Most agencies get stuck with 30% margins because retainers rely on headcount....

https://dibz.me/blog/why-a-handful-of-european-seo-agencies-stopped-being-agencies-and-1138

Most agencies get stuck with 30% margins because retainers rely on headcount. If you treat your agency like a lab to turn workflows into software, you can push margins past 70%. It is time to stop selling hours and start building your own tools.