Sign to accept, pay the deposit and we’ll book the kickoff.
How to write a seo proposal
A good seo proposal is about the client, not you. It shows you understand their situation, proposes a specific way forward and makes the price and next step easy to find. SEO is usually priced as a one-off audit followed by a monthly retainer, with content and digital PR priced per piece or per month.
Open with their situation, using the words they used on your call.
Make objectives measurable where you can, so success is shared.
Explain your approach by phase — for SEO consultants, typically audit, strategy, implementation, monthly reporting.
Break the price down so the client can trade scope rather than question your rate.
Say what’s not included, such as development work to implement technical fixes, unless agreed.
End with one clear next step and a validity date.
The template
Cover
Proposal: [Project name] for [Client]
Prepared by: [Your name, business]
Date: [Date]
Valid until: [Date]
1. Your situation
[In the client’s words: where they are now, what they want to achieve and why now.]
2. Objectives
[Objective, ideally measurable]
[Objective]
[Objective]
3. Our approach
Audit: [What happens and what the client sees]
Strategy: [What happens and what the client sees]
Implementation: [What happens and what the client sees]
Monthly reporting: [What happens and what the client sees]
4. Deliverables
[Technical audit with prioritised fixes]
[Keyword map and content plan]
[On-page optimisation of agreed pages]
[Monthly ranking and traffic report]
5. Timeline
Phase
Dates
Client input needed
Audit
[Dates]
[Input or approval]
Strategy
[Dates]
[Input or approval]
Implementation
[Dates]
[Input or approval]
Monthly reporting
[Dates]
[Input or approval]
6. Investment
Item
Description
Fee
Technical audit
[Crawl, indexing and site speed review]
[Fee]
Keyword research
[Keyword map for core services]
[Fee]
Monthly SEO retainer
[On-page fixes, content briefs, reporting]
[Fee]
Content writing
[Two 1,500-word service pages]
[Fee]
Total: [Amount, excluding tax]
Payment schedule: [e.g. 40% to start, 30% at milestone, 30% on completion]
7. Not included
[Development work to implement technical fixes, unless agreed]
[Paid search]
[Buying links or any tactic against search engine guidelines]
[Guaranteed rankings or traffic]
8. What we need from you
[Access to analytics, Search Console and the CMS by invitation]
[A developer contact for technical fixes]
[Subject-matter input for content]
9. Why us
[Two or three sentences and one relevant example or result. Keep it about the client’s problem.]
10. Next steps
[Sign below or reply to accept]
[Pay the deposit]
[Kickoff on date]
Accepted by: [Name, title]
Signature: [Signature]
Date: [Date]
How to fill it in
Write the client’s situation and goals in their own words, from your discovery call.
Turn goals into two or three objectives you can both recognise as success.
Set out your approach by phase and the deliverables at each step, such as “Technical audit with prioritised fixes”.
Add a timeline that shows where you need the client’s input or approval.
Price the work by item or phase, with a payment schedule.
List exclusions and what you need from the client, then add a clear way to accept.
Use it in Word, Google Docs or PDF
Microsoft Word
Download the Word (.docx) file and open it. If Word opens it in Protected View, select Enable Editing.
Use Find (Ctrl+F or Cmd+F) and search for “[” to jump between the placeholders you need to replace.
Save a clean copy as a Word template (File → Save As → Word Template) so every new document starts from it.
Google Docs
Upload the .docx file to Google Drive.
Right-click it and choose Open with → Google Docs, then File → Save as Google Docs to keep an editable copy.
Use File → Make a copy for each new client so your master stays clean.
PDF
Use Print or save as PDF in the template section above to print just the template, or fill it in Word or Google Docs first and export it (File → Save As → PDF in Word, File → Download → PDF document in Google Docs).
Example: Rankwell’s proposal for Ashby Legal Services
Key sections from a proposal for a six-month organic growth programme. Both companies are fictional.
Your situation
Ashby Legal Services wants a six-month organic growth programme. You told us the priority is getting it right first time, with clear approvals and no surprises on cost.
Our approach
Audit: Technical audit with prioritised fixes
Strategy: Keyword map and content plan
Implementation: On-page optimisation of agreed pages
Monthly reporting: Monthly ranking and traffic report
Investment
Item
Description
Qty / time
Rate
Amount
Technical audit
Crawl, indexing and site speed review
Fixed fee
$1,500.00
$1,500.00
Keyword research
Keyword map for core services
Fixed fee
$900.00
$900.00
Monthly SEO retainer
On-page fixes, content briefs, reporting
1 month
$2,000.00
$2,000.00
Content writing
Two 1,500-word service pages
2 items
$450.00
$900.00
Total: $5,300.00 excluding tax
What we need from you
Access to analytics, Search Console and the CMS by invitation
A developer contact for technical fixes
Subject-matter input for content
Proposal mistakes that lose work
Starting with your history. The client cares about their problem first; your credentials belong near the end.
A template that reads like one. Replace every generic sentence with something specific to this client.
Hiding the price. If they can’t find it, they can’t say yes.
Vague deliverables. Specific deliverables make the proposal easier to approve and the project easier to run.
No follow-up. Agree when you’ll check in before you send it.
Angelwood’s proposal software builds proposals and agreements from your own templates, shows when the client has opened them and collects e-signatures, with a countersignature to execute the agreement.
Open with the client’s situation and goal in their own words. For a six-month organic growth programme, that means the outcome they want, not the services you sell. It proves you listened before you start selling.
02
Make scope easy to approve.
List deliverables and exclusions plainly. For SEO consultants, the usual disputes start with development work to implement technical fixes, unless agreed.
03
One clear next step.
End with how to accept, the deposit and the kickoff date. A proposal that ends with “let us know” waits in an inbox.
No. No one controls search rankings, and promises of guaranteed positions are a warning sign to experienced buyers. Commit to the work, the reporting and the measures you’ll track.
How long should a proposal be?+
As short as it can be while still defining the work. For most service projects, three to eight pages is enough. The client should be able to find the scope, price and next step in under a minute.
Should I put the price in a proposal?+
Yes. A proposal without a price can’t be accepted. Present it after the approach and value, broken into items or phases, and consider offering two or three options.
What’s the difference between a proposal and a contract?+
A proposal sells the work and sets out scope and price. A contract sets the legal terms. Many firms send a proposal that, once signed, incorporates their terms, or follow it with a separate agreement.
Can I edit this template in Word or Google Docs?+
Yes. Download the Word (.docx) file and open it in Microsoft Word, or upload it to Google Drive and choose Open with → Google Docs. There’s also a Markdown version for any text editor. No account or email address is needed.
How do I save it as a PDF?+
Fill it in, then export it: File → Save As → PDF in Word, or File → Download → PDF document in Google Docs. On this page you can also print just the template or save it as a PDF from your browser’s print dialog.