How Much Does SEO Cost for a Small Business?

According to public agency price lists, monthly SEO for a small business in Slovenia costs roughly €250 to €1,000 per month, with a one-off setup or audit ranging from a few hundred euros to around €1,300 (checked on 2 November 2026). Our SEO starts at €249 per month with a one-off setup of €290. Offers below €100 per month rarely include enough work to move rankings noticeably. The first changes are realistic after a few months, not a few weeks.

What you actually pay for in SEO

SEO is not a setting someone switches on once. It is a set of tasks that take a specialist's time. When you compare proposals, you are really comparing how many of those tasks are included and how thoroughly they are done.

The usual components:

• technical audit – indexing, sitemap, redirects, duplicate content, speed;
• keyword research – what customers actually search for and which page should answer which search;
• content – rewriting existing copy, titles and meta descriptions, plus new pages or articles;
• local SEO – Google Business Profile, consistent details everywhere, reviews;
• links and mentions – presence on other websites that make sense for your industry;
• measurement and reporting – Search Console, analytics, ranking tracking and a clear plan for what comes next.

Content usually takes the most time. That is why the difference between a cheap package and a serious one is often whether anyone actually writes and improves the copy.

accountant for sole trader price

1. 1competitor-a.com
2. 2directory.com
3. 3competitor-b.com
4. your-company.com

AI answer

The price of accounting for a sole trader depends on the number of invoices and employees. Firms usually list monthly flat fees …

Source: your-company.com

What Slovenian price lists say

Prices from providers that publish them (checked on 2 November 2026). Most do not state whether VAT is included, so treat them as a guide.

In the same price list, Spletnik notes that packages under €400 per month often cover only meta descriptions and basic reports. In an article from April 2026, Web Center estimates €200–€400 per month for a smaller site with around 15 pages.

One-off audit or ongoing work

Both make sense, but they solve different problems.

A one-off audit or setup fits when:

• the site has technical errors that stop Google from understanding it properly;
• you have just redesigned the site or changed platform;
• you want to know where you stand before committing to a larger investment.

A good audit ends in a prioritised list of changes, not a report with a hundred red warnings exported from a tool. What to check on the technical side is covered in our technical SEO audit article.

Ongoing monthly work makes sense when you want to grow in searches where competitors are already doing something. Content, local signals and mentions build up gradually. A one-off fix to the foundations does not replace that.

A common and honest combination: a setup that fixes the foundations first, followed by at least a few months of regular work.

Wireframe

Design

We build spaces that last.

98Speed

100Accessibility

100SEO

Why “SEO for €99 a month” is usually thin

A specialist's hours cost money. Spletnik lists an hourly rate of €50–€80 excl. VAT in its price list. At that rate, €99 buys roughly one to two hours of work per month.

That is not enough time to write and publish a quality article, sort out a local profile and prepare a meaningful report. So packages like this usually contain:

• an automated report from a tool;
• a few meta description tweaks;
• sometimes a “link package” from random websites.

A low price is not necessarily a scam. Often, though, it means you are paying for a report, not for the work that would move the site.

How long until you see results

Google's SEO Starter Guide says some changes take effect within hours, while others can take several months. It suggests waiting at least a few weeks before judging whether the work helped.

In practice:

• technical fixes (indexing, errors) can show up quickly;
• ranking movement for new or rewritten content usually takes a few months;
• in competitive industries, noticeable results often take more than six months.

That is why we recommend working together for at least 6 months. Anyone promising page one in two weeks is usually not talking about the searches that bring in customers.

How to judge a proposal

Google has a page listing questions worth asking an SEO provider. They include whether the provider can show examples of previous work, whether they follow Google Search Essentials, what results they expect and in what timeframe, and how they measure success.

Add your own questions:

1. Who exactly will work on your site, and for how many hours a month?
2. Will the copy actually be rewritten, and who approves it before publishing?
3. Which keywords were chosen and why, given how your business works?
4. What exactly does the monthly report contain?
5. What is the minimum commitment, and what happens if you cancel?

A good proposal has a clear scope. If you cannot tell what you will get in month three, the proposal is not specific enough.

Red flags

• Guaranteed number one rankings. Google is clear: no one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google. If someone promises it, find another provider.
• Link packages. Buying or selling links for ranking purposes breaks Google's spam policies. Paid placements are allowed when marked (rel="sponsored" or rel="nofollow"), but then they do not work as a “package for better rankings”.
• Paying for a better local ranking. Google states there is no way to request or pay for a better local ranking. Local results are based on relevance, distance and prominence.
• Secret methods. If a provider will not tell you what they change on your site, you cannot judge the risk.
• Reports disconnected from the business. Ranking for a term nobody searches for will not bring in enquiries.

GEO as an add-on

More and more people search through ChatGPT, Perplexity or Google's AI Overviews. GEO (generative engine optimisation) is about whether these systems understand your business and cite it. The foundations are shared with SEO: an accessible site, a clear structure and concrete facts. That is why GEO makes sense as an upgrade on top of solid SEO, not as a replacement.

Our GEO costs from €149 per month on top of SEO, with a one-off setup of €190. More on what GEO involves is in our article on GEO and visibility in AI answers.

Frequently asked questions

Can I do SEO myself?

The basics, yes: a Google Business Profile, clear page titles, answers to the questions customers ask. Google's SEO Starter Guide is a good place to start. With technical problems and regular content writing, though, most small businesses quickly run out of time.

Is a one-off audit enough?

If the main problem is technical, it can be. If competitors regularly publish content and collect reviews, a one-off fix will not keep you ahead of them in the long run.

Why do prices vary so much?

Because the scope varies: the number of keywords, the number of articles written, link work and how competitive the industry is. Compare what the package contains, not the amount.

Does SEO replace advertising?

Not necessarily. Ads bring visitors immediately, for as long as you pay. SEO builds more slowly, but the results do not disappear the moment you stop the budget. For many businesses a combination makes sense.

Do I need a new website for SEO?

No. SEO is done on your existing site. A new site only makes sense if the platform's technical limits genuinely block progress.

SEO and GEO at STRUO

The one-off setup for €290 covers a site audit, keyword research and the first changes on the site. Monthly work from €249 covers new and improved content, technical upkeep, local SEO and a report. GEO is an upgrade from €149 per month (setup €190).

Details are on the SEO optimisation and GEO optimisation pages. If you would like an estimate for your site, get in touch through the contact form.

Sources

• Primerjam.si, Cena optimizacije spletne strani, accessed 2 November 2026.
• Hrabar, Cenik optimizacije spletnih strani, accessed 2 November 2026.
• SEO optimizacija strani, Cenik SEO optimizacije, accessed 2 November 2026.
• Spletnik, Cenik SEO optimizacije, updated 28 September 2026, accessed 2 November 2026.
• Web Center, SEO optimizacija spletnih strani: cenik, published 21 April 2026, accessed 2 November 2026.
• Google Search Central, Do you need an SEO?, accessed 2 November 2026.
• Google Search Central, SEO Starter Guide, accessed 2 November 2026.
• Google Search Central, Spam policies for Google web search, accessed 2 November 2026.
• Google Business Profile Help, How to improve your local ranking on Google, accessed 2 November 2026.
• STRUO, SEO optimisation and GEO optimisation, as of 2 November 2026.

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