How much is SEO in the UK?

SEO Costs in the UK:
What to Expect and Why It Varies

The cost of SEO services can vary widely based on numerous factors, including your website’s size, industry competitiveness, and the specific services you require. Finding the right SEO partner is crucial to maximising your investment and achieving your business goals.

SEO is not something you do once, it’s a continuously evolving strategy to help turn your website into a resource to support your customers throughout their journey, from awareness through to purchase and aftercare. Consider what initially drives customers to become aware of and discover your services/products. What questions need answering? What content should you create and where? Which keywords do you target? All of these are key steps in any strong customer-focused SEO strategy.

What’s included in SEO packages?

We’ve created a quick reference to see what you should get in an SEO package from an SEO agency, including details about what the services are, the benefits and the typical cost ranges. These prices should be taken with a pinch of salt, as they’re averages for typical websites. If you know your website is substantially larger than average or needs significant improvement from a specific service, this is likely to increase the cost of SEO above what’s listed.

Basic SEO Services

Cost: £50 to £2,000 per month.

Ideal for smaller businesses or less competitive industries. These packages usually cover:

• Basic on-page SEO (e.g. title tags, meta descriptions)
• Basic technical SEO (fixing simple issues likely to impact your site’s ability to be seen by search engine robots)
• Limited keyword research – typically, this is capped to a specific number (not with us though 😉)
• Minor content creation – this would likely only include a limited rewrite of existing content to improve its focus

Benefits: Cost-effective for initial improvements but may not support long-term growth in competitive markets. A good place to start for new and small businesses to cover the basics in the first year.

Mid-Range SEO Services

Cost: £2,000 to £6,000 per month.

Suitable for growing businesses looking for more robust SEO strategies. These packages typically include:

• Comprehensive on-page and technical SEO
• In-depth SEO content strategy
• SEO optimisation and testing schedule
• Detailed keyword research
• Moderate content creation
• Balanced backlinking efforts

Benefits: This is typically what most SME-sized businesses look for and is designed for sustainable growth in competitive industries, offering a well-rounded approach to SEO.

High-End SEO Services

Cost: £6,000 to £10,000+ per month.

Best for large businesses or highly competitive industries. These packages often encompass:

• Advanced technical SEO
• In-depth SEO content strategy
• SEO optimisation and testing schedule
• Extensive content marketing aligned with overall marketing strategies and plans, which work hand-in-hand with detailed plans, objectives and targets
• Aggressive backlink acquisition
• Heavy focus on performance management of key goals and metrics
• Detailed and ongoing competitor analysis and strategy
• Search experience optimisation –  such as brand reputation management
• Social listening
• Digital outreach and PR
• Customised and regular reporting

Benefits: Provides a comprehensive and aggressive SEO strategy aimed at significant market dominance or can be a balanced approach to an aggressive or highly competitive industry.

Why is SEO so expensive?

A lot of the SEO research completed by SEO agencies works towards an overarching marketing and sales strategy. On top of this there are other factors which can impact cost too.

Industry Competition: Highly competitive industries require more aggressive and expensive strategies and SEO campaign budgets, particularly in content creation and link building. Consider the cost of backlink acquisition for a data centre technology business versus a business in the therapeutic industry – it’s likely to be a lot more expensive for the tech company.

Agency Size and Expertise: Larger, more established agencies with seasoned professionals, advanced tools, and a full range of services typically charge higher fees. However, this can lead to more robust and effective SEO strategy and delivery as you’re more likely to have people who are not just SEO experts but people who are experts in specific fields of SEO.

Backlink Quality: The quality of backlinks directly impacts their cost. Higher quality backlinks from well-respected websites are more difficult to acquire and thus cost more but offer better long-term results. These websites are usually topically relevant to your customers and industry, and prices will also reflect the competition.

