Chalk Labs vs a Freelance AI SEO Consultant
Choose a freelance consultant for a focused job: an audit, a plan, or a few hours of advice a month. Choose Chalk Labs when you want volume, such as 100 or 200 answer pages, or several skills in one programme. Disclosure: Chalk Labs is our company, and we have a commercial interest in your choice.
- Freelancer retainers averaged $1,348.63 a month in Ahrefs' 2024 survey (top-of-band method) 2, below Chalk Labs' $3,000 to $4,000 monthly plans.
- Capacity is the biggest difference: one person has a fixed number of hours.
- Chalk Labs lists $1,000 one-time for consulting, or $3,000 and $4,000 a month for execution, with a stop at any month end.
- Neither can promise rankings; Google says no one can guarantee a number one ranking 1.
Should you pick a freelance AI SEO consultant or Chalk Labs?
Pick by the size of the job. A freelancer fits a bounded task, a tight budget, or a need for one named expert. Chalk Labs fits a job that needs many pages, or several skills at once. Whoever you pick, ask for absence cover in writing.
We have a stake in this decision, so the criteria below are the useful part. Apply them to any freelancer you meet, and to us.
What do you get from Chalk Labs, and what is our track record?
Chalk Labs is a Web3 and AI growth agency. Rahil Jain, a co-founder and former Goldman Sachs engineer, runs the AI SEO programme: query research, answer pages, technical readiness and AI-visibility measurement. Consulting is a one-time fee. The two execution plans are pre-paid monthly, and you can pause or stop at the end of any month.
Our published search results come from two cases: Meru Trophy, a local shop in Bengaluru, and shilikajain.com, a personal site owned by a Chalk Labs co-founder. Meru Trophy reached 27,300 Google clicks over 16 months. shilikajain.com ranked first for one narrow phrase within a month of launch. Two cases are a small record, and we make no claim that we beat freelancers. Details are on the case studies page.
| Package | Price | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Strategic Consulting | $1,000 one-time | Brand and SEO audit, keyword and demand research, 100 buyer queries ranked by intent, a three-month strategy, a knowledge base and an AI author humanization framework. Your team executes. |
| Strategic Execution | $3,000 a month | Everything in Consulting, plus technical SEO, an AI-visibility audit across the models, 100 answer pages written and published, content refresh and optimisation, and 25 branded content placements. |
| Deep Execution | $4,000 a month | Everything in Execution, plus advanced technical SEO, 200 answer pages, continuous content expansion and 40 branded content placements. |
How do a freelancer and Chalk Labs compare side by side?
These are patterns, not rules. Individual freelancers vary a great deal, and so do agencies.
| Question | Freelance consultant | Chalk Labs |
|---|---|---|
| Typical monthly cost | Survey average $1,348.63, top-of-band method, 2024 2. | $1,000 one-time for consulting; $3,000 or $4,000 a month for execution. |
| Who does the work | One named person. | Led by Rahil Jain; ask us who else works on your account. |
| Capacity | Limited to one person's hours. | Set up for volume: 100 or 200 answer pages on the execution plans. |
| Skills | Strong in one or two areas. | Research, writing, technical SEO and tracking. |
| If they are ill or leave | Work stops. | Cover during absence depends on the provider; ask us for it in writing. |
| Flexibility | Easy to hire for a few hours. | One-time consulting, or a three-month programme you can stop at any month end. |
| Personal relationship | Often very direct. | Direct with the lead; ask who else is involved. |
| Niche depth | Some are experts in your field. | We have not published results in most fields. |
What do freelancers and agencies usually charge?
Ahrefs surveyed 439 SEO providers and reported average monthly retainers of $1,348.63 for freelancers, $3,209 for agencies and $3,250 for consultancies, along with average hourly rates of $71.59, $98.90 and $171.18 2. The averages assume each provider charges the top of its price band, so they likely run high, and Ahrefs notes thin data for some regions 2.
Backlinko's survey of over 300 professionals puts the average monthly cost at $1,000 to $2,500 and says agencies charge about 30% more than freelancers 3. It gives no AI search prices 3. Our $3,000 and $4,000 monthly plans sit above that range, so a good freelancer will usually cost less per month. Our $1,000 consulting plan is a one-time fee, not a retainer.
How much work can one person take on?
Less than a team, and that matters most for large jobs. Our own assumption, not a sourced figure: 200 researched and published pages in a quarter means about 15 a week. One person doing research, drafting, checking and publishing for every page would struggle to keep quality up.
