{"id":15620,"date":"2026-04-30T14:45:17","date_gmt":"2026-04-30T14:45:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/30\/the-seo-services-report\/"},"modified":"2026-04-30T14:45:17","modified_gmt":"2026-04-30T14:45:17","slug":"the-seo-services-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/30\/the-seo-services-report\/","title":{"rendered":"The SEO Services Report"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span><a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/seo-services\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">SEO services<\/a> have evolved significantly in recent years, driven by changes in search behavior, AI-powered results, and rising competition across industries.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>To give you the most accurate picture of the industry today, we\u2019ve combined data from multiple sources, including our survey of 1,200 business owners.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>In this report, you\u2019ll learn:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span>How much businesses spend on SEO services today<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>Where companies actually find and hire SEO providers<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>What factors influence the decision to choose one agency over another<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>Why clients leave (or stay with) their SEO provider<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>Key trends shaping the future of SEO services<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span>Let\u2019s dive into the data.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_81 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/30\/the-seo-services-report\/#Highlights_and_Key_Statistics\" >Highlights and Key Statistics:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/30\/the-seo-services-report\/#Average_Monthly_SEO_Spend\" >Average Monthly SEO Spend<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/30\/the-seo-services-report\/#Monthly_Spend_Is_Tied_To_Client_Satisfaction\" >Monthly Spend Is Tied To Client Satisfaction<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/30\/the-seo-services-report\/#Referrals_and_Google_Searches_Are_the_Top_Ways_Businesses_Are_Finding_SEOs\" >Referrals and Google Searches Are the Top Ways Businesses Are Finding SEOs<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/30\/the-seo-services-report\/#Reputation_and_Cost_are_Key_Factors_Involved_In_Choosing_a_Provider\" >Reputation and Cost are Key Factors Involved In Choosing a Provider<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/30\/the-seo-services-report\/#The_Vast_Majority_of_Business_Owners_Expect_SEO_Services_To_Increase_Customers_and_Traffic\" >The Vast Majority of Business Owners Expect SEO Services To Increase Customers and Traffic<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/30\/the-seo-services-report\/#SEO_ROI_What_Businesses_Can_Expect\" >SEO ROI: What Businesses Can Expect<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/30\/the-seo-services-report\/#Overall_Satisfaction_With_SEO_Services_Is_Low\" >Overall Satisfaction With SEO Services Is Low<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/30\/the-seo-services-report\/#Clients_Cite_Lack_of_Education_and_Resources_as_Top_Reasons_for_Low_Satisfaction_Levels\" >Clients Cite Lack of Education and Resources as Top Reasons for Low Satisfaction Levels<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/30\/the-seo-services-report\/#Turnover_In_the_SEO_Services_Industry_Is_Extremely_High\" >Turnover In the SEO Services Industry Is Extremely High<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/30\/the-seo-services-report\/#Most_SEO_Clients_Leave_Due_to_Lack_of_Results_and_Cost\" >Most SEO Clients Leave Due to Lack of Results and Cost<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/30\/the-seo-services-report\/#Existing_Clients_are_2x_More_Likely_to_Be_Web_Savvy_Than_Lapsed_Clients\" >Existing Clients are 2x More Likely to Be Web Savvy Than Lapsed Clients<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/30\/the-seo-services-report\/#Conclusion\" >Conclusion<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Highlights_and_Key_Statistics\"><\/span>Highlights and Key Statistics:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span>1. Companies spend $119.4 billion on SEO and digital marketing consulting each year in the US.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>2. We found a strong correlation between higher spending and higher client satisfaction in <a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/small-business-seo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">small business SEO<\/a>. In fact, clients who spent over $500\/month were <span class=\"strong\">53.3% more likely to be \u201cextremely satisfied\u201d<\/span> compared to those who spent less than $500\/month.<\/p>\n<p>3. Most small business owners <span class=\"strong\">find SEO providers through referrals, Google searches, and online reviews.<\/span> A small fraction of <a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/seo-clients\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">SEO clients<\/a> (8%) found their current provider from online advertising.<\/p>\n<p><span>4. When it comes to choosing a provider, <\/span><b>74% of business owners consider an SEO provider\u2019s reputation \u201cvery\u201d or \u201cextremely\u201d important.<\/b><span> Monthly cost and the provider\u2019s own Google rankings were also noted as important factors.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>5. Overall, SEO client satisfaction is decidedly low. <\/span><b>Only 30% would recommend their current SEO provider to a friend or colleague.<\/b><span> However, we found that client satisfaction among marketing agencies was higher than that of freelancers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>6. SEO provider turnover is high. <\/span><b>65% of our panel stated that they\u2019ve worked with several different SEO providers.<\/b><span> 25% have worked with 3 or more providers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>We have more detailed and expanded findings below.