You've had the discovery call. The client is interested in SEO. They understand they need it. Now they want a proposal. What goes in it?
Most SEO proposals fail for one of two reasons. Either they're too technical—nobody wants to read about canonical tags and robots.txt in a sales document—or they're too vague. "We'll do SEO" isn't enough. "We'll improve your rankings" isn't enough. Clients need to see exactly what you'll do, when you'll do it, what it will cost, and why they should trust you.
This guide covers the exact sections your SEO proposal needs, what to write in each, and how to price it. No fluff. No filler. Just what works.
Why Most SEO Proposals Don't Close
I've reviewed hundreds of SEO proposals. The ones that get ignored share the same problems. Fix these four and your close rate improves.
Leading with technical jargon instead of business outcomes
Your prospect is a marketing director, not an SEO specialist. They care about leads, revenue, and market share. Starting with "we'll fix your crawl budget" puts them to sleep. Start with "We'll help you capture more qualified leads from organic search—here's how."
No clear timeline or milestones
"Ongoing SEO support" tells them nothing. When does work start? When do they see the first audit? When can they expect initial results? Clients need a roadmap. Without it, they assume you're winging it.
Vague deliverables
"Monthly reporting" tells them nothing. What metrics? What format? How often do you meet? Be specific: "Monthly performance report including organic traffic, rankings for 20 target keywords, and conversion data, delivered by the 5th of each month, with a 30-minute strategy call."
Pricing without context or options
A single number—$5,000/month—with no breakdown leaves them wondering what they're paying for and whether it's fair. Offer 2-3 tiers. Show what's included at each level. Let them self-select based on their budget and goals.
The SEO Proposal Structure That Works
Walk through each section with purpose. Every part of your proposal should either build credibility or move them toward signing.
1. Executive Summary
2-3 sentences about their business goals, not your capabilities. Reference specific things from the discovery call. If they said they want to capture more B2B leads from the Midwest, say that. If they mentioned their competitor is outranking them for "industrial equipment rental," mention it. This section proves you listened.
Example: "Acme Corp wants to grow organic traffic to support its expansion into the Midwest manufacturing sector. You mentioned [Competitor X] currently ranks for several high-intent keywords you're targeting. Our approach focuses on technical foundation first, then content to capture those gaps within 6 months."
2. Current SEO Audit Summary
Brief findings from your preliminary audit. Include 3-5 specific issues—not generic observations. Make it visual with a simple findings table.
| Finding | Impact | Quick Win? |
|---|---|---|
| 47 broken internal links in blog section | Link equity loss, poor crawl efficiency | |
| Top 3 competitors outrank you for "industrial equipment rental" | Missing high-intent commercial traffic | — |
| 12 key pages not indexed (thin content) | Wasted crawl budget, missed opportunities | |
| No schema markup on product pages | Reduced SERP visibility (rich snippets) |
3. Strategy & Approach
Not a laundry list of tactics. Group into phases with clear focus areas:
4. Deliverables
Be specific. Not "keyword research" but "Initial keyword research report covering 50-100 target keywords prioritized by search volume, difficulty, and commercial intent." Not "monthly reporting" but "Monthly performance report + 30-min strategy call." Here's a deliverable list that actually sells:
- Initial keyword research report (50-100 keywords, prioritized)
- Full technical audit with prioritized fix list
- On-page optimization for 15-20 priority pages
- 4 blog posts per month (or X pieces based on tier)
- Monthly performance report + 30-minute strategy call
- Backlink outreach (X placements per month at Growth tier)
5. Timeline & Milestones
Visual timeline showing what happens each month and when they should expect results. Clients need to see when things happen.
Audit complete, quick wins implemented, baseline established
Technical fixes live, keyword report delivered, content plan approved
On-page optimization, content publishing begins
Expected to see traffic/ranking improvements; link building scaled
6. Pricing
Offer 2-3 tiers. Example:
Core SEO: technical + on-page optimization + monthly reporting. No content creation or link building.
- • Technical audit & fixes
- • Keyword research
- • On-page optimization (up to 10 pages/mo)
- • Monthly report + strategy call
Core + content creation (4 blog posts/mo) + link building. Best for most clients.
- • Everything in Starter
- • 4 blog posts per month
- • Link building (5 placements/mo)
- • Content strategy & optimization
Full service: local SEO, competitor monitoring, conversion optimization.
- • Everything in Growth
- • Local SEO (GMB, citations)
- • Competitor ranking monitoring
- • Conversion rate optimization
7. Case Study / Social Proof
One relevant example. "We helped [similar business] increase organic traffic by 180% in 8 months" hits harder when they're in the same industry. Include before/after numbers, timeline, and what you did. Keep it to one page.
8. Terms & Next Steps
How to sign (e-signature link, contract), what happens after signing (onboarding call, access requests, kickoff timeline), and any contract terms (min. commitment, cancellation, payment schedule). Make it easy. "Click here to sign. We'll reach out within 24 hours to schedule your kickoff."
