Packages exist because small buyers want a price before a conversation. That is reasonable, but a package is a budget with activities fitted into it rather than a plan built from your site, so the tiers describe effort rather than outcome. Reading one well means working out what the hours actually go on and what is quietly excluded.
What the tiers usually vary
Number of target queries, number of pages produced or optimized each month, whether technical fixes are implemented or only recommended, how much off site work is included, and how often a human reviews the account. The headline difference between tiers is often page volume, which is the easiest thing to scale and not always the thing holding your site back.
The line that matters most
Who implements. A package that audits and recommends leaves the work with your developer, and the schedule then depends on a team the agency does not control. A package that implements needs access to your site and should say what it will change without asking and what it will always ask about first.
What is usually excluded
Content beyond a set number of pages, design work, developer time, paid media, and anything needing a subscription such as a rank tracker or an audit tool. Ask for the exclusions in writing. The gap between a package price and the real monthly cost is usually made of these rather than of hidden fees.
When a package stops being the right shape
When your site's problem is specific, such as a migration, an indexing fault or a penalty, a generic tier spends its hours on the wrong thing. At that point a scoped project fixes the problem faster and a package can resume afterwards for the continuous work.
Questions people ask about SEO small business package
Are cheap SEO packages ever worth it?
At the lowest prices the hours available cannot cover research, production and implementation, so something is automated or omitted. That can still suit a very small site needing basics done once, but it will not move a competitive query.
Should a package include a contract length?
Many do, because the work compounds and the agency staffs against it. A long term is acceptable if there is a genuine review point and a defined handover on exit.
How many keywords should a small business package target?
Fewer than most packages advertise. A small site ranking for a handful of queries that buyers actually type is worth more than partial visibility across a long list assembled to make a tier look generous.
Can I mix a package with my own work?
Yes, and it often works well where you have someone who can publish and edit. Agree clearly which pages each side owns, because two parties editing the same templates is how tracking and structure quietly break.