Ranked AI Keyword Ceiling

Ranked AI prices by focus target keywords: $99/mo for 25, $198/mo for 50, $349/mo for 100, each tier adding blog articles (1, 2, then 4 per week) and backlink volume. The framework: before quoting a client, count the keywords they actually need to rank for. A dentist targeting 12 service-plus-city terms fits the $99 tier, so an agency can package the Local SEO Starter at $830/mo and keep roughly $731 of gross margin per client. A multi-location client needing 60 terms forces the $349 tier, and that same $830 retainer now carries $481 of margin. The keyword count is the single input that decides whether a retainer is profitable, so audit it during discovery, not after the contract is signed. Agencies that skip this step discover mid-engagement that a client's keyword list has outgrown the plan they sold.