How much does SEO cost in Ireland?
What SEO costs in Ireland: monthly retainers, one-off audits and local SEO prices, what should be included and how to compare quotes.
By the TechQuotes team · Updated 23 Oct 2026 · 3 min read
Most small businesses in Ireland spend €300 to €1,200 a month on SEO, and a one-off SEO audit usually costs €500 to €2,500. What you get for that money varies a lot, so this guide explains how SEO is priced, what should be included and how to compare quotes.
Typical prices
| What you're buying | Typical cost (excl. VAT) |
|---|---|
| A one-off SEO audit with a list of fixes | €500 to €2,500 |
| Local SEO for a small business | €300 to €800 a month |
| Ongoing SEO with content and link building | €800 to €2,000 a month |
| A competitive campaign across Ireland | €2,000 a month and up |
These are typical ranges, not fixed prices. Freelancers tend to be at the lower end and agencies at the higher end. Very cheap monthly packages usually buy only a few hours of work, so ask exactly what's done each month.
How SEO is priced
- Monthly retainer. The most common model: a fixed fee each month for an agreed amount of work, such as technical fixes, new content, local listings, links and reporting.
- One-off project. An audit, help with a website move, or setting up local SEO. Good value if someone in your business can carry on the work afterwards.
- Hourly or daily rate. Common for consultants, and for training your own staff.
What should be included
- Technical health: page speed, how the site works on phones, broken links, pages Google can't index and structured data.
- Content: pages that answer what your customers search for, such as your services, prices and the areas you cover.
- Local SEO: your Google Business Profile, Bing Places, reviews and the same business details on every directory.
- Links: genuine links from relevant Irish websites, such as suppliers, trade associations and local news sites.
- Reporting: clicks, enquiries and rankings from Google Search Console and your analytics, explained in plain English.
What drives the cost
- Competition. Ranking for "solicitor Dublin" takes far more work than "plumber Mallow".
- Area. Targeting one town costs less than targeting all of Ireland.
- Your website. A slow or outdated site may need fixing before SEO work pays off. See how much a website costs.
- Content. If the provider writes your service pages and articles, that's a big part of the fee.
How long it takes
SEO is slow. You can often see early improvements in 2 to 3 months, but competitive searches can take 6 to 12 months. Be wary of anyone who guarantees first place on Google: nobody can.
Red flags
- Guaranteed rankings, or "page one in 30 days".
- Hundreds of links for a low price. Paid or spammy links can get a site penalised.
- No access to your own Google Search Console, analytics or Google Business Profile. These should be in your business's name.
- A long contract without a clear list of what's done each month.
Questions to ask
- What exactly will you do each month?
- Which searches will you target, and why those?
- How will you report results, and how will we count enquiries?
- Who owns the content and accounts you create?
- Is there a minimum term, and what's the notice period?
Don't forget VAT
If the provider is registered for VAT, Irish VAT (currently 23% on most services) is added to their price. On TechQuotes every quote says whether VAT is included.
Post a free request for SEO and compare quotes from SEO and digital marketing professionals across Ireland.