For a smaller job the picture flips. An audit, a 30-page plan or a monthly advice call is well within one expert's reach. A freelancer can also take on a short, bounded task that an agency package would over-serve.
- Job: 40 pages in a quarter, with research and measurement.
- One consultant: pages per week is an assumption, not sourced. Substitute your own hours.
- If you also want schema fixes, tracking and reporting, add those hours.
- Ask: how many hours a month will you give me, in writing?
- If the answer is under what the job needs, scope down or add help.
Who is accountable, and what are the risks?
Google states that you remain responsible for what any company or person you hire does to your site 1. It also says no one can guarantee a number one ranking, so treat any such promise as a warning sign 1. Both rules hold for freelancers and agencies alike, and Google adds that promised AI-experience gains deserve scrutiny 5.
The distinct risks differ. With a freelancer, the main risk is availability: illness, a full diary or a career change. With an agency, it is thin attention: your account may be one of many. We do not guarantee rankings, citations or lead counts, and you should leave any provider who does.
When is a freelancer clearly the better choice?
Choose a freelancer when the scope is narrow, the budget is small, or you want a specific person whose past work you have verified. A solo expert in your niche can beat a general agency on depth.
They also suit short advice. If your team will write and publish, and you need a plan and a second opinion each month, a freelancer on a few hours may be enough. Google notes that small local businesses can often do much of the work themselves 1.
How do you vet a freelancer, or us?
Use the same questions for both. Google's own guidance suggests asking for past work, how results will be measured, how relevant their experience is to your industry, and whether every change will be documented 1. It also suggests giving only read access for an audit 1.
- Ask for two examples with the dates, the pages and what changed.
- Ask what they could not prove from that work.
- Check the plan matches Google's guidance on generative AI, which says optimising for it is still SEO 4.
- Ask who covers the work if they are unavailable for two weeks.
- Agree the exit terms before you pay.
Frequently asked questions
Is a freelance AI SEO consultant cheaper than Chalk Labs?
Per month, usually yes. Ahrefs found average freelancer retainers of $1,348.63 a month, using a top-of-band method, in 2024 2. Chalk Labs lists $3,000 and $4,000 a month for execution, and $1,000 one-time for a plan your team carries out. The real difference is capacity and what is included, not the headline fee.
Can one freelancer cover research, writing and technical SEO?
Some can, for a small site. Large jobs strain one person's hours. Ask for a written monthly time commitment and check the plan against your list of needs before you sign.
Does Chalk Labs promise rankings or citations?
No. We do not guarantee rankings, citations or lead counts, because search engines and AI models are third parties. Google also says no one can guarantee a number one ranking 1. Be wary of anyone who does.
What if I start with a freelancer and want to move later?
That is common and easy to plan for. Keep access to your accounts, ask the freelancer to document each change 1, and hand the research and briefs to the next provider.
Who is behind Chalk Labs' AI SEO work?
Rahil Jain, a Chalk Labs co-founder and former Goldman Sachs engineer, runs the programme. Our published results come from Meru Trophy and shilikajain.com. We have not published results in most industries, so ask for evidence relevant to your field.
Sources
- Do you need an SEO professional? · Google Search CentralOpened October 20, 2026. Supports: No one can guarantee a number one ranking and a firm promising it should be avoided; you remain responsible for what a hired company does; questions to ask and read-only access for audits; small local businesses can do much themselves.
- SEO Pricing: How Much Does SEO Cost? (a survey of 439 providers) · AhrefsOpened October 20, 2026. Supports: Average monthly retainers: freelancers $1,348.63, agencies $3,209, consultancies $3,250; hourly $71.59, $98.90, $171.18; computed assuming the top of each pricing band; limited regional data; updated 15 August 2024.
- SEO Pricing: How Much Does SEO Cost in 2026? · BacklinkoOpened October 20, 2026. Supports: Survey of over 300 SEO professionals; average monthly cost $1,000 to $2,500; agencies about 30% more than freelancers; no AI search pricing; last updated 29 December 2025.
- Optimizing your website for generative AI features on Google Search · Google Search CentralOpened October 20, 2026. Supports: Optimizing for generative AI search is optimizing for the search experience and thus still SEO; page last updated 2026-07-10.
- Google Search's Guidance on Third-Party SEO Tools & Advice · Google Search CentralOpened October 20, 2026. Supports: Google does not endorse third-party services; promises of AI-experience gains deserve scrutiny; vendors cannot ensure results.