Ongoing review of performance and identification of opportunities for continued improvement, offered as a flexible alternative to a long-term agency contract. This service uses SEO and analytics tools to monitor website performance, identify opportunities, and support data-driven optimization, and it reflects the specialist's approach of reviewing performance and improving search visibility over time.
An SEO agency is a company that helps businesses improve their visibility in unpaid, organic Google search results, typically through a mix of technical site fixes, content strategy, and link building rather than paid advertising.
Typically 3 to 6 months for meaningful movement, and 6 to 12 months for competitive keywords. Agencies promising overnight results should raise questions.
SEO agencies specialize specifically in organic search work like content, technical fixes, and link building, while full-service agencies also handle paid ads, social, and other channels. Check each listing's services to see what's actually covered.
Retainers commonly range from a few hundred to several thousand dollars per month, depending on scope, industry competitiveness, and agency size. Check individual listings for their specific services.
Many businesses use an agency for specialized technical work like audits or link building while keeping content strategy in-house, so it isn't always an either-or choice.
At minimum, organic traffic and keyword ranking movement over time. Better reporting also ties results to leads or revenue where possible, rather than stopping at traffic and ranking numbers alone.
A 3 to 6 month initial term with a defined review checkpoint is a reasonable middle ground - long enough for real movement to show, without locking you into a long-term commitment before you've seen results.