SEO for small businesses, on a small budget
SEO for small businesses is the work that gets your firm into Google’s free results when customers search for what you sell. You do not need a big agency retainer. We charge £30 an hour, our smallest plan is £180 a month, and you can stop with 30 days’ notice. Most small businesses see early signs in 3 to 6 months.
- SEO Local, £180 a month 6 hours of work, with a written report
- 3 to 6 months the usual wait for early signs, said up front
- No contracts monthly plans stop with 30 days’ notice
- Free basics first we tell you what you can fix yourself
What can a small business fix for free first?
Quite a lot. You can do these five jobs yourself in an afternoon, and in a quiet market they may be all you need.
Done these? Our free local SEO checklist covers the next steps for listings, reviews and local links.
- Finish your Google Business Profile The right main category, your hours, your service area and real photos. This is the listing that shows on the map. Our Google Business Profile guide walks through it.
- One page for each service A plumber with one “Services” page loses to one with a page for boiler repairs and a page for bathroom fitting. Use the words customers type, which our keyword research guide helps you find.
- Clear page titles The title is the blue link in Google. Say what you do and where, in under 60 characters. Test any page with our free SEO checker.
- Ask every customer for a review Ask everyone, not just the happy ones, and reply to each review. Never pay for reviews.
- Set up Search Console Google’s free tool shows which searches you appear for and flags pages it cannot read.
When is SEO worth paying for?
When the free basics are done and the phone still is not ringing. These are the usual signs.
- Competitors outrank you for your main service Your profile is complete, but the same three firms show on the map and on page one. Beating them takes better pages, more reviews and mentions from local sites, month after month.
- You have no time for it SEO is steady work. If you are on site or with customers all day, paying for 6 hours a month can cost less than your own evenings.
- Something technical is in the way Pages missing from Google, a slow site on a phone or a site move that lost rankings. These need someone who can read the code. See technical SEO services.
SEO is not the answer if nobody searches for what you sell, or if you need enquiries this month. Google Ads is faster for that. Our guide to SEO or PPC for a small business compares the two.
What does SEO for a small business cost?
Every plan is a set number of hours at £30 an hour, billed monthly, with no minimum term.
- SEO Local, £180 a month 6 hours: Google Business Profile, local listings, on-page fixes and a monthly report. Suits a firm that serves one town or city.
- SEO Growth, £360 a month 12 hours: adds new content each month, technical fixes and outreach to real, relevant sites. Suits a firm in a busier market.
- SEO Pro, £600 a month 20 hours: adds ecommerce and category pages, more content and competitor tracking. Suits online shops.
Different budget? Divide it by £30 to get your hours, and we will plan the work to fit. To compare other quotes, read how much SEO costs in the UK.
What happens in the first three months?
On SEO Local, the hours go where they pay back first.
- Month 1: check and fix We check your site and your profile, fix what is holding them back and agree the searches to target.
- Month 2: pages and titles Service pages get clear titles, headings and copy in your customers’ words.
- Month 3: listings and reviews Your name, address and details match across the main directories, and a simple routine for asking for reviews is in place.
Each month you get a short report: what we did, the hours used and what moved in Search Console. If nothing has moved by month 6, we say so and change the plan.
How to spot a bad SEO offer
Small businesses get the most cold emails about SEO. Google’s own advice on hiring an SEO lists the warning signs.
- A guaranteed number one ranking Google says nobody can guarantee a top spot. Anyone who does is guessing.
- A “special relationship” with Google No agency has one, and “priority submission” to Google does not exist.
- Secret methods If they will not tell you what they change on your site, walk away.
- Hundreds of links for a low price Bought links break Google’s rules and can sink a site. We earn links, we never buy them.
- A 12-month contract Good SEO keeps you because it works. Ours stops with 30 days’ notice.
Questions about SEO for small businesses
Can’t see yours? Send us a question through the contact form or email support@wpwebtool.com. We’re here Mon–Fri, 09:00–18:30.
Can a small business compete with big companies on Google?
Often, yes, especially in local searches. Google shows nearby firms on the map for searches like “electrician near me”, and a national brand has no branch in your town. Narrow searches, such as one service in one area, are where small firms win first.
How much should a small business spend on SEO?
Enough hours to do steady work every month. For a firm serving one town, 6 hours a month (SEO Local, £180) is usually enough to start. Spend more only when the reports show the extra hours are paying back.
Can I do SEO for my small business myself?
The basics, yes. A complete Google Business Profile, a page for each service, clear titles and a habit of asking for reviews cover a lot. Pay for help when competitors still outrank you or something technical is in the way.
Do I need local SEO or national SEO?
If your customers come from one area, local SEO, which is about the map and searches with a place name. Our local SEO services page covers it. If you sell across the UK online, you need organic SEO built on content and links.
Do you work with small businesses outside Bristol?
Yes. We are based in Bristol and work with small businesses across the UK by email and video call. Clients near Bristol can meet us in person. The rate is £30 an hour everywhere.
Tell us about your business
Tell us what you sell, where your customers are and what you have tried. A reply lands in your inbox within 1 working day, Mon-Fri.
What happens next
- We reply by email or phone, within 1 working day.
- A free call to talk through your goals, by phone, video or in person.
- Your estimate in writing, in hours at £30 an hour, and never exceeded. See an example quote (PDF).
- support@wpwebtool.com
- Mon–Fri, 09:00–18:30
- Bristol-based, working UK-wide
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- A fixed estimate in hours before we start
- Never billed over it
- You own your site, domain and ad accounts
- No contracts or tie-ins
- A reply within 1 working day
See an example quote (PDF)Every task listed with its hours, so you can check the total line by line.