# SEO proposal template: a section-by-section structure, pricing and follow-up

> A free SEO proposal template with each section explained, how to price it, how to use the prospect's Search Console data and audit, and how to follow up.

Source: https://anotherseoguru.com/en/resources/seo-proposal-template

**A winning SEO proposal shows the prospect three things on the first page: what you found on their site, what fixing it is likely to be worth, and what it costs.** Everything after that (scope, timeline, reporting, terms) supports the decision. The template below has ten sections in that order. Proposals that open with three pages about the agency and end with a price lose to shorter ones that open with the prospect's own data.

## Before you write: the discovery call

A proposal is only as specific as what you learned before writing it. Cover these on the first call, and ask for read access to Search Console (a restricted user is enough) so you can work from real data.

- **The business goal:** leads, sales, sign-ups or bookings, and roughly what one is worth.
- **What has been tried:** previous agencies, recent redesigns or migrations, content already planned.
- **Who decides and who signs:** and what they will compare your proposal against.
- **Resources on their side:** who can publish content, change templates and approve copy.
- **Budget range and timing:** a range is enough to shape the options.
- **How they want to hear about progress:** monthly report, a portal, a call.

## The SEO proposal template

```markdown
# SEO proposal for [Client] · Prepared by [Agency] · [Date] · Valid until [Date]

## 1. Summary (one page)
- Goal: [Business goal in their words, e.g. more qualified demo requests from organic search].
- What we found: [Two or three findings from their own data, with numbers].
- What it is likely to be worth: [Range of extra non-branded clicks a month, and what that means in leads or sales].
- Recommendation: [Option B], [price] a month, starting [date].

## 2. Where you are today
- Non-branded clicks, last 3 months vs same period last year (Search Console)
- Branded clicks over the same period
- Queries in the top 3 / top 10 / top 20
- Organic conversions, if analytics access was shared

## 3. What we found
| Finding | Evidence | Why it matters | Fix |
| [e.g. 40 queries ranking 4-10 with low CTR] | [Search Console export] | [Clicks at stake] | [Titles and snippets] |
| [e.g. Key category pages not indexed] | [Audit / Indexing report] | [Pages cannot rank] | [Technical fix] |
| [e.g. Two pages competing for one query] | [Search Console, Pages by query] | [Split rankings] | [Merge and redirect] |

## 4. The opportunity
- Conservative / expected / ceiling forecast of extra non-branded clicks a month, with assumptions
- What the expected case means in leads or revenue at your conversion rate

## 5. Scope of work
- Month 1: [audit fixes, tracking, quick wins]
- Months 2-3: [content, internal links, page improvements]
- Ongoing: [monthly deliverables]
- Not included: [e.g. paid ads, site rebuild, copywriting beyond X pages]

## 6. Timeline and milestones
| Month | Milestone | How we will measure it |

## 7. Reporting
- Monthly report on [day], sections: summary, performance, movers, conversions, work shipped, next month
- [Client portal / call] for questions between reports

## 8. Investment
| Option | Includes | Monthly | Minimum term |
| A: Foundations | | | |
| B: Growth (recommended) | | | |
| C: Growth + content | | | |

## 9. Why us
- [Two or three relevant results or approach points; no generic claims]
- Who will work on the account

## 10. Next steps and terms
- To start: accept this proposal, kick-off call within [x] days
- Access we will need: Search Console, analytics, CMS
- Payment terms, notice period, data ownership
```

## What each section is for

| Section | Job | Common mistake |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Summary | Lets a busy decision-maker say yes from one page | Writing it first and making it generic |
| Where you are today | Agrees the baseline you will be judged against | Using third-party traffic estimates instead of Search Console |
| What we found | Proves you looked at their site, not a template | Listing 50 audit issues with no priority |
| The opportunity | Sizes the prize so the price has context | A single big number with no assumptions |
| Scope | Sets what is and is not included | Leaving out the “not included” list |
| Timeline | Shows when to expect what | Promising rankings by a date |
| Reporting | Shows how they will know it is working | Not saying which metrics lead the report |
| Investment | Gives a clear choice | One price, take it or leave it |
| Why us | Reduces the risk of choosing you | Pages of agency history |
| Next steps | Makes yes easy | No validity date or start date |

## Using the prospect's Search Console data and audit

The strongest proposals are built on the prospect's own numbers. Search Console shows demand they already have, positions and real CTR, so your findings are specific and verifiable. Here is how to turn read access into the core of the proposal in about an hour.

