How much does local SEO cost in the UK? Prices for 2026
Most UK local businesses pay about £300 to £1,500 a month for local SEO for one location, and the middle of the market sits around £800. A count of prices UK providers publish on their own sites found a median of about £800 a month, with the middle half between roughly £410 and £1,500. Setup projects usually cost £250 to £1,500, and audits £500 to £3,000. There's no independent UK price survey, so most figures below are agency estimates; we've said which is which.
Typical UK local SEO prices
median monthly price across 45 prices published by UK SEO providers (£837.50 across 38 comparable prices on a re-check in October). Not a survey: it only counts providers that publish a price.
the middle half of UK published SEO prices per month; entry tiers had a median of £447.
| Source | What it is | Local SEO per month |
|---|---|---|
| Whito (June 2026) | Planning estimate | £300–£800 for local SEO; £500–£1,500 for a local or regional business |
| ProfileTree (Aug 2026) | Agency's package tiers | £400–£600 starter, £700–£1,200 growth, £1,200–£2,500 full service |
| Whitehat SEO (Apr 2026) | Agency estimate | £500–£1,200 local or start-up; £800–£1,500 low-competition local |
| Visionary Marketing (Aug 2026) | Agency estimate, citing another agency's price tables | £1,000–£4,000 |
What each budget usually gets you
ProfileTree publishes the clearest UK breakdown of what's inside each tier. Other agencies package things differently, so use it as a checklist when you compare quotes.
| Tier | Price per month | Typically included |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | £400–£600 | 2–4 Google posts a month, 10–15 citations, review monitoring |
| Growth | £700–£1,200 | 4–8 Google posts a month, 20–30 citations, review replies and a review campaign |
| Full service | £1,200–£2,500 | Daily profile monitoring, local link building, local content, several locations |
One-off costs, hourly and day rates
| Item | Typical UK price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Local SEO setup (profile, citations) | £250–£800 (estimate); £600–£1,500 (agency projects); from about £500 | Whito; ProfileTree; Ignite SEO |
| SEO audit | £500–£3,000 (estimate); up to £7,500 for large sites | Whito; Whitehat SEO |
| Freelancer hourly rate | £30–£60 junior, £60–£150 experienced | Whito (estimate) |
| Agency hourly rate | £70–£300+; London specialists £250–£400+ | Whitehat SEO (estimate) |
| SEO consultant day rate | £374 average on one freelance platform | YunoJuno 2026 |
Ask whether a quote includes VAT. The UK standard rate is 20%, and many agency prices are shown without it.
Contracts and red flags
- Whitehat SEO says 6–12 month minimum terms are typical in the UK. Visionary Marketing lists a 12-month lock-in with no break clause as a red flag.
- Google's own advice: no one can guarantee a #1 ranking, and be wary of SEOs that email you out of the blue or won't explain what they'll do.
- Make sure your Google Business Profile, website and ad accounts stay in your name, with the agency added as a manager.
- Ask for a written list of what's done each month and a report that shows calls and enquiries, not just rankings.
Google Local Services Ads in the UK
Local Services Ads charge per lead, not per click. Google sets the price through bidding and publishes no typical UK cost per lead. Agency reporting for plumbers puts it at about £15–£40 a qualified lead in normal areas and £60–£100 or more in competitive cities. Treat that as a rough guide for trades, not a quote.
A worked example: Flexi Local's published prices
Flexi Local works with UK businesses. Our plans are published in US dollars, per location, with no long contracts on monthly plans:
| Plan | Price (USD) | Who does the work |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | $97/month, plus $49 per extra location | You, with our review software |
| Reviews + Leads | $197/month per location | You, plus missed-call text-back, one inbox and booking |
| Local Growth | $497/month per location | Our team: Google profile run for you (4 posts a month, photos, Q&A), every review replied to, a new page or article each month, website, rank grid and a monthly call |
| Growth + Ads | $997/month per location, plus ad spend | Everything in Local Growth, plus Google and Meta ads |
Local Growth is the closest match to a UK "growth" local SEO package, because our team does the work. Reviews and Reviews + Leads are software you run yourself.
Sources
- Whito: SEO costs UK 2026 (count of prices UK providers publish, collected June 2026; updated 27 Oct 2026)
- ProfileTree: Local SEO packages and prices (29 Aug 2026)
- Whitehat SEO: SEO package prices in the UK (13 Apr 2026)
- Visionary Marketing: SEO pricing in the UK (reviewed Aug 2026)
- Ignite SEO: How much does local SEO cost in the UK? (15 May 2026)
- YunoJuno: Marketing and communications contractor rates 2026
- GOV.UK: VAT rates
- Whito: How much do plumber leads cost in the UK? (16 Jul 2026)
- Google Local Services Ads Help: How bidding works
- Google Search Central: Do you need an SEO?
- Flexi Local pricing (October 2026)
Citing these figures? Please link to this page. If you spot a figure that's out of date, email hello@flexilocal.com.
Free 5-day local SEO email course
One short lesson a day on Google profiles, reviews, replies, rankings and AI search. Free, unsubscribe any time.
