The new year is finally here and more companies will use search engine optimization in 2013 than ever before. When you think about it, they have no choice but to jump on the SEO bandwagon.

Increased competition and demand will ultimately have a profound effect on SEO prices. I’ll tell you why…

As search engine competition soars, the amount of work needed to secure top rankings will increase exponentially. If 500 companies aggressively target a particular phrase, getting top rankings will be more difficult than if only 50 companies were going after the same phrase. Tougher competition equates to more work and, therefore, more money.

On the other hand, increased demand is giving birth to a plethora of new search engine optimization companies intent on capturing their share of the market. They typically charge far less than established SEO companies, thus lowering the cost of SEO. However, you get what you pay for.

Increased competition and new, less expensive SEO services will ultimately lead to a broader range of SEO prices in 2013.