1. **Set the baseline** Export the last three months of clicks and compare with the same period last year. Split branded and non-branded clicks using the method in [branded vs non-branded keywords](https://anotherseoguru.com/en/resources/branded-vs-non-branded-keywords); the non-branded figure is the one your work will be judged on.
2. **Find queries close to page one or the top 3** Queries ranking 4-20 with meaningful impressions are where the first months of work pay off.
3. **Find snippets that under-click** Queries with a CTR well below what their position usually earns can often be improved with new titles and descriptions alone.
4. **Run a site audit** Pick the two or three issues that block rankings on important pages. Leave the long list for the kick-off.
5. **Size the opportunity** Upload the Queries.csv export to the free [Search Console opportunity finder](https://anotherseoguru.com/en/resources/search-console-opportunity-finder). It returns the queries worth pushing and a conservative, expected and ceiling click forecast, in your browser. The method is explained in [SEO forecasting](https://anotherseoguru.com/en/resources/seo-forecasting).
6. **Translate clicks into business terms** Multiply expected extra clicks by the organic conversion rate and the value of a conversion, and label it as an estimate.

> **Warning:** Never promise rankings or a fixed traffic number. Present the forecast as a range with its assumptions, and make the expected case the one you would be comfortable being measured against.

## How to price an SEO proposal

| Model | How it works | Fits | Watch for |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly retainer | Fixed monthly fee for an agreed scope | Ongoing SEO for most businesses | Scope creep; define deliverables |
| Project | Fixed fee for a defined piece of work | Audits, migrations, one-off content | Change requests mid-project |
| Hourly | Billed by time spent | Consulting, small or unpredictable work | Clients watching hours instead of results |
| Performance-linked | Part of the fee tied to agreed results | Mature relationships with clean tracking | Results you do not control (brand demand, seasonality) |

To set the number, estimate the hours each month's scope needs, multiply by your rate, add tool and content costs, and check the result against what the expected forecast is worth to the client. If the work costs more than a reasonable share of the value it is likely to create, reduce the scope rather than the rate.

Offer three options. A foundations option that fixes what blocks rankings, a recommended growth option, and a larger option with content production. Most buyers choose the middle one, and a choice makes the conversation about which option, not whether.

Worked example (hypothetical numbers): the prospect's export shows an expected uplift of about 1,500 non-branded clicks a month after six months. At their organic conversion rate of 2% that is around 30 extra leads a month; if one lead is worth 100 to them, the expected case is worth about 3,000 a month. A retainer well below that, with the forecast assumptions written out, is an easy proposal to defend.

## Following up

- **Present it, do not just send it.** Walk through the summary and findings on a call; send the document after.
- **Day 2-3:** a short message with one extra insight from their data, not “just checking in”.
- **Day 7:** ask directly whether anything is missing for a decision, and offer to adjust the scope.
- **Day 14:** if there is no answer, say you will close the proposal on the validity date and leave the door open.
- **Win or lose, ask why.** It improves the next proposal more than anything else.

## After the yes: connect the proposal to reporting

The baseline and forecast in the proposal become the yardstick for every report that follows. Use the same metrics, the same brand split and the same structure, so the client can see progress against what you said would happen. The [SEO reporting](https://anotherseoguru.com/en/resources/seo-reporting) guide covers the monthly report, and [white-label SEO reports](https://anotherseoguru.com/en/resources/white-label-seo-reports) covers delivering it in your brand. If you are comparing software to run all this, see [SEO reporting tools](https://anotherseoguru.com/en/resources/seo-reporting-tools).

In AnotherSEOGuru App, a free audit form on your website turns each request into a lead with an automatic audit of their site and a suggested package. You send a proposal in your branding, the client reads it and accepts it with their name, you are notified straight away, and an accepted proposal sets up the project and invites the client to their portal. The pipeline tracks every deal from lead to signed. These agency features are on the Agency plan; see the [agency workspace](https://anotherseoguru.com/en/platform/for/agencies), the [live demo](https://app.anotherseoguru.com/demo) or [pricing](https://anotherseoguru.com/en/pricing).

- [Search Console opportunity finder](https://anotherseoguru.com/en/resources/search-console-opportunity-finder): Free: size the opportunity from a prospect's export.
- [SEO forecasting](https://anotherseoguru.com/en/resources/seo-forecasting): Build the conservative, expected and ceiling scenarios.
- [White-label SEO reports](https://anotherseoguru.com/en/resources/white-label-seo-reports): Deliver the work in your brand every month.

**What should an SEO proposal include?**

A one-page summary, the current baseline from Search Console, specific findings from their data and an audit, a forecast range, scope with what is not included, a timeline, how you will report, two or three pricing options, why you, and next steps with terms.

**How long should an SEO proposal be?**

Usually five to ten pages. The summary should let a decision-maker say yes from the first page; the rest supports it.

**How do I write an SEO proposal without access to their data?**

Use a site audit and public signals for the findings and keep the forecast broad, then make Search Console access the first step of the engagement and refine the forecast once you have it.

**How should I price SEO in a proposal?**

Estimate the hours for the scope, multiply by your rate, add tools and content costs, and compare the total with what the expected forecast is worth to the client. Offer three options with the recommended one in the middle.

**Should an SEO proposal guarantee rankings?**

No. Rankings depend on factors no agency controls. Commit to the work, the reporting and a forecast range with clear assumptions instead.