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"text-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Average_Monthly_SEO_Spend\"><\/span>Average Monthly SEO Spend<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span>In 2025, US organizations spent <\/span><b>$119.4 billion<\/b><span> on SEO and digital marketing consulting.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Our 2019 research found that small businesses spend <\/span><b>$497.16 <\/b><span>per month on SEO services.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>However, we did discover a large range in SEO spending. Half of our respondents reported spending less than $1,000 per year on SEO. 14% spend $5k+ per year. Only 2% spend over $25k\/year.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__centered-image backlinko-image__img-hub-rounded backlinko-image\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Small business SEO spending varies greatly\" alt=\"Small business SEO spending varies greatly\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1.1172316384181\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/06\/small-business-seo-spending-varies-greatly.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p><span>We also found that agencies tend to get paid significantly more than freelance SEO providers.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Specifically, agencies were 2x more likely to get paid $1k-$2k\/month than freelancers, who mostly get paid in the $500-$1k per month range.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__centered-image backlinko-image__img-hub-rounded backlinko-image\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"SEO agencies get paid significantly more than SEO freelancers\" alt=\"SEO agencies get paid significantly more than SEO freelancers\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1.2867231638418\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/06\/seo-agencies-get-paid-significantly-more-than-seo-freelancers.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>Agencies also tend to dominate the high-end pricing range (clients that spend $10k-$25k\/year on SEO).<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__centered-image backlinko-image__img-hub-rounded backlinko-image\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Agencies are 8X more likely to get paid $10k-$25k\/year than freelancers\" alt=\"Agencies are 8X more likely to get paid $10k-$25k\/year than freelancers\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.60028248587571\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/06\/agencies-are-8x-more-likely-to-get-paid-10k-25k-per-year-than-freelancers.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>As you can see, 24% of small businesses that work with agencies spend between $10k-$25k\/year, compared with 2% that work with a freelance SEO.<\/p>\n<p><b>Sources: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/infiniteville.com\/seo-services-for-small-business\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span>Infinite<\/span><\/a><span>, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/05\/backlinko-seo-services-statistics-report-1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span>Backlinko<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"text-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Monthly_Spend_Is_Tied_To_Client_Satisfaction\"><\/span>Monthly Spend Is Tied To Client Satisfaction<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>When it comes to SEO, do you \u201cget what you pay for\u201d?<\/p>\n<p>According to our data, yes.<\/p>\n<p><span>Specifically, we discovered that clients spending over $500\/month were 53.3% more likely to consider themselves \u201cextremely satisfied\u201d compared to people who spend less than $500\/month.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__centered-image backlinko-image__img-hub-rounded backlinko-image\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Higher SEO spending is correlated with higher client satisfaction\" alt=\"Higher SEO spending is correlated with higher client satisfaction\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1.0353107344633\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/06\/higher-seo-spending-is-correlated-with-higher-client-satisfaction.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>We also found a clear relationship between <span class=\"strong\">dissatisfaction<\/span> levels and cost.<\/p>\n<p><span>Specifically, business owners who spent less than $500\/month were 75% more likely to be dissatisfied than those who invested at least $500\/month in SEO.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__centered-image backlinko-image__img-hub-rounded backlinko-image\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"SEO dissatisfaction is correlated with lower SEO spending\" alt=\"SEO dissatisfaction is correlated with lower SEO spending\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.76412429378531\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/06\/seo-dissatisfaction-is-correlated-with-lower-seo-spending.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>This relationship played out whether a client worked with a freelancer, agency, or a mix of both.<\/p>\n<p><b>Source: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/05\/backlinko-seo-services-statistics-report-1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span>Backlinko<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"text-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Referrals_and_Google_Searches_Are_the_Top_Ways_Businesses_Are_Finding_SEOs\"><\/span>Referrals and Google Searches Are the Top Ways Businesses Are Finding SEOs<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>When someone wants to hire an SEO agency, where do they look?<\/p>\n<p><span>According to our panel, most people find potential SEO service providers through word of mouth, Google searches, and online review platforms (like Yelp).