As a marketer, I've seen my fair share of SEO pitches. A red flag for me is when they don't showcase results with hard data. I would definitely ask for statistics or case studies that prove they can generate phone calls or leads, depending on my goals. Pricing is another big one. Blind pricing or flat packages raise an eyebrow. What if it's a predetermined package delivered by an overseas VA who may not understand the nuances of my industry? Let's face it, some niches have real "big dogs" throwing serious money at SEO. A one-size-fits-all approach might not be enough to outrank those competitors, especially if my package isn't built to tackle that specific challenge. I need an agency that can show me a data-driven plan to outmanoeuvre the competition, not just hope a pre-built package can move the needle.
One of the biggest mistakes I've seen and certainly been guilty of myself is focusing on pitching the work rather than the results. If you focus on tasks completed and time spent, so will your clients. Clients care about how you will help them achieve their goals not in a detailed breakdown of the work you will do for them.
Having worked in SEO for, over 10 years I have encountered proposals that fail to establish measurable objectives. For instance a client was promised " rankings" without specifying target keywords or traffic projections. It is essential to have goals, including conversion targets. Using strategies is another mistake. I remember a proposal that recommended the same approach for both a florist and a national e commerce website. Each business requires a customized strategy based on its industry and target audience. The importance of quality content creation and optimization is often underestimated. In one instance a clients SEO plan lacked a content strategy resulting in missed opportunities for engagement and improved rankings. I always emphasize the need, for a comprehensive content plan to achieve outcomes.
SEO Consultant at Anna Matviienko
Answered a year ago
Here are some of the most frequently encountered ones from my experience: 1) Overpromising Results. Proposals that guarantee specific rankings or extremely fast results often fail to acknowledge the complexities in SEO. 2) Lack of Customization. Some SEO proposals use a one-size-fits-all approach without tailoring strategies to the specific needs and goals of the business. 3) Underestimating Content Needs. Proposals might not adequately address the need for user-first,relevant content that aligns with user intent. Content is a central component of effective SEO strategies.
The biggest mistake I see is failing to "show them the money." The prospect is really just interested in one thing, increasing their revenue. Most SEO providers try to pitch the prospect on rankings results and focus on that, rather than show them an estimate of the income that will result from the SEO service. It can take a bit of complex calculation, but when you can show the prospect an actual dollar value of the potential revenue an SEO campaign can produce, it makes it much easier for them to make what is ultimately an ROI-based decision. It's hard to calculate ROI when you don't know the "R".
A consistent mistake I've seen over the years is an overemphasis on keyword volume as the main upside opportunity. Search volume isn't everything. Many long-tail keywords convert at a much better rate than high volume generics. Proposals that focus on traffic uplift only, don't paint the full picture for businesses. When pitching SEO, it needs to be about the added value for the business as a whole, along with the ROI they can expect. If you're given enough data from a prospective client, you can roughly forecast the monetary value upside too. The added value as a whole is important, as SEO is a touchpoint of so many other channels. SEO is a brand building exercise as much as it is about ranking keywords. Organic has a major impact on how your brand is received both on-site and off-site, so for me, pitching SEO needs to demonstrate that too.
It might be somewhat difficult to say what not to include in a SEO proposal as every client is different and may have different needs. However, the biggest mistake you can make is suggesting generic SEO solutions without too much regard for the client's actual struggles or circumstances. To avoid this, it's important to make enquiries to the client before the SEO proposal to answer such questions as: 1. What is their own experience with SEO, including any other suppliers they may have used? 2. Why are they seeking SEO help? 3. What are they hoping to accomplish? The SEO proposal should then focus on answering their questions, actuated by your SEO expertise and showcasing solutions applied to their unique context. Assuming most clients reach out for SEO help to accomplish some clear business objectives such as, for instance, revenue growth - not addressing this point head-on is another big mistake. SEO providers often go to great lengths to explain that results are not guaranteed or when they do guarantee results they're simply too vague to be trusted, lacking any clear and tangible targets. So promising modest results that are in line with both client spending and forecasted growth from organic search should be preferred to promising the highest of results with little to no details to back it up.
