How do I evaluate an SEO company's proposal?

Read it for one thing above all: whether it is specific enough to hold the company to. A good proposal shows that the company has looked at your site, says what will be delivered and when, explains how the work leads to the results you want, and puts a price on all of it. A proposal that could have been sent to any business in your industry has not done the first of those, and the rest depends on it. If you have several proposals, put them on common ground before comparing them, because each company describes its work in its own terms.

Does it show the company looked at your site?

A credible proposal names problems on your site: specific technical issues, pages that underperform, searches you are missing, and competitors that outrank you for the searches you care about. Count the findings that could only apply to your business. If there are none, that suggests the proposal was written before anyone examined your site, and its plan is a template rather than a diagnosis.

Can you tell month one from month six?

The proposal should say what happens first and what follows: which fixes come in the first weeks, when content production starts, when link work begins, and what you will receive each month. If you cannot tell from the document what you get in month one versus month six, you will not be able to tell later whether the work is on schedule.

Does the plan connect to the results you want?

Look for the chain from work to outcome: this fix or page is meant to improve visibility for these searches, which should bring these kinds of inquiries. A plan that lists activities without saying what each is for leaves you unable to judge whether it is working. Check also how results will be measured and from which accounts.

Is everything priced?

The price should be tied to the work described, with every separate charge named. If parts of the plan are priced elsewhere or left open, ask for them to be included before you decide.

Comparing several proposals

Proposals describe work in different units, so build a simple comparison before you weigh prices. List the components of the work down one side, such as technical work, on-page changes, content, links, local listings, and reporting, and put each company across the top. For each company, write what the proposal actually commits to in each row: a number, a frequency, a named deliverable.

Two rules make the comparison honest. A blank cell is a question to ask, not an assumption in the company’s favor. And a vague entry, such as “content creation” with no quantity, counts as blank until the company fills it in. Once every cell is filled, compare the price against what each column commits to, not against the headline figure.

What the proposal process tells you

How a company handles your questions about its proposal is part of the evaluation. If it answers with specifics and adjusts the document where it was vague, that is the behavior you want during the engagement. If it answers with reassurance instead of detail, you have learned something too.