The Attorney SEO Pricing Framework That Helps You Evaluate Any Proposal

Attorney SEO pricing isn't arbitrary. Two firms can receive proposals $4,000 apart per month and both be correctly priced for their situations. The variables that move the number are predictable once you know what to look for.

Market Competition

A personal injury attorney in Los Angeles or New York is competing against firms spending $8,000–$15,000 per month on SEO, some of whom have been building domain authority for a decade. Getting into that map pack or ranking page-one organically requires more content production, more link acquisition, and more technical precision. A family law firm in a mid-size Midwest city faces a fraction of that pressure — and the pricing reflects it.

Practice Area Keyword Value

Google's search ecosystem prices attention based on what a converted lead is worth. Personal injury, mass tort, and DUI defense keywords are expensive to rank for because the cases they generate are worth tens of thousands of dollars. Estate planning in a suburban market is less contested. The more a keyword is worth in paid search, the harder it is to rank for organically — and the more SEO investment it requires to compete.

Scope of Work

A monthly retainer that includes technical auditing, content production, Google Business Profile management, local citation building, and link acquisition costs more than one that covers only content. When comparing proposals, map what's actually included:

• How many pieces of content per month?
• Is link building included, or quoted separately?
• Who manages GBP posts and review responses?
• Does the scope include reporting and strategy calls?

Proposals that look cheaper on the surface often exclude the components that actually move rankings. Ask for a line-item scope before comparing monthly numbers.

The legal SEO market spans a wide range. Here's a practical breakdown of what each investment tier typically covers — and what it won't.

$500–$1,500/month — Entry Level

At this range, expect limited scope: usually basic on-page optimization, minimal content (one or two blog posts), and little to no link building. This tier works for solo practitioners in low-competition markets who primarily need technical cleanup and a maintained GBP. It rarely produces meaningful movement in competitive cities or high-value practice areas. If your target keywords have significant search volume, this budget is unlikely to generate enough momentum.

$1,500–$3,500/month — Growth Tier

This is where most small to mid-size firms in moderate markets operate. You can expect regular content production (3–6 pieces/month), citation management, GBP optimization, and some link outreach. Results are achievable but require patience — industry benchmarks suggest 4–6 months before organic traffic gains become consistent. Firms should treat this as a 12-month commitment to see a reliable return.

$3,500–$7,000/month — Competitive Markets

Personal injury, criminal defense, and family law firms in metro areas commonly invest at this level. The scope includes high-frequency content production, aggressive local and domain link building, conversion rate optimization on practice area pages, and dedicated account management. Campaigns at this tier move faster, but the market demands more to reach page one.

$7,000–$15,000+/month — Dominant Positioning

Reserved for firms targeting multiple practice areas across large metros, running multi-location SEO, or building statewide authority. At this investment level, SEO functions more like a full marketing department — content strategy, digital PR, technical infrastructure, and local SEO all running in parallel. Many mass tort and personal injury firms at scale operate here.

How you pay matters as much as how much you pay. The three common pricing structures each carry different risk and incentive profiles.

Monthly Retainer (Most Common)

A fixed monthly fee for an agreed scope of work. This is the standard model for ongoing SEO and makes sense for legal because Google rewards consistent, sustained effort — not bursts of activity. Retainers create accountability on both sides: the agency commits to deliverables, the firm commits to a runway long enough to see results. The risk is paying for work that isn't producing if the agency isn't held to clear KPIs.

Project or One-Time Engagements

Technical audits, website migrations, and content gap analyses are often scoped as one-time projects, typically ranging from $500 to $5,000 depending on site complexity. These are useful for diagnosing problems or setting a strategic foundation — but a technical audit alone doesn't produce rankings. Think of project work as a precursor to ongoing investment, not a substitute for it.

Performance-Based Pricing

Some agencies charge based on keyword rankings or lead volume. This sounds appealing, but the incentive misalignment is significant: agencies optimizing for rankings often target low-competition keywords that rank easily but don't generate case inquiries. If you consider a performance model, ensure the contract defines success by qualified lead volume, not keyword position alone. Also verify the agency doesn't retain ownership of content or links if the relationship ends.

Hybrid Models

A base retainer covering core deliverables plus a performance bonus tied to lead volume or revenue milestones. This aligns incentives better than pure performance pricing while giving the agency enough predictable revenue to do the foundational work. In our experience working with law firms, hybrid arrangements work best when both parties agree in writing on how leads are counted and attributed.

Not all legal SEO is priced equally, and the practice area you're targeting is one of the strongest predictors of what a competitive campaign requires.

Personal Injury

The most competitive and expensive vertical in legal SEO. In major markets, page-one organic rankings for terms like "car accident attorney [city]" require sustained investment in both content and domain authority. Firms targeting this space should budget at the upper end of their range and commit to 6–12 months before expecting consistent lead flow. The case values justify it — but the competition is real.

Criminal Defense

High intent, high urgency keywords ("DUI lawyer near me", "criminal defense attorney [city]") convert well when ranked. The market is competitive but slightly less saturated than personal injury in most cities. Mid-to-upper-tier budgets ($3,000–$6,000/month) are common for firms targeting metro markets.

Family Law

Search volume is high and cases are emotionally driven, which means conversion rate on well-ranked pages is strong. Competition varies significantly by city. Suburban markets can be reached at mid-tier budgets; metro family law is more contested.

Estate Planning and Business Law

Lower search volume compared to litigation-focused practice areas, but less competitive. Content-heavy strategies (guides, FAQs, estate planning checklists) work well here. Mid-tier budgets are often sufficient if the content strategy is well-executed.

Immigration Law

Highly competitive in gateway cities (New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago). Multilingual content adds complexity and cost but also differentiates firms meaningfully. Budget requirements mirror personal injury in competitive markets.

The practical implication: before evaluating any proposal, benchmark it against what competing firms in your specific practice area and market are likely spending. An SEO provider who doesn't ask about your practice area before quoting isn't pricing accurately.

The cost conversation isn't complete without evaluating what you're buying. These questions separate serious SEO providers from ones who will collect a retainer and deliver monthly reports full of vanity metrics.

Scope and Deliverables

• What is included in the monthly retainer, line by line? Content production, link building, GBP management, and reporting should each be explicitly listed.
• How many content pieces per month, and who writes them? AI-drafted content without expert legal review is a liability in a YMYL space. Google's quality standards for legal content are high.
• Is link building included or quoted separately? Many proposals omit this until you're already on contract.

Measurement and Reporting

• What KPIs will you report against? Rankings are a leading indicator. Organic traffic, form submissions, and call volume are what actually matter to a law firm.
• How will leads be attributed to SEO specifically? Call tracking and UTM parameters are standard tools — any agency managing legal SEO should be using both.

Contract Terms

• What is the minimum contract term? Six to twelve months is standard for results-oriented work. Shorter terms often signal an agency that doesn't intend to do foundational work.
• Who owns the content and backlinks if you end the engagement? Content built on your domain is yours. Links should also remain — verify this explicitly.
• What happens if results don't materialize? A professional agency should define what success looks like at 3, 6, and 12 months and be willing to discuss it.

Reviewing an SEO contract before signing is a reasonable step. Nothing in this article constitutes legal advice — consult your own counsel for contract review specific to your situation.