SEO work can mean diagnosing indexing problems, improving a site’s structure or building useful content for the searches your customers make. Decide which problem you need solved before comparing a one-off audit with ongoing support.
What to include in an SEO proposal
An audit identifies issues; implementation changes the website. Ask for both to be priced explicitly so that a list of recommendations is not mistaken for completed work.
- A baseline covering search visibility, important pages and conversion measurement.
- A prioritised technical audit with evidence, affected URLs and a named implementation owner.
- A content plan that maps distinct customer needs to useful pages, plus a reporting and review schedule.
How to assess an SEO specialist
Ask for an example of an issue they diagnosed, the action taken and how they assessed the result. Clarify their role in any case study. Have them explain what they would investigate first on your site and what access they need. Treat promises of a fixed ranking as a reason to ask more questions: a proposal should explain the work and its dependencies.
What changes the cost of SEO services?
Site size, languages, technical complexity, migration work, content production and implementation responsibilities all affect scope. Compare a fixed audit, a defined implementation project and ongoing support separately. Ask whether writing, development and tools are included. This page does not quote a market average; request current, itemised proposals for your site.
Example SEO brief
“We have a 40-page services website in English and Italian. We want to understand why relevant visitors are not reaching our enquiry pages. Please propose an audit, a prioritised plan and optional implementation. We can provide read-only analytics and search data. Separate content creation and developer work, and explain what you will report after each stage.”
Before you agree
Confirm who owns each account, who approves site changes and how progress will be reviewed. Record the starting point and agree what constitutes delivery of each task. For a migration, include redirects and a post-launch check. Keep access limited to the permissions needed for the work.