 

Our SEO Prices

£

500

/mo

Small & Sole Traders

On Page & Technical SEO

SEO Strategy, Keyword research & Tracking

Content Creation

Link Building

Reporting and Analytics

Search Experience Optimisation

Start Today

Most Popular

£

1200

/mo

Growing & Medium

On Page & Technical SEO

SEO Strategy, Keyword research & Tracking

Content Creation

Link Building

Reporting and Analytics

Search Experience Optimisation

Start Today

£

3750

/mo

Enterprise

On Page & Technical SEO

SEO Strategy, Keyword research & Tracking

Content Creation

Link Building

Reporting and Analytics

Search Experience Optimisation

Start Today

 

Our prices are listed excluding VAT.

 

What’s the average cost of SEO?

If you search for “The average price of SEO” you’re likely to get frustrated looking through either articles from companies like Forbes, who only focus on the US, or results from SEO agencies or SEO tool providers. Based on numerous articles, the average cost to businesses for SEO is estimated to be around £2,200 to 2,500 per month, whilst local SEO services average around £1,200 per month. Companies like AddPeople have offered ranges based on different circumstances and this seems like a smarter way of establishing what you should be paying.

SEO pricing in the UK varies depending on the level of service required, industry competitiveness, and the scale of your business. Basic SEO packages start as low as £50 per month, but for most businesses mid-range services around £2,000 to £6,000 per month are recommended. High-end services, which include extensive content creation, technical SEO, and high-quality backlinks, can cost upwards of £10,000 per month.

It’s essential to choose an agency that matches your business goals and offers transparency in its pricing and services, ensuring a return on investment.

 

How much is SEO for small or new websites?

With smaller and/or newer companies we work with, rather than trying to achieve everything, we often start out small and prioritise work to ensure we’re able to take the right steps for an individual business whilst remaining affordable. This does mean that results can be slower to achieve but, over time, you’re moving in the right direction.

Learn more about knowing when you need a new website and SEO for new websites

 

Elements of SEO packages

Initial SEO Audit & Strategy Development

A thorough analysis of your website’s current performance, identifying technical issues, content gaps, and opportunities for improvement. Based on this, a custom strategy is developed.

Cost: Typically ranges from £500 to £2,000 for a detailed audit and strategy.

On-Page & Technical SEO

Includes optimising individual web pages for targeted keywords, improving site architecture, fixing technical issues like slow load times, ensuring mobile-friendliness, and resolving indexing problems.

Cost: Depending on the complexity, on-page and technical SEO services typically cost between £1,500 and £6,000 per month.

Content Creation

Producing high-quality, SEO-optimised content, such as blog posts, landing pages, and articles to attract organic traffic and engage users.

Cost: For basic content, prices may start from £500 per month, whereas comprehensive content strategies involving high-volume or high-quality content can range from £4,000 to £10,000 per month.

Link Building (Backlinking)

Acquiring high-quality backlinks from authoritative and relevant websites to help improve your site’s domain authority and search rankings.

Cost: Low-quality backlinks typically cost £100 to £300 per link, while high-quality backlinks from reputable sites can range from £500 to £2,000 per link. A full link-building campaign may cost anywhere from £2,000 to £10,000 per month depending on the quality and quantity of links targeted.

Local SEO

Optimising for local search queries and maintaining consistent citations across online directories, which is critical for businesses with a physical presence or service area.

Cost: Starts at £300 per month for basic local SEO efforts, scaling up to £1,500 or more for businesses with multiple locations.

Ongoing Reporting & Analytics

Monthly reporting and analysis to track performance, measure ROI, and adjust strategy as needed. This includes monitoring keyword rankings, organic traffic, and user engagement metrics.

Cost: Typically included in most monthly retainers. If purchased separately, the cost could range from £200 to £1,000 for detailed reports.

Off-site SEO (Search experience optimisation)

Off-site optimisation includes various activities that may not strictly be SEO but can indirectly improve SEO performance. The main focus is on link building—acquiring high-quality links from trusted, authoritative websites, which helps boost rankings and traffic. The aim is to secure a large number of quality links. Common methods for obtaining these links include brand building and PR strategies for earning editorial links, content marketing (such as videos, blogs, and podcasts), social media marketing, managing business listings on directories and review sites, and monitoring and responding to reviews. Although these efforts don’t directly affect technical SEO, they play a significant role in enhancing brand visibility across multiple platforms. This broader approach is sometimes referred to as ‘search experience optimisation’.

