SEO pricing is not one number. It is a function of several variables, and understanding those variables is the only way to evaluate whether a quote you receive is reasonable or inflated.
Market Competitiveness
The single largest pricing driver is how hard it is to rank in your target market. A mortgage broker in a major metro — Dallas, Atlanta, Phoenix — is competing against large lenders, national aggregators, and dozens of established local brokers who have been building domain authority for years. Ranking in that environment requires more content, more links, and more time. That costs more.
A broker in a mid-size market with less entrenched competition can often reach Page 1 with a lighter investment. The gap between these two scenarios can easily be 2x–3x in monthly retainer cost.
Scope of Services
Not all SEO engagements cover the same ground. A quote that includes technical site audits, ongoing content production (service pages, blog content), local citation management, Google Business Profile optimization, and link building will cost more than one covering only content updates. Make sure you know what is and is not included before comparing quotes.
Number of Service Areas or Loan Products
Brokers targeting multiple cities or counties need location-specific pages for each area — each one requiring unique content to avoid thin-page penalties. Brokers offering FHA, VA, jumbo, and DSCR loans may need dedicated landing pages per product. Each additional page target adds content production cost.
Starting Authority
A brand-new domain with no backlinks and thin content needs substantially more foundational work than a 5-year-old site with an established profile. Initial technical and content work often runs as a one-time or ramp-up cost before the ongoing retainer stabilizes.
These variables explain why an agency that gives you a flat price in 30 seconds without asking about your market or site history should raise a flag.