Is SEO a one-time thing?  If so, why are we being quoted a monthly fee?

Author: Ryan Walsh

Date: 14/07/2025

Table of contents:

• Why can’t search engine optimisation be a one-time process?
• Why does it require ongoing investment?
• What work do SEO agencies do when improving a company’s SEO?
• What are the main pillars of any effective SEO business?
• How often should I be working on my website’s search engine optimisation?
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Conclusion

 

Introduction

Naturally, all businesses want their site to rank as high as possible on Google.co.uk.

Whether you sell trainers or you’re one of the best lawyers around, often search engine optimisation is needed as a quick and effective way for customers to find your business.

From a business perspective, therefore, investing in climbing Google’s organic ranks makes perfect sense.  

However, what might be perplexing and somewhat confusing to businesses is why they need to pay an ongoing monthly fee.

Surely, once a business reaches the top of Google, it’s not wise to continue paying for it?

As always, we will offer you honest advice on how the SEO profession works.

Sit back, grab a coffee, and start learning why, next to most SEO quotes, will be the wording “PCM”.

 

Grit and determination

If you consider a boxing tournament for a moment, when a fighter reaches the top, they can’t say ‘job done’; it’s all over.

Well, not unless they want to exit the sport and retire.

Often, they must defend their title and train even harder than ever, as competitors will usually be looking to take it away from them.  

Well, this is why SEO is like a boxing match.

SEO is an ongoing journey that requires constant effort and perseverance- it’s like training.

Just as boxers work on different areas of their fitness, agility, and technique, an SEO agency must do the same. They must work on “outboxing the competition” – believe us when we say, this is not a one-off process.

That’s because all businesses are constantly jostling, working hard, to improve their visibility.

This is why continuous effort is necessary; the following section will explain why this is the case.

 

 

Is SEO a one-time thing?

Businesses of all sizes often need to invest in search engine optimisation, from local companies that may employ only a handful of people, through to large PLCs and FTSE 500 companies.

It can be a considerable investment for some companies, as it typically requires a substantial amount of work to be carried out each month.

For example, our “to-do list” for any week could involve:

Building links

Writing endless pieces of content marketing

Fixing technical SEO issues

Working out how a recent Google Core Algorithm update has impacted a business

 

The amount of work needed depends on the business sector.

For example, for some companies, it may well be the sole means by which they market their services or products.

Because we have had many in-depth conversations with many directors, we sometimes find that they do not market their services in any other way except by using our SEO services.

Therefore, businesses must implement SEO effectively. Taking their foot off the accelerator for these businesses is not an option.

Additionally, they may be competing directly with companies that are investing heavily in the process.

Why can’t it be worked on, improved, and then forgotten about?

It’s often preferable to fix a price, complete a task, and then move on, rather than having to pay an ongoing fee.

However, search engine optimisation is entirely different. That’s because it’s like spinning plates; there are so many factors, called “ranking factors”, that need to be actively improved and enhanced.

As we mentioned earlier, link building requires constant effort, as does writing top-quality content marketing, for example.

If you don’t, then other businesses will improve their ranking factors to a much higher level, which means they will eventually overtake your business.

 

How much ongoing SEO optimisation is needed?

Google is constantly improving, getting better, and becoming more accurate in its ability to answer any shopper’s question.

From a shopper’s perspective, Google may look the same in terms of its interface when you ask it a query.

However, behind the scenes, the Google algorithm is continually being improved, enhanced, and refined.

Combine this with direct competitors working to improve their ranking factors, and it becomes clear why SEO requires ongoing effort.

Google is constantly fine-tuning its algorithm.

For example, Google has relatively recently rolled out the Google Helpful Content marketing update. Businesses that write particularly helpful and well-written content marketing would move up Google’s ranks.

And of course, businesses which wrote a lot of old rubbish would move down.

These changes that Google is making to its algorithm are what are called “Algorithm updates” and “Core Algorithm updates”.

The reason we note them in this article is simple: these updates occur when Google reshuffles the pack, moving businesses up and down based on the quality of on-page and off-page signals.

 

 

Your competitors will keep pushing for top positions

What all businesses need to be acutely aware of is the vast difference in organic visitor numbers, depending on whether you rank first, second, third, or fourth on Google’s first page.

For example, as any good SEO expert will be able to tell you, the number of organic visitors can vary massively depending on how a page is positioned on the first page of Google.co.uk.

For example, even the difference between ranking first and second can mean a significant difference in terms of the number of organic visitors..

Why is on-page optimisation something that should be worked on frequently?

