Most UK SEO agencies charge £500–£2,500+ per month for an ongoing retainer, £75–£150 per hour for consultancy, or £1,000–£5,000 for a one-off project. What you pay depends on how competitive your market is, the size of your website and how quickly you want results.
Typical UK SEO pricing in 2026
- Monthly retainer: £500–£2,500+ per month. The most common model for sustained growth.
- Hourly / consultancy: £75–£150 per hour for audits, advice or training.
- One-off project: £1,000–£5,000 for a technical fix, migration or content project.
- Local SEO for small businesses: often £500–£900 per month.
What affects the cost of SEO?
Three things move the price more than anything else: competition (ranking for “personal injury solicitor” costs far more than a niche local trade), the current state of your website, and your goals and timeline. Cheap, templated SEO that promises page one for £99 a month almost always relies on low-quality tactics that put your site at risk.
What should be included?
A proper retainer should cover technical SEO, on-page optimisation, content, authority building (links), and transparent monthly reporting tied to leads — not just rankings. If you want the detail on each, see our SEO services and SEO in Birmingham pages.
Is SEO worth it?
For most service businesses, yes — organic search compounds. Once you rank, you keep earning clicks without paying per visit, which is why SEO usually delivers the lowest long-term cost per lead. If you need leads immediately while SEO builds, pair it with Google Ads — we explain the trade-off in our SEO vs PPC guide.
What we charge
At Pure Marketing our SEO retainers start from POA, scaled to your market and goals, on rolling terms with no long lock-in. We recommend the right level after a free audit. Get a free quote or talk to us.
FAQs
Is cheap SEO a good idea? Rarely. Very cheap SEO usually means low-quality links or thin content that can harm your rankings long term.
Do I have to sign a long contract? Not with us — we work on rolling monthly terms and earn your business with results.