How to read SEO pricing

Monthly retainers

The most common model. You pay a fixed amount each month for ongoing work. Good for steady progress. Make sure you know exactly what the retainer covers and whether there’s a minimum term.

Project fees

A one-off price for a defined job, such as an audit, a site migration or a batch of content. Useful when you need a specific thing done. Less useful for keeping things on track over time.

Hourly or daily rates

Common with freelancers and consultants. Flexible, but harder to budget for, and you pay for time rather than results. Ask for an estimate before work starts.

Per-page or per-task pricing

Some providers charge per article, per page optimised or per link. It’s easy to understand, but it can encourage quantity over quality. Twenty weak articles are worth less than three good ones.

What the published numbers say

Whito’s count of published UK SEO prices found a middle published price of £799 a month across 45 UK providers in June 2026. Whito’s UK agency retainer research puts agency SEO retainers higher, at roughly £1,250 to £3,500 a month. Which number is more relevant depends on what kind of provider you’re looking at.

Which model suits which business

Monthly retainers suit businesses that want steady improvement without managing it themselves. Project fees suit a one-off job such as a site move or an audit. Hourly rates suit businesses with an in-house person who just needs expert help now and then. Per-task pricing can work for content, as long as quality is agreed upfront. Many businesses use a mix over time. Whichever model you choose, ask for the total you’ll pay over six months, including any setup fees or minimum terms. That makes very different pricing models easy to compare.

Freelance and hourly rates

Whito’s planning figures for UK freelancers are about £30 to £60 an hour for junior people and £60 to £150 an hour for experienced ones, or roughly £300 to £800 and £800 to £2,500 a month. Strategy-only consultants are typically £100 to £250 an hour. Hourly pricing is fair for advice, but it’s hard to budget for ongoing work.

One-off projects

Some jobs don’t need a monthly fee. Whito puts a one-off SEO audit at roughly £500 to £3,000 and keyword research at £300 to £1,500. A project makes sense when you have someone to act on the findings. If you don’t, the report tends to sit in a drawer, and ongoing help is better value.

Mixing models

Many small firms combine models. A one-off audit at the start, then a low monthly plan to keep things in order, then the odd hourly session with a consultant when a big decision comes up. That spreads the cost and means you only pay for expert time when you need it.

Our pricing

A flat £99 a month. The price shown is the full monthly price you pay. No setup fee, no contract and no extras for the core service.

Common questions

Where this guide to pricing models quotes prices, the figures come from Whito’s UK SEO cost research and Whito’s UK agency retainer research (2026). They’re typical ranges for planning, not quotes.

More on SEO costs