HOW TO HIRE · MARKETING, DESIGN & TECH

How to hire an SEO specialist in Ireland
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

A seo specialist in Ireland costs €500–€2,500 per month, typically around €1,200. Here is how to check that in a minute, what to ask before you book, and what you must be handed when the job is done.

  • Search and compare — no account needed
  • Nearest to you first
  • One score from Google, Trustpilot and Locufy reviews

THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring an SEO specialist in five steps

  1. Are you a trader, and can I see that in writing?No register covers SEO specialist work, so trader status is what your consumer rights hang on — link Building — an essential part of SEO, link building involves acquiring high-quality backlinks from reputable websites.
  2. How does their level of experience change the price?An established name can charge more because the diary is full. — ask before the quote rather than after.
  3. How does complexity of the project change the price?Providers price it in because it cannot be worked around. — ask before the quote rather than after.
  4. How does specific services required change the price?What you pick at the start sets most of the price. — ask before the quote rather than after.
  5. What is not included?Technical SEO — technical SEO involves improving the backend structure of a website to enhance its performance and visibility — get the exclusions named in the quote, because a SEO specialist job is priced on what was agreed and not on what was assumed.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

NO REGISTER APPLIES. Anyone may trade as a designer, developer or marketer, and no qualification is required. Everything that protects you is in the contract, and the clause people forget is OWNERSHIP: without an assignment in writing the creator is the first owner of copyright in what they make, so you may be paying for a licence to use your own logo or website rather than for the thing itself.

Look for the trader badge and the ID-checked badge on the Locufy profile — both are checked by us, not claimed by the provider.

What to check instead

Who owns the work on delivery, in writing — assignment, not just 'full rights'; What happens to the source files, the domain and the hosting account, named; The deliverables listed with a number — how many concepts, how many revisions; The milestones and what each payment is for; For ads, whether the spend is separate from the fee, and who holds the ad account; Two references from clients whose work you can actually see.

Ask for each of these before you agree a price, and get the answers in the same message as the quote.

Insurance

Expect professional indemnity — for tech work, ask specifically about cyber cover. From a company, ask for the insurer, the limit and the VAT number, and ask who actually attends: the team that turns up may be employed, subcontracted or both, and only one of those is supervised by the firm you are paying.

Ask to see the current certificate of insurance — the insurer's name, the limit and the date it runs to.

Trader or private seller

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 a trader must tell you they are a trader, and your consumer rights — work carried out with reasonable skill and care, and a cooling-off period on a contract agreed in your home or online — apply to traders and not to private sellers. On Locufy the trader status is shown on the profile.

Look for the trader badge on the Locufy profile, and ask anyone else for it in writing before you agree a price.

VAT

VAT at 23%, the standard rate Revenue publishes for this service. Ask whether the price you were given includes it. A trader under the €42,500 registration threshold does not charge it; one over it must, and must show it separately.

Ask whether the figure you were given includes it, and for the VAT number if they are registered — Revenue publishes the rate for this service. revenue.ie →

“Are you a trader, and can I see that in writing?”

A good answer: No register covers SEO specialist work, so trader status is what your consumer rights hang on — link Building — an essential part of SEO, link building involves acquiring high-quality backlinks from reputable websites.

“How does their level of experience change the price?”

A good answer: An established name can charge more because the diary is full. — ask before the quote rather than after.

“How does complexity of the project change the price?”

A good answer: Providers price it in because it cannot be worked around. — ask before the quote rather than after.

“How does specific services required change the price?”

A good answer: What you pick at the start sets most of the price. — ask before the quote rather than after.

“What is not included?”

A good answer: Technical SEO — technical SEO involves improving the backend structure of a website to enhance its performance and visibility — get the exclusions named in the quote, because a SEO specialist job is priced on what was agreed and not on what was assumed.

“Who insures you, and what is the policy number?”

A good answer: Expect professional indemnity — for tech work, ask specifically about cyber cover — on-Page Optimization — this includes optimizing website elements such as title tags, meta descriptions, and content to improve search engine rankings.

“What do I get in writing, and when?”

A good answer: A written scope and a price before the SEO specialist starts, and an itemised invoice after — keyword Research — an SEO specialist conducts thorough keyword research to identify terms and phrases that potential customers are using to search for products or services.