<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__centered-image backlinko-image__img-hub-rounded backlinko-image\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Most clients find SEO services via referrals, Google search and review sites\" alt=\"Most clients find SEO services via referrals, Google search and review sites\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1.2725988700565\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/06\/most-clients-find-seo-services-via-referrals-google-search-and-review-sites.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>On the other hand, relatively few find SEO providers through online or offline advertising, or referrals from other vendors (like web designers or writers).<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re an agency owner or a freelancer, this is a key finding. If you know where small business owners look to find SEO service providers, you can invest resources to make sure your business has a presence in those places.<\/p>\n<p><b>Sources: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/05\/backlinko-seo-services-statistics-report-1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span>Backlinko<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"text-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Reputation_and_Cost_are_Key_Factors_Involved_In_Choosing_a_Provider\"><\/span>Reputation and Cost are Key Factors Involved In Choosing a Provider<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span>Demand for SEO services continues to grow as search becomes more complex and harder to manage in-house.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>In fact, recent data shows that <\/span>61%<span> of companies hire SEO agencies due to a lack of internal expertise, while others turn to external providers when they don\u2019t have the time, resources, or results needed to scale.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Most common reasons for using SEO services:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span>Lack expertise \u2013 26.87%\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>Lack resources \u2013 22.70%\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>More cost-effective \u2013 21.48%<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>Poor in-house SEO results \u2013 15.48%<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>Lack sufficient time \u2013 10.70%<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span>But hiring an agency isn\u2019t just about capability. Once someone finds a list of potential providers, how do they decide which one to go with?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>We discovered that reputation, cost, and a provider\u2019s own Google rankings influenced their decision the most.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__centered-image backlinko-image__img-hub-rounded backlinko-image\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Reputation and cost are key factors involved in choosing a provider\" alt=\"Reputation and cost are key factors involved in choosing a provider\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1.6271186440678\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/06\/reputation-and-cost-are-key-factors-involved-in-choosing-a-provider.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>Small business owners cited client case studies and the provider\u2019s social media presence as significantly less important.<\/p>\n<p>However, even these relatively minor factors played a role in whether or not someone decided to work with a particular SEO provider. For example, 55% of our panel cited \u201creferrals\u201d as an important consideration.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__centered-image backlinko-image__img-hub-rounded backlinko-image\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Referrals influence more than 50% choosing a provider\" alt=\"Referrals influence more than 50% choosing a provider\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.58050847457627\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/06\/referrals-influence-more-than-50-percent-choosing-a-provider.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>Although the importance of referrals pales in comparison to a provider\u2019s reputation (55% vs. 74%), it\u2019s still something that influenced more than half of the people we spoke to.<\/p>\n<p>Interestingly, we found that a provider\u2019s location mattered quite a bit.<\/p>\n<p>Only 51% knew exactly where their SEO provider was located.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__centered-image backlinko-image__img-hub-rounded backlinko-image\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Half of SEO clients don\u2019t know where their SEO provider is located\" alt=\"Half of SEO clients don't know where their SEO provider is located\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.92655367231638\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/06\/half-of-seo-clients-dont-know-where-their-seo-provider-is-located.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>However, 78% of US-based small businesses stated that knowing their provider\u2019s location was \u201cextremely\u201d or \u201cvery\u201d important (with 46% stating that a known location was \u201cextremely important\u201d).<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__centered-image backlinko-image__img-hub-rounded backlinko-image\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"78% of small business owners state SEO provider\u2019s location as \u2018Important\u2019\" alt=\"78% of small business owners state SEO provider's location as 'Important'\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.89689265536723\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/06\/78-percent-of-small-business-owners-state-seo-providers-location-as-important.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p><span>If you provide SEO services, making your location clear and obvious may help you land more SEO clients.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Here\u2019s a great example from <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.siegemedia.