SEO pricing can feel like a minefield. If you’re out there getting quotes, one agency might quote a relatively modest monthly fee, while another proposes a much larger investment, and a freelancer might offer to “do SEO” for a very low cost.
Everyone promises growth, so who do you go for? It’s no surprise that business owners often struggle to work out what fair pricing actually looks like.
The reason SEO costs vary so widely is simple – the work itself varies. Your website build, the size of your site, how competitive your market is and whether you trade locally or nationally all affect the level of effort required.
In this guide, we’ll look at common SEO pricing models in the UK, what different levels of investment usually cover and the warning signs that suggest you’re either paying too much or aren’t investing enough to see results.
Why SEO pricing varies
As mentioned, pricing is dependent on the work involved. Two businesses can both say they need SEO, yet require very different levels of work. That difference in scope is what drives the cost.
The main factors that influence pricing include:
Website size and complexity
A small brochure site with a handful of pages takes far less ongoing work than a large ecommerce website with hundreds of products, filters, categories and regular updates. Larger sites take more time to audit, optimise and maintain.
Industry competitiveness
Highly regulated or high-value sectors such as finance, law and healthcare are much harder to compete in because there’s so much competition out there. Ranking well usually means more content, stronger authority signals and sustained effort over a longer period. A niche local business will typically need a lower level of investment to achieve meaningful visibility, as the search landscape is less saturated.
Geography and reach
Targeting a single town or city is very different from targeting the whole UK or multiple countries. Each new region or language increases the amount of content, technical SEO and authority building required.
Goals and timescales
Steady growth over a year requires a different level of investment compared to trying to catch up with established national competitors quickly. The more ambitious the goal and the shorter the timeline, the more resources are needed.
Typical SEO pricing models in the UK
SEO providers price their services in different ways, and understanding these models helps you compare like for like.
Monthly cost
This is the most common approach. You pay a fixed monthly fee for an agreed scope of ongoing work. Monthly packages, which are often tied in for a set minimum term, suit businesses that want consistent progress, predictable costs and a long-term strategy rather than one off fixes.
One-off, project-based SEO
This approach is often used for audits, migrations or specific technical work. Prices vary widely depending on the scope, from a couple hundred pounds to thousands. One-off work can be useful, but on its own rarely delivers sustained growth, as SEO is a long-term game with consistency over time required to succeed.
Hourly consulting
Some consultants charge by the hour. This can work well for training or specialist advice, but it can become expensive and unpredictable for long-term campaigns.
Freelancer versus agency
Freelancers are usually cheaper and can be a good fit for very small sites, but their time and resources are limited. Agencies cost more, but you’re paying for a team of specialists, established processes and access to professional tools and data. If one person goes down, you also have the assurance that your SEO will keep ticking over through the rest of the team.
How SEO costs tend to scale by business type
So, in addition to the pricing model, what typically makes an SEO campaign cheaper or more expensive?
Lower cost SEO campaigns are usually suited to:
• Small websites with relatively few pages
• Local businesses targeting a single town or region
• Niches with limited competition
• Clear, narrow goals such as improving visibility for a small set of services
More investment in SEO campaigns is usually required when:
• Websites are large, complex or ecommerce based
• Multiple services, locations or categories need to be targeted
• The industry is highly competitive or regulated
• Growth goals are national or international
• Content production and digital PR need to run at scale
In simple terms, the more pages you have, the tougher the competition, and the broader your ambitions, the more ongoing work is required to achieve results.
What you should expect for your money
Understanding what SEO actually includes can also help you judge whether your spend is worthwhile.
Most full SEO campaigns include:
Technical SEO
Identifying and fixing issues that affect crawling, indexing, site speed and overall performance.
Keyword research and content planning
Finding the search terms your audience actually uses and mapping them to pages and content that support your goals.
On-page optimisation
Improving page structure, metadata, internal linking and existing content so it performs better in search.
Content creation
Developing new landing pages, articles or guides designed to attract relevant traffic and convert it.
Link building and digital PR
This varies between providers, as some will provide it and some won’t. High-quality links and coverage take time and expertise, and links on quality sites can be costly. If link building is included in your SEO package, expect to pay more for this than a campaign without.
GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation)
Not all agencies are including AI SEO, typically called GEO, within their packages as standard just yet. At Engage Web, we do include GEO, but it’s always worth asking what the provider you’re talking to is doing to optimise for AI-driven search and generative results. Search is evolving quickly, and SEO strategies need to evolve with it.
Reporting and strategy
Clear reporting that focuses on progress and outcomes, backed up by strategic insight on what to do next.
Red flags to watch out for
If you’re paying for SEO but feel unsure about what your provider is actually doing and what you’re paying for, this can be a big red flag. Common warning signs include:
A lack of clear deliverables
You should understand what is being worked on and why. Transparency is essential.
Guaranteed rankings
No one can guarantee rankings. Promises like this usually point to poor or risky practices.
Weak reporting
Reports should connect activity to real outcomes such as leads, enquiries or revenue. Vanity metrics like rankings and clicks alone are not enough, as these don’t always translate to actual business for you – which is the main goal of SEO.
One-size-fits-all packages
If your business goals, market and competition haven’t been discussed and factored in during the proposal/quote stage, the strategy is unlikely to be right for you.
How to budget for SEO with confidence
Here are a few pointers for budgeting for SEO:
Plan for the long term
SEO works over months, not weeks. Planning for a minimum 12-month commitment gives an SEO strategy time to bed down and start to see results.
Match your budget to your ambitions
Remember, local visibility requires fewer resources than national or international growth. Be honest about what you’re trying to achieve.
Consider your website type
As mentioned earlier, ecommerce and complex sites require more work and more budget than simple brochure sites.
Be realistic
Quality SEO requires time, expertise and consistent effort. Underfunded campaigns are unlikely to see progress. If you receive some quotes, and you don’t feel like you can commit to the cost for at least a year, perhaps consider some ‘quicker win’ strategies like pay per click (PPC) or Facebook ads. While the leads or sales from these will try up once you pull the plug, they can be a good way to build up some business quickly in the short-term.
In summary, SEO works best when it’s treated as an investment rather than a cost. Done properly, it builds a long-term asset that attracts the right audience and delivers results well beyond the initial work. The right cost for you will depend on your goals, but the payoff will be worth the investment when a campaign is executed well.
If you’d like a clear, honest view on what level of investment makes sense for your business, speak to Engage Web. We can talk through your goals, assess what is involved, and advise on the cost of a full stack SEO campaign. Book a call* with our team and we’ll be happy to help.
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