Dallas SEO — Milestone Pricing
You Don't Pay Until You Rank
No retainers. No hourly billing. Your SEO cost is split across 6 ranking milestones. You only pay when your site shows up in Google — verified by live search results.
The SEO Industry Has a Billing Problem
Most SEO companies charge $1,500–$5,000 per month on retainer. Month one, month two, month six — same invoice regardless of whether your phone is ringing or your site is ranking. You're paying for their time, not your results.
Some months they're doing real work. Some months they're "building authority" — which is code for not much is happening but the invoice still goes out. After 6 months and $15,000, you ask "what did I get?" and they show you a report full of metrics that don't translate to customers walking through your door.
We built a different model. Same quality SEO work. Same total cost. But you only pay when something actually happens — when your website moves up in Google's search results for the keywords that matter to your business.
6 Milestones. You Pay as You Climb.
Your total SEO cost is divided into 6 equal payments. Each payment is triggered by a specific ranking position in Google — verified by live search results you can see yourself.
Page 2
Positions 11–20
Your website appears on page 2 of Google for your target keywords. Most sites start on page 5+ or aren't indexed at all. Getting to page 2 means Google recognizes your site as relevant. First payment triggered.
Bottom of Page 1
Positions 8–10
You're on page 1. People searching your keywords in Dallas can find you. Clicks start coming in. This is where most retainer-based SEO companies are still "working on it" at month 4. Second payment triggered.
Mid-Page 1
Positions 5–7
Traffic increases noticeably. Your phone starts ringing from Google searches. You're above the fold on most screens. The Map Pack (if local) is pulling your listing. Third payment triggered.
Top 3
Positions 3–4
Top 3 results get 55%+ of all clicks. Your competitors are now behind you for this keyword. Lead volume increases significantly. The ROI on your SEO investment becomes obvious. Fourth payment triggered.
Position 2
Runner-up
Second only to one competitor. You're capturing 15–20% of all search traffic for this keyword. At this point, the SEO investment has likely paid for itself multiple times over in new business. Fifth payment triggered.
Position 1
The top spot
Number one in Google for your target keyword. 28–34% of all clicks go to position 1. Your business is the first thing people see when they search for what you do in Dallas. Final payment triggered. Project complete.
Same Cost. Zero Risk.
Let's say an SEO project for your industry costs $18,000. Here's how that breaks down under each model:
| Retainer Model | Our Milestone Model | |
|---|---|---|
| Total cost | $18,000 | $18,000 |
| Payment schedule | $1,500/mo × 12 months | $3,000 × 6 milestones |
| Month 1 (no results yet) | You pay $1,500 | You pay $0 |
| Month 3 (page 2) | You've paid $4,500 | You pay $3,000 (Milestone 1) |
| Month 6 (page 1) | You've paid $9,000 | You pay $3,000 (Milestone 2) |
| If results stall at month 8 | You've paid $12,000 | You've paid $6,000 |
| What you paid for nothing | $3,000+ in dead months | $0 |
Same total investment. But with milestones, every dollar you spend is backed by a ranking improvement you can verify in Google yourself. No dead months. No paying for promises.
What We Do to Get You There
The work is the same as any quality SEO campaign. The pricing model is what's different.
Keyword Research That Targets Revenue
We don't chase vanity keywords with high search volume and zero buying intent. A Dallas roofer doesn't need to rank for "what is a roof." They need "roof repair dallas" and "emergency roofer near me." We identify the keywords people search right before they pick up the phone — then we target those. You approve every keyword before work starts.
On-Page Optimization
Title tags, meta descriptions, header structure, internal linking, schema markup, page speed and Core Web Vitals. The technical foundation that tells Google what your pages are about and why they deserve to rank. Most Dallas business websites have 10–20 technical SEO issues that are actively suppressing their rankings. We fix all of them.
Content That Ranks and Converts
Pages written for humans that are structured for Google. Service pages that answer the questions your customers are actually asking. Not 300-word placeholder pages — real content that demonstrates expertise and earns the click. Every page targets a specific keyword cluster and drives toward a conversion action (call, form, appointment).
Local SEO and Google Business Profile
For Dallas service businesses, the Map Pack is where the money is. Google Business Profile optimization, citation building, review strategy and local link acquisition. We get your business showing up in the map results for "[service] near me" and "[service] dallas" — the searches with the highest conversion rates.
Link Building That Doesn't Get You Penalized
Quality backlinks from relevant, authoritative sites. No PBN networks. No spammy directories. No links from sites that have nothing to do with your industry. We build links through digital PR, industry partnerships, local business associations and content that earns links naturally. Slow and steady beats fast and risky every time.
Transparent Rank Tracking
Third-party rank tracking tools — not our own proprietary dashboard that shows whatever we want it to show. You get login access to verify rankings independently. We also encourage you to open an incognito window, set your location to Dallas, and search yourself. What you see is what you're paying for. No smoke and mirrors.
