Local SEO can start with $0 in listing and profile-management fees, but owner time, software, provider labor, and advertising are separate cost lines. Google Business Profile management is $0; Localo shows a 14-day audit start; Ahrefs reports $111/hour for SEO providers. A business comparing Maps Agent with these options should separate access, labor, and spend.
Is local SEO free if a business does the work itself?
Yes. Google’s Business Profile Help, checked 2026-09-13, states that managing a verified Business Profile on Maps and Search costs $0. That covers the management fee, not the value of time spent doing the work. As a labor benchmark, Ahrefs’ pricing survey, updated 2026-08-12, reports an average SEO provider rate of $111/hour. A free account can still consume paid labor.
What does a Google Business Profile cost?
Google’s checked 2026-09-13 guidance puts the Business Profile management fee at $0 for 2 eligible types: storefront businesses and service-area businesses. The same page groups the included work into 3 function categories: maintaining business information, interacting with customers, and attracting new customers. The $0 describes profile management; it does not set a price for advertising, owner time, or third-party services.
Which free sites can a business use for local listings?
Two listing options publish no-charge access. Microsoft Bing Blog’s 2025-10-03 article, checked 2026-09-13, describes Bing Places as $0 and says listings can appear in 2 surfaces: Bing Search and Bing Maps. Apple’s 2023-01-11 Business Connect announcement, also checked 2026-09-13, says verified businesses can claim and update place cards for $0. These are listing-access examples, not labor quotes.
What does a free local SEO audit actually provide?
A free audit can be a timed diagnostic rather than a permanent free plan. Localo’s pricing page, checked 2026-09-13, displays a 14-day start with no card and describes 1 Audit score on a 0-100% scale. The page presents the score as an audit output, so it is a diagnostic measure. The offer’s duration and score range are the concrete terms.
Is Localo free to use after its trial?
Localo’s Single Business offer is paid after its trial terms: the pricing page, checked 2026-09-13, lists $49/month at the regular rate or $39/month when billed annually, plus VAT. The same offer covers 1 active Business Profile. That makes the trial a time-limited entry point; the published recurring price depends on the billing option and the profile count.
How does Google Ads turn a daily budget into a monthly limit?
Google Ads’ checked 2026-09-13 help example turns a $10 average daily budget into a $20 daily spending limit because the daily limit is 2 times the average daily budget. Google then applies a 30.4 multiplier for a $304 monthly spending limit. Those figures describe an advertising limit, not a fixed monthly invoice or a local SEO labor fee.
How much does outsourced local SEO cost?
Outsourced local SEO quotes vary by provider model. Ahrefs’ pricing page, checked 2026-09-13 and updated 2026-08-12, reports a local SEO average of $1,557/month from a poll of 439 providers. Its survey summary says 78.2% charge monthly retainers, with an overall SEO range of $250-$10,000/month, and reports $111/hour as the average hourly rate. These are survey benchmarks.
Why are local SEO costs quoted in different units?
Published examples use different billing units because they describe different inputs. Localo lists $49/month regular or $39/month annual for 1 active profile; Google Ads shows a $10/day budget example and a $304/month limit; Ahrefs reports $111/hour and a $1,557/month local SEO average. Compare like with like: software, advertising, and provider work are separate lines.
What Maps Agent covers here, and what it does not
Included
- GBP profile posts with original images
- business research before first post
- profile metrics
- keywords and profile content
- rank report
- trade- and city-matched images
- human direction and verification on Partner
Not included
- review management
- review responses
- citation building
- directory listings
- call tracking
- social media management
- website building
- rank guarantees
- live dashboard
- approval workflow
AI Team is $99/mo, month to month. See the itemized composition.
See where your profile stands
The audit shows how this applies to your own profile: it reads a verified Google Business Profile and scores it the same way every month.
Visibility Score
0 to 100
20 scored factors across profile completeness, performance, competitive position. Free, no signup, on any verified Google Business Profile.
No signup, no card. You get the score and the factors behind it.
Common questions
- Can a storefront and a service-area business both use Google Business Profile?
- Yes. Google Business Profile Help, checked 2026-09-13, identifies 2 eligible types—storefront and service-area businesses—and says managing a verified profile on Maps and Search costs $0. The eligibility description concerns the business type and profile management; it does not price the owner’s time or other services.
- Does Bing Places put a listing in both Bing Search and Bing Maps?
- Yes. Microsoft Bing Blog’s article dated 2025-10-03, checked 2026-09-13, describes Bing Places for Business as a $0 listing service and names 2 surfaces: Bing Search and Bing Maps. The listing can appear on both surfaces under the article’s description for business owners.
- Can a business claim an Apple place card without paying?
- Yes. Apple’s Business Connect announcement, dated 2023-01-11 and checked 2026-09-13, says verified businesses can claim locations and update the Apple place card for $0. The statement covers the claim-and-update access described by Apple; it is separate from any labor or advertising budget.
- Does Localo show an audit score as a percentage?
- Yes, for the published start. Localo’s pricing page, checked 2026-09-13, displays a 14-day free start with no card and an Audit score from 0-100%. Those terms describe a timed entry point and the score’s scale; they do not turn the audit into a permanent free plan.
- Does Localo’s annual offer change the monthly equivalent?
- Yes. Localo lists Single Business at $49/month regular or $39/month when billed annually, plus VAT, and the plan covers 1 active Business Profile. The pricing page was checked 2026-09-13. The monthly equivalent changes with the billing option, while the profile allowance remains 1 active profile.
- Can Google Ads spend more than its average daily budget on one day?
- Yes. Google Ads’ help example sets a $10 average daily budget, a $20 daily spending limit, and a $304 monthly spending limit. The rule is 2 times the average daily budget for the daily limit and 30.4 times it for the monthly limit. Google Ads Help was checked 2026-09-13.