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span>Siege Media<\/span><\/a><span>, which actually includes a picture of their office on their about page:<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__centered-image backlinko-image backlinko-has-border\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"SiegeMedia \u2013 Make location clear\" alt=\"SiegeMedia \u2013 Make location clear\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.48747913188648\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/05\/siegemedia-make-location-clear-e1558956325249.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p><b>Sources:<\/b> <a href=\"https:\/\/leadingedgeinfosolutions.com\/blog\/how-to-pick-the-right-seo-agency\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span>Leading Edge<\/span><\/a><span>, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/05\/backlinko-seo-services-statistics-report-1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span>Backlinko<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"text-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Vast_Majority_of_Business_Owners_Expect_SEO_Services_To_Increase_Customers_and_Traffic\"><\/span>The Vast Majority of Business Owners Expect SEO Services To Increase Customers and Traffic<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span>A recent 2025 survey found that <\/span><b>91%<\/b><span> of people who used SEO services reported a positive impact on website performance and marketing goals.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>As such, it\u2019s no surprise that expectations are high when working with an SEO provider.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>According to our survey, the most important expectations are \u201caccessing new customers\u201d, \u201cincreasing traffic\u201d, \u201cincreasing brand awareness\u201d, and \u201cbuilding trust\u201d as most important.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__centered-image backlinko-image__img-hub-rounded backlinko-image\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"SEO clients value new customers, traffic and brand awareness\" alt=\"SEO clients value new customers, traffic and brand awareness\" data-aspect-ratio=\"2.3064971751412\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/07\/seo-clients-value-new-customers-traffic-and-brand-awareness-1.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p><span>\u201cGaining social media followers\u201d, \u201cincreasing number of email subscribers\u201d, and \u201chelping to attract new talent\u201d were cited as relatively unimportant.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>In fact, even though this is a common goal set by marketing agencies, only 26% of respondents cited \u201cgetting followers on social media sites\u201d as extremely important.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__centered-image backlinko-image__img-hub-rounded backlinko-image\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Only 26% state getting followers on social media sites as extremely important\" alt=\"Only 26% state getting followers on social media sites as extremely important\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.5861581920904\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/07\/only-26-percent-state-getting-followers-on-social-media-sites-as-extremely-important.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>This finding is especially key for SEO providers that are taking on new clients.<\/p>\n<p><span>For example, a newly-hired SEO provider that says, \u201cOur first step is going to be to get more likes on your Facebook page\u201d isn\u2019t speaking their client\u2019s language.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>On the other hand, kicking off the client-provider relationship with: \u201cI look forward to helping you get more targeted traffic and customers\u201d will likely result in a more satisfied client.<\/p>\n<p>Needless to say, for the relationship to last, you need to deliver on those promises (more on that later). But it does help to understand what clients hope to get out of SEO so you can mold your services and reports based on that.<\/p>\n<p><b>Sources: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.conductor.com\/academy\/state-of-organic-marketing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span>Conductor<\/span><\/a><span>, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/05\/backlinko-seo-services-statistics-report-1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span>Backlinko<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"SEO_ROI_What_Businesses_Can_Expect\"><\/span>SEO ROI: What Businesses Can Expect<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span>SEO is widely regarded as one of the highest-return marketing channels, with some estimates placing the average ROI at around 22:1, meaning businesses earn roughly $22 for every $1 invested.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>And around 1 in 3 qualified leads (34%) come directly from SEO efforts.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>However, ROI varies significantly across industries:<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Medical Device \u2013 1,183% ROI, 13 months breakeven<br \/>\nHigher Education &amp; College \u2013 994% ROI, 13 months breakeven<br \/>\nOil &amp; Gas \u2013 906% ROI, 10 months breakeven<br \/>\nIndustrial IoT \u2013 866% ROI, 7 months breakeven<br \/>\nPharmaceutical \u2013 826% ROI, 9 months breakeven<br \/>\nManufacturing \u2013 813% ROI, 9 months breakeven<br \/>\nBiotech \u2013 788% ROI, 8 months breakeven<br \/>\nSolar Energy \u2013 770% ROI, 9 months breakeven<br \/>\nCommercial Insurance \u2013 758% ROI, 9 months breakeven<br \/>\nB2B SaaS \u2013 702% ROI, 7 months breakeven<br \/>\nConstruction \u2013 681% ROI, 5 months breakeven<br \/>\nHVAC Services \u2013 678% ROI, 6 months breakeven<br \/>\nIT Staffing \u2013 612% ROI, 10 months breakeven<br \/>\nLegal Services \u2013 526% ROI, 14 months breakeven<br \/>\nHealthcare \u2013 532% ROI, 11 months breakeven<br \/>\nFinancial Services \u2013 447% ROI, 9 months breakeven<br \/>\nE-commerce \u2013 317% ROI, 9 months breakeven<\/p>\n<p><span>The rapid emergence of AI also has a bearing on SEO ROI, with 39% reporting a \u201cmoderate increase\u201d and 29% claiming a \u201csignificant ROI increase\u201d. Only 1% claim that AI reduces their SEO ROI.