TL;DR
- Published UK SEO prices start below £200 a month for a narrow local package and reach £4,000 a month for an agency retainer.
- Freelancers typically charge £400–£1,500 a month and agencies £1,200–£4,000 a month (Startups, 2025).
- A one-off SEO audit typically costs £400–£4,000 (Startups, 2025). Ours is £149.
- Local SEO costs less than national SEO, because you compete with fewer businesses and the work centres on your Google Business Profile.
- Walk away from guaranteed #1 rankings, bulk link packages and long lock-ins.
How much does SEO cost in the UK? Published prices start below £200 a month for a narrowly scoped local package, according to Expertsure’s 2026 price check. Freelancers typically charge £400–£1,500 a month and agencies £1,200–£4,000 a month, and a one-off audit costs £400–£4,000, according to Startups (2025). With us, plans cost £199 to £549 a month.
What you get for the money varies even more than the price. This guide covers how SEO is priced, why local SEO costs less than national, what a £200 month buys compared with a £500 month, the red flags in SEO quotes, and when doing it yourself makes sense.
How much SEO costs in the UK, by pricing model
#SEO is sold in four main ways. Most small businesses pay a monthly retainer, often after a one-off audit to find out what needs fixing first.
Typical UK SEO prices by pricing model (market ranges, not quotes)
Monthly retainer
- What you get
- A set list of work every month, with a report
- Typical UK price
- Freelancers £400–£1,500 a month. Agencies £1,200–£4,000 a month
- Source
- Startups (2025)
Local SEO package
- What you get
- Google Business Profile, citations and local page fixes every month
- Typical UK price
- From £185 a month (excluding VAT) at the low end. One agency suggests small businesses budget £500–£1,200 a month
- Source
- Expertsure (2026); Whitehat (2026, one agency’s figures)
One-off audit
- What you get
- A review of your site with a list of fixes
- Typical UK price
- £400–£4,000, depending on the size of the site. One agency’s range is £500–£7,500
Project
- What you get
- A fixed piece of work, such as moving a site to a new platform or writing a set of service pages
- Typical UK price
- Quoted per job. We didn’t find a reliable published range
- Source
- —
Hourly
- What you get
- Consulting, training or one-off fixes
- Typical UK price
- £40–£100 an hour for freelancers. £70–£300 for agency consultants
- Source
- Whitehat (2026, one agency’s figures)
| Model | What you get | Typical UK price | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly retainer | A set list of work every month, with a report | Freelancers £400–£1,500 a month. Agencies £1,200–£4,000 a month | Startups (2025) |
| Local SEO package | Google Business Profile, citations and local page fixes every month | From £185 a month (excluding VAT) at the low end. One agency suggests small businesses budget £500–£1,200 a month | Expertsure (2026); Whitehat (2026, one agency’s figures) |
| One-off audit | A review of your site with a list of fixes | £400–£4,000, depending on the size of the site. One agency’s range is £500–£7,500 | Startups (2025); Whitehat (2026, one agency’s figures) |
| Project | A fixed piece of work, such as moving a site to a new platform or writing a set of service pages | Quoted per job. We didn’t find a reliable published range | — |
| Hourly | Consulting, training or one-off fixes | £40–£100 an hour for freelancers. £70–£300 for agency consultants | Whitehat (2026, one agency’s figures) |
Where these figures come from
Startups last updated its ranges in April 2025, and Expertsure checked UK suppliers’ published prices in 2026. Whitehat is an SEO agency, so treat its figures as one agency’s view rather than a market survey.
Why local SEO costs less than national SEO
#Local SEO usually costs less. You’re competing with the businesses in your area rather than the whole country, and much of the work centres on your Google Business Profile, consistent directory listings and a page for each service. National SEO has to win the same search everywhere, which takes more content and more links.
Published prices show the gap. Expertsure’s 2026 roundup lists one provider, DPOM, at £185 a month for local SEO and £335 a month for national SEO, both excluding VAT.
If most of your customers are within an hour or so of you, start with local. Our local SEO services page explains what that work involves each month, including setups for businesses with no shopfront.
What about £200 a month gets you, compared with about £500
#Our own plans make a useful worked example, because they sit either side of those budgets and list exactly what’s included each month.
Local Starter, £199 a month
Google Business Profile optimised and posted to every month
Growth Plus, £549 a month
The same
Local Starter, £199 a month
5 citations a month
Growth Plus, £549 a month
10 citations a month
Local Starter, £199 a month
On-page fixes on up to 5 pages
Growth Plus, £549 a month
On-page fixes, plus landing-page optimisation
Local Starter, £199 a month
Tracking for 10 keywords
Growth Plus, £549 a month
Tracking for 25 keywords, plus a live performance dashboard
Local Starter, £199 a month
No articles
Growth Plus, £549 a month
2 articles a month
Local Starter, £199 a month
No link building
Growth Plus, £549 a month
2–3 quality backlinks a month
Local Starter, £199 a month
No review strategy or technical monitoring
Growth Plus, £549 a month
A review strategy and technical monitoring
Local Starter, £199 a month
A monthly report
Growth Plus, £549 a month
A monthly report and a quarterly strategy call
Google Business Profile optimised and posted to every month
The same
5 citations a month
10 citations a month
On-page fixes on up to 5 pages
On-page fixes, plus landing-page optimisation
Tracking for 10 keywords
Tracking for 25 keywords, plus a live performance dashboard
No articles
2 articles a month
No link building
2–3 quality backlinks a month
No review strategy or technical monitoring
A review strategy and technical monitoring
A monthly report
A monthly report and a quarterly strategy call
In plain terms, about £200 a month pays for the local basics done properly: a profile that stays active, consistent listings and your most important pages fixed. About £500 a month adds the articles and links that busier areas need. In between, Local Growth at £349 a month adds an article a month, 10 citations, a review strategy and technical monitoring.
