Small businesses typically pay £500 to £2,000 per month for quality SEO in the UK
One-off SEO audits cost between £300 and £2,000 depending on website size and depth
Local SEO starts from £300 monthly, while national campaigns run £1,500 or more
Watch out for providers promising guaranteed rankings
Start with an audit to understand what your website actually needs before committing to monthly payments
UK SEO typically costs between £500 and £2,000 per month for small businesses. One-off audits range from £300 to £2,000.
At the budget end, local SEO starts around £300 monthly, while enterprise campaigns can exceed £10,000. Your actual cost depends on your industry, website size, and whether you’re targeting local or national customers.
Finding straight answers about SEO pricing isn’t always easy.
Most agencies quote £2,000 or more per month, putting quality SEO out of reach for sole traders and smaller companies. But effective SEO doesn’t require spending thousands every month.
Understanding what you’re paying for helps you avoid wasting money on services that won’t deliver.
This guide breaks down real UK SEO costs for 2025, explains what affects pricing, and shows you how to spot warning signs before signing with the wrong provider.
Table of Contents
UK SEO Pricing at a Glance
Here’s what SEO costs across different service types in the UK:
| Service Type | Price Range | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| One-off SEO audit | £300 – £2,000 | Understanding problems before committing |
| Local SEO (monthly) | £300 – £750 | Businesses targeting one town or city |
| Small business SEO (monthly) | £500 – £1,500 | Sole traders and small companies |
| Mid-sized business SEO (monthly) | £1,500 – £4,000 | Growing companies with broader reach |
| Enterprise SEO (monthly) | £5,000 – £20,000+ | Large organisations with multiple sites |
| Freelancer rates | £30 – £100 per hour | Specific tasks or consultancy |
These figures reflect the current UK market in 2025. Prices vary based on provider experience, your industry, and campaign scope.
One-Off SEO Costs Explained
SEO Audit Pricing
An SEO audit examines your website to identify problems affecting search visibility. Think of it as a health check for your site.
Basic site audits (£300-£500) cover page titles, meta descriptions, obvious technical errors, and a general overview. These work for smaller sites needing a quick assessment.
More detailed audits (£750-£2,000) include backlink analysis, competitor research, content assessment, and prioritised recommendations you can act on. Larger websites and those in competitive industries benefit from this deeper analysis.
Starting with an audit before committing to monthly SEO makes real sense.
You’ll understand exactly what’s wrong, what needs improving and what needs fixing. Some businesses discover they only need a few one-off fixes rather than ongoing monthly work.
Project-Based SEO Work
Some providers offer project-based pricing for specific tasks. Website migrations, technical overhauls, or content optimisation projects typically cost between £1,000 and £10,000 depending on scope.
This approach suits businesses needing defined work completed without ongoing commitments. Always get the project scope documented clearly to avoid unexpected costs later.
Monthly SEO Retainer Costs
What Monthly Retainers Include
Monthly retainers are the most common pricing model for ongoing SEO. You pay a fixed amount each month for continuous work and optimisation.
This typically covers technical improvements, content updates, performance monitoring, and regular reporting.
For small businesses, expect to pay between £500 and £1,500 monthly for quality work. This should include technical fixes, on-page optimisation, local SEO management, and monthly reports that actually explain what’s been done.
“Small websites don’t need enterprise-level SEO,” says Sean Horton, founder of Respect Experts. “A focused approach targeting quick wins and priorities delivers better value than paying for bundled services you’ll never use. We’ve seen businesses waste thousands on agency packages when a £495 audit would have shown they only needed a few specific fixes.”
What Different Price Points Get You
£300-£500 per month: Basic local SEO. Expect Google Business Profile management, local citation work, and limited technical fixes. This suits established local businesses maintaining their current position rather than those seeking major growth.
£500-£1,500 per month: Small business SEO covering technical audits, on-page work, content recommendations, and regular reporting. This range fits most sole traders and small companies looking to improve visibility.
£1,500-£4,000 per month: Intensive campaigns including content creation, link building, competitor analysis, and broader keyword targeting. Right for businesses in competitive sectors or targeting national audiences.
What Affects SEO Pricing
Your Industry’s Competitiveness
Finance, legal services, and insurance are among the most competitive sectors online. A local plumber faces far less competition than a national mortgage broker. More competition means more time and resources needed to rank, which pushes costs higher.
Website Size and Complexity
A 500-page e-commerce site takes far longer to audit and optimise than a 10-page service website. Your hosting platform matters too. Some systems make SEO changes straightforward, while others need developer involvement for basic updates.
Geographic Targeting
Local SEO targeting one town costs less than national campaigns. International SEO covering multiple countries requires the most investment. Be realistic about where your customers actually are before paying for broader coverage you don’t need.
Current Website Condition
Sites with severe technical problems need more upfront work. If yours has hundreds of broken links, duplicate content, or poor mobile performance, fixing these foundations takes time before any improvement work can begin.
Red Flags in SEO Pricing
Warning Signs to Watch For
Not all SEO providers deliver what they promise.
Watch for these warning signs:
Guaranteed rankings: No legitimate provider can guarantee specific positions. Google’s algorithm considers hundreds of factors no agency controls. Anyone promising number one rankings is either lying or using tactics that could harm your site.