To maintain your business at the top of the search results, ongoing work is required to improve your on-page optimisation continually.

This can’t be a one-off task because creating new content marketing requires constant effort.

For example, the blog post you are reading now is being written to help people and also to improve search engine optimisation.

Therefore, content marketing needs to be written; the different on-page elements, such as the title, the alt texts, and the internal links, need to be optimised.

It is also a constant, ongoing effort to keep content marketing current. For example, a guide written about the best bikes to buy in 2018 won’t be helpful if it’s on the first page of Google in 2025, as the information is no longer relevant.

 

Link Building Tactics: Building new backlinks

Links are still the primary way to get any business ranked on the first page of Google.

However, backlinks can become broken, which can be caused by the site that offers the link deleting those links.

Plus, the bar to beat is constantly getting raised.

As you build backlinks, your direct competitors are doing the same thing. You might occupy the first position on Google simply because you have, let’s say, 100 quality links.

However, what happens when a direct competitor needs to reach the threshold of 110 quality backlinks?

Well, it’s perfectly possible, the scales are tipped in their favour.

This means that the business then occupies the top position, which is primarily based on its strength, quality, and the business’s backlink profile.

Your direct competitors were always trying to nibble away at your market share, constantly monitoring your website to find ways to rank higher, attract more visitors, and overtake you online.

 

Technical SEO

Would a Formula One team ever stop pushing to improve their car even if they’re holding pole position?

The answer is no; they are constantly looking for any edge that they can get over the competition.

You need to adopt this mindset when trying to improve your business’s search engine optimisation.

Shaving a few seconds off the homepage’s loading time could help improve dwell times and potentially be all that is needed to move up one place in Google results.

And then there are other technical elements, such as the layout of the main menu.

 Additionally, it becomes more crucial to the SEO process, such as ensuring that all pages can be crawled and indexed, because you have set out a well-written XML site map.

 

Local SEO for Small Businesses,

Surely, if you run a small business, you don’t need to pay every month?

With search engine optimisation, you might think it’s just the global brands that are investing in SEO every month.

However, what can be equally as competitive is the local SEO landscape. Imagine just for a second, how many solicitors are in your city? How many plumbers? How many accountants are working in your town?

Then consider how the average person typically finds these businesses. Indeed, a certain percentage will be based on personal recommendations from friends and family.

However, the vast majority of people, when searching online, often use search engines such as Google. This is because when we genuinely want to make a purchase, with what is called strong purchase intent, this means we are ready to part with our money often, we ask Google for help finding local businesses.

It’s often the businesses that are ranked at the top of Google that we trust even more.

That’s because, why would the best search engine in the whole world, the most popular as well, place the business of the top search results, if it didn’t think that business was best placed to offer what you are looking for?

 

Tracking and Analysis

Ongoing analysis

A good SEO consultant will often spend a considerable amount of time every month analysing results in Google Search Console. However, they want to know about key factors, such as whether the business ranks for specific keywords.

For example how many clicks is the website, obtaining?

How many impressions is the website creating?

 

Google Analytics

Another essential tool for any business looking to improve its marketing is setting up Google Analytics. This can be done in a matter of minutes.

Then you can gather accurate, even real-time information about how shoppers are interacting with your website.

 

How much SEO work is needed

This depends very much on the level of competition.

How long has your direct competitor been paying for SEO?

Is there a significant amount of work to be done to catch up? Are competitors in the same business sector continually working to improve their SEO and implement effective strategies?

As you can see, competitors’ standards need to be surpassed.

They might be up against competitors who have invested a significant amount of time in improving their SEO.

 

Working with SEO Experts for Long-Term Success

Often, businesses need to hire an SEO expert; however, the effectiveness of these experts largely depends on their level of experience. If a company offering cheap quotes, this could mean they are implementing low quality work.

 

FAQs: Is SEO a One-Time Thing?

Frequently asked questions regarding search engine optimisation:

Why can’t SEO start and stop at the behest of the client?

Search engine optimisation can be started and stopped if the client’s wishes if the contract allows this. The reason why it’s not an effective method of applying SEO is quite simple: there are always competitors looking to take top positions.

Therefore, if you start and stop your investment then this will open up a window of opportunity for the competition to move up the ranks.

How long does SEO last?

This again depends on the competition; how hard they are working on improving their SEO.

This is why it needs constant efforts.

 

Contact the best contact Walsh and Partners, today

If your business wants to improve its search engine optimisation, using the best in white-hat methods then we are company to contact in the Cardiff area. We can help you to improve your organic search as well as your search engine optimisation.