Building a local SEO retainer as a WordPress web designer starts with having the right tool infrastructure and knowing exactly when to pitch it. The retainer is not an add-on you mention at the end of a project. It is a service you position from the first conversation using the same scan data that justified the build.
For how to structure the conversion from a free audit to a signed retainer, see how to turn free local SEO audits into signed retainer clients. This article covers what the retainer includes, the billing workflow, and what results you can show a client at 90 days.
In This Article
What a local SEO retainer includes each month
The deliverables that clients renew for are visible, recurring, and measurable. Here is how the service tiers map to pricing and deliverables:
| Deliverable | Starter ($500–$800/mo) | Professional ($900–$1,500/mo) | Full Management ($1,500–$2,500/mo) |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP post cadence | 4 posts/mo | 8 posts/mo | Weekly rolling queue |
| Review responses | Templates only | Tone-matched, all ratings | Tone-matched + direct GBP push |
| Profile monitoring | Monthly check | Weekly | Continuous + alerts |
| Competitor gap report | Quarterly | Monthly | Monthly + real-time alerts |
| Before/after score report | Quarterly | Monthly | Monthly |
These deliverables are the ones clients reference when deciding whether to renew. They are visible (the client sees the posts and responses), recurring (they happen every month), and measurable (the score comparison shows the trend).
The three moments to pitch the retainer
Miss none of these:
- During discovery: Scan the business before quoting the build. The data sets the expectation that the redesign is addressing a measurable gap. “The retainer closes what the build starts” is easier to frame before the project than after it.
- At launch: The new site goes live but the GBP gaps remain. Show the pre-launch scan and the current state side by side. “We fixed the PageSpeed score. The review deficit against [Competitor] is still here.” The contrast is the pitch.
- At the 30-day check-in: First traffic data has arrived. If rankings have not moved, the scan shows why. If they have improved, the scan shows where the remaining gap is. Either outcome supports the retainer conversation.
For the full details on timing and what closes the deal at each moment, see how web designers convert website clients into retainers. For the proposal that captures the commitment in writing, see what to include in a local SEO proposal.
How client billing works without adding invoicing overhead
- Connect Stripe in F! Insights > Settings > Billing.
- Open the client record in the leads table.
- Click Monitor and select a service tier (Starter, Professional, Full Management).
- The plugin generates a Stripe checkout link automatically.
- Send the link to the client. They subscribe.
- Recurring billing, trial management, upgrades, and cancellations are all handled inside the plugin from that point forward.
No separate invoicing tool, no chasing unpaid invoices, no manual renewal process. The subscription runs automatically. You receive a Stripe notification when a payment succeeds and when a client cancels.
What happens to client data if they cancel?
All leads, scan history, pipeline notes, competitor data, and GBP optimization history remain in your WordPress database. Cancellation removes the client’s access to premium features and stops the Stripe subscription. It does not move, delete, or export the data. The database you built belongs to you.
This is a direct contrast to SaaS platforms where cancelling the subscription removes your access to the data. With a self-hosted plugin, the data lives in your WordPress install and stays there regardless of the subscription status.
What measurable results can you show at 90 days?
Five metrics are measurable from the plugin dashboard at any point:
- GBP scan score improvement: Before score versus current score, with category-level breakdown showing which areas improved.
- Review velocity increase: Number of reviews received per month at the start of the retainer versus month three. The trend line is the proof.
- Post consistency: Number of weeks in the quarter with active GBP posts in the queue. From zero posts before the retainer to a documented weekly cadence is a visible outcome.
- Competitor gap reduction: Review count delta between the client and their top competitor at day one versus day 90. If the gap narrowed by 8 reviews, that is a specific, named result.
- PageSpeed trend: If website work was part of the engagement, the before/after PageSpeed score and Core Web Vitals data is available in the comparison scan.
All five are available from the plugin dashboard without manual data collection. The 90-day retainer review is one scan comparison report.