Most business owners don’t struggle to understand SEO.
They struggle to understand what they’re actually buying when they pay for it.

One consultant charges £75 an hour.
Another charges £2,500 for an audit.
Another charges £1,800 a month with no hourly breakdown at all.

They’re all doing SEO — yet the price tags look nothing alike.

It isn’t because one is honest and the others aren’t.
It’s because SEO can be packaged in wildly different ways depending on the scope, the risk, and how the consultant prefers to work.

This guide breaks down the three core pricing models used across the UK SEO industry — hourly, project-based and retainer — with proper detail behind why each exists, how they work in practice, and how to figure out which one matches how your business operates.

By the end, you’ll know how to assess an SEO proposal based on structure, not just cost — and you’ll understand exactly what you’re agreeing to before you sign anything.

The real reason SEO consultant pricing differs

Different pricing models don’t exist because consultants are trying to confuse you.
They exist because SEO itself is messy and multi-layered. The scope changes, competition shifts, and the work evolves over time.

So the pricing model a consultant chooses is usually based on:

• control — how much they can control scope and expectations
• risk — how predictable the work is for them
• value — how close they can tie their work to your outcomes
• efficiency — how they manage their time and pipeline

Understanding those incentives helps you pick the right kind of relationship.

Model 1: Hourly SEO pricing

Hourly pricing is exactly what it sounds like: you pay for the consultant’s time, usually in chunks of 5, 10, 20 or 40 hours per month.

Typical UK hourly rates:

• Junior SEOs: £25–£50/hour
• Mid-level consultants: £50–£100/hour
• Senior consultants: £100–£250/hour
• Specialists or technical SEOs: £150–£350/hour

These rates vary by experience, demand, and whether the consultant specialises in areas like technical SEO, migration SEO, digital PR, or content strategy.

When hourly pricing works:

• you need small, well-defined fixes (e.g., technical clean-up, site audits, redirects)
• your team will implement most changes internally
• you want advice more than execution
• your website is simple and low-risk

When hourly pricing fails:

• scope constantly changes
• you need strategy, not tasks
• you want predictable monthly spend
• you’re trying to scale content or link-building

The biggest issue with hourly pricing is that it disconnects the consultant’s incentives from your outcomes. You’re paying for time, not progress.

If the consultant is slow, you pay more.
If they’re extremely efficient, they earn less.
Neither motivates long-term strategic thinking.

Model 2: Project-based SEO pricing

Project pricing is a fixed fee for a clearly defined piece of work.
It’s one of the most transparent and predictable pricing models — but only when scoped properly.

Typical UK project prices:

• Basic audit: £500–£1,500
• Full technical audit: £1,500–£5,000+
• Content strategy: £750–£3,000
• Technical rebuild or migration planning: £2,000–£10,000+
• Local SEO setup: £500–£2,500
• SEO strategy + roadmap: £2,000–£7,500+

When project pricing works:

• the work is finite and measurable (audit, strategy, migration)
• you want a one-off deliverable your team will implement
• you want a clear timeline and fixed cost
• your site needs an overhaul before monthly work even makes sense

When project pricing fails:

• you expect ongoing improvements after the project ends
• you treat a one-off audit as a full solution
• your website changes frequently (making static scopes complex)
• you need ongoing measurement and iteration

Project pricing is great for shaping direction — but SEO doesn’t stop once the document is delivered.
Many businesses mistake a strategy deck for actual ranking power.

You’ll still need to execute, measure, update and iterate.
That’s where retainers come in.

Model 3: Monthly retainer SEO pricing

This is the most common pricing model in the SEO world.
You pay a set monthly fee in exchange for an ongoing partnership that covers strategy, optimisation, content, reporting and improvements.