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Sources: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.websitebuilderexpert.com\/marketing\/digital-marketing-roi-statistics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span>WebsiteBuilderExpert<\/span><\/a><span>, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.g2.com\/articles\/seo-statistics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span>G2<\/span><\/a><span>, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/alloutseo.com\/seo-roi-statistics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span>AllOutSEO<\/span><\/a><span>, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.semrush.com\/blog\/content-marketing-statistics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span>Semrush<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"text-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Overall_Satisfaction_With_SEO_Services_Is_Low\"><\/span>Overall Satisfaction With SEO Services Is Low<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span>SEO is a long-term investment, and results often take time to materialize; many campaigns require 6\u201312 months just to break even.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>That slower payoff, combined with unclear reporting or misaligned expectations, can leave many businesses frustrated with the SEO services they receive.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>In our study, we asked our panelists to rate their current SEO provider (or the last SEO provider they worked with) using the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Net_Promoter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span>Net Promoter Score<\/span><\/a><span>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The results were markedly low.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>First off, we found that only 30% of small business owners would recommend their current SEO provider.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__centered-image backlinko-image__img-hub-rounded backlinko-image\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Only 30% of small business owners would recommend their current SEO provider\" alt=\"Only 30% of small business owners would recommend their current SEO provider\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.73587570621469\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/06\/only-30-percent-of-small-business-owners-would-recommend-their-current-seo-provider.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>Importantly, 30% of our respondents considered themselves \u201cdetractors\u201d. Which means they would leave a negative review for their last or current SEO provider.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, the SEO services industry as a whole has an NPS score of 0, which is considered \u201cnot likely to recommend\u201d.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__centered-image backlinko-image__img-hub-rounded backlinko-image\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"The SEO services industry has an NPS score of 0\" alt=\"The SEO services industry has an NPS score of 0\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.79519774011299\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/06\/the-seo-services-industry-has-an-nps-score-of-0.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>When we broke down the NPS scores among agencies, freelancers, and a combination of freelancer and agency, we discovered that agencies had a higher average NPS score than freelancers.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__centered-image backlinko-image__img-hub-rounded backlinko-image\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Agencies had a higher average NPS score than freelancers\" alt=\"Agencies had a higher average NPS score than freelancers\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1.138418079096\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/06\/agencies-had-a-higher-average-nps-score-than-freelancers.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>However, all three types of services had fairly low NPS scores.<\/p>\n<p><b>Sources: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/alloutseo.com\/seo-roi-statistics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span>AllOutSEO<\/span><\/a><span>, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/05\/backlinko-seo-services-statistics-report-1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span>Backlinko<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"text-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Clients_Cite_Lack_of_Education_and_Resources_as_Top_Reasons_for_Low_Satisfaction_Levels\"><\/span>Clients Cite Lack of Education and Resources as Top Reasons for Low Satisfaction Levels<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span>Delivering effective SEO requires significant investment in talent, tools, and ongoing strategy, something many businesses underestimate when hiring a provider.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Building comparable in-house capabilities can cost $150K\u2013$250K+ for senior talent plus thousands per month in tools, which helps explain why expectations often exceed what lower-cost or under-resourced SEO services can realistically deliver.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>NPS is a helpful benchmark. However, NPS <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.surveymonkey.com\/mp\/nps-pros-cons-why-use-nps\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span>can only tell you so much<\/span><\/a><span>. In other words, it\u2019s difficult to understand <\/span><b>why<\/b><span> SEO services have such low levels of satisfaction.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>That\u2019s why we decided to dig deeper into this finding.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>And when we dug a bit deeper to understand more about what\u2019s happening, we uncovered a few surprising insights.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>First, many unhappy SEO clients fully or partially <\/span><b>blamed themselves.