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How much does it cost to be on the first page of Google?
That’s a question that a lot of business owners would love to know the answer to. And while there isn’t a single, definitive answer, we can shed some light on the topic by exploring the cost of paid ads and organic rankings, as well as other factors that come into play.
So read on for an in-depth look at how much it costs (and what you can do) to get your business on that all-important first page…
The Cost of Paid Ads
The first thing to consider is paid ads. Paid ads, or pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, is a way of buying your way to the top of Google’s search results. You do this by bidding on key phrases that you think people will search for when they’re looking for businesses like yours.
The amount you pay per click depends on how popular the key phrase is and how much competition there is for it. For example, if you’re a plumber in Los Angeles bidding on the key phrase “plumbers in Los Angeles,” you might pay $5 per click. But if you’re a plumber in Wichita bidding on the same key phrase, you might only pay $0.50 per click.
In general, the more popular and competitive a key phrase is, the more it will cost you per click. So if your goal is to be on the first page of Google for a highly competitive key phrase, you can expect to pay a good bit for it.
How much? Well, that depends on how much competition there is and how many clicks you need to get to the top spot. But according to Wordstream’s “Average CPC by Industry” report, the average cost-per-click for all industries is $2.69.
Of course, the price you pay per click is just one part of the equation. The other part is conversion rate, or the percentage of people who click on your ad that actually take the desired action (in this case, contacting you or buying from you).
For example, let’s say you have a conversion rate of 2% and you’re paying $2.69 per click. That means for every 100 clicks, you’ll get two leads or customers, and it will cost you $269.
So if your goal is to get one customer from Google, it will cost you an average of $134.50 (assuming a 2% conversion rate). But of course, your actual costs will vary depending on your industry, key phrases, and conversion rate.
The Cost of Organic Rankings
The second thing to consider is organic rankings. Organic rankings are the free, or “natural,” listings that appear in Google’s search results. Unlike paid ads, which you have to pay for, organic rankings are free… sort of.
You see, while you don’t have to pay Google for your organic listing, it does take time and effort to earn that listing. Specifically, it takes SEO (search engine optimization).
SEO is the process of optimizing your website and content for Google’s search algorithm so that you can rank higher in the search results. And while it doesn’t cost money like PPC advertising does, it does require time, knowledge, and effort to do it right.
How much time and effort? Well, that depends on your website, your competition, and your desired key phrases. A small website with not much competition might only require a few hours of work per week to maintain its ranking. But a large website with a lot of competition could require 20 hours or more per week.
And as for the cost, that really depends on how you do your SEO. If you do it yourself, then the only cost is your time (and maybe some money for tools and resources). But if you hire someone to do it for you, then you’ll have to factor in the cost of their time as well.
According to Moz’s “2017 SEO Industry Survey,” the average hourly rate for an SEO consultant is $100. So if you hire someone to do your SEO for 10 hours per week, that would cost you $1,000 per week, or $4,000 per month.
Of course, there are other costs to consider as well, such as the cost of your time (if you’re doing the work yourself) and the opportunity cost of not doing other things with your time (if you’re hiring someone to do the work for you).
Other Factors to Consider
There are a few other factors to consider when trying to figure out how much it will cost you to be on the first page of Google. For example, you need to consider the cost of your time (if you’re doing the work yourself) and the opportunity cost of not doing other things with your time (if you’re hiring someone to do the work for you).
You also need to consider the value of a lead or customer. For example, if you’re a plumber who charges $100 per job, then each lead is worth $100 to you. But if you’re a lawyer who charges $1,000 per case, then each lead is worth $1,000 to you.
Finally, you need to consider your conversion rate. This is the percentage of people who click on your ad or listing that actually take the
Jamie Fallon is an SEO expert who lives life to the maximum, redlining every day on a rollercoaster straight to the grave.
In an SEO career of almost ten years, he’s seen it all, he’s done it all, and he’s not impressed: from white text on a white background to today, when you can have robots paint or write for you like some kind of sick science fiction come true.
No matter what life throws at him, Jamie always manages to come out on top. He’s an expert at seeing the silver lining in every cloud and making the best of every situation. His positive attitude and unshakable faith in himself have seen him through tough times. For some people, success goes to their heads; but Jamie never forgets what got him to wherever he thinks he is.
When he’s not busy gaming the system, you can find him writing angry thinkpieces on how Google is ruining everything good about the internet, or hanging out with his wife (pictured).
