Alternatives to the classic retainer SEO pricing model?

Hi SEO Community,

I myself am a freelancer and help small businesses primarily with their Technical/On-Page SEO measures. Since I'm working as a freelancer I almost always sign retainer. Mostly over a period of 12 months. The model was attractive to me from the beginning, as I like to have regular cash flow as a freelancer. However, after a few years, I am now questioning this pricing model somewhat. Reasons are:

• - Constant high expectation from client for each month.
• - Constant accountability with some clients (what was done when and how...)
• - Constant customer communication
• - Mostly always MORE effort (because of support, email communication, phone calls, etc.) than retainer value and customers don't pay for communication, project management or the like
• - A retainer is NOT easy to sell/pitch; Especially in SEO, where the client gets bill after bill for the first few months, but can't perceive any results in terms of leads/conversions; Because the client doesn't care at all how cleanly I optimized the core web vitals, or improved the inner linking potential. He wants results, not more, not less!

These are the main points that have made me somewhat negative about the pricing model. Because the retainer model is very comfortable if you have 2-3 clients. However, with 5+ it is more than a pain as a freelancer and the revenue/effort ratio is then suddenly no longer so attractive. Right away: No, I don't sell myself under the industry values, but of course cheaper than an agency does (about 30% cheaper, because freelancer and hardly any overhead).

Now, of course, the question arises for me whether there are other pricing models that would somewhat mitigate my previous criticisms?

I was thinking mainly of performance-based compensation and classic one-offs (package for on-page optimization, SEO audit, ...). The latter has a clearly defined scope and is simply charged once with effort x hours. This already takes away some of my criticisms of the retainer model, but it's not the most ideal from a cash flow perspective. Now for the former:

Many of my clients already know the value of SEO and I don't have to do any more educational work here. At least not from the beginning. Nevertheless, I notice one thing ALWAYS again, after every pitch: they are so despite my arguments in favor of SEO, not 100% sure if it will all work out that way then. It's probably due to the nature of SEO and the fact that I NEVER promise results, of course. Thus, my thought process by now is that I need to offer something that is very fair to the company, but at the same time I don't completely fall by the wayside as far as my earnings are concerned. Specifically:

• - A small SEO setup fee (where, for example, within 2-3 months all necessary on-page optimizations are carried out, so that you are at least here once clean on the road).
• - Subsequently, no monthly retainer, but a performance-oriented remuneration: For example, there are only costs if a lead or a sales conversion has demonstrably come about through SEO traffic; How high this PPL or PPS value is, you just have to make up with the company. Both are 100% trackable. So the customer only pays if actual results have been created. I see a lot of fairness in this, but also the danger that I may go too far in advance and the output at the end of the day is so low that it is not profitable for me (where the retainer would then again be the better option).

What do you think of this approach and do you have similar or completely different pricing models in the SEO area?

I am curious and look forward to lively discussion.