If you’ve started looking into SEO pricing in the UK, you’ll have noticed that nobody seems to agree on anything. One company quotes you £300 a month, the next wants £3,000, and both of them say they’re offering the same thing. I’ve been doing SEO for over 20 years, so I’ve seen most of the ways it gets priced, and in this guide I’ll walk you through what UK businesses are actually being charged, how those prices get built and where my own price fits alongside everyone else’s.
What does SEO cost in the UK?
For most small and medium-sized businesses, SEO in the UK costs somewhere between a few hundred pounds and a few thousand pounds a month, and the figure in the middle is lower than a lot of agency guides would have you believe. When Whito looked at the prices that 47 UK providers publish on their own websites in June 2026, the median SEO retainer came out at £799 a month, with most of those prices falling into a budget band, a mainstream band of £350 to £1,000 and an established agency band starting at £1,500.
Those are published prices rather than private quotes, though, and plenty of agencies don’t put a price on their website at all. The ones who keep their prices hidden tend to sit at the top end, so when you ring around you’ll usually hear bigger numbers than that median suggests.
UK SEO pricing by type of provider
The biggest single thing that decides what you’ll pay is who you’re paying, because a freelancer working from home and an agency with an office, a sales team and account managers have very different costs to cover. These are the typical UK SEO prices by type of provider, based on Whito’s 2026 figures.
| Who you hire | Typical monthly price | Typical hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Junior freelancer | £300 to £800 | £30 to £60 |
| Experienced freelancer | £800 to £2,500 | £60 to £150 |
| Small agency | £1,000 to £3,000 | Not usually quoted |
| Mid-size agency | £3,000 to £7,000 | Not usually quoted |
| Large agency | £7,000 to £20,000 and up | Not usually quoted |
| hiPete | About £542 (£125 a week) | Not charged by the hour |
One-off jobs are priced differently again. An SEO audit usually costs somewhere between £500 and £3,000, and a website migration that needs SEO care can run from £1,000 to £5,000, depending on how big the site is and how much of it has to move.
How are SEO prices charged in the UK?
Most UK SEO is sold as a monthly retainer, where you pay a set fee each month for an agreed amount of ongoing work. It’s the most common model because SEO keeps building on itself, so the work you do this month still helps you next year, and it also makes your costs easy to plan around.
Project pricing is the other big one, and it suits jobs with a clear start and finish, like an audit, a technical clean-up or moving to a new website. Some freelancers and consultants charge by the hour or by the day instead, which works well for advice and training but can make a long campaign hard to budget for. You’ll also come across payment-by-results deals now and then, and I’d be careful with those, because the “results” are often rankings for searches nobody actually types.
Whichever model you’re offered, the thing to look at is the contract that comes with it. Plenty of retainers are tied to a 6 or 12 month minimum, and I’ve written about why I work on a 30 day rolling basis instead.
What’s the cost of SEO in the UK for a small business?
Ask an agency and you’ll usually hear £1,000 to £1,500 a month as the starting point. Targeted SEO, for example, puts small business retainers at £1,000 to £1,500 a month in its own pricing guide and says budgets under £1,000 tend to be less effective. That’s a fair view from an agency with a team to pay, and for a business going after national searches it’s often right.
Most of the businesses I work with aren’t in that position, though. A plumber in Bootle, a salon in Southport or a garage in Maghull needs a well-kept Google listing, clear pages for each service and area, reviews coming in steadily and a website that works properly on a phone. None of that needs a team of ten, and it doesn’t need £1,500 a month either, as long as the person doing it knows what they’re doing and does it every week.
Where does my price sit?
I charge £125 a week, which works out at about £542 a month or £6,500 a year, and it covers your SEO, your Google Business Profile, your visibility in AI search and looking after your website. That puts me below the bottom of the typical small agency range and around a third under the published median, on a 30 day rolling basis with no setup fee and no exit fee.
| Typical small agency | hiPete | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | £1,000 to £3,000 | About £542 |
| Over a year | £12,000 to £36,000 | £6,500 |
| Minimum term | Often 6 to 12 months | None, 30 days’ notice |
| Who does the work | Often an account manager passing it to a team | Me, the person you speak to |
| Reporting | Usually a monthly PDF | A live portal you can check any time |
| Accounts and website | Varies, so always check | Always in your name |
You can see exactly what goes into each week on my SEO campaigns page, and every client gets a live reporting portal so you’re never left guessing what you’re paying for.
Why can I charge less than most agencies?
It mostly comes down to what you’re not paying for. I don’t have a city centre office, a sales team or account managers sitting between you and the person doing the work, so the money you pay goes on the work itself rather than on the overheads around it. I also focus on local and smaller businesses, which means I’m not building a new plan from scratch every time, because a roofer in Crosby and an accountant in Formby need many of the same core jobs done well.
Being cheaper than an agency doesn’t mean cutting corners, and it doesn’t mean I’m right for everyone either. If you run a national online shop with thousands of products, or you’re up against big brands in a crowded market, you may well need a bigger team and a bigger budget. I’ll tell you that honestly if it’s the case, rather than take your money for something I can’t deliver.
How do you compare SEO prices fairly?
Two SEO quotes at the same price can be for completely different amounts of work, so the number on its own won’t tell you much. Before you compare prices, ask each company what they’ll actually do in a normal month, who’ll be doing it and how you’ll see the results, because a good answer to those three questions is worth more than a lower figure at the bottom of the page.
It’s also worth checking the minimum term and notice period, whether there’s a setup or exit fee, whether the price rises after an introductory few months and who owns your website, content and Google listing if you leave. I’ve covered this in more detail in what do you get for a monthly SEO fee? and how to choose the right SEO company.
See what you’d get for the money
Fill in the form and I’ll look over your website and Google listing, then tell you honestly what I’d do first and whether my price makes sense for you.
If you want me to crack on, it’s £125 a week, about £18 a day, on a 30 day rolling basis.
Free website check
Checked by me, not a tool.
Rather message? WhatsApp 07463 631121 or call 0151 402 0925.
Questions people ask me
How much does SEO cost per month in the UK?
Most UK businesses are quoted between a few hundred and a few thousand pounds a month. The median price that UK providers publish on their websites was £799 a month in June 2026, while small agencies typically charge £1,000 to £3,000.
How much do you charge for SEO?
£125 a week, which is about £542 a month. It covers SEO, your Google Business Profile, AI visibility and looking after your website.
Why is your SEO cheaper than an agency?
You’re not paying for an office, a sales team or account managers, so the money goes on the work. I also focus on local businesses that need the same core jobs done well.
Is there a setup fee or a contract?
No setup fee and no exit fee. It’s 30 day rolling, so either of us can end it with 30 days’ written notice.
Is cheap SEO worth it?
Only if there’s real work behind the price. Packages at £50 a month are usually automated reports or junk links that can do more harm than good.
When would I need a bigger SEO budget?
If you run a national online shop or compete with big brands in a crowded market, you may need a larger team. I’ll tell you honestly if that’s the case.
How long before SEO pays for itself?
Quieter local searches can move within weeks, especially in the Google map. Busier ones usually take a few months, and you should see progress like a busier listing and new pages before then.
Keep reading
How much does SEO cost in the UK? looks at what pushes the price up and how to tell if it’s paying for itself, while how many hours of SEO should you get each month? explains why hours alone are a poor way to judge a quote.
Related posts
Hi, I’m PeteAgency-quality SEO without the agency price
£125 a week, 30 day rolling, everything in your name. Send me your website and I’ll tell you honestly what I’d do with it.
WhatsApp meFree website check