Getting the quote right

  • Their level of experience — an established name can charge more because the diary is full.
  • Complexity of the project — providers price it in because it cannot be worked around.
  • Specific services required — what you pick at the start sets most of the price.
  • Complexity of your website — it is the part of the job hardest to judge from a photograph.
  • In writing before anyone starts — a message on Locufy counts
  • What is NOT included, named
  • Who actually attends, and whether they are employed or subcontracted
  • The VAT number, and whether it checks out on the Revenue register

Walk away if

  • They will not talk about it: their level of experience — an established name can charge more because the diary is full
  • They will not talk about it: complexity of the project — providers price it in because it cannot be worked around
  • They will not talk about it: specific services required — what you pick at the start sets most of the price
  • A price for the SEO specialist before anyone has asked the size, the access or the condition of what they are working on
  • Cash only, or a large deposit before anything at all has started
  • No written quote, or one that moves once the SEO specialist has begun
LOW
€500
TYPICAL
€1,200
HIGH
€2,500

What an SEO specialist costs: €500–€2,500 per month

The figures are for the job, per month, and a quote for your own is the only number that binds anyone. Keyword research and On-page seo each carry their own band. SEO Specialist price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

SEO specialists near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. Look firstTheir level of experience — an established name can charge more because the diary is full — that is what the SEO specialist is judging on the first visit, and a price given without it is a guess.
  2. Agree what is being doneComplexity of the project — providers price it in because it cannot be worked around — put in writing before anyone starts, because it is the document you both read back at the end.
  3. The work itselfSpecific services required — what you pick at the start sets most of the price — and anything found on the day that was not in that is priced before it is started.
  4. Check it togetherComplexity of your website — it is the part of the job hardest to judge from a photograph — walked against the written scope rather than against the feeling of it, while the SEO specialist is still there.
  5. What you are handedThe itemised invoice and any guarantee on the workmanship and the parts, level of competition in your industry — the look you want decides the method, and the method sets the price.

Keyword Research
An SEO specialist conducts thorough keyword research to identify terms and phrases that potential customers are using to search for products or services.
On-Page Optimization
This includes optimizing website elements such as title tags, meta descriptions, and content to improve search engine rankings.
Technical SEO
Technical SEO involves improving the backend structure of a website to enhance its performance and visibility.
Link Building
An essential part of SEO, link building involves acquiring high-quality backlinks from reputable websites.
On-Page SEO
Focuses on optimising individual web pages to rank higher and earn more relevant traffic.
Off-Page SEO
Includes strategies to improve a website's authority through backlinks and social media engagement.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the invoice and the paperworkAn itemised invoice with the trader's name, the work and the total — link Building — an essential part of SEO, link building involves acquiring high-quality backlinks from reputable websites, because it is what a buyer's solicitor, an insurer or a lender asks for long after the SEO specialist has gone.
Test what was doneTechnical SEO — technical SEO involves improving the backend structure of a website to enhance its performance and visibility — and something that does not work on the day is theirs to put right there and then.
Ask what the guarantee isOn the workmanship and on the parts, and for how long each one runs — they are usually different. on-Page Optimization — this includes optimizing website elements such as title tags, meta descriptions, and content to improve search engine rankings — under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 what was agreed is what can be relied on.
Leave the reviewOnly a booked job can be reviewed on Locufy, which is why the score on a SEO specialist's card means something — keyword Research — an SEO specialist conducts thorough keyword research to identify terms and phrases that potential customers are using to search for products or services.

STEP 1Say it in writing, firstSay what is wrong and what you want done. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 the work must be carried out with reasonable skill and care, and defective work put right.
STEP 2Use the make-it-right step on LocufyUnder four stars you are asked whether to send it to the provider first; we follow it through. Then review.
STEP 3Escalate to the body that regulates itThere is no register, so the route is the consumer body and, if needed, the courts.
STEP 4Small claimsSmall claims covers €2,000, once you have asked in writing and given them a chance to put it right.

Hiring an SEO specialist: questions people ask

The cost of hiring an SEO specialist is influenced by their level of experience, the complexity of the project, and the specific services required. More experienced specialists and comprehensive services typically command higher fees.

SEO is a long-term strategy, and it can take several months to see significant results. Typically, businesses can expect to see some improvements within 3 to 6 months, depending on the competitiveness of their industry.

While a general marketer may have some knowledge of SEO, hiring a qualified SEO specialist is recommended for effective results. They possess specific skills and expertise in optimizing websites for search engines.

SEO is generally not an emergency service, as it requires time to implement strategies and see results. However, some specialists may offer quick audits or consultations to address urgent issues.

Yes, many SEO specialists offer packages that include multiple services such as keyword research, on-page optimization, and content creation. Booking several services together may also lead to cost savings.

Out of scope for SEO services usually includes paid advertising, website design or development, and public relations. SEO specialists focus on improving organic search rankings rather than other marketing channels.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in marketing, design & tech

How to hire: Web DesignerHow to hire: Web DeveloperHow to hire: WordPress DeveloperHow to hire: E-commerce DeveloperHow to hire: Shopify ExpertHow to hire: App DeveloperHow to hire: iOS DeveloperHow to hire: Android DeveloperAll 701 hiring guides →

SEO specialists near you

SEO specialists in DublinSEO specialists in CorkSEO specialists in GalwaySEO specialists in LimerickAll seo specialists on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. Copyright and Related Rights Act 2000
  2. CCPC — your rights when you buy a service
  3. Consumer Rights Act 2022
  4. Courts Service — small claims
  5. Revenue — ADVERTISING - SERVICE — Standard rate
  6. Revenue — current VAT rates (effective 1 January 2026)
  7. Revenue — VAT thresholds: €42,500 for a person supplying services only