The short answer. In the UK, most small businesses pay £500-£1,500 a month for ongoing SEO, growing businesses and B2B firms pay £1,500-£5,000, and large or national campaigns run from £5,000 to £25,000 or more. In the US, the equivalent ranges are roughly $500-$3,000, $3,000-$15,000 and $15,000 and up.
Typical monthly prices
Most SEO is sold as a monthly plan, sometimes called a retainer. These are typical ranges in 2026, based on published agency prices and industry surveys.
| Type of business | UK, per month | US, per month |
|---|---|---|
| Small or local business, one location | £500-£1,500 | $500-$3,000 |
| Growing business, B2B or e-commerce | £1,500-£5,000 | $3,000-$15,000 |
| Large, national or multi-location | £5,000-£25,000+ | $15,000-$25,000+ |
Freelancers often charge less than agencies. Specialist agencies in competitive sectors, such as legal, finance or national e-commerce, often charge more.
What changes the price
- Competition. Ranking a solicitor in central London takes far more work than ranking one in a market town.
- Size. A 20-page site and a 5,000-product shop need very different amounts of technical and content work.
- Locations. Each branch needs its own page, Google Business Profile and reviews.
- How much is published. New and refreshed pages are usually the biggest cost after the first few months.
- Coverage and links. Digital PR and outreach take time and add to the price.
- Your starting point. A site with serious technical problems needs more work up front.
One-off costs
Some SEO work is priced as a project:
- An SEO review or audit: typically £500-£3,000 in the UK, or $750-$5,000 in the US, depending on the size of the site.
- A website migration: from about £1,500, rising with the number of pages.
- Hourly consultancy: typically £75-£150 an hour in the UK, and $100-$200 in the US.
When it's too cheap
At £150 a month there isn't enough time for technical work, content and reporting, so something gets skipped. Be wary of:
- Guaranteed rankings, or guaranteed first place on Google
- Packages that sell a fixed number of links each month
- Reports full of activity with no mention of enquiries or sales
- No clear list of what will be delivered
What you should get for your money
Whatever you pay, ask for this in writing before you sign:
- What will be delivered each month, with numbers: pages, fixes, links or coverage
- How AI search is covered, and how it will be measured
- What the monthly report shows, including enquiries or sales from search
- The minimum term and notice period
Our own guide to what an SEO agency does each month goes through this in more detail.
What we charge
Our search plans have fixed prices: Foundation at £950 a month, Growth at £1,950 and Authority at £4,500 ($1,250, $2,500 and $5,750 in the US), with 10% off if you pay for the year up front. Each plan lists exactly what we deliver every month. See our plans and pricing.