What should a good SEO proposal include?
A good SEO proposal says in plain words what work will be done, what will be measured and how you will see it, who does the work, what you will own, what you must provide, and how either side can end the agreement. If a proposal promises rankings, keeps the work vague, or would leave you unable to walk away with your own website and accounts, keep looking.
The checklist
- Scope: the specific work, by month or by phase, not just "ongoing optimization".
- What is measured: inquiries, calls and booked jobs from search, not only rankings or traffic.
- Reporting: how often you get a report, what it shows and who walks you through it.
- Ownership: you own the domain, the website, the content and every account, and the agency works in them as a user.
- Term and exit: how long the agreement runs, the notice period, and what you keep if you leave.
- Who does the work: named people, and whether any of it is passed to subcontractors.
- What you must provide: access, photos, answers to questions, approvals and how fast you need to respond.
- Expectations: when early signs should appear and what counts as success.
Questions it should already answer
A good proposal answers the questions owners should ask before hiring anyone, such as what results to expect, over what timeframe and how success is measured, before you have to ask them. The related answer on questions to ask before hiring an SEO agency lists them.
Red flags
- A promise of first place in Google. Google's own guide for owners says to find someone else if you hear this.
- Claims of a special relationship with Google, which Google's guide also warns against.
- An offer that arrived by email out of the blue, another warning sign Google names.
- Vague scope with no list of work and no way to see what was done.
- The agency registers your domain or owns your website or accounts in its own name.
- A long lock-in with no clear way out.
- Reports that show only rankings and traffic, never inquiries.
Comparing two proposals
Put them side by side against the checklist rather than comparing headline promises. The better proposal is usually the one that is specific about work, measurement and ownership, even if it promises less.
Sources
Related answers
- What should you ask before hiring an SEO or GEO agency?
- What should a marketing report show a small business owner?
- How much does SEO cost for a small business?
SEO for service businesses
Get found on Google by the people already looking for what you sell, in the places you serve, and see which searches turned into inquiries.