What is a sEO services agreement?
An SEO services agreement sets the terms between a search engine optimisation consultant or agency and a website owner. SEO is slow, partly outside anyone's control and involves changes to a live website, so the contract has to be clear on three things: what work is done each month, who touches the website and how, and the fact that nobody can guarantee rankings.
This template covers an optional initial audit, the ongoing monthly work, a number of new content pieces, whether link building is included (and a firm ban on bought links and other techniques that breach search engine guidelines), and whether you change the website directly or recommend changes for the client's developer. It sets access and backup rules, a clear no-guaranteed-rankings clause, reporting, a monthly fee and optional audit fee, ownership of reports and content, and an optional minimum term.
- Best for
- SEO consultants, agencies and freelancers on monthly retainers
- Signed by
- The provider and the website owner, with job titles
- Rankings
- Not guaranteed — the agreement says so in bold
- Length
- About 3 pages, initialled on every page
When to Use a sEO services agreement
- A consultant starts a six-month SEO retainer after an audit
- An agency adds monthly blog content and on-page optimisation for a client
- A local business hires help with local listings and technical fixes
- A provider only recommends changes and the client's developer implements them
- An e-commerce store wants organic growth without risky link schemes
What You Fill In
19 blanks, then the name and email of each person who signs: provider, client.
1 The parties
- Provider (your business)*
- Provider address
- Client (company or person)*
- Client address
2 The work
- Start date*
- Website*
- Initial SEO audit* Included in the first month · Not included
- Ongoing SEO work*
- New content pieces per month
- Link building* is not included · is included, through outreach, digital PR and listings only
- Who makes changes to the website* The Provider makes agreed changes directly in the website's content management system · The Provider recommends changes and the Client or its web developer makes them
3 Fees
- Currency*
- Monthly fee*
- One-off audit fee
- Invoices are due within (days)*
4 Other terms
- Reports sent* monthly · every two weeks · quarterly
- Minimum term (months)
- Notice to end the agreement (days)*
- Governing law*
5 Who signs
- Provider signature and date, job title, initials on every page · The SEO consultant or agency.
- Client signature and date, job title, initials on every page · The website owner.
What the sEO services agreement Covers
- Services
- Access and changes to the Website
- No guaranteed rankings
- Reporting
- Fees
- Ownership
- Term and ending the agreement
- General
Using the sEO services agreement, step by step
1 Define the work
Choose whether an audit is included in the first month, describe the ongoing monthly work, and add a number of content pieces if you write them. Choose whether link building is included — outreach, digital PR and listings only.
2 Decide who changes the website
Pick whether you make agreed changes directly in the content management system, or recommend them for the client or its developer. Either way, significant changes need approval and a current backup first.
3 Set fees, reporting and term
Enter the monthly fee and any separate audit fee, the reporting frequency, and a minimum term if you use one — SEO usually needs several months to show results.
4 Send it
Add your client's signer and send. Both of you sign with job titles and initial each page; the signed copy is filed in Files.
Tips Before You Send It
- Ask for your own user accounts in analytics, search console and the CMS rather than the client's login.
- Agree the target keywords in the first month, as the agreement requires, so progress is measured against something fixed.
- Ask the client to tell you before any redesign or migration — they are the most common cause of lost rankings.
- Be wary of anyone promising first-page rankings; this agreement deliberately doesn't.
Sign It Online In Minutes
- Fill in the blanks. Names, dates and amounts go straight into the agreement — the preview shows exactly where.
- Name who signs. Tick “This is me” for your own part. VergeHR builds the PDF with every signature, date and initials box on the right line, and you can check or move anything before sending.
- Send it. Each signer gets a secure link and signs from any device — no account needed. The signed PDF, with an audit trail and a Certificate of Completion, is filed in Files and emailed to everyone.
SEO services agreement: frequently asked questions
Can an SEO provider guarantee rankings?
No honest provider can, because search engines decide rankings with criteria they control and change. The agreement states that no ranking, traffic, leads or timescale is guaranteed.
Is link building included?
You choose. When it is included, it is limited to outreach, digital PR and listings. The agreement bans buying links, private blog networks and other techniques that breach major search engines' published guidelines.
What happens to the work if we stop?
The client keeps the audit, reports, keyword data and content it paid for, and the provider removes its access to the client's accounts.
Is an agreement signed electronically legally binding?
In most countries, including the US (ESIGN Act and UETA), the UK, the EU (eIDAS) and Canada, an electronic signature is generally valid for an ordinary commercial contract like this one. VergeHR keeps an audit trail and a Certificate of Completion with the signed PDF as evidence of who signed and when.
Is this template free?
Yes. The template is free to use with the eSignature app in VergeHR. Your client doesn't need a VergeHR login to sign.