Need a deeper next step? Pair this guide with SEO Growth Services and FAQ: What does SEO growth include?. Also read Solutions-Based SEO: Content That Answers and Converts and SEO Content Calendar: Planning and Prioritizing .
SEO retainers vary wildly. Here’s what a transparent agency does — and what you should ask for.
Month 1: Audit and Foundation
- Technical audit — Crawl, speed, structure. Prioritized fix list.
- Keyword research — What to target. Commercial and informational.
- Content gap — What’s missing? What to create first?
- 90-day plan — Week-by-week. What gets done, when.
Ongoing: Execution
- Technical fixes — Implemented. Not just recommendations.
- Content — 2–4 pieces per month. Briefs, writing, or both.
- Optimization — On-page, internal linking. Ongoing improvement.
- Reporting — Traffic, rankings, leads. Monthly. Tied to your goals.
What to Ask
- What’s included? — Hours? Deliverables? Content? Be specific.
- Who works on it? — Dedicated or shared? Senior or junior?
- How do you measure? — Vanity metrics or pipeline? Tie to revenue.
We run retainers with clear deliverables. Start a search audit.
Keep exploring
Continue with one service page and one FAQ answer tied to this topic.
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