Typical UK retainer ranges:

• Local SEO: £300–£1,500/month
• Small business SEO: £800–£2,500/month
• Growing B2B/ecommerce: £2,500–£8,000/month
• High-competition industries: £5,000–£20,000+/month
• Enterprise SEO: £10,000–£30,000+/month

What retainers typically include:

• technical SEO fixes and monitoring
• content strategy and content creation
• SEO updates to key pages
• internal linking improvements
• digital PR or link-building
• local SEO optimisation (if relevant)
• monthly reporting and analysis
• ongoing keyword research
• competitor tracking

When retainers work:

• you need long-term growth
• your industry is competitive
• you want a partner, not a one-off resource
• you want SEO tied into wider marketing strategy
• you expect consistent improvements across your site

When retainers fail:

• the scope is unclear and keeps shifting
• you expect weekly miracles from a modest budget
• your consultant locks you into long contracts without deliverables
• you treat the retainer like outsourced admin instead of strategic work

Retainers work best when both sides agree on one thing: the consultant is responsible for outcomes, not just tasks.

The real difference between the models: risk vs value

Each pricing model shifts risk and responsibility differently.
You can’t understand pricing unless you understand these trade-offs.

Hourly — you carry the risk

You pay for time, not outcomes.
If tasks were wrong, slow, or irrelevant, the risk sits with you.

Project — risk is shared

You pay for a defined output, not continuous improvement.
If the outcome doesn’t create results, execution is usually the culprit — which sits on your side.

Retainer — the consultant carries more risk

Because they own the ongoing strategy, results are tied to their work.
If things don’t move over time, it reflects directly on them.

Which model suits which type of business?

The right pricing model depends on the stage you’re at, how fast you need results, and whether you have internal resources.

If you’re a small, local business:

• best: light retainer or small project
• avoid: high-end monthly retainers unless your market is fiercely competitive

If you’re a scaling SME:

• best: mid-level retainers with clear deliverables
• consider: initial strategy project + retainer

If you’re enterprise or operating in a red-ocean industry:

• best: retainer + digital PR + technical support
• avoid: hourly work — too slow, too risky

If you already have a large internal team:

• best: project work + specialist consultancy
• avoid: retainers that include services you already have in-house

Why SEO consultants prefer different models

Each model solves a different business problem for the consultant.

Why consultants like hourly:

• easy to sell (“pay as you go”)
• clear time boundaries
• low pressure for outcomes

Why consultants like project pricing:

• clear scope
• clear deliverables
• predictable timelines
• great for complex, high-value work

Why consultants like retainers:

• predictable income
• long-term relationships
• ability to create compounding results

There’s nothing wrong with those incentives.
The key is choosing the model that aligns with your goals — and recognising when a model is serving the consultant more than it serves you.

How to evaluate the pricing inside an SEO proposal

Forget the price for a moment.
Look at what the consultant is actually committing to.

1. Look for clarity

If the proposal lists “SEO services” without breaking them down, reject it.
Your consultant should specify:

• deliverables
• timelines
• ownership
• scope boundaries

2. Look for the reasoning behind the price

Good consultants explain their pricing model.
Bad ones hide behind vague phrases like “industry standard.”

3. Look for alignment with your goals

If you’re aiming for long-term SEO growth, but the consultant only sells one-off projects, the model is mismatched.

4. Look for the KPIs they tie themselves to

Are they measuring:

• traffic?
• rankings?
• leads?
• pipeline?

The pricing model should reflect the level of ownership they’re taking.

The model most businesses choose (and why)

Most UK businesses end up with retainers.
Not because they’re always the best, but because SEO is long-term work that needs momentum.

A retainer gives you:

• consistent improvement
• one point of accountability
• predictable spend
• a partner who understands your business over time

But it only works if deliverables and expectations are clear from the start.

Final thoughts

SEO consultants don’t price their services randomly.
Hourly rates, project prices and retainers all exist because SEO itself varies wildly in scope, value, and volatility.

The pricing model you choose will shape:

• how the consultant works
• what they prioritise
• how much risk they carry
• how fast you see results

If you want a simple rule of thumb:

• Hourly — best for advice and small fixes.
• Project — best for audits, strategies and migrations.
• Retainer — best for long-term growth and competitive markets.

Pick the model that supports your goals, not the model that looks cheapest on a proposal.

The right pricing structure won’t just save you money — it will give your consultant the freedom to do their best work, the kind that compounds over time and brings in customers you would never have reached otherwise.

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