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span>Specifically, 50% stated that \u201cI feel like I need more training to fully benefit from what SEO offers\u201d, and 28% told us that they \u201cdo not have the staff resources to properly benefit from SEO\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__centered-image backlinko-image__img-hub-rounded backlinko-image\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Many unhappy SEO clients cite \u2018training\u2019 and \u2018lack of resources\u2019 as reasons for leaving an SEO provider\" alt=\"Many unhappy SEO clients cite 'training' and 'lack of resources' as reasons for leaving an SEO provider\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.75564971751412\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/07\/many-seo-clients-cite-training-and-lack-of-resources-as-reasons-for-leaving-an-seo-provider.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>This means that low satisfaction levels aren\u2019t solely due to poor quality work. In fact, many clients are simply not in a position to benefit from SEO due to a lack of resources.<\/p>\n<p>Plus, even clients <em>with<\/em> resources may not make SEO a priority because they don\u2019t have the training to fully understand how SEO benefits them.<\/p>\n<p>For example, let\u2019s say an SEO provider wants to change a title tag on a client\u2019s site. But it doesn\u2019t happen because their developer is swamped with a website redesign. Also, this client may not understand that this simple change can increase their Google traffic due to a lack of training. So they don\u2019t make that change a priority. And progress stalls.<\/p>\n<p>Which leads us to our second interesting finding, the importance of reporting and transparency.<\/p>\n<p><span>27% of the clients we spoke with agreed with the statement: \u201cI find SEO to be confusing and unclear about what services they offer.\u201d 25% said that \u201cI am not sure what I am really paying for with SEO.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__centered-image backlinko-image__img-hub-rounded backlinko-image\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Many clients are unclear on how SEO benefits them\" alt=\"Many clients are unclear on how SEO benefits them\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.75706214689266\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/06\/many-clients-are-unclear-on-how-seo-benefits-them.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>In other words, many clients are confused about what their provider is doing for them or what they\u2019re getting out of the arrangement.<\/p>\n<p>These are two points that could be remedied with better reporting and increased transparency.<\/p>\n<p>I should point out that a fair number of clients stated that \u201cI feel like SEO companies are very unreliable\u201d and \u201cI don\u2019t think SEO is worth the money for my business.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__centered-image backlinko-image__img-hub-rounded backlinko-image\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"A small but significant percentage of small businesses consider SEO companies unreliable\" alt=\"A small but significant percentage of small businesses consider SEO companies unreliable\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.75706214689266\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/07\/a-small-but-significant-percentage-of-small-businesses-consider-seo-companies-unreliable.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>Which means that a simple lack of results and ROI is often the culprit behind low client satisfaction levels.<\/p>\n<p><span>However, as you just saw, there are usually non-performance-based factors at play as well.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Sources: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.getpassionfruit.com\/blog\/top-10-b2b-seo-agencies-2025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span>Passionfruit<\/span><\/a><span>,<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/05\/backlinko-seo-services-statistics-report-1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span>Backlinko<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"text-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Turnover_In_the_SEO_Services_Industry_Is_Extremely_High\"><\/span>Turnover In the SEO Services Industry Is Extremely High<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Likely due to low global satisfaction levels, we found high levels of turnover in the SEO services industry.<\/p>\n<p>Specifically, we found that 65% of small business owners have worked with at least one SEO provider before:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__centered-image backlinko-image__img-hub-rounded backlinko-image\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"65% of small businesses have worked with multiple SEO providers\" alt=\"65% of small businesses have worked with multiple SEO providers\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1.0875706214689\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/07\/65-percent-of-small-businesses-have-worked-with-multiple-seo-providers.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>We also found that 1\/4th of our panel have worked with 3 or more providers:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__centered-image backlinko-image__img-hub-rounded backlinko-image\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"25% of small business owners have worked with 3+ SEO providers\" alt=\"25% of small business owners have worked with 3+ SEO providers\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.95197740112994\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/06\/25-percent-of-small-business-owners-have-worked-with-3-plus-seo-providers.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>However, our data suggests that most clients don\u2019t switch between SEO providers without careful consideration.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, the clients in our panel have been working with their current SEO service for an average of 3 years. And lapsed clients give their service provider an average of 2 years to deliver before moving on.