Who This Model Works For
Local service businesses
Plumbers, electricians, HVAC, roofers, lawyers, dentists, auto repair — any business where customers search Google to find a local provider. These keywords have clear commercial intent and measurable ranking positions.
Businesses burned by SEO before
Paid a retainer for 6–12 months with nothing to show for it. Our model eliminates that risk. You don't pay for empty months, vague reports and promises about "long-term strategy."
Companies that want accountability
If you're the type who asks "what exactly am I paying for?" — we built this model for you. Every payment is tied to a specific, verifiable result. Open Google. Search your keyword. See your site. Pay the milestone.
Dallas and DFW businesses
We focus exclusively on the DFW market. Dallas, Fort Worth, Plano, Frisco, Arlington, Irving, McKinney, Richardson. We know which keywords move in this market and how competitive each industry is locally.
What This Isn't
It's not free until you rank. The total cost is the same as quality SEO anywhere — $9,000–$30,000 depending on your industry and keyword difficulty. The difference is when you pay, not how much.
It's not a guarantee of position 1. Nobody can guarantee position 1 in Google. If someone tells you they can, they're lying. What we guarantee is that you won't pay for milestones you don't reach. If we can't get you past Milestone 3, you only pay for Milestones 1–3. We eat the cost of our work on everything beyond that.
It's not a shortcut. We don't use black-hat techniques, PBN links, cloaking or anything else that risks a Google penalty. Rankings built on shortcuts collapse. Rankings built on quality work compound over time. Our model incentivizes us to do the work right — because if your rankings drop, we can't bill the next milestone.
It's not for every business. National e-commerce brands with 10,000 SKUs need a different model. Startups with no website need to build first, then optimize. This model works best for established local businesses with a website that need more customers from Google search.
What SEO Costs in Dallas
Same total cost as retainer-based SEO — split across 6 milestones instead of blind monthly payments.
| Competition Level | Total Project | Per Milestone |
|---|---|---|
| Low competition (niche local service) | $9,000–$12,000 | $1,500–$2,000 |
| Medium competition (standard local) | $12,000–$18,000 | $2,000–$3,000 |
| High competition (legal, medical, finance) | $18,000–$30,000 | $3,000–$5,000 |
| Enterprise / multi-location | $30,000+ | $5,000+ |
Exact pricing depends on keyword count, competition level, current site authority and technical debt. We scope every project individually after a keyword analysis.
See What Keywords You Can Rank For
Tell us about your business. We'll identify the keywords worth targeting and show you what the 6 milestones look like for your industry.
Questions About Milestone SEO
How does milestone-based pricing work?
The total project cost is divided into 6 equal payments. Each payment is triggered when your website reaches a specific ranking position in Google for your target keywords. Page 2 → bottom of page 1 → mid-page 1 → top 3 → position 2 → position 1. You verify each milestone yourself. No ranking, no payment.
What are the 6 milestones?
1) Page 2 (positions 11–20). 2) Bottom of page 1 (8–10). 3) Mid-page 1 (5–7). 4) Top 3 (3–4). 5) Position 2. 6) Position 1. Each triggers one payment of 1/6 the total project cost.
How much does it cost?
$9,000–$30,000 total depending on keyword difficulty. That's the same as what retainer-based agencies charge over 6–12 months. The difference: you pay in 6 installments tied to results instead of 12 monthly invoices regardless of progress.
What if my rankings don't improve?
You don't pay for milestones you don't reach. If we get you to Milestone 3 but can't push to Milestone 4, you've only paid for 3 milestones. We absorb the cost of all work done toward milestones not yet achieved. The risk is ours.
How do I verify my rankings?
Third-party rank tracking with your own login access. Plus, open an incognito browser window, set your location to Dallas, and Google your target keyword. If your site is in the position we claim — it's real. We don't use proprietary dashboards or cherry-picked screenshots.
How long does it take?
Milestone 1 (page 2): 60–90 days. Milestone 2 (page 1): 3–6 months. Milestones 4–6 (top 3): 6–12+ months. Local service keywords in Dallas move faster than national terms. Competitive industries (legal, medical) take longer.
Do I own the work?
Yes. All on-page optimizations, content, technical fixes and citations stay on your website permanently. If you cancel after Milestone 3, you keep everything. Nothing gets removed or reversed.
What keywords do you target?
Keywords with buying intent — searches people make right before they hire someone. For a Dallas plumber: "emergency plumber dallas" and "plumber near me." Not "what is plumbing." We research volume, competition and commercial intent. You approve every keyword before we start.
Stop Paying for Promises. Start Paying for Rankings.
Free keyword analysis. See what you can rank for before you commit to anything.