SEO retainer · Add-on
Search work that compounds — month after month, year after year.
£650/month, on top of a Foundation, Growth, or Scale plan. Keyword strategy, technical SEO, on-page work, content optimisation, and reporting on the rankings and traffic that move enquiries.
Businesses that depend on search traffic
A meaningful share of enquiries comes from people who Googled a problem you solve. You want that share to grow rather than slowly erode.
Sites whose rankings have plateaued or slipped
The site used to rank for the right things, and now it does not. Or it ranks for terms that never convert. You want a team that will do the work to change that, rather than send another audit and hope.
Owners ready to commit for at least 6 months
SEO is not a sprint. The realistic window for results is 3 to 6 months. A shorter window pays for the audit and stops before the work compounds.
Keyword strategy
Quarterly keyword research grounded in your actual customers, rather than vanity searches. Intent is mapped to pages, gaps are identified, and the terms worth pursuing this quarter are chosen.
Technical SEO
Crawlability, indexation, site structure, internal linking, structured data, page speed, mobile UX, sitemaps, canonical handling. Fixed as issues surface in the monitoring.
On-page optimisation
Titles, meta descriptions, headings, image alt text, structured data blocks, and copy improvements on the pages that matter, based on what the analytics show.
Content optimisation
Rewriting existing pages to win the queries they should be winning, and briefs for new content where there is a clear gap. (Content production beyond optimisation is scoped separately.)
Monthly reporting
Rankings on the keywords that matter, organic traffic and conversions from search, the work that was shipped, and the recommendation for next month.
Month 1 · Audit and strategy
A full technical and content audit, keyword research grounded in your customers, competitor analysis, and a written 90-day plan. Targets and priorities are agreed before the work starts.
Month 2 · Quick wins
Technical fixes that move rankings without waiting for re-indexing, on-page work across the top revenue pages, structured data, and a pass over metadata.
Month 3 · Compounding work
Content optimisation across the next set of pages, internal linking structure, deeper technical work, and the first month-over-month comparison on rankings and traffic.
Weekly
Rank tracking across the target keyword set. Technical monitoring (indexation, crawl errors, Core Web Vitals).
Monthly
On-page work across the prioritised pages, plus a written report covering rankings, traffic, conversions from organic, the work shipped, and the next month's recommendation.
Quarterly
A strategy review: which keywords are working, which are not, what to drop, what to chase next, and the plan for the coming quarter.
With Foundation
The retainer runs offensive search work; Foundation keeps the site safe and watched. The lightest pairing, suited to sites that are already solid.
With Growth (recommended)
The most common pairing. The retainer chases rankings; Growth ships the 3 hours of monthly improvement work on the pages that need it. The two reinforce each other.
With Scale
SEO fills the top of the funnel; Scale runs the pipeline that converts it into booked customers. The full stack.
Can the retainer run without a plan?
The SEO retainer runs alongside a Foundation, Growth, or Scale plan because the technical work depends on the site being properly hosted, measured, and improving. Changes need to be able to ship safely, and a plan makes that possible.
How does this differ from the on-page SEO already in Growth?
Growth keeps titles, metadata, structured data, and internal links current as pages change, which keeps the site indexable and well-understood. The SEO retainer is the offensive work on top: keyword strategy, deep technical fixes, content optimisation, ranking growth. Growth holds the line; the retainer moves it.
When will I see results?
Technical and on-page work can move rankings within a few weeks. Content and authority work compounds over 3 to 6 months. A faster timeline usually involves tactics that backfire later.
Do you guarantee rankings?
Specific rankings cannot be guaranteed by any provider. What we commit to is the work itself (audits, technical fixes, on-page passes, reporting) and full transparency about what is and is not moving. Rankings are an outcome we work toward.
Which tools do you use?
Industry-standard rank tracking, technical crawlers, and analytics. Specific vendors are an implementation detail and change over time as better options appear, so they are not listed here.
Do you also do content writing?
Optimisation of existing content is part of the retainer. New content writing (blog posts, landing pages, pillar pieces) is scoped separately as a content project, usually with Doman Digital. We then optimise and monitor it once it ships.
What happens if I cancel?
No minimum term. Cancel any time — your plan stops renewing and the current month is not refunded. No exit fee. The work that has shipped stays on the site, along with the audits, the keyword research, and the rankings the work has earned.
Ad management, £600/month + ad spend
Paid search and paid social. The complement to SEO: ads buy traffic immediately while the SEO work compounds in the background. Read about Ad management →
Start SEO retainer
£650/month. Cancel any time.
IDS is not currently VAT registered. No VAT is charged. No minimum term. Cancel any time — your plan stops renewing and the current month is not refunded. No exit fee.