SEO retainers usually cap out at 30 percent margins because you are trading...

https://magic-wiki.win/index.php/The_Transparency_Trap:_Why_You_Should_Tell_Clients_About_Your_Internal_Tech_Stack

SEO retainers usually cap out at 30 percent margins because you are trading hours for revenue. Use your agency as a lab to build custom software instead. Shifting to products can push those margins past 70 percent and stop the cycle of constant hiring.