5 SEO contract templates successful agencies use in 2025

Three years ago I sent my first SEO contract to a non-profit.

I had no idea what I was doing, and I simply put together a contract I found on Google.

Later on in that project, things got a bit messy and I had a hard time getting my invoice paid for all the work I did. And I realized I had a few crucial mistakes in my initial contract.

Since then, I’ve refined my process and learned what a good SEO contract should include. So, this is the article I wish I had when I first started my SEO business.

We are going to go over what you should include in your contracts and then go over five of my favorite SEO contract templates you can start using today. Alright, let’s get into it.

Essential elements to writing an SEO contract

When sending your first SEO contract, it’s important to get all the right information in place. I know personally, that when I have a contract that is well thought out and sound, it gives me peace knowing everything is written down and agreed upon before I start working hard for my client.

Here are some things I always look out for when creating an SEO contract:

Scope of work

The Scope of Work section of your contract explains what the project is and what steps are going to be taken to accomplish it. It’s arguably the most important part of your contract. I say this because having a clear scope of work laid out helps you avoid scope creep once a project gets kicked off.

This way, a client can’t keep requesting more from you without your rates changing.

When it comes to SEO services, your scope of work might include things like:

• A technical SEO website audit
• A full content strategy
• Keyword research and competitor analysis
• Content writing
• Link-building

These are just basics and very broad. You can get specific with exactly what you’re going to do — like “publish 8 new articles per month and optimize 8 existing blog posts per month.” You actually want to get as specific as possible to help eliminate scope creep.

Essentially, this part of your contract tells your client what you’re going to do for them.

Deliverables and deadlines

Next up is your deliverables and how long it will take for you to execute them. This part of your SEO contract will go over items from your scope of work, explain when you plan on delivering each of them, and explain in what format they will be delivered.

For example, for an SEO project, here's what this part could look like:

1. Initial SEO audit (Delivered X weeks after first kickoff call)
2. Website content optimization (Delivered X weeks after SEO audit)
3. Content strategy and creation (Delivered X weeks after website optimization)

And the list goes on.

Of course, for each of these, you want to have subheadings on what exactly each of these items entails. Ideally, you also want to include exact dates for each deliverable. And always overestimate how much time it will take you to complete a project task. It’s better to deliver early than you be scrambling last minute to give your client something you promised to deliver yesterday.

Duration and termination

Next up, you want to go over how long the contract will last. And, you want to go over any termination clauses just in case you need to part ways with a bad client or give your client peace of mind that they can part ways if needed.

This part will depend on whether you’re doing a one-time SEO project or an ongoing one. For a one-time project, you’ll want to clearly state the start date and end date of the contract.

For ongoing projects, you’ll want to state the start date and the frequency of your deliverables (X months). The time the contract lasts will depend on what you agree upon with your client, 3 months, 6 months, or just month-to-month until either party terminates.

Speaking of either party terminating, the next part is to explain how you or your client can end the contract. Ideally, if you’re doing month-to-month, you want to have a written agreement with X day’s notice. Depending on your level of comfort, you might agree to have a 30-day notice, or even shorter.

As a freelancer, I like to keep it at 1-2 weeks. If you’re a larger agency, you’ll most likely need at least a month.

You’ll also want to write out any refund policy and whether any payments are refundable when terminating.

Confidentiality clause

The confidentiality clause makes sure that you or your client won’t leak any data or information during (or even after) your contract. This part generally protects your clients and gives them peace of mind, especially if they’re a large company.

This section can go over things like analytics login credentials, business performance data, or your own proprietary strategies. It can also include NDAs from your client — although larger businesses may send this to you to sign separately as well.

You’ll also want to explain any exceptions to confidentially like when using third-party SEO tools like Semrush or Ahrefs. And, you’ll want to go over the duration of confidentiality both during and after the contract period (this could be X months or even X years).

This part is important so you’ll want to consult with a legal team as well.

Payment terms

Next up, my favorite part — getting paid.

Here you want to go over how much you’re going to charge for your SEO services, the frequency at which you will bill your client, and how many days they have to pay invoices once they’ve been sent.

Here are some things you want to mention in this section of your SEO contract:

• Pricing structure (fixed fees, retainers, hourly rates, etc.)
• Billing and invoicing frequency (time of the month, preferred payment methods, and when payments are due — 7 days, 14 days, or 30 days after an invoice is received.)
• Late payment policy (any late payment fees)
• Refund policy (if any)

If you’re using Copilot, this part can all be taken care of with the Billing App. It’s what I use to bill my clients for my own SEO services.

Dispute resolution

Ideally, you never have to worry about this part of a contract. But sometimes, there may be disputes between you and your client. And you want to make sure you have your bases covered.