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__centered-image backlinko-image__img-hub-rounded backlinko-image\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Both existing clients and lapsed clients stay with SEO providers for 2+ years before switching\" alt=\"Both existing clients and lapsed clients stay with SEO providers for 2+ years before switching\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.96327683615819\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/06\/both-existing-clients-and-lapsed-clients-stay-with-seo-providers-for-2-plus-years-before-switching.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>That said, we did discover a small subset of clients that do rapidly switch between different providers.<\/p>\n<p>These \u201crapid switchers\u201d tend to hire and fire SEO companies at a fever pitch.<\/p>\n<p>For example, we classified 10% of our panelists as \u201crapid switchers\u201d (worked with 3 or more SEO providers over the last year).<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__centered-image backlinko-image__img-hub-rounded backlinko-image\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"10% of people have worked with 3+ SEO providers over the last year\" alt=\"10% of people have worked with 3+ SEO providers over the last year\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1.0889830508475\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/06\/10-percent-of-people-have-worked-with-3-plus-seo-providers-over-the-last-year.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p><b>Source: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/05\/backlinko-seo-services-statistics-report-1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span>Backlinko<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"text-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Most_SEO_Clients_Leave_Due_to_Lack_of_Results_and_Cost\"><\/span>Most SEO Clients Leave Due to Lack of Results and Cost<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>We wanted to know why people decide to leave their current SEO provider or switch to another company.<\/p>\n<p><span>We referred to people who worked with multiple SEO providers as \u201clapsed clients\u201d. And we asked this subset of lapsed users what went into their decision.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Here were the results:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__centered-image backlinko-image__img-hub-rounded backlinko-image\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Reasons that people switch from current SEO provider\" alt=\"Reasons that people switch from current SEO provider\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1.2725988700565\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/06\/reasons-that-people-switch-from-current-seo-provider-.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p><span>Not surprisingly, 82% of our respondents cited \u201cDissatisfaction with business results\u201d as a factor in their decision. 81% reported that cost played a large role as well.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>This suggests that clients don\u2019t look at results in a vacuum. They also pay attention to the ROI that they\u2019re getting from SEO. In other words, delivering results for clients is one thing. But it\u2019s also important to demonstrate the ROI that SEO has on their business. Otherwise, they may leave.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Although lack of results and cost were the two largest factors, they weren\u2019t the only reasons that clients decided to stop working with an SEO provider.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>In fact, 80% of lapsed clients stated that they found a better option on their own, which suggests that clients are happy to shop around for an alternative to their current SEO provider.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__centered-image backlinko-image__img-hub-rounded backlinko-image\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"80% of lapsed clients say they \u2018Heard about a better option\u2019\" alt=\"80% of lapsed clients say they 'Heard about a better option'\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.6045197740113\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/06\/80-percent-of-lapsed-clients-say-they-heard-about-a-better-option-.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>And 34% cited poor \u201ccustomer service\/ responsiveness\u201d as a factor in their decision.<\/p>\n<p>However, relatively few clients cited \u201cpitched by a competitor\u201d as a reason for leaving. In other words, as long as you can keep your clients happy, they\u2019re not likely to leave. This remains true even if a competitor attempts to poach your client with a better offer.<\/p>\n<p>We also asked our \u201clapsed clients\u201d panelists to describe to us why they decided to stop using an SEO service. Here\u2019s a sample of those responses:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__centered-image backlinko-image__img-hub-rounded backlinko-image\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Quotes from clients that stopped using an SEO service\" alt=\"Quotes from clients that stopped using an SEO service\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.73870056497175\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/07\/quotes-from-clients-that-stopped-using-an-seo-service.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p>We also asked a group of users who were happy with their SEO service (\u201cexisting clients\u201d) what they liked about it. Here\u2019s what they told us:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__centered-image backlinko-image__img-hub-rounded backlinko-image\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Quotes from clients that are happy with their SEO service\" alt=\"Quotes from clients that are happy with their SEO service\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.74858757062147\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/07\/quotes-from-clients-that-are-happy-with-their-seo-service.