Whatever the budget, ask for the monthly task list in writing. If a provider can’t tell you what they’ll do each month, you can’t tell whether it’s worth the money.
Red flags in SEO quotes
#- A guaranteed #1 ranking. Google’s own guidance says “No one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google.”
- Link packages, such as hundreds of backlinks for a low one-off fee. Buying links for ranking purposes is link spam under Google’s policies.
- A 12-month minimum term before you’ve seen any results. Early movement usually shows within a few months, so a long lock-in mostly protects the agency.
- No list of monthly tasks, only “ongoing optimisation”.
- No monthly report, or a report full of charts with nothing about the work that was done.
- A request to own your Google Business Profile or your domain. Both should stay in your name.
What SEO costs with us
#We have three monthly plans: Local Starter at £199 a month, Local Growth at £349 and Growth Plus at £549. All are monthly rolling with 30 days’ notice and no minimum term. Each month ends with a report showing what we did and where your tracked keywords moved. See every inclusion on our SEO packages page. No VAT is added, because we’re not VAT-registered.
Not sure where to start? The Full SEO audit is £149 one-off, with a prioritised fix list you can work through yourself or hand to us. The free website check costs nothing and covers 5 things, including your Google Business Profile and whether Google has indexed your pages.
Doing SEO yourself vs paying someone
#DIY SEO costs £0–£80 a month in tools, according to Startups (2025), plus your time. For a local business, the first jobs are well within reach: set up your Google Business Profile properly, ask every customer for a review, make your details identical across directories and give each service its own page.
Paying someone makes sense when the work keeps slipping down your list, when your site has technical problems you can’t pin down, or when competitors are clearly investing. Our guide to SEO for tradesmen sets out the DIY steps in order, and they apply to most local service businesses.
Is SEO a monthly cost or a one-off payment?
Usually monthly. Most SEO is sold as a retainer, because rankings move over months and the work continues: profile posts, citations, content and fixes. A one-off audit is the exception, typically £400–£4,000 according to Startups (2025). Ours is £149, with a prioritised fix list you can act on yourself.
How much should a small business spend on SEO per month?
Enough to pay for a fixed list of monthly work you can check. Published UK prices start below £200 a month for narrow local packages (Expertsure, 2026), with freelancers at £400–£1,500 and agencies at £1,200–£4,000 (Startups, 2025). For a local business, start with the local basics and add content once they’re done.
Are cheap SEO packages worth it?
Some are, if the monthly work is listed and reported on. A low-cost package that covers your Google Business Profile, citations and a few page fixes can help a local business. Be wary of cheap packages that sell backlinks in bulk or promise rankings, because both go against Google’s guidance.
How long does SEO take to show results?
For a local business, expect early movement in about 2 months and steadier gains in 3 to 6. Google Business Profile and citation fixes usually show first. National or very competitive searches take longer. Judge SEO over several months, and check the monthly report for the work done as well as the rankings.
Can anyone guarantee a #1 ranking on Google?
No. Google’s own guidance says “No one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google”, and suggests finding someone else if an SEO promises first place. A good provider commits to the work instead: a list of monthly tasks, done every month and reported on, so you can see what you’re paying for.
Should I sign a 12-month SEO contract?
We wouldn’t. A long minimum term protects the agency more than you, and you should see early movement within a few months. Look for monthly rolling terms with a short notice period, so the provider has to earn your business every month. Ours are monthly rolling with 30 days’ notice.
How much does local SEO cost in the UK?
Published local SEO packages start at around £185 a month (Expertsure, 2026), while one agency, Whitehat, suggests small businesses budget £500–£1,200 a month. Our local plans cost £199, £349 or £549 a month, monthly rolling, each with a monthly report.
Want a fixed list of SEO work at a fixed price?
Every plan lists the tasks we do each month, with a report at the end of it. Monthly rolling, with 30 days’ notice to cancel. Plans from £199 a month.
Sources
DIY, freelancer, agency and audit prices — Startups.co.uk
Small business SEO guide, updated 16 April 2025
Published local and national SEO starting prices — Expertsure
SEO costs in the UK, prices verified 2026
Hourly rates, audit range and local SEO budget (one agency’s figures) — Whitehat SEO
SEO costs UK, 13 April 2026
No one can guarantee a #1 ranking — Google Search Central
Do you need an SEO?
Link spam — Google Search Central
Spam policies for Google web search
- #seo-cost
- #seo-prices-uk
- #local-seo-cost
- #seo-audit
- #seo-retainer
- #small-business-seo