PropovoSkip the blank page
Propovo's SEO proposal templates give you a professional starting point. Customize, track, and get e-signatures — all in one place.
Try it freePricing Your SEO Services in a Proposal
Three common models: monthly retainer, project-based, and performance-based. For most ongoing SEO work, the retainer wins. It's predictable for you and them. Project-based works for one-off audits or migrations. Performance-based (e.g., fee tied to traffic or leads) can align incentives but adds complexity—and clients who demand it often have unrealistic expectations.
Typical SEO pricing ranges: SMBs pay $1,500-$3,500/month for core SEO. Mid-market: $3,000-$6,000. Enterprise: $8,000-$20,000+ depending on scope. Your market and competition matter. A freelancer in a low-cost region can charge less; an agency in NYC or SF will charge more.
Why offer tiers? Because a single price forces them to say yes or no. Tiers let them self-select. "We can't afford $6K" becomes "We'll take Growth at $3.5K." The middle option often wins—it feels like the "safe" choice. That's the decoy effect: the highest tier makes the middle look reasonable; the lowest makes the middle look substantial.
What Clients Actually Look For
Based on feedback from businesses that buy SEO services, here's what moves the needle:
- Clear ROI projections — Even conservative ones. "Based on your current conversion rate, a 40% traffic increase could mean X additional leads per month." Specificity beats vague promises.
- Specific deliverables with deadlines — "We'll deliver the keyword report by week 2." Not "we'll do keyword research."
- Proof you understand their market — Reference their competitors, their keywords, their recent moves. Generic proposals feel like spam.
- Clear explanation of what SEO will and won't do — SEO takes time. It won't fix a broken product. Manage expectations upfront.
- Easy-to-understand reporting schedule — When do they get reports? What's in them? When do you meet? Reduce ambiguity.
Template: Copy-and-Customize Section
Use this as a checklist. Each section should be customized to the client, but the structure stays consistent.
2-3 sentences on their goals and your recommended approach
5-7 specific findings from preliminary research
Month 1-2, 3-4, 5-6 breakdown with focus areas
Specific, quantifiable outputs with deadlines
Visual month-by-month roadmap
2-3 tiers with clear inclusions
1 relevant example with metrics
How to sign, onboarding process
Browse SEO & Marketing Proposal Templates
Don't start from scratch. These templates give you a professional foundation you can customize in minutes.
SEO Proposal Template
A ready-to-use SEO proposal with audit sections, deliverables, and pricing tiers.
SEO & SEM Growth Template
Combined organic and paid search proposal for full-funnel growth campaigns.
Content Marketing Proposal
Blog strategy, content calendars, and distribution plans for content-driven SEO.
Digital Marketing Proposal
Full-service digital marketing proposal covering SEO, PPC, social, and email.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should an SEO proposal be?
Aim for 8-15 pages. Long enough to demonstrate expertise and address their specific situation, but short enough that a busy marketing director will actually read it. Lead with the executive summary and key findings. Put the detailed strategy and pricing in the middle. End with next steps. Most clients skim first—make sure the skimmable parts sell.
Should I include an SEO audit in the proposal?
Yes, but keep it brief. A 2-3 page audit summary with 5-7 specific findings shows you've done the work and understand their site. Include things like broken links, indexation issues, competitor gaps, and quick wins. Don't dump a 50-page technical report—that belongs in the engagement, not the proposal. The proposal audit is proof of competence, not the full deliverable.
How do I price SEO services for different client sizes?
SMBs typically budget $1,500-$3,500/month for core SEO. Mid-market companies expect $3,000-$6,000/month. Enterprise can go $8,000-$20,000+ depending on scope. Price based on the work required, not just client size. A small e-commerce site with 500 pages needs different resources than a 10,000-page content site. Align your pricing to deliverables and outcomes, then present 2-3 tiers so they can self-select.
What's the best way to show ROI in an SEO proposal?
Use conservative projections tied to their actual data. If they have 5,000 monthly organic visits, show what a 30-50% increase would mean in leads or revenue based on their conversion rate. Reference a similar client's results with before/after numbers. Avoid generic claims like 'we'll double your traffic.' Instead: 'Based on your current 2.1% conversion rate and $120 average order value, a 40% traffic increase could generate approximately 84 additional conversions per month.' Specificity builds trust.
Should I guarantee rankings in my SEO proposal?
No. Search algorithms change. Competitors invest. You can't control Google. What you can guarantee: deliverables (audits, content, technical fixes), process (monthly reports, strategy calls), and effort. You can project outcomes based on similar work, but never promise 'we'll get you to #1 for X keyword.' Clients who demand ranking guarantees are red flags—they don't understand how SEO works and will be unhappy when reality doesn't match the promise.
PropovoBuild SEO proposals that close
Stop losing clients to generic proposals. Propovo gives you templates, tracking, and e-signatures so you can focus on the strategy—not the formatting.
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Product Marketing, Propovo
Muskan leads product marketing at Propovo, where she works closely with agencies and freelancers to understand how they win clients. With a background in digital marketing strategy, she translates real-world agency challenges into actionable content and product improvements.