SEO Prices: How Much Does SEO Cost In The UK?

With recent studies showing that over half of businesses (55%) hire experts to help with SEO services, businesses are clearly starting to catch on to the potential benefits of utilising them. But what is SEO? How much does SEO cost per month? What should I be looking for in SEO services?

If you’re considering outsourcing your business SEO for the first time, we know that it can be a lot to wrap your head around. 

At Dandy Marketing we live and breathe SEO and all the key skills that are needed to create an effective SEO package, so we put together this guide to answer your questions. Keep reading to learn more!

What is SEO?

SEO or Search Engine Optimisation is the practice of improving the content on your site to rank higher on search engines. By increasing the quantity and quality of traffic to your website through organic search engine results, you can increase conversions (sales) and boost revenue. 

Because of the many benefits to great SEO, many businesses are now investing in SEO and producing optimised content across their websites, meaning those companies have an edge over competitors that aren’t utilising this organic traffic by crafting their content to search engine standards and algorithms.

Why Outsource SEO?

As SEO relies on consistent, high quality and carefully optimised content, it’s best to leave it to the experts. Building the bank of skills required to produce this content is something that can take years to master, but the experts live and breathe these skills day in day out.

Do you know how to ensure all of your content is optimised for the latest search engine algorithms and how to create valuable, high-ranking content to gain more leads, traffic and ultimately sales? If not, you’re not alone. SEO specialists are there to do the work for you so you don’t have to. 

What Should SEO Services Include?

For an SEO service to be successful and effective, it must include a variety of different tasks. If one of the services is not performed correctly or thoroughly enough, it can hurt your website’s ranking on search engine results pages. 

For example, site optimisation is crucial to a good SEO strategy. On-page optimization includes elements like writing unique and quality content, meta tags, proper keyword usage in the text, and making sure that everything on every page of your site is well written and relevant.

In either case, you should always use an SEO service that has been tried and tested with many other clients. This way you can avoid getting ripped off on useless backlinks or spammy posts that have no place in your site’s strategy for success. 

As a rule of thumb, when looking for great SEO specialists they should offer some key services. If these services aren’t offered then they will likely be using a template to create your strategy, instead of tailoring your strategy to your specific business needs and goals. 

SEO Services Checklist:

• Free Audit to assess your current website and strategy, with a full report.
• Competitor Analysis to assess your competitors strengths and weaknesses, backlink profile and more.
• On-Site Optimisation including SEO boosting landing pages and product descriptions, as well as creating optimised and valuable original blog content.
• Off-Site Optimisation like guest post outreach, product outreach and more to create a strong backlink profile for your business.
• Monthly Reports to keep you in the loop of all the updates, changes, metrics, results and more.  

Average SEO Costs Per Month

The average SEO costs per month is between £500 and £6000 a month, but you can find services outside of that range, depending on your budget and the quality of service you go for. The price also depends on who you hire and the length of time you work with them for. 

Many SEO agencies will have different levels of packages and costs. For example, if you’re a plumber local SEO will be important for you, and you won’t and don’t need to be paying £6,000 per month for SEO. However if you’re an eCommerce website looking to break into a new market, £6,000 will be more inline with what you need to compete.

Related reading: What needs to be included in your SEO packages.

A good starting point would be to find an SEO company that specializes in organic SEO and has proven experience working with clients, along with a track record of success. 

Check for great reviews and testimonials. Top tip: be wary of SEO services that are ridiculously cheap, as they may be unlikely to follow through on the results that they promise. You’ll need to keep an eye for anyone who “guarantees” page one rankings as well. No one can do this, and it’s a red flag if they do. 

If you have a bigger budget and are looking for more hands on SEO guidance, it would be worth your while to hire an SEO Consultant or Digital Marketing Agency that will work with you in the trenches, every step of the way. 

Understanding SEO pricing models

When you first start looking into SEO pricing, you’ll see a mix of retainers, one‑off projects and sometimes even “performance‑based” deals. These SEO pricing models exist so that different types of business owners can choose the level of commitment and type of SEO campaign that fits their business goals.

Monthly retainers are the most common option and usually make sense if you want a well executed SEO strategy that compounds over time through regular content creation, on page optimisation, link building and ongoing technical optimisation. 

Project‑based SEO work is more suited to one‑off SEO audits, website migrations or a focused local SEO push, while performance‑based pricing can look tempting but is often risky if the SEO company cuts corners just to chase quick search engine results.

SEO packages at Dandy Marketing

If you’re unsure where to start, look for SEO providers who are transparent about what is and isn’t included, how they measure SEO success and how their pricing models support sustainable business growth instead of quick wins that fade as soon as the campaign stops.

Choosing between agencies, consultants, freelancers and in‑house

In the SEO world you’ll have plenty of choice: full‑service digital marketing agencies, specialist SEO consultancy outfits, solo SEO freelancers and, of course, building your own in house teams. None of these options is “right” or “wrong” – it’s about matching the level of expertise, support and capacity you need with a cost effective solution.

Working with an SEO agency or digital marketing agency will usually bring a wider team, more advanced SEO tools and experience across many sectors, which is ideal for bigger SEO projects or businesses with complex sites. A dedicated SEO consultant or freelancer might be a better fit if you want a more personal touch, tight collaboration and flexible SEO pricing, especially for small businesses who are just starting to test the waters.

If you’re considering hiring internally, remember that the cost of SEO isn’t just salary – you’ll also need to budget for training, software, analytics and enough time for that person to run a comprehensive SEO strategy, not just “fit SEO in” around other tasks. Many business owners find a hybrid approach works well: a core in‑house marketing team supported by specialist SEO professionals for strategic direction and heavier technical work.

SEO For Small Businesses

There are several things that small businesses can do to improve their online presence. Some basic small business SEO tips like keyword and metadata optimization, improving site speeds, and having a mobile ready website are all factors that make up proper SEO for small businesses. 

Making sure that your business has a well optimized website should be one of the first things you do as a small business owner, as it’s not enough anymore just to have an online presence; it needs to be optimized properly in order to attract potential customers. 

We recommend going for a marketing agency that specialises in small and medium sized businesses if you want to reap the full benefits of SEO for small businesses!

Claim a Free SEO Audit Today at Dandy Marketing!

👉Grab Your Free SEO Audit Today at Dandy Marketing!

What about AI search engines and the future cost of SEO?

With AI search engines and search features evolving quickly, it’s natural to worry that all your SEO efforts might suddenly stop working. However, that’s not quite right. In reality, the fundamentals of a comprehensive SEO strategy still hold: helpful content, clean technical foundations and clear signals that show you’re a trusted, relevant choice for searchers.

As search engines become smarter, shallow tactics and low‑quality shortcuts are more likely to be filtered out, which makes investing in a high quality SEO package and an effective SEO strategy even more important. The future of SEO focuses on user‑first content creation, strong information architecture, genuine authority building and making your site the best answer to the questions your ideal customers are asking.

The cost of SEO may shift over time as tools, competition and user behaviour change, but the return on investing in a clear, well‑structured SEO campaign that aligns with your business goals and customers’ needs is unlikely to disappear any time soon.

Closing Thoughts

At Dandy Marketing, we know that SEO is the key to a great marketing strategy. That’s why we’ll audit your site and provide you with a free, no-obligation report to get you started! 

However, if you want to dive straight into our Comprehensive and Specialist SEO Services, we provide affordable monthly SEO packages with no strings attached, making it easier than ever to get started with your business SEO strategy! 

How Much Does SEO Cost UK FAQs