SEO Services in Streatham

Expect three to six months before meaningful movement and longer in competitive markets — SEO compounds slowly. Anyone promising page-one results in weeks is either targeting keywords no one searches or using risky tactics that can get you penalised.

No one controls Google's algorithm, so no one can guarantee a specific ranking honestly. That promise is the single clearest signal of a low-quality or risky provider. Legitimate SEOs talk about traffic, leads and probabilities, not guaranteed positions.

SEO earns organic rankings over time; local SEO focuses on maps, your business profile and local packs for nearby customers; paid ads (PPC) buy instant visibility that stops when you stop paying. Many businesses combine local SEO for now with organic SEO for the long game.

A clear scope (technical, content, links, reporting), monthly deliverables, KPIs beyond rankings (traffic, conversions), reporting cadence, contract length and exit terms, and confirmation that you own everything created and keep access to your own analytics and site.

Guaranteed rankings, secrecy about methods, buying spammy backlinks, no reporting, locking you out of your own Google/analytics accounts, and long contracts with no exit. Cheap link packages and 'thousands of backlinks' offers are red flags, not bargains.

One-off audits typically run £400-£2,500 and small-business monthly retainers £500-£3,000, with freelancers cheaper than agencies and competitive niches costing more.