How To Write an SEO Proposal
Winning new clients starts with a clear, persuasive SEO proposal that outlines value, process, and measurable outcomes. This step-by-step guide walks you through the essential elements—scope, methodology, timelines, deliverables, reporting, and pricing—plus practical tips and best practices to craft proposals that build trust and convert prospects into long-term clients.
SEO Proposal
An SEO proposal is a written document presented by an agency or consultant that outlines a tailored strategy, services, scope of work, timeline, deliverables, pricing, success metrics, and reporting plan aimed at improving a client’s organic search visibility, traffic, and conversions.
Understanding the Client's Needs
Start by uncovering the client’s business goals, target audience, constraints, and success criteria so your SEO proposal addresses real needs and delivers measurable outcomes.
Key steps
- Ask focused discovery questions: business objectives, top products/services, target locations/demographics, competitive threats, seasonal peaks, current marketing channels, budget and timeline constraints, internal resources, previous SEO work, and the KPIs that matter (revenue, leads, transactions, LTV).
- Map audience intent: identify primary buyer personas, search behaviors, pain points, and typical customer journeys to prioritize keywords and content opportunities.
- Audit the current state quickly: baseline organic traffic, keyword rankings, conversion rates, technical issues, content gaps, backlink profile, and analytics setup to quantify opportunities and risks.
- Align SEO with business metrics: translate ranking and traffic goals into revenue, lead, or retention targets the client cares about.
- Identify constraints and dependencies: CMS limitations, legal/compliance needs, brand guidelines, development capacity, and required integrations (CRM, analytics, tag managers).
- Interview stakeholders: gather input from sales, product, customer support, and executives to surface objections, value drivers, and internal definitions of success.
- Prioritize opportunities: score targets by impact, confidence, and effort (ICE) so the proposal focuses on high-impact, feasible wins.
- Define success metrics and reporting cadence: agree on primary KPIs, secondary metrics, and how often progress will be reported.
Deliverables to include in the proposal
- One-paragraph summary of client needs and objectives.
- Top 3–5 prioritized SEO opportunities with estimated impact.
- Agreed primary KPI(s) and target outcomes.
- Known constraints and required client approvals/resources.
Essential Elements of an SEO Proposal
Executive summary
- Brief recap: Client goals, primary opportunities, expected outcomes, and why this approach is the best fit.
Objectives and KPIs
- Clear, measurable goals: Organic traffic, keywords, conversions, revenue, and how success will be measured.
SEO audit and key findings
- High-level summary: Technical, on‑page, content, and backlink issues discovered, prioritized by impact.
Proposed strategy and tactics
- Specific actions: Technical SEO, content strategy, keyword targeting, link building, local/technical enhancements, and CRO, tied to objectives.
Scope of work and deliverables
- Detailed task list: Pages to optimize, content pieces, technical fixes, outreach, deliverable formats, and frequency.
Timeline and milestones
- Phased schedule: Start dates, sprint cadences, major milestones (audit completion, implementation phases, review points).
Roles and responsibilities
- Team and client roles: Who does what, client responsibilities (access, approvals, content input), and communication cadence.
Pricing and payment terms
- Transparent model: Monthly retainer, project fee, or performance pricing, payment schedule, and optional add‑ons.
Reporting and analytics
- Measurement plan: Reporting frequency, dashboard metrics, sample report items (traffic, rankings, conversions), and how insights drive optimization.
Proof and social proof
- Credibility: Relevant case studies, before/after metrics, testimonials, and sample work.
Assumptions, exclusions, and risks
- Clarifications: Assumptions (access, CMS limits), what is out of scope, and potential risks/contingencies.
Next steps and CTA
- Call to action: Approval process, kickoff steps, contract details, and proposed start date.
How To Write an SEO Proposal
Comprehensive SEO Proposal — Audit, Strategy, Timeline, Pricing & ROI
Executive Summary — A concise overview of objectives, key findings, and expected impact. The proposal aims to increase organic traffic and conversions by addressing technical issues and content gaps and by targeting high-value keywords.
SEO Audit — A detailed analysis of site health, technical errors, the backlink profile, and keyword performance. Findings prioritize critical fixes (crawlability, indexation, page speed) and quick-win opportunities for content optimization.
Proposed Strategy — Clear, prioritized tactics covering technical SEO, content, on-page optimization, and link building. The strategy includes targeted keyword clusters, a content calendar, internal linking improvements, and outreach for authoritative backlinks.
Timeline and Milestones — A phased schedule with specific deliverables and review points. Milestones include audit completion, deployment of technical fixes, publication of initial content pieces, and monthly performance reviews.
Pricing Breakdown — Transparent costs by task, month, and deliverable, with optional add-ons. Includes a one-time audit fee, a monthly retainer for execution, and estimated costs for paid content or link campaigns.
Proof of Results — Case studies, KPIs, and baseline versus projected metrics to demonstrate expected ROI. Reporting will include organic traffic, keyword rankings, conversion rates, and backlink quality, with monthly performance dashboards.
Other Glossary Items
Discover the newest insights and trends in SEO, programmatic SEO and AIO.
Stay updated with our expert-written articles.
