An SEO proposal explains where the client’s site stands, the work you recommend first, who does what, what it costs and how progress will be reviewed. Start from a template so the structure is done, then spend your time on the parts only you can write: the findings, the priorities and the scope.
Below are Propovo’s SEO templates, the sections every SEO proposal needs, a filled example for a fictional client and the mistakes that make SEO proposals hard to sign.
Start from an SEO proposal template
Each template opens as an editable proposal with sections for the client’s situation, monthly services, team, review cadence and pricing. Customising one needs a Propovo account; the trial is free for 14 days with no card required.
SEO Growth Retainer
For ongoing monthly SEO: content production, technical hours, editorial process and a regular review. The best starting point for most agency and freelance SEO offers.
Local SEO and Business Profiles
For local businesses that need Google Business Profile work, location pages, citations and reviews alongside on-site fixes.
What to include in an SEO proposal
| Section | What it answers | Make it specific |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | What the client wants to change, and why now. | One short paragraph in the client’s own terms. |
| Where the site stands | What you checked and what you found. | Only findings you verified. Label open questions as questions. |
| Priorities | What you recommend doing first, and why. | Rank by likely impact and effort. |
| Scope and deliverables | Exactly what you deliver each month or phase. | Quantities and named outputs, not “ongoing optimisation”. |
| Responsibilities | Who implements, writes and approves. | Name the client’s developer and approver dependencies. |
| Timeline | Phases, dependencies and review points. | Show what happens in the first 30, 60 and 90 days. |
| Investment | Your fee, what is excluded and the payment terms. | Separate your fee from tools, content and development costs. |
| Reporting | Which metrics, from which sources, how often. | For example Search Console impressions, clicks and positions, plus enquiries. |
| Terms and next step | Minimum term, notice period and how to accept. | One clear action to accept or book a call. |
Filled example: SEO retainer for a B2B services firm
The example below is fictional. The quantities show how to make scope concrete; they are illustrative, not benchmarks. It maps what you observed to what you will deliver, who owns each step and how it will be reviewed.
| What we observed | Priority | Deliverable (months 1–3) | Owner | How it is reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service pages rank only for the brand name. | Rebuild the two core service pages around the terms buyers search for. | Two page briefs and rewrites in month 1. | Agency writes; client approves within five working days. | Impressions and positions for the target queries in Search Console. |
| About 60 blog posts, many covering the same topics. | Consolidate overlapping posts. | Content inventory, merge plan and redirect list. | Agency plans; client developer implements redirects. | Indexed pages and redirect checks. |
| Key templates load slowly on mobile. | Fix the slowest page templates first. | Prioritised list of technical fixes. | Client developer implements; agency re-tests. | Core Web Vitals report. |
| No content for comparison searches. | Publish comparison and how-to articles. | Two articles a month from agreed briefs, each with one expert review. | Agency drafts; client subject expert reviews. | Rankings and enquiries from organic landing pages. |
| Reporting is irregular. | Agree a monthly review. | Monthly report on the agreed metrics. | Agency. | 30-minute call each month. |
Months 1–3: two new articles a month from agreed briefs, rewrites of the [service A] and [service B] pages, up to [number] hours of technical recommendations for your development team, and a monthly report with a 30-minute review call.
Your team implements technical changes and approves content within five working days. The fee excludes third-party tools, development time and paid media. We will review priorities with you at the end of month 3.
How to price SEO in a proposal
Monthly retainer
Best for ongoing work. Tie the fee to a defined monthly scope, such as a number of articles, technical hours and reporting, so the client can see what each month buys.
Fixed-fee project
Best for audits, migrations and one-off clean-ups with a clear end point. Price the deliverables and say what happens after the project.
Hourly or time bank
Useful for advisory work or when the client’s team does the implementation. State the rate, the cap and how hours are reported.
If you offer packages, make them differ by included work, not by promised results. Google’s own guidance warns that no one can guarantee a number-one ranking, so a tier that “guarantees page one” undermines your credibility with informed buyers.
Mistakes that make SEO proposals hard to sign
Promising rankings or traffic
Commit to the work and the reporting. Describe goals as goals.
Vague deliverables
“On-page optimisation” tells the client nothing. Name the pages, the outputs and the quantities.
Ignoring implementation
Many SEO fixes need the client’s developer. Say who implements what, or the plan stalls in month one.
Pasting a generic audit
A long automated report without priorities makes the client do your job. Show the few findings that matter and why.
Hiding extra costs
Tools, content production, development time and paid media should be listed as included or excluded.
No definition of reporting
Agree the metrics, data sources and review cadence before work starts.
Customise the template in Propovo
Open the template, add your findings and the client’s goals, set up packages with the included work, and add relevant proof. Share it as a link or in a client room, answer questions in comments and collect acceptance with an e-signature before the engagement starts.
Frequently asked questions
What should an SEO proposal include?
The client’s goal, what you found on their site, the priorities you recommend, the deliverables and quantities, who is responsible for each step, the timeline, your fee and exclusions, how you will report, and how to accept.
Should an SEO proposal guarantee results?
No. Rankings depend on factors outside any agency’s control, and Google’s guidance warns against anyone who guarantees a top ranking. Commit to the work, the process and the reporting instead.
Monthly retainer or one-off project?
Use a project for work with a clear end point, such as an audit or a migration. Use a retainer for ongoing content and technical work. Many agencies start with a fixed-fee audit and propose a retainer based on its findings.
How long should an SEO proposal be?
Long enough for the client to understand the scope, responsibilities and price without a call. A one-page summary followed by detailed sections works well; there is no ideal page count.
Can I use the template for local SEO?
Yes. Start from the Local SEO and Business Profiles template if the client relies on local search, or adapt the SEO Growth Retainer template for multi-location businesses.