Why there is no single price
Two business owners in Tashkent can ask for the same thing, to get their site ranking in Google and Yandex, and receive quotes that differ several times over. That is rarely about greed. An appliance shop competing with Uzum and OLX listings and a dental clinic targeting people in one district operate in very different conditions: the number of competitors, the cost of a click and the time it takes to get the first enquiry all vary.
So website promotion cost is not a price tag on a finished product. It is an estimate of the work needed to reach a specific goal. If someone names a final figure without looking at your site or your niche, it is either padded with a safety margin or a template package fitted to any client.
What the budget is made of
A quote usually combines several blocks. You may not need all of them on day one, but you should know what each line pays for.
- Site audit: technical errors, loading speed, structure, indexing.
- Keyword research: the phrases your customers actually type, in Russian and in Uzbek.
- On-page optimisation: titles, descriptions, page structure, internal links.
- Content: articles, service and product descriptions, dedicated pages for different queries.
- External signals: mentions and links from relevant sites, listings on maps and directories.
- Paid search for a faster start: Google Ads with its own ad budget.
- Analytics and reporting: counters, goals, tracking of form submissions, calls and Telegram enquiries.
What is usually not included
Your Google Ads budget is paid to the platform, not to the agency, so it sits outside the fee for the work. The same applies to paid placements on third-party sites and any data tools you may need. Ask for a separate line in the quote showing what goes to the contractor and what goes to third parties.
The condition of your site matters more than your niche
If the site was built in a hurry, it loads slowly on phones, pages are not organised around real queries, the enquiry form loses messages, or Click and Payme payments are not connected, promotion turns into patching holes. Part of the budget goes to fixing what should have been done at the development stage.
That is why it can make sense to improve the site, or rebuild it, before promoting it. A site built turnkey with search in mind, with a sensible structure, fast loading, clean page addresses and analytics already connected, makes later promotion cheaper and more predictable. The contractor does not have to rebuild the foundation first.
This does not mean you must redo everything. A good audit shows what can stay and what holds growth back.
Payment models you will meet
There is no standard scheme, and each has its own advantages and risks.
- A fixed monthly fee for a set of work: easy to plan, but the scope must be written down.
- Project-based payment for one-off tasks such as an audit, analytics setup or page structure.
- Payment for results, for example per lead. This needs a clear agreement on what counts as a lead.
- A percentage of the ad budget, more common in paid search.
How to compare offers
A quote with one line reading "SEO promotion" is a reason to ask questions. Find out what the work includes, who writes the texts and in which languages, and which numbers you will see: traffic, leads, cost per lead. Check whose name the analytics and site access are registered under, and how often reports arrive.
Be careful with promises of a guaranteed top spot. Rankings depend on search engine algorithms that neither the agency nor you control. A reliable contractor guarantees transparent work and reporting, not a particular position.
How to plan a budget without overpaying
Search promotion builds up over time, and stopping work can slow growth. If you need enquiries within the coming weeks, search is usually combined with paid ads and channels such as Instagram and Telegram. It is wiser to set the budget from your business economics: what you can afford to pay per enquiry and what share of enquiries turns into a sale.
If you want to know what promoting your own site would cost, the markdev team can run a review. We look at the state of your site and the competition in your niche, then suggest where to start, with improving the site or going straight to promotion. You can discuss the task by leaving a request on our website.
FAQ
What affects website promotion cost the most?
Competition in your niche, the current condition of the site, the number of pages and regions you want to cover, and whether you need content in two languages. The stronger the competitors and the more errors on the site, the more work is needed.
Is the ad budget included in the promotion cost?
No. Money for clicks in Google Ads goes to the advertising platform itself. Specialists' work is a separate expense, and a good quote keeps the two apart.
Can I promote a site that works poorly?
You can, but it is wasteful. Part of the budget goes to fixing errors, and visitors will still drop off because of an inconvenient site. It is better to run an audit first and decide what to fix.
Why can't anyone guarantee a top position?
Positions are decided by search engine algorithms. A contractor influences the factors within their control but does not control the results page. An honest guarantee means transparent work and clear reports.
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