Getting one SEO proposal is easy.
Getting three or four at once is where the headache starts.
They all talk about audits, content, keywords and “organic growth.” They all mention tools. They all include some mix of deliverables and monthly retainers.
On the surface, they look similar. Underneath, they can be completely different in quality, approach and impact.
This is where a lot of business owners get stuck. They either default to the cheapest option, the most confident-sounding consultant, or the one who sent the nicest PDF. None of those things guarantee a good fit.
What you actually need is a clear way to compare SEO consultant proposals side by side — without needing to become an SEO expert yourself.
This breakdown gives you that. It won’t tell you which consultant to pick, but it will help you understand what you’re really choosing between.
Why comparing SEO consultant proposals feels confusing
Most proposals share the same ingredients:
- an audit or discovery phase
- technical recommendations
- content suggestions
- keyword research
- monthly reporting
Because the labels match, it’s easy to assume the work is comparable. In reality, two consultants can write “technical audit” and mean completely different things. One might run a quick crawl and send a generic report. Another might spend hours tracing how your current setup blocks conversions.
Another reason it feels confusing is that you’re often comparing different working styles:
- one consultant is highly strategic and light on implementation
- another is heavy on content production
- a third focuses mostly on local SEO or technical cleanup
On top of that, each proposal uses different language, structures and assumptions. You’re not wrong if it all feels hard to weigh up.
So instead of trying to read each proposal in isolation, the better approach is to compare them on the same set of questions.
What you’re actually choosing when you pick an SEO consultant
An SEO consultant is not just “someone who does SEO tasks.” You’re choosing a mix of four things:
1. Their way of thinking about your business
A good proposal shows that they understand how you make money, who your best customers are, where you’re currently getting leads from and which parts of your offer matter most. A weak one jumps straight into tools and keywords without ever really describing your business in your language.
2. Their priorities for the first 3–6 months
Every consultant has a default pattern. Some go straight for technical fixes. Others move quickly into content. Some want to validate messaging first. Their proposal reveals which levers they intend to pull before anything else.
3. Their working style and depth
Are they hands-on or advisory? Will they write content or expect your team to? Do they implement technical changes or just document them? Are they comfortable challenging your assumptions, or mainly focused on execution?
4. Their expectations and honesty about results
Serious consultants are specific but careful about promises. They talk about scenarios, probabilities and dependencies. Overconfident ones guarantee rankings or fixed lead numbers, which no one can genuinely control.
When you compare proposals, you’re really comparing these four things. The details just sit on top.
The core sections every consultant proposal should cover
Regardless of format, a good proposal usually covers the same foundations. Use this as a checklist.
1. Your situation, in their words
There should be a short section summarising your current state: what you sell, who you sell it to, your current marketing channels, your challenges and your goals. This shows whether they’ve listened and whether they’ve understood you.
Ask yourself:
- Does this sound like us?
- Is anything important missing?
- Have they captured our main goal accurately?
If they can’t describe your situation clearly, it’s hard to trust the rest.
2. Diagnosis of what’s holding you back
This is where a consultant explains why you’re not getting the results you want today. It may include:
- site structure problems (e.g. confusing navigation, weak internal links)
- technical issues (slow pages, indexing problems)
- content gaps (missing high-intent pages)
- positioning issues (generic messaging, no clear differentiator)
- weak local presence or review profile
What you’re looking for is a diagnosis that feels grounded, specific and tied to your business model — not a copy-paste list of generic “SEO issues.”
3. Strategy: what they plan to do and in what order
A real strategy section does more than list tasks. It shows how they think about cause and effect.
Strong proposals will:
- outline a sequence — for example: fix tracking → improve core pages → build supporting content → earn links
- separate quick wins from long-term projects
- tie work back to types of keywords and buyers
- explain why they’re prioritising specific areas first
If a strategy reads like a menu of services instead of a coherent plan, that’s worth noting.
4. Scope and deliverables
Here’s where you should be able to answer, without guessing:
- What exactly will they deliver in the first 3–6 months?
- Which pages will be created, improved or rewritten?
- Will they handle implementation or just provide recommendations?
- Is link-building included? If so, how much and how?
- What’s ongoing versus one-off?
Vague deliverables make comparison almost impossible. You don’t need everything itemised by the hour, but you should understand what you’re buying.
5. Measurement and reporting
Any serious SEO consultant will talk about how success is measured. That usually includes:
- which conversions will be tracked (calls, forms, demos, enquiries)
- what tools will be used (Analytics, Search Console, call tracking)
- how often you’ll review performance
- which metrics matter most and why
If reporting revolves only around rankings and traffic with no reference to leads or revenue, mark that as a weakness.
6. Fees, terms and expectations
Last but not least, the proposal should state:
- pricing (retainer, project fee or hybrid)
- minimum commitment or notice period
- what’s included in the fee — and what isn’t
- how communication will work (calls, Slack, email, frequency)
Once you have this information from each consultant, you can start to do a fair comparison.
