How much does SEO cost for a small business in the UK? What a trade firm should actually pay for

Small business SEO isn't the same as big-brand SEO

When a national retailer buys SEO, it's paying for thousands of product pages and a team of specialists. A plumber in Kilmarnock or a roofer in Dundee needs something much more focused: to show up when someone nearby searches for the job they do. That's local SEO, and for most trades it's the only kind worth paying for.

So when you look at prices online, check what kind of SEO is being priced. A lot of what you'll read is written for online shops, not for trades.

The five things a small trade business should pay for

1. Google Business Profile work. Google says local results are mainly based on relevance, distance and prominence, and the profile is where relevance starts: the right category, services, service areas and photos.
2. Website fixes. Clear pages for your main services and the towns you cover, with titles and headings that say what you do and where.
3. Consistent listings. Your business name, phone and area the same everywhere you're listed.
4. Reviews, done properly. A simple review link or QR code to send after each job. Google says offering incentives for reviews is strictly prohibited, so this has to be honest asking, nothing more.
5. Genuine local links. Prominence is also based on how many websites link to your business, but Google treats bought ranking links as link spam.

What to steer clear of

• Guaranteed rankings. Google says no one can guarantee a number one ranking.
• "Thousands of backlinks" packages. That's exactly what Google's spam policies describe.
• Long contracts with no list of monthly tasks.
• Reports full of jargon and no mention of calls, enquiries or map visibility.

How to work out what's worth paying

Use your own figures. Take the profit on an average job and divide the monthly fee by it. That tells you how many extra jobs a month you need just to break even. For most trades with decent job values, the answer should be small. If it isn't, either the fee is too high for what's included or the work is aimed at searches that won't bring you paying customers.

Also give it a fair chance. SEO isn't a quick fix: it builds month on month. Google's own starter guide says some changes take effect quickly and others take much longer.

A simple way to compare two quotes

Put the quotes side by side and tick off what each actually includes. Does it name your Google Business Profile? Does it include changes to your own website, or just advice? Does it say how listings and reviews are handled? Does it explain where links will come from? Is there a report, and what's in it?

The quote with more ticks isn't necessarily better, but a quote with very few is usually paying for something you can't see. And watch for set-up fees that cover work you'd expect as standard, like fixing your profile category or adding missing service pages.

Finally, check the notice period. A provider confident in the work doesn't need to lock you in for a long time.

Signs you're getting value after a few months

• Your profile shows for your trade in more of the towns you want.
• More calls and website clicks come from your profile.
• New, genuine reviews are arriving steadily.
• You can name the local sites that now link to you.

Do it yourself or get it done for you?

Google says a small local business can probably do much of the work itself, and that's true if you've got the time. The trade-off is evenings spent on your profile and website instead of quoting, invoicing or being with your family. If you'd rather hand it over, that's what our Managed Site Improvement Package is for.