As an SEMrush-certified PR expert and Bright Local-certified Local SEO expert, I've encountered common mistakes in SEO proposals firsthand. Previously, I've faced similar errors, missing opportunities due to a lack of personalization and vague objectives. Unrealistic expectations and overemphasis on rankings also hinder success. Prioritizing clear communication, realistic goal-setting, and strategic planning can help avoid these pitfalls and build stronger client relationships. Additionally, overlooking technical SEO issues and neglecting content strategy are areas where proposals often fall short. Addressing these shortcomings and learning from past experiences can lead to more effective SEO proposals and better outcomes for clients.
One of the biggest mistakes I see in SEO proposals are agencies attempting to create a plan without truly understanding the company and their target audience. SEO is not merely a checklist of tasks; it's about understanding the ideal customer for the business, analyzing their needs, language, and trusted information sources. You can optimize a site endlessly, but without the customer in mind, your ideal audience won't find it, and the company will not see any conversions. SEO involves psychology, analysis, and strategy. Most proposals approach it like a car tune-up, listing all the issues that need fixing and all those that would be nice to fix. They don’t always contribute to the bottom line. In order to keep the site running and visible to Google addressing these issues is important, but it doesn't necessarily bring in converting customers. Proposals often focus on task lists without including the essential analysis and strategy needed to optimize a website for better ROI.
Actually the biggest mistake for SEO proposals right now is using AI to create your SEO proposal. This stops your proposal from standing out in the crowd and likely makes you cover every point that other agencies or SEO experts who are doing the same thing. This discredits your experience as an SEO expert because anyone can ask AI to do an SEO audit and suggest areas to cover. It's going to remove your brand personality and your experience from the proposal and make it look no better than anyone else. I also think SEO experts are very technical people, and sometimes we forget to simplify down our terms. One common mistake I sometimes make, and see often is filling the proposal with a heap of technical work that's being done. But the business owner who is receiving the proposal likely won't understand this. They don't need to know all the technical jargon, they just need to know how this is going to help them reach their goals, and how it can help grow their business. If you cover these points together, and create a unique proposal through graphic design using Canva or an expert from UpWork, you can make yourself stand out from 90% of the other SEO experts who are also sending proposals.
Use of vague statements. Most proposals include unclear statements like “We will give your website better SEO rankings” Instead of giving specific details like, “We will improve your website's search engine ranking through different steps. First, we will optimize your existing web content to ensure it contains the keywords your target audience is searching for. Then, we will create ten new high-quality content for your website every month based on keyword research. The fresh keyword-optimized content will attract more visitors and make your website a credible, trusted, and valuable resource…etc.” Most clients don’t speak SEO. They are only interested in results, and your proposal should explain how your actions will get them the desired results.
A common mistake I see in SEO proposals is not enough personalization. Generic presentations just don't work anymore. To really stand out and boost your conversion rates, you need to make your proposals unique. Study each lead like your life depends on it, give a preview of your strategy, and show how SEO will help them specifically. Highlight their biggest opportunities and include case studies from similar industries. This approach has been pure gold for me!
Once common mistake I see in SEO proposals are promises like giving an exact timeline like 6 months or 3 months to see desired results (regardless of the client's niche/industry!). It is often seen as a scam because many factors influence ranking and results. These factors include competition, algorithm changes, and the unique conditions of the client's website. Therefore, deliverables and results should be tailored based on the specific needs and circumstances of the website.