Unusually cheap prices: If someone offers SEO for £99 per month, ask what you’re actually getting. At that price, you’re probably receiving automated reports and little genuine work. Quality SEO takes expertise and time that can’t be delivered profitably at rock-bottom prices.
Vague reporting: Good providers explain exactly what they’ve done and why it matters. If reports are filled with jargon you don’t understand or metrics that seem meaningless, something’s wrong.
Long contracts with no escape: Some agencies demand 12-month contracts with payment upfront. This protects them when you realise nothing’s improving. A three-month minimum is reasonable since SEO takes time. Being locked in for a year without exit options is risky.
Unsolicited contact: Cold emails claiming to have found problems on your website are almost always spam. Legitimate agencies don’t need to scrape the internet for leads.
Questions to Ask Before Signing
Before committing to any provider, get clear answers to these questions:
- What specific work will you do each month? You should receive a clear breakdown of activities, not vague promises.
- Can you show results for similar businesses? Case studies and references indicate genuine experience.
- How will you report progress? Monthly reports should show what was done, what changed, and what comes next.
- What happens if I want to cancel? Understand the terms before you commit.
How Respect Experts Pricing Compares
Most agencies featured in SEO pricing guides charge £1,000 or more monthly. For sole traders and small businesses, these prices put quality SEO out of reach.
Respect Experts takes a different approach.
Our SEO audits start from £495, including a detailed website analysis, prioritised recommendations, and a discussion of next steps. The audit report is yours to keep regardless of whether you continue with monthly support.
Monthly SEO support starts from £500 and covers implementation of recommendations, ongoing optimisation, regular reporting, and support when needed.
The exact price depends on website size and market competitiveness.
This differs from agencies selling bundled packages upfront. You understand exactly what needs fixing before spending on ongoing work. If the audit shows minimal ongoing support is needed, you’ll hear that honestly rather than being pushed into unnecessary monthly payments.
The focus stays on technical SEO and on-page optimisation because these deliver the best results for small business budgets.
Content writing, link building, and paid advertising aren’t included. Keeping the service focused means effective SEO at prices small businesses can actually afford.
Is Cheap SEO Worth It?
Rarely.
While affordable SEO exists, ultra-cheap providers usually rely on shortcuts that cause lasting damage and provide little real benefit.
Common problems with cheap SEO include AI-generated content that Google ignores, spammy backlinks triggering penalties, generic recommendations that ignore your situation, and minimal actual work hidden behind fancy reports.
Every month of low-quality work creates technical debt. Weak pages, poor link profiles, and bad site structure all need fixing later.
You end up paying twice: once for the cheap work and again to repair the damage.
That said, expensive doesn’t automatically mean good. The key is finding providers who explain what they do, show evidence of results, and price their work fairly for the value delivered.
Look for providers who start with audits rather than pushing monthly contracts. Transparent pricing, clear reporting, and honest advice about what you actually need matter more than whether they charge at the top or bottom of market rates.
The Bottom Line
SEO costs in the UK range from £300 to £20,000+ monthly depending on your needs. Small businesses typically pay between £500 and £1,500 for quality work. One-off audits cost £300 to £2,000.
Before committing to any provider:
- Start with an audit to understand what your website actually needs
- Ask specific questions about the work, measurement, and realistic outcomes
- Be cautious of guaranteed rankings, prices below £300, and long contracts
The right SEO investment depends on your business, industry, and goals. Find a provider who explains things clearly, works within your budget, and delivers genuine value rather than just activity reports.
Frequently Asked Questions
Most UK small businesses pay between £500 and £1,500 per month for effective SEO. This covers technical fixes, on-page optimisation, and regular reporting. Your exact budget depends on industry competitiveness and your website’s current condition. Start with an audit to understand your specific needs before committing to monthly spend.
Prices vary based on provider experience, service scope, and target market. A freelancer working alone has lower overheads than an agency with offices and staff. Some providers include content writing and link building while others focus purely on technical work. Always ask exactly what’s included before comparing quotes.
A good audit examines technical health, on-page optimisation, content quality, and backlink profile. You should receive a report explaining what problems exist, why they matter, and what to fix first. More detailed audits include competitor analysis and content gap research. Basic audits focus on obvious issues and quick wins.
Most businesses see meaningful improvements within three to six months. Quicker wins often appear for less competitive keywords. SEO takes time because search engines need to recrawl your website and reassess pages against competitors. Anyone promising instant results is probably using tactics that could harm your site.
You can handle basic elements like page titles, meta descriptions, and image alt text yourself. Free tools like Google Search Console show how Google views your site. However, technical SEO and competitive analysis require specialist knowledge and professional tools. An audit gives you a roadmap showing what to tackle yourself and what needs expert help.
Both can deliver results depending on your needs. Freelancers often suit smaller budgets and focused projects. Agencies offer broader resources and can scale work as you grow. Check references and past results rather than assuming one option is automatically better. The right choice depends on your situation and budget.
An audit reveals exactly what problems affect your website before you spend on ongoing work. Some businesses discover they only need one-off fixes rather than monthly support. You’ll understand your priorities and can make smart decisions about budget. The audit report is yours regardless of whether you continue with the provider.
Be cautious of anything below £300 per month. At lower prices, providers can’t spend meaningful time on your website. You’re likely receiving automated reports rather than genuine optimisation work. Quality SEO requires expertise and time that can’t be delivered profitably at rock-bottom rates.