Costs and pricing
Part of Local SEO costs and pricing explained, from audit to retainer
When to review local SEO return on investment figures
A step-by-step way to check local SEO return on investment, with a before and after table, cost bands in pounds and a named source for every figure you cite.
What to take away
- Review local SEO return on investment when a measurable change lands: a new budget cycle, a price rise, a lost client, or a platform update that shifts how leads arrive.
- Judge it over a fixed 90-day window, comparing the leads produced with the spend behind them.
- Set a realistic ceiling from official business counts and your CRM data, using the local SEO costs and budget guide for England.
- Record the source and date for every number, because a figure without a citation is an opinion.
Set the review trigger before you spend
A return figure only means something against a baseline. Decide now what event forces a review: a retainer renewal, a change in average job value, or a ranking shift that changes call volume. Write the trigger into the contract.
Two extra rules keep the exercise honest. Freeze the measurement window on the day the trigger fires, and name the person who pulls the data. If nobody owns the number, the review slips a quarter and the baseline drifts.
Build the before and after table
Take 90 days before the work started and 90 days after, with identical columns.
| Measure | Before (90 days) | After (90 days) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enquiries from local search | 40 | 58 | CRM, tagged by channel |
| Average job value | £300 | £300 | Invoicing system |
| Revenue from those enquiries | £12,000 | £17,400 | CRM plus invoices |
| Local SEO spend | £1,800 | £2,400 | Agency invoices |
| Return on investment | 567% | 625% | Calculated |
Those figures are illustrative. If a team pays £400 a month and gains four extra jobs at £120 each, the gross gain is £480 against £400 of spend, a 20% return before staff time.
Include a row you expect to be flat or negative. A returning-customer count rarely moves much, and showing it proves you are not only reporting the wins.
Count the right cost base
Most inflated returns come from a narrow cost base. Include the retainer, any setup fee, ad hoc content, and the internal hours spent approving copy or answering calls.
If you exclude internal time, you are measuring the agency's return, not yours. Say which one the number describes.
Put a rate on those internal hours, even a rough one. For example, a manager on a £40,000 salary costs about £20 an hour once employer costs are added, so six hours a month is roughly £120 of hidden spend. Label that as an estimate in the table.
Check the demand actually exists
Before promising growth, confirm there are enough businesses and searchers in the area. The business population estimates 2023 put the UK private sector at 5.5 million businesses, and the great majority are small firms that buy local services.
That is a ceiling, not a forecast. Match it to your catchment, then count the competitors holding the top map positions. If three firms already hold every position for your main service, a new page will not change the arithmetic quickly.
Separate skills gaps from spend gaps
A weak return is often a competency problem rather than a budget problem. The Global Professional Marketing Framework sets out digital and SEO skills as defined marketing competencies, a checklist of what the person doing the work should evidence.
If the retainer buys activity but not that skill set, adding budget will not lift the return. Fix capability before spend.
Handle AI-assisted work lawfully
If content or reporting uses AI tools, the processing still needs a lawful basis and a clear record of what personal data is involved. The ICO guidance on artificial intelligence explains how to assess that in practice. Build the check into your normal reporting cycle.
Keep a source register
Every return calculation rests on numbers, so keep a register naming each source, its publication date and the page it came from. The local SEO budget template and sources sets out a layout that lets a client or finance lead trace any figure back. Where a number cannot be traced, mark it as an estimate in the table.
Common questions
How often should I review local SEO return on investment?
Quarterly suits most small firms, because 90 days gives enough enquiries to see a pattern. Review sooner if job value changes or a platform update alters how leads arrive.
What counts as a good return?
There is no official benchmark. Set a target from your own margin: at 40% gross margin you need enough extra jobs to cover the fee and still leave profit. State that assumption next to the return.
Can I calculate return without CRM data?
You can, but it will be weak. Use call tracking and enquiry forms with a tagged source, and record the date each figure was taken. Untagged leads should be reported separately.
Should the review include AI tool costs?
Yes, if those tools produce or support the work being measured. List subscriptions and staff hours alongside the agency fee so the return reflects the whole cost of delivery.
