Ready to invest in SEO but need real numbers, not sales fluff?
This guide explains every cost driver, realistic price ranges, and the ROI maths—so you can budget with confidence before you even call an agency.
TL;DR (Key Facts)
- Typical monthly spend: £300 – £1,300 for most UK local businesses.
- Biggest price drivers: service-area count, competition level, and website health.
- Cost per organic lead: averages £40 (vs. £65 Google Ads).
- Breakeven timeline: 3–6 mo for medium-competition towns; 6–9 mo for cities.
- DIY vs. Agency: DIY saves cash short-term but often costs 40 % more per lead long-term.
1 · What Really Determines Your SEO Budget?
| Cost driver | Why it matters | Example impact |
|---|---|---|
| Service-area count | More pages & citations to rank | Bishop’s Stortford only → £300/mo; add Chelmsford + Guildford → +£200 |
| Competition level | Links & content volume scale with competitors | “Plumber Surrey” (high comp) adds ~30 % to cost |
| Website condition | Poor Core Web Vitals slow growth | Site rebuild (£500 one-off) often shaves 2 mo off ROI |
| Speed expectations | Faster ≠ free—need more content & links per month | Accelerated (3–6 mo) plan costs ~30 % more |
Local tip: Rural Essex trades often hit page-one with a £350 budget; central-London dentists rarely see movement under £1 000.
2 · 2025 Price Benchmarks (Across 42 Onexius Campaigns)
| Monthly budget | Scenario | Avg. leads/mo* | 12-mo ROI** |
|---|---|---|---|
| £300 – £450 | Single-town, low comp | 8–12 | 170 % |
| £550 – £750 | Multi-town, med comp | 15–25 | 240 % |
| £900 – £1,300 | City / regional domination | 30–45 | 300 %+ |
* Organic phone + form leads.
** ROI assumes £250 profit/lead (adjust to your margins).
3 · Hidden Costs to Watch
- Call tracking: £45/mo—but without it you can’t prove ROI.
- Copywriting: £100/page if your team can’t produce SEO-optimised content.
- Stock vs. custom photos: Original imagery boosts conversions ~20 %.
- Cheap link packages: May look like a bargain—risk £1000s in Google penalties.
4 · DIY, Freelancer or Agency—Which Pays Off?
| Option | Up-front outlay | Learning curve | Long-term lead cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIY (your time) | £50 – £100 tools | Steep | £65 /lead (mistakes add up) |
| Freelancer | £200 – £400/mo | Medium | £48 /lead (skills vary) |
| Specialist agency (Onexius) | £300 – £1,300/mo | None | £40 /lead (proven systems) |
5 · 6-Question Checklist Before You Hire
- How many service areas do we really need to rank in year one?
- Do we need a site rebuild first? (Hint: mobile speed <75 → yes.)
- What’s our average profit per job? (ROI hinges on this number.)
- Can we supply review requests & photos on schedule?
- How will success be tracked—calls, forms, revenue?
- Contract terms: monthly rolling or long-term tie-in?
(Steal this list—ask it on your very first discovery call.)
6 · Real-World Example: Landscaper in Surrey
| Metric | Month 0 | Month 6 |
|---|---|---|
| SEO spend | £0 → £550/mo | £3 300 total |
| Organic leads | 0 → 18/mo | — |
| Jobs closed | 0 → 7/mo | — |
| Avg. profit/job | — | £1 200 |
| Net ROI | — | 292 % |
7 · FAQs
Can I pause SEO after 6 months?
Yes, but rankings will slowly fade—budget 20 – 30 % of the build phase for maintenance.
Is local SEO dead with AI Overviews?
No—LLMs still cite well-optimised pages; strong organic rankings future-proof visibility.
Will Google Ads be cheaper than SEO?
Ads deliver faster but average £25 more per lead in our 2024-25 data.
Ready to See Your Exact Numbers?
Step 1: Run our 15-second SEO Calculator
Step 2: Email or call for a no-pressure strategy chat.
Onexius—transparent pricing, measurable ROI. Serving Bishop’s Stortford, Surrey, Essex & businesses nationwide.
