What you will get from this guide
- Local SEO price ranges in pounds and dollars, monthly, one-off and hourly, with sources and where they disagree
- What Google says decides local rankings, and what a monthly fee should actually cover
- A break-even sheet that shows how many extra customers cover the fee and when you might see a return
Local SEO for a small business usually costs about £500 to £1,200 a month in UK guides and about $500 to $3,000 a month in US guides. WebFX puts the US average at $500 to $3,000, with one-off projects at $500 to $5,000 and consulting at $75 to $200 an hour. Prices below about £500 a month tend to mean automated tasks rather than strategy. Cost rises with competition, the number of locations and the number of services you want to rank for.
Local SEO is not a purchase you can rush: sources put noticeable results at roughly three to six months, and Google itself says no one can pay for a better local ranking. This guide shows what the fee should cover, how to check it will pay back, and what to do for free first. For a scoped plan, see our SEO and growth service.
AJ Creationz sells SEO, and nearly every local SEO price guide is published by an SEO provider. Treat all ranges as indicative. We cannot promise a ranking, and neither should anyone you hire.
Local SEO cost: UK and US price ranges
| Measure | UK, pounds | US, dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly retainer, small business | £500 to £1,200 for local and startup work, about 5 to 10 hours a month (Whitehat) | $500 to $3,000 average (WebFX); $750 to $1,500 for a local foundation (W3era) |
| Agency retainer range | Agencies from £1,500 for wider SEO (Whitehat) | $500 to $2,000 (SEO.com) |
| One-off project | Not covered by the sources we opened | $500 to $5,000 for an audit, profile set-up or location pages (WebFX) |
| Hourly consulting | Freelancers £300 to £2,500 a month (Whitehat) | $75 to $200 an hour (WebFX) |
| Multi-location or enterprise | £5,000 to £20,000 or more for multi-location or international work (Whitehat) | More than $5,000 a month for enterprises (WebFX) |
Why do some surveys show lower numbers? SEO.com’s survey of what businesses spend lists $100 to $500 a month for businesses with up to 50 employees. That is what businesses report spending, which includes low-cost providers and tools. Agency retainers for a managed programme sit higher, so compare like with like: ask what hours and work a fee buys.
What decides how much local SEO costs
- Competition in your area and industry. A crowded market needs more pages, better content and more links to compete.
- Number of locations. Each location needs its own profile, pages and review effort.
- Number of services. Each service you want to rank for usually needs its own page.
- Who you hire. Freelancers cost less than agencies, and often include fewer deliverables.
- Scope. An audit and profile clean-up is a project. Ongoing content, links and reporting is a retainer.
WebFX lists the same five drivers, with industry competition first.
What local SEO is and what a fee should cover
Google’s Business Profile help says local results are based mainly on three things: relevance (how well your profile matches the search), distance (how far you are from the searcher) and prominence (how well known you are, based on factors such as links and reviews). It also says plainly that there is no way to request or pay for a better local ranking.
That sets what work is worth paying for. Distance is not something a fee can change, so the work is relevance and prominence:
- Google Business Profile: verified, complete and kept up to date, with photos, categories, hours and a clear description.
- Citations: your name, address and phone number consistent across the listings that matter.
- Reviews: a steady way of asking for them and replying to every one. Google says more reviews and positive ratings can help local ranking.
- Website and pages: service and location pages with real local information, fast on mobile.
- Local links and mentions: from sites a local customer would trust.
- Reporting: calls, direction requests and enquiries from search, not only positions.
How long does local SEO take to work?
One agency breaks it into phases: set-up and optimisation in the first one to three months, citations and links over three to six, and content and ongoing work over six to twelve. Other guides say three to six months before you see clear movement. These are provider estimates, and your market and starting point change them.
Google’s SEO starter guide is more cautious: changes can take from a few hours to several months to show, and it suggests waiting a few weeks before judging a change. Plan your budget for at least six months of cost before you expect a return.
Worksheet: how many customers does the fee need?
Customers needed to cover the fee = monthly fee ÷ profit per customer
Months to payback = (fee × ramp-up months) ÷ (extra monthly profit after ramp-up − fee). A ramp-up is the months before results arrive.
The figures below are assumptions, not a forecast, and results are not guaranteed. Swap in your own.
| Line | UK example | US example |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly fee | £600 | $1,000 |
| Profit per customer | £150 | $200 |
| Customers needed to cover the fee: fee ÷ profit | 4 | 5 |
| Assumed ramp-up with no extra customers | 6 months | 6 months |
| Cost before any return: 6 × fee | £3,600 | $6,000 |
| Extra customers a month after ramp-up (assumed) | 8 | 8 |
| Extra profit a month: 8 × profit per customer | £1,200 | $1,600 |
| Net each month after the fee | £600 | $600 |
| Months to recover the ramp-up cost | 3,600 ÷ 600 = 6 | 6,000 ÷ 600 = 10 |
| Payback reached in month | 12 | 16 |
What you can do for free before paying anyone
Google’s own tips are a good starting list, and they cost nothing but time:
- Verify your business on Google, so you can manage your profile.
- Keep your business information accurate and up to date: address, hours, phone number and categories.
- Respond to reviews, positive and negative.
- Add photos and videos of your premises, team and work.
- Make sure your website lists the same name, address and phone number as your profile, and runs the checks in our technical SEO audit checklist.
Questions to ask a local SEO provider
Google’s guidance on hiring an SEO gives a useful set. Ask for examples of previous work and success stories, whether they follow Google’s Search Essentials, what results and timeframe they expect and how they measure success, what experience they have in your industry and your area, and how they will communicate and share every change they make. If anyone guarantees first place, find someone else. Compare fees with SEO pricing.
Do this next
Do the free Google Business Profile steps this week, then fill in the payback table with your profit per customer. If the sums work, send us your location, services and goals and we will scope a plan with a written measure of success.
Frequently asked questions
How much does local SEO cost per month?
UK guides give about £500 to £1,200 a month for local and startup work. US guides give about $500 to $3,000. Costs rise with competition, the number of locations and the number of services.
Is local SEO worth it for a small business?
It can be, if the extra customers it brings cover the fee after the ramp-up period. Use the payback table: divide the fee by your profit per customer to see how many customers you need each month.
How long does local SEO take to work?
Providers estimate about three to six months for clear movement and six to twelve for sustained results. Google says changes can take from hours to months and suggests waiting a few weeks before judging a change.
What is the difference between SEO and local SEO?
Local SEO focuses on appearing in map and local results for searches with local intent. Google says those results are based mainly on relevance, distance and prominence.
Can I do local SEO myself?
Yes, the basics. Verify and complete your Google Business Profile, keep details accurate, ask for and answer reviews, add photos and keep your website consistent. Hire help for competitive markets or several locations.
Is local SEO a one-off cost or ongoing?
Both exist. One-off projects such as an audit, profile set-up or location pages are quoted at $500 to $5,000 in US guides. Ranking and reviews need ongoing work, so most providers sell a monthly retainer.
Why are some local SEO packages so cheap?
Several UK providers say packages under about £500 a month mostly cover automated tasks. Ask what a person does each month and how success is measured.
Can I pay for a better Google local ranking?
No. Google’s Business Profile help says there is no way to request or pay for a better local ranking. You pay for the work that improves relevance and prominence, not for a position.
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