How to compare scope, pricing and ROI potential
Price is the most obvious difference between proposals — but it’s rarely the most important on its own. What you really want to know is: what am I likely to get for this fee, and how close is that to the outcomes I care about?
1. Compare scope, not just cost
Take each proposal and write down, in your own words, what the first 3–6 months involve:
- how many core pages will be improved or created?
- how much technical work is included?
- how much content will they actually write?
- how many hours of strategy or consulting will you get?
- is outreach or link-building part of the plan?
Often, the cheapest option is simply doing far less work — or handing more of the execution back to you.
2. Compare their focus: traffic vs leads
Some consultants anchor their plan around traffic growth. Others anchor it around lead quality and conversions.
For most small and mid-sized businesses, the second group is more valuable. More visitors mean very little if enquiries don’t increase or improve.
3. Compare timelines and risk
SEO is never instant, but proposals should still address timing. Look for:
- when you can expect to see leading indicators (better rankings, more relevant traffic)
- when real lead improvements become realistic, given your market
- how they plan to adjust if initial assumptions are wrong
A realistic timeline beats an optimistic one every time. Punchy promises may feel good upfront but often lead to disappointment.
How to compare strategy and thinking (not just tasks)
This is where the most important differences show up.
Two consultants might both suggest “content strategy” and “technical optimisation.” One is guessing based on surface-level checks. The other has dug into your search data, your market and your business model.
1. Look at how they handle keyword strategy
Pay attention to how they talk about keywords:
- Do they talk about bottom-of-funnel phrases, not just high-volume terms?
- Do they show they understand which searches signal buying intent?
- Do they mention mapping keywords to specific pages and stages of the journey?
If keywords are presented as a long, impressive-looking list with no commentary on intent or relevance, that’s a sign they’re chasing volume over leads.
2. Look at how they approach content
Ask yourself:
- Are they focusing on the pages closest to revenue (service, product, comparison, use-case)?
- Do they talk about reflecting your positioning and expertise, not just ticking SEO boxes?
- Are they willing to interview your team or customers to get better input, or is content clearly going to be “generic SEO blog posts”?
Content can either become your best sales asset or a collection of forgettable articles. The proposal should make clear which direction they tend to lean.
3. Look at how they think about your competitors
Competitor analysis can be shallow (“they rank for these keywords”) or deep (“here’s how they position themselves, here’s what they ignore, here’s where we can win”).
The better proposals will:
- identify gaps your competitors haven’t covered
- point out weaknesses in their offer or messaging
- avoid simply copying what competitors already do
Good consultants help you sidestep competitors, not just chase them.
Red flags when comparing SEO consultant proposals
Some warning signs are obvious. Others hide behind glossy language. Here are the ones to pay attention to.
1. Guaranteed rankings or fixed lead numbers
No consultant controls Google. No one can promise that “you’ll rank #1 for X in three months.” Confidence is good. Guarantees on things no one controls are not.
2. Heavy emphasis on blog volume with no strategy
“Four blog posts a month” doesn’t mean anything without clarity on who they’re for, what job they do and how they support your core pages.
3. No mention of your sales process
SEO doesn’t live in isolation. If the proposal never references how you currently sell — calls, demos, proposals, consultations — that’s a missed connection.
4. Extremely low pricing compared to the scope
If someone is far cheaper and promises just as much, there’s usually a compromise hiding somewhere — outsourced writing, minimal strategy time, or a templated approach that won’t reflect your business well.
5. Vague or evasive link-building plans
“We’ll build high-quality backlinks” without explaining how is not enough. You don’t need a full playbook, but you do need to know the general method — outreach, digital PR, partnerships, content assets, etc.
A simple 1-page framework to compare proposals
If you’re holding multiple proposals and feeling stuck, use a single sheet or doc and create five sections:
1. Understanding of our business
Score each consultant on how well they described your market, offer and goals.
2. Strategy clarity
Summarise their plan in one or two lines. If you can’t do that, the proposal may be overcomplicated or vague.
3. Scope vs price
Note the main deliverables and the fee. Ask which one gives you the most meaningful work on pages and areas that drive revenue.
4. Fit with how we like to work
Do you want close collaboration, or do you prefer someone more independent? Does their communication style match what you need?
5. Confidence and comfort level
This is subjective but important. Who do you feel is most likely to tell you the truth when something isn’t working — not just what you want to hear?
When you fill this out, the strongest option usually becomes obvious quickly.
Final thoughts
Comparing SEO consultant proposals doesn’t have to feel like reading a foreign language. You don’t need to understand every technical detail. You just need a clear set of questions to anchor your judgement.
Look at how well they understand your business. Look at how clearly they explain their plan. Look at whether they connect SEO to customers, not just clicks.
Choose the consultant whose proposal makes you think, “That feels realistic. That feels grounded in how we actually work. And that feels like a plan we can commit to for the next 6–12 months.”
If you get that feeling — and the numbers make sense — you’re probably looking at the right partner.