Most SEO contracts protect the agency. Yours should cover the four things that actually go wrong: link damage, account hostage-taking, deliverables that quietly shrink, and an exit that leaves you with nothing.
The five clauses that matter most
1. Link acquisition policy
The only clause that prevents lasting damage. Specify:
- No paid links, link networks, PBNs, or paid directory submissions
- All links earned through outreach, digital PR, or editorial placement
- Monthly report listing every new link with a live URL and acquisition method
- Remediation at the provider’s cost if links breaching this policy are found
Without this, disavowal and recovery is your cost and takes six to twelve months.
2. Account and asset ownership
- Client owns all accounts: analytics, Search Console, GBP, hosting, domain, ad accounts
- Provider works via delegated access under named individual logins
- Provider may not create assets under its own ownership on the client’s behalf
- All content, data, and documentation produced is client property on payment
3. Quantified deliverables
Adjectives are unenforceable. Replace “regular content” with numbers:
| Vague | Enforceable |
|---|---|
| Ongoing content creation | 4 articles/month, min 1,200 words, briefed and client-approved |
| Technical optimisation | Monthly crawl; all critical/high issues fixed or escalated within 15 days |
| Link building | Outreach to min 40 qualified prospects/month; links reported monthly |
| Reporting | Monthly report by the 10th, covering agreed KPIs, plus a quarterly review call |
| Strategic input | Min 4 senior strategist hours/month, named individual |
4. Term and exit
- 90-day initial term, then month-to-month with 30 days’ written notice
- On termination: access revoked, all documentation, briefs, and data handed over within 10 days
- No clause permitting removal of work delivered and paid for
- Final invoice covers work completed, not the remaining term
5. Named team and substitution
Name the strategist in the agreement. Require written notice and equivalent seniority on any substitution. This prevents the common pattern of a senior person selling and a junior delivering.
What belongs in the SLA rather than the contract
| Item | Reasonable standard |
|---|---|
| Response to email | 1 business day |
| Response to a ranking or traffic emergency | 4 business hours |
| Monthly report delivery | By the 10th |
| Content draft turnaround | 5 business days from approved brief |
| Revision turnaround | 2 business days |
| Guaranteed overlap window | 2 hours daily, fixed time, stated in both time zones |
| Escalation path | Named second contact above the account lead |
What should never be in an SEO contract
- Ranking guarantees. Unenforceable and a sign the provider is selling rather than delivering.
- A fixed monthly link quota. It guarantees purchased links.
- Auto-renewing 12-month terms. Especially with a long notice window.
- Provider ownership of content or accounts. Ever.
- Payment tied solely to rankings. It drives selection of worthless easy-win keywords.
Frequently asked questions
What should an SEO contract include?
An explicit link acquisition policy, client ownership of all accounts and content, quantified deliverables with numbers rather than adjectives, a 90-day-then-rolling term with a clean exit, and a named strategist with substitution rules.
What is the most important clause?
The link policy. It is the only area where a provider can cause damage that takes six to twelve months and real money to undo.
How long should an SEO contract be?
Ninety days initially, then month-to-month with 30 days’ notice. A quarter is long enough to judge process quality without transferring all risk to you.
Should an SLA guarantee rankings?
No. An SLA should govern responsiveness, turnaround, and reporting — things the provider controls. Rankings are not among them.
What happens to my content if I leave?
It stays yours, if the contract says so. Include a clause stating all content, data, and documentation is client property on payment, with handover inside 10 days of termination.
Part of our complete guide to SEO outsourcing.
Serpwize runs outsourced SEO from India for businesses and agencies in the US, UK, and Australia. See how our engagements are structured.