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p><b>Source: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/05\/backlinko-seo-services-statistics-report-1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span>Backlinko<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"text-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Existing_Clients_are_2x_More_Likely_to_Be_Web_Savvy_Than_Lapsed_Clients\"><\/span>Existing Clients are 2x More Likely to Be Web Savvy Than Lapsed Clients<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>We asked our panel to self-report their level of \u201cweb savviness\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Here were the results:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__centered-image backlinko-image__img-hub-rounded backlinko-image\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Self-reported web savviness among SEO clients\" alt=\"Self-reported web savviness among SEO clients\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.89124293785311\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/06\/self-reported-web-savviness-among-seo-clients-.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p><span>As you can see, 37% of SEO clients consider their web savviness as \u201csomewhat\u201d or \u201cnot very\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The upshot here is that many clients simply don\u2019t have the web savviness to understand key digital marketing terms, like \u201ctitle tags\u201d, \u201cCSS\u201d, and \u201cbacklinks\u201d. This suggests that SEO companies should largely avoid this sort of jargon in favor of terms like \u201cleads\u201d, \u201csales\u201d, and \u201cfirst page Google rankings\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>In fact, this is backed up by another finding from our panel: that lapsed clients are significantly more likely to consider themselves <\/span><b>not<\/b><span> web savvy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Specifically, we found that existing clients were 2x more likely to consider themselves \u201cextremely web savvy\u201d than lapsed clients.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure class=\"backlinko-image__centered-image backlinko-image__img-hub-rounded backlinko-image\">\n<div class=\"backlinko-img-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" title=\"Existing clients are 2X more likely to consider themselves \u2018Extremely web savvy\u2019\" alt=\"Existing clients are 2X more likely to consider themselves 'Extremely web savvy'\" data-aspect-ratio=\"1.1045197740113\" src=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/06\/existing-clients-are-2x-more-likely-to-consider-themselves-extremely-web-savvy-.png\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/p><\/figure>\n<p><span>This suggests that web-savvy users are in a better position to understand how their SEO service is helping them. So they decide to stay. On the other hand, clients who aren\u2019t web savvy may not fully understand what they\u2019re getting from their SEO provider. So they decide to leave.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Source: <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/05\/backlinko-seo-services-statistics-report-1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span>Backlinko<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"text-center\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conclusion\"><\/span>Conclusion<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span>I hope these findings helped you get a better feel for the SEO services industry.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>I\u2019d like to thank <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.northstarhub.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span>Northstar Research Partners<\/span><\/a><span> for helping me design and conduct the survey that formed much of this report.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>And if you\u2019d like to learn more about how this survey was conducted, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/app\/uploads\/2019\/05\/backlinko-seo-services-statistics-report-1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span>here\u2019s a PDF of our study methods<\/span><\/a><span>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/seo-services-statistics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The SEO Services Report<\/a> appeared first on <a href=\"https:\/\/backlinko.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Backlinko<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>SEO services have evolved significantly in recent years, driven by changes in search behavior, AI-powered results, and rising competition across industries. To give you the most accurate picture of the industry today, we\u2019ve combined data from multiple sources, including our survey of 1,200 business owners. In this report, you\u2019ll learn: How much businesses spend on SEO services today Where companies actually find and hire SEO providers What factors influence the decision to choose one agency over another Why clients leave (or stay with) their SEO provider [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15621,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"h5ap_radio_sources":[],"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15620","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-backlinko"],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/small-business-seo-spending-varies-greatly-gqyEYU-600x400.png","featured_image_src_square":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/small-business-seo-spending-varies-greatly-gqyEYU-600x600.png","author_info":{"display_name":false,"author_link":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/author\/craig\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15620","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15620"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15620\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15621"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15620"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15620"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15620"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}