{
  "name": "UK SEO Agency Contract Lock-In Index",
  "url": "https://seocompare.co.uk/data/contract-lock-in-index/",
  "publisher": "SEOCompare (seocompare.co.uk)",
  "licence": "CC BY 4.0",
  "source": "SEOCompare verified UK agency database (src/data/agencies.json), figures verified against published agency pricing and contract terms",
  "database_compiled": "2026-04-26",
  "generated": "2026-06-11",
  "sample_size": 12,
  "method": "Starting monthly retainer (GBP) and minimum contract length (months) recorded per agency from published pricing or direct verification. Medians and ranges computed across the panel; no figures are modelled or invented.",
  "headline": {
    "date": "2026-06-11",
    "n": 12,
    "mean_contract_min_months": 5,
    "median_contract_min_months": 4.5,
    "agencies_with_12_month_min": 1,
    "pct_12_month_min": 8,
    "agencies_with_proprietary_tool": 3,
    "pct_proprietary_tool": 25
  },
  "agencies": [
    {
      "name": "Found",
      "contract_min_months": 6,
      "proprietary_tool": "Everysearch / Luminr"
    },
    {
      "name": "Charle",
      "contract_min_months": 6,
      "proprietary_tool": null
    },
    {
      "name": "Rise at Seven",
      "contract_min_months": 12,
      "proprietary_tool": null
    },
    {
      "name": "Impression",
      "contract_min_months": 6,
      "proprietary_tool": null
    },
    {
      "name": "MRS Digital",
      "contract_min_months": 3,
      "proprietary_tool": null
    },
    {
      "name": "ClickSlice",
      "contract_min_months": 3,
      "proprietary_tool": null
    },
    {
      "name": "SEO Works",
      "contract_min_months": 3,
      "proprietary_tool": null
    },
    {
      "name": "Screaming Frog",
      "contract_min_months": 6,
      "proprietary_tool": "Screaming Frog SEO Spider, Log File Analyser"
    },
    {
      "name": "CarrieAnn Sudlow",
      "contract_min_months": 3,
      "proprietary_tool": null
    },
    {
      "name": "Angelfish Marketing",
      "contract_min_months": 6,
      "proprietary_tool": null
    },
    {
      "name": "Targeted SEO",
      "contract_min_months": 3,
      "proprietary_tool": null
    },
    {
      "name": "Rank4AI",
      "contract_min_months": 3,
      "proprietary_tool": "AI visibility audit + citation tracker"
    }
  ]
}