An SEO proposal isn't a scope of work. It's a sales document — its job is to convince the prospect that you understand their problem and have a credible plan to solve it.
Most agency proposals fail because they lead with credentials ("About Us") instead of the client's problem, bury pricing after 8 pages of methodology, and use the same generic structure whether the deal is $2K/month or $15K/month.
This page covers the 7 sections that consistently win deals, how to adapt by engagement size, and why the assembly process — not the writing — is usually the bottleneck.
Who this is for
- SEO agency founders writing or reviewing proposals
- Sales leads assembling proposals from templates
- Account managers preparing upsell or renewal proposals
- Teams sending 10+ proposals per month who need consistency
The 7-section structure
1. Problem statement (not "About Us")
Lead with what's wrong — and quantify it. "Your site has lost 40% organic visibility in 12 months" is more compelling than "We're a full-service SEO agency founded in 2015." The prospect already knows who you are. Show them you understand their situation.
2. The diagnostic
What's actually causing the problem? This section demonstrates expertise. Cover the 3–5 most critical issues you've identified — technical debt, content gaps, competitive positioning, local visibility, or authority deficit. Keep it specific to this prospect.
3. Recommended plan
Present your approach in phases. Phase 1 is typically audit and strategy. Phase 2 is implementation. Phase 3 is ongoing optimisation. Phasing builds confidence because it shows you're not trying to do everything at once.
4. What's included — and what's not
This is where the proposal meets the scope. List deliverables explicitly. Then list exclusions explicitly. "Content writing is not included in this engagement" prevents the "I assumed you'd write the blog posts" conversation 3 months in.
5. Investment and terms
Place pricing after the plan, not before. By this point, the prospect understands what they're getting and why. Include fee structure (monthly retainer, project fee, or hybrid), payment terms, and minimum commitment period.
6. Expected outcomes and timeline
Be honest. SEO results take time. Give ranges, not guarantees: "Based on current authority and competitive landscape, we expect a 20–40% increase in organic sessions within 6–9 months." Tie outcomes to the diagnostic — if the problem is technical, outcomes reference technical improvements. If it's content, outcomes reference traffic and rankings.
7. Why us
Credentials come last — after the prospect already trusts your understanding and your plan. Include relevant case studies (same industry or same problem), team expertise, and any differentiators. Keep it brief.
Variables that change the proposal
| Variable | Impact on proposal |
|---|---|
| Deal size | $2–3K/month: lean, 3–4 pages. $5–15K/month: detailed, 6–8 pages with diagnostics |
| Engagement type | Audit-only proposals are shorter and more diagnostic-focused |
| Service mix | Technical + content + local = more sections than technical-only |
| Competitor context | Enterprise prospects expect competitor analysis in the diagnostic |
| Prospect sophistication | Technical buyers want methodology. Business buyers want outcomes |
Adapting by deal size
$1.5K–$3K/month engagements Keep it lean. 3–4 pages. Problem → plan → pricing → terms. These prospects make faster decisions and don't need 8 pages of methodology. Focus on clarity and speed.
$5K–$15K/month engagements Invest in the diagnostic. Show custom analysis. Include competitor benchmarks. Detail the phased plan with monthly deliverables. These deals justify 6–8 pages because the prospect is comparing you against 2–3 other agencies.
$15K+/month engagements Full diagnostic with data. Custom strategy deck. Possibly a separate technical audit preview. These proposals often require presentation meetings — the document supports the conversation, not replaces it.
Problem statement
- Current organic performance (traffic, rankings, visibility trend)
- Revenue impact of current SEO gaps
- What prompted the prospect to seek help now
Diagnostic summary
- Top 3–5 issues identified (technical, content, authority, local)
- Competitor positioning snapshot
- Opportunity estimate (traffic potential, keyword gaps)
Recommended plan
- Phase 1: Audit and strategy (Month 1)
- Phase 2: Implementation (Months 2–4)
- Phase 3: Ongoing optimisation (Months 4+)
- Key deliverables per phase
Scope and exclusions
- Included services (audit, on-page, content strategy, reporting)
- Excluded services (content writing, paid media, development, link buying)
- Client responsibilities (access, approvals, content provision)
Investment
- Monthly fee or project fee
- Payment terms and schedule
- Minimum commitment period
- Change request process
Expected outcomes
- Timeline for initial results (typically 3–6 months)
- Metrics to track (organic sessions, keyword rankings, conversions)
- Review cadence (monthly reports, quarterly strategy reviews)
About [Agency Name]
- Relevant case studies (2–3, same industry or problem)
- Team leads and expertise
- Client references (optional)
The real bottleneck: assembly, not writing
Most agencies don't struggle with what to write — they struggle with assembling the right sections for each prospect. The founder reviews every proposal. Pricing gets calculated in a spreadsheet. Exclusions get missed because someone copied from the wrong template.
If you're sending 10–20 proposals per month, that's 6–12 hours of senior time per week on assembly work that follows a pattern.
RuleDox encodes that pattern:
- Select engagement type, site size, and service mix
- Rules determine which sections appear and which exclusions apply
- Pricing calculates from your rate card and scope variables
- The output is a Google Doc — ready to review and personalise
FAQ
What's the difference between a proposal and a scope of work? A proposal sells. A scope of work defines boundaries. The proposal is what the prospect reads before signing. The SOW is what both sides reference during delivery. Many agencies combine them — which works for smaller deals but creates problems at scale. Read more: SEO SOW vs Proposal →
Should I include pricing in the proposal? Yes. Proposals without pricing create unnecessary back-and-forth and signal that you're not confident in your fees. Place it after the plan so the prospect understands the value before seeing the number.
How many proposals should one person be able to write per week? With a good system, a senior team member should be able to assemble 5–8 proposals per week. If it's taking 2–3 hours per proposal, the process — not the person — needs fixing.