How Much Does SEO Cost?
What SEO Services Does Tech Stack Offer?
At Tech Stack, we focus on two major categories of SEO:
1. Local SEO
For service businesses that rely heavily on Google Business Profile (GBP) and the map pack to get leads.
2. Website SEO
Optimizing your website to help search engines fully understand your services, locations, and authority.
How Much Does SEO Cost?
We package SEO into three monthly plans:
Basic SEO – $297/month
Perfect for small businesses who want consistent growth without a big investment.
Includes:
Google Business Profile optimization
Weekly Google Updates (posts)
Geo-tagged image uploads
Keyword optimization
Monthly title tag updates
1 blog per week
Intermediate SEO – $497/month
Best for growing businesses that want both website and GBP traction.
Everything in Basic, plus:
Rewrite website content
Weekly blogs
Add local citations
Improve overall on-site SEO health
Advanced SEO + AEO – $997/month
Designed for businesses who want dominance in both Google and AI search engines.
Everything in Intermediate, plus:
Publish articles in online newspapers
Add Backlinks
Improve E-E-A-T
Full AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) to help your business show up on ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and other AI platforms
Entity optimization + structured data
AEO is the future of SEO, as search behavior rapidly shifts toward AI tools.
At Tech Stack, SEO pricing ranges from:
$297 to $997/month
The pricing depends on:
How competitive your industry is
Whether you want only local SEO or full website SEO
Current condition of your Google Business Profile
Quality of your existing website
Whether schema, content overhaul, or AEO optimization is needed
Most Iowa small businesses fall comfortably between $297–$497/month, while growth-focused businesses choose the $997 AEO plan to future-proof their visibility.
Real Case Studies From Iowa Businesses
Here’s what happens when SEO is done correctly — using strategies tailored to the Des Moines market.
A Business Coach Ranked in the Map Pack
This client struggled with visibility due to inconsistent citations and weak GBP optimization. Within one month of our optimization, they appeared in the map pack for their target keywords and started receiving new inquiries consistently.
Art School (Artastic Art) — Higher Traffic & Impressions
We optimized their website, added schema markup, improved content, and boosted their GBP.
Result: Improved impressions, higher website traffic, and more bookings for classes and events.
Professional Organizer Ranked in 2 Weeks
With structured content, NAP cleanup, and strong GBP optimization, the organizer saw ranking improvements in just two weeks — even in competitive niches like home organizing and decluttering.
Top SEO Challenges Iowa Businesses Face Before Hiring Tech Stack
Most local businesses come to us after trying to do SEO themselves or after being disappointed with another agency.
Here are the common issues we see:
Low visibility in the Google Map Pack
No consistent content strategy
“I used an SEO agency but got zero results”
No schema markup
Inconsistent NAP across the internet
No review strategy
Outdated website content
These issues slow your ranking down — but the good news is they’re all fixable.
How Fast Will You See Results?
Most of our clients begin seeing measurable improvements within the first month.
Why so fast?
Because our strategy is not generic. It’s customized for Iowa’s local search behavior, seasonal patterns, and service-based competition.
What Makes Tech Stack’s SEO & AEO Approach Different?
Most SEO agencies treat the website and the Google profile as separate systems. Tech Stack does NOT. We look at your entire digital footprint as ONE ecosystem.
We optimize:
Website SEO
Google Business Profile
Reviews
Local content
Schema
Authoritative citations
Social media consistency
AEO (AI search visibility)
Why this matters:
Google now measures consistency and authority across multiple channels. AI engines (like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini) do the same.
And unlike most agencies, Tech Stack:
Understands the Des Moines metro deeply
Uses hyper-local keyword strategies for Iowa businesses
Knows the ranking patterns of cities like Waukee, Clive, Norwalk, and Urbandale
Includes social media integration for full 360° online visibility
Builds entity-based SEO + structured data for AEO dominance
Traditional SEO stops at ranking webpages.
AEO positions your business as the best ANSWER on AI search engines.
Traditional SEO vs AEO Pricing: Why AEO Costs More ?
Feature Traditional SEO AEO (Answer Engine Optimization)
Focus Google rankings AI platforms (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini) + Google
Output Higher visibility in search Your business becomes the answer
Content Keyword-driven Conversational, NLP-driven
Schema Basic Advanced structured data mapping
Time to Rank Medium Faster because AI requires clarity, not backlinks
Cost Lower Slightly higher due to technical optimization
Most SEO agencies are stuck in 2018.
But as my AEO newsletter explains:
AI search engines are the new way people find businesses.
Ranking on Google alone is no longer enough.
AEO ensures your business appears when someone asks:
“Who’s the best fencing company in Des Moines?”
“Find a professional organizer near me.”
“Top-rated art school for kids in Iowa.”
Common Misconceptions About SEO Pricing
“SEO is a waste of time and money.”
Usually said after working with a generic agency that copied and pasted strategies.
“SEO is a one-time task.”
SEO is like going to the gym: consistency wins.
“No leads come through Google search.”
Incorrect — every business that is stuck with SEO sees leads grow month after month.
“SEO is too expensive.”
Good SEO brings more leads than ads — at a fraction of the long-term cost.
“I can get leads for cheap on Craigslist, why spend on SEO?”
Craigslist leads are unpredictable, low-quality, and rarely consistent. SEO builds long-term, high-intent, ready-to-buy customer flow.
Craigslist is a temporary band-aid. SEO is an asset that grows your business.
“AI will replace SEO so why bother?”
AI didn’t eliminate SEO — it evolved it. That’s why AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) is now essential, helping your business show up on platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini.
What Influences the Final Cost of SEO?
Several factors determine whether you need a basic, intermediate, or advanced plan:
Competitiveness of your industry
Whether you want local or statewide ranking
Condition of your Google Business Profile
Website quality
Whether schema needs to be added
Amount of content needed
Whether you want AEO optimization (AI ranking)
Final Thoughts: SEO is an Investment - Not an Expense
When done right, SEO is one of the most affordable, highest-ROI marketing channels for small businesses.
You’re not just paying for rankings.
You're paying for:
Visibility
Authority
Trust
Consistency
Better leads
AI-ready presence
Businesses in Iowa who invest early in SEO + AEO will dominate future search platforms.
Ready to See What SEO Will Cost for Your Business?
Get your custom affordable pricing with Tech Stack.
I can review your website, GBP, citations, schema, content, and AI visibility — and recommend the perfect plan.
“Let’s get started.”