Here, you want to have a clear process in place for when things don’t go as planned. You want to outline how you’ll handle disagreements and conflicts. Some things you might mention here include:

• Negotiating first: This explains that you and your client will try to come to an agreement on your own.
• Mediation and arbitration: If negotiating doesn’t go as planned, this part says that both parties agree to go into mediation with an independent third-party mediator. If Mediation doesn’t work, then arbitration says a dispute will be settled by binding arbitration in a specific state and country with the rules of a specific arbitration association.
• Legal action: If all else fails, both parties can pursue legal action in a specified state or country.

Ideally, you never have to go past the negotiation stage. But, it’s important to have this section in your contract to avoid any headaches from a rare situation. However, please have a legal professional review and write this section for you. Both Copilot and I are not responsible for anything you do after reading any blog post on this website.

Alright, now that we know some essential information that should be in an SEO contract, let’s go over some templates that you can use to make your life a lot easier. (The fifth one is my favorite.)

5 examples of SEO contract templates

Here are my favorite SEO contract templates:

1. PandaDoc’s SEO contract template
2. Bonsai’s SEO contract template
3. SE Ranking’s SEO contract template
4. Revv’s SEO contract template
5. Ahrefs’ SEO contract template

Alright, let's take a look at each of these.

1. PandaDoc's SEO contract template

PandaDoc has a great SEO contract template that’s simple and easy to use for quick SEO projects. It’s great for SEO agencies that need a professional and legally sound agreement that covers all the stuff we talked about in the previous section about the essentials to include in a contract.

Here are some key features:

• E-signature support (can also be done with Copilot’s Contracts App)
• Legally vetted
• Customizable sections and scope of work
• Automated tracking

Overall, this is a great template if you’re dealing with a lot of different clients. PandaDoc is well trusted so rest assured that you’re in good hands.

2. Bonsai's free SEO contract template

Next up is Bonsai’s free SEO contract template. I actually used this exact template when I first started freelancing over three years ago. It’s a great template if you’re a beginner freelancer just starting out. It’s simple, lets you customize the important details, and is a great choice if you know nothing about contracts.

Here are some key features:

• Made for freelancers and solo consultants
• Customizable sections and terms
• Built-in client management with Bonsai’s full suite of tools
• Auto reminders for unsigned contracts

Overall, it’s great when you’re starting out. But if you want to scale your SEO business, you might want to look into more of a client portal platform that has contracts built in.

3. SE Ranking SEO contract template

Another great template is SE Ranking’s SEO contract. This is a great template if you just want a simple PDF download right away — no need to sign up for an SE Ranking account. It’s a simple 8-page contract that goes over all the essentials.

Because SE Ranking is an SEO tool, this contract is designed by actual SEO professionals. So it’s a good model to follow.

Here are some key features:

• Designed for long-term SEO projects.
• Covers services like technical SEO, on-page SEO, and off-page SEO.
• Goes over performance terms in a clear SEO language.
• Legally structured and professional.

Overall, this SEO contract template is great for agencies and consultants that offer longer-term SEO services. It’s great for retainer projects.

4. Revv SEO contract

Revv’s SEO contract is great for agencies and consultants who want a professional and legally structured agreement. Revv is a LegalZoom company so you know that this template has been reviewed by professionals and is legally sound.

The template includes built-in automation features as well, so it’s great for businesses that are dealing with multiple SEO clients at a time.

Here are some key features:

• Easily customizable
• Clear and legally professional layout
• Automated document workflows
• Legally sound contract terms

Overall, this template is great for agencies dealing with a lot of clients. It’s backed by LegalZoom which has been around for decades.

5. Ahrefs' Free SEO contract template

If you want a free SEO contract template this is it. Ahrefs is a popular SEO tool that I personally use every single day. And the fact that they created a free template shows they understand what it’s like to run a real SEO business.

Their contract template is simple, practical, and designed for SEO businesses of all sizes (from freelancers to agencies).

Here are some key features:

• Created by SEO experts
• Clear expectations and SEO deliverables
• Simple and easy to use
• Includes all essential sections we talked about earlier

Overall, this template is a great starting point for many SEOs. If you’re working with multiple clients, you can easily upload this contract into Copilot so you can track and e-sign all of your contracts in one place.

Manage your SEO clients with Copilot

Choosing the right SEO contract template is important. But, it’s just the beginning step of your SEO services business. The next part is creating a client experience so good that your client retention is not only high but brings you new clients as well (from word of mouth).

One of the biggest challenges many SEO professionals, myself included, have is keeping track of contracts, invoices, project tasks, and client communications in one place. And being able to do all of them with gusto and a flair that impresses clients and makes them happy knowing they decided to work with you over another SEO freelancer or agency.

This is where a platform like Copilot comes into play.

Over two years ago, I discovered Copilot and have been using it ever since for my SEO services. It helps me:

• Store and organize contracts in one place.
• E-sign and approve client contracts fast.
• Track the status of contracts and invoices.
• Give my clients a custom client portal that fits their branding.
• Manage all of my client communications and requests in one single dashboard.

If you want to see how Copilot works, play around with this demo:

And if you’re serious about your SEO business, be sure to sign up for a free account and add your own services and clients to the platform.