Cost: Typically included within most monthly SEO retainers. If purchased separately, off-site optimisation costs can range from £500 to £2,000+ depending on the scope, such as content creation, PR campaigns, or social media management.

 

Finding the best SEO agency for your budget

Understanding the Challenges

Selecting the right SEO agency can be daunting. Many businesses receive similar unsolicited emails from SEO agencies, promising extraordinary results at an unbeatable price. It’s crucial to recognise that not all offers are created equal.

 

Common Pitfalls

Be wary of agencies that make grand promises or offer services that seem too good to be true. Issues can include lack of transparency, vague pricing, or generic solutions that don’t address your specific needs.

Red Flags to Watch For

Unrealistic Guarantees: Be cautious of agencies promising immediate top rankings or guaranteed results. SEO is a long-term strategy, and no reputable agency can guarantee specific outcomes.

Vague Pricing Structures: Agencies that provide unclear or overly complex pricing may not be forthcoming about what you’re actually paying for.

Lack of Case Studies or Testimonials: Avoid agencies that can’t provide concrete examples of their work or speak to past successes.

Key Factors in Choosing an SEO Agency

Finding the right SEO partner who truly understands your business and your customers’ needs, and who can make a significant impact on your bottom line, is no easy task. You may not be fully aware of what’s needed and when, so any new partner should integrate seamlessly into your team. SEO should play a supportive role within your overall sales and marketing strategy, rather than driving it.

Experience and Expertise: Look for agencies with a proven track record and experience in your industry. Their expertise should align with your business needs.

Transparency and Communication: Choose an agency that communicates clearly and provides transparent information about its methods and reporting.

Customisation of Services: Ensure the agency offers tailored solutions rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. Your SEO strategy should be specific to your business.

 

Effectiveness is Demonstrated By Results

The most obvious way to find a great SEO agency is to search…

But you should consider what you’re searching as your search might also bring you different results. For example: Searching for “SEO agency” is likely to bring you as SERP (Search Engine Results Page) full of ‘The Big Boys’ – the SEO agencies large corporations use and that will probably be expensive. The only results here that might be local to you are the ads and the map pack results.

To find SEO agencies for SME businesses, you’re more likely to reach medium-sized SEO agencies by modifying the search with terms like “SEO agency near me” or “SEO agency in Staffordshire”. You could even try adding your industry to see if there are experienced specialists, with something like “SEO for manufacturing industry“. These experts will be better placed to bring greater results with higher quality content from subject matter experts,

Focus on the SEO results they have themselves

Make sure you skip over the ads! If an SEO agency isn’t on Page 1 for the search term, they aren’t showing you they can achieve great results for themselves, let alone for you.

How to Evaluate SEO Agencies

Request Detailed Proposals: Obtain proposals from several agencies to compare their strategies, pricing, and deliverables. This will help you make a more informed decision.
Check References and Reviews: Look into the agency’s reputation by reading reviews and asking to speak with current or past clients.

 

Next Steps

Preparing to Engage with an SEO Agency

Take some time to list your business requirements and priorities. Consider what you hope to achieve through SEO—whether that’s increasing traffic, improving lead generation, or gaining higher visibility in local search results. Having clear goals will help you assess potential agencies and ensure you choose a partner aligned with your business needs.

Questions for your SEO agency

When speaking with agencies, it’s crucial to ask targeted questions to evaluate their capabilities and fit with your business:

• What industries or businesses similar to ours have you worked with? Can you share relevant case studies or examples?
• How do you approach keyword research, on-page optimisation, and link building? How will you tailor these strategies to our business?
• Do you conduct site audits and fix technical issues? How do you approach site speed, mobile optimisation, and site architecture?
• How often will we receive performance reports? What metrics will you track, and how will you measure success?
• Can you explain your pricing structure? Are there any additional costs we should expect? What’s included in the monthly fee?
• What SEO tools do you use for analysis, reporting, and monitoring? How do they help improve the effectiveness of your strategy?
• How do you work with our in-house team? How will we be involved in the process?
• How long before we see significant results? What early indicators of progress can we expect?
• How do you adapt strategies based on algorithm changes or shifts in our business focus?