Monthly SEO costs depend on campaign complexity, market competition, and deliverables. Expect $1,500–$3,000 per month for basic local SEO (10–20 hours), $2,500–$5,000 for competitive regional campaigns (20–40 hours), and $5,000–$10,000+ for national or e-commerce work requiring technical audits, content production, and ongoing link acquisition. Agencies charging under $1,000 monthly usually can't deliver meaningful rank movement because modern SEO requires coordinated technical fixes, content strategy, and authority building. The price reflects labor intensity, not magic. A sustainable campaign includes monthly technical monitoring, on-page optimization, content creation or optimization (2–8 pieces), and outreach or link development. That workload demands 15–50 hours depending on industry and goals. At standard agency rates ($100–$200/hour in Canada), the math puts most serious campaigns in the $2,500–$5,000 range. Hourly rates cluster around $125–$175 for established agencies, $75–$125 for freelancers or smaller shops, and $200+ for enterprise specialists. Project fees run $3,000–$15,000 for audits or site migrations, while retainers offer better value when you need sustained momentum. One-time projects rarely move rankings because Google rewards consistent authority signals over months. At Ottawa SEO Inc., we've run campaigns from $2,000 to $12,000 monthly since 2014. The $2,000–$3,500 tier works for local service businesses with defined territories. E-commerce or SaaS clients competing nationally usually need $5,000–$8,000 to fund content velocity and link acquisition at scale. We don't take projects under $1,500 because the hours required for proper execution don't fit lower budgets. Watch for scope creep. Some agencies quote low retainers then upsell every deliverable separately. Clarify what's included: reporting frequency, content word counts, link targets, technical issue resolution. Monthly SEO is a compounding investment, not a fixed expense. Results lag spend by 3–6 months, so budget for at least six months before evaluating ROI. Cheaper isn't better if it means diluted effort across too many clients.