, treat that as your answer. Not sure where to start? A free white label SEO audit is a low-risk way to see how a provider works. UK agencies can also read our page on white label SEO for UK agencies, and anyone new to the idea can start with what white label SEO is.