Here's my take on common mistakes seen in SEO proposals from an experienced digital marketer's perspective: One pitfall I frequently notice is proposals that lack a comprehensive technical SEO audit. They may focus heavily on content and keywords but overlook crucial website issues like poor architecture, redirect errors, duplicate content, and slow page speeds - all of which can severely hamper crawlability and rankings. A top-notch proposal should include a thorough technical audit and remediation plan. Another red flag is SEO recommendations that are completely generic and don't account for the client's specific business model, sales funnel, and audience intent at different stages. Cookie-cutter strategies fail to recognize that top-of-funnel informational queries require different tactics than bottom-funnel transactional searches. True expertise shines through in customized, audience-centric approaches. I've also seen proposals from vendors that are clearly using outdated, spammy tactics like keyword stuffing, cloaked links, and low-quality link building through blog comments or directories. This demonstrates an incomplete understanding of current best practices favoring quality content, white-hat link earning, and creating an overall superior user experience. On the positive side, standout SEO proposals show strategic thinking beyond just tactics. They map out measurement plans focused on business metrics like increased organic traffic, lead generation, conversion rates, ROI, and revenue goals aligned with the client's objectives. The best proposals spell out how the SEO program directly drives measurable revenue impacts - more online sales, higher lead volumes, improved customer lifetime values, and so on. Too many proposals tick the technical boxes but fail to clearly tie tactics back to financial metrics that truly move the needle. After years of experiencing overpromising from some vendors, I'm highly selective about long-term SEO partners. One-size-fits-all, set-it-and-forget-it plans are a red flag. The best continue evolving their approach alongside major algorithm updates and search behavior shifts. Stale proposals relying on outdated tactics make me think the provider lacks the dedication to driving sustained success.
The standout mistake I've seen and made myself in SEO proposals in the past is to misunderstand the C-suite. In my experience they have little interest in much of what we as SEOs intuitively want to include and really just want to know how our strategy will translate into increased market share, revenue, and overall company growth.
Honestly, I've noticed a lot of SEO proposals miss including the legal fine print, which is a pretty big mistake. It's especially common among newcomers to SEO who might not yet appreciate how important intellectual property details are in this industry. Always remember to include the legal fine print! Leaving out this admittedly less exciting part of your SEO proposal can land you in hot water. That's why it's important to protect yourself by incorporating a "Terms and Conditions" section in your proposal. This addition makes sure your clients can't renege on their agreement, ensuring you get paid for the work you deliver.
I often see a lack of a solid timeline in SEO proposals, especially those offering monthly package services. But, without a roadmap it becomes impossible to set realistic client expectations and prove you plan to deliver real results. You should include a timeframe for the setup phase, including how much time it will take you to do an initial SEO assessment and then perform ongoing services. Every phase should have clear milestones and deliverables for full transparency. A great SEO timeline isn’t rigid, so it should also include terms on how you’ll regularly review your approach and update timelines accordingly.
The lack of clarity, which can confuses and often also impedes decision-making. What's more, the inclusion of too much technical jargon can alienate non-technical team members, making the proposal inaccessible to a broader audience. Another frequent problem is the presence of pages and pages of content that nobody reads, which dilutes key messages and overwhelms readers. To improve SEO proposals, it’s essential to focus on clear communication, avoid excessive technical language, and ensure that every section adds value. Remember: you're the one convincing the decision maker on a Call to Action to pay you for your business services.
As a tech CEO, I often see SEO proposals rigidly stick to old-fashioned practices, completely disregarding the constant evolution of SEO trends and algorithm updates by search engines. It's not just about having the right keywords anymore, it is about having a comprehensive, adaptable SEO strategy. I also notice a frequent oversight of local SEO. Many businesses thrive online, but many also benefit hugely from a strong local presence. Lastly, the proposals often lack ongoing performance monitoring, putting the overall effectiveness of the SEO campaign in the dark.
A common mistake regularly found in SEO proposals is placing too much importance on methodology while not clearly defining what the customer will receive. Although it is important to express the techniques and approach that will be used, the client seeks a real understanding of the action plan. They need an idea of what is clearly going to be accomplished and what they will tangibly have in their hands. In my experience, SEO proposals frequently make me think that they (and the methodology) exist only because they can. To prevent this error, make certain that your proposal clearly and specifically outlines the deliverables the customer will receive. You will be performing an SEO audit, you say? Well, that's fine, but what are you auditing — and what kind of report will the customer get? Same goes for your mention of conducting some keyword research. You know what you mean, but the customer doesn't—unless, of course, you tell them. Are you going to look at a couple dozen keywords? Are you going to look at a couple hundred? Are you going to look at a couple thousand? And, really, what are you going to do with this research? By extension, how are you going to do it and when are you going to do it? This transparency not only builds trust but also sets clear expectations, making it easier for clients to evaluate the effectiveness of the SEO efforts.