What should an SEO package include? At minimum: a written strategy and keyword map, a technical audit with fixes, on-page optimization of priority pages, content, local SEO if you serve an area, ethical link earning, and monthly reporting tied to leads. Each item should state quantities, who does the work and how progress is measured.
Proposals are hard to compare because agencies describe the same work in different words. One provider’s “full SEO” is another’s starter plan, and a long list of tools tells you nothing about the hours behind it.
This checklist breaks a package into its components, gives you questions that force like-for-like answers, explains the common pricing models, and lists the red flags and contract terms to check before you sign.
Key takeaways
- A complete SEO package covers strategy, technical fixes, on-page work, content, local SEO, links, AI search visibility and reporting.
- Compare proposals on monthly deliverables, who does the work and how success is measured, not on tools or keyword counts.
- Retainers suit ongoing work, fixed-fee projects suit audits and migrations, and hourly rates suit advice; none excuses a vague scope.
- Rule out any provider that guarantees rankings, sells links by the bundle or registers your accounts in its own name.
- Your contract should confirm you own every account, all content and the link log, with a stated notice period and handover.
What should an SEO package include? The eight core components
A complete package covers eight areas, and a good proposal names a concrete deliverable for each one. If a component is missing, the proposal should say why: a business with no physical customers may not need local SEO, but every site needs technical health and reporting.
| Component | What you should get | How you can check it |
|---|---|---|
| Strategy and keyword map | Target topics mapped to specific pages, tied to services and goals | A shared document you can read and question |
| Technical SEO | An audit, a prioritized fix list and actual fixes | Fewer errors in Search Console’s Page indexing report |
| On-page optimization | Rewritten titles, headings, copy and internal links on named pages | A change log with URLs and dates |
| Content | A set number of new or refreshed pages each month | Published URLs you approved first |
| Local SEO | Google Business Profile upkeep, citations and review routines | Business Profile performance data |
| Links and digital PR | A named outreach approach and a log of every link earned | Links report in Search Console, plus the log |
| AI search visibility | Content and technical work aimed at AI Overviews, AI Mode and ChatGPT search | Search Console’s Generative AI performance report |
| Reporting | A monthly report linking work done to organic leads and sales | Numbers you can verify in your own accounts |
What belongs in the strategy, technical and on-page work?
These three components are the foundation, and they are where vague proposals hide the most. Ask for named outputs: a keyword map, a fix list with owners and a set number of pages optimized each month.
Strategy and keyword map
Expect a document that lists the searches you want to win, groups them by intent, and assigns each group to one page on your site. It should show where new pages are needed and which pages compete with each other. If the strategy is just a spreadsheet of 500 keywords with search volumes, it’s research, not a plan.
Technical audit and fixes
The audit should cover crawling and indexing, redirects, canonical tags, XML sitemaps, mobile usability, page speed and structured data, with each issue ranked by impact. The key question is who implements the fixes. Some agencies make changes directly in WordPress or Shopify; others send tickets to your developer. Both work, but the proposal must say which, or the fix list will sit in a PDF.
Check that the structured data plan is current. Google stopped showing FAQ rich results in May 2026, so FAQ markup added to win extra space in results is no longer a deliverable worth paying for, while Organization, LocalBusiness and Product markup still are.
On-page optimization
This is the page-by-page work: titles, meta descriptions, headings, body copy, internal links and image alt text on your most valuable service, product and location pages. A good proposal names the pages or gives a monthly count, and every change goes into a log you can see.
What should content, local SEO and link building deliver?
These components build demand and authority over time. The proposal should state quantities, the approval process and the methods used, because this is where low-cost packages cut corners.
Content
- Volume and type: how many new pages, articles or refreshes per month, and roughly how long each one is.
- Who writes: a named writer or editor, plus how they will get expert input from you or your team.
- Approval: nothing goes live without your sign-off.
- AI use: how generative AI fits into the process. Google’s spam policies treat generating many pages without adding value as scaled content abuse, whatever tool produced them.
Local SEO and Google Business Profile
If customers visit you or you serve a defined area, the package should include Business Profile upkeep (categories, services, photos, posts and review replies), consistent business listings, and location pages only where you genuinely operate. Our 90-day SEO plan for small businesses shows how local work fits alongside the rest.
Links and digital PR
Look for a described approach, such as supplier and partner mentions, local organizations, journalist requests or useful resources, and a promise to log every earned link with its URL. Be wary of a fixed number of links per month from unnamed sites. Our guide to safe link building for small businesses lists tactics worth asking about.
Should an SEO package include AI search optimization?
Yes, but as part of the SEO work rather than a separately priced mystery. Google’s own guidance says that, from its perspective, optimizing for generative AI search is still SEO, and that AI Overviews and AI Mode are rooted in its core ranking systems.
- What it should include: answer-first, experience-based content, clean technical foundations, a complete Business Profile, and robots.txt rules that don’t block Googlebot, Bingbot or OAI-SearchBot, the crawler behind ChatGPT search.
- What you don’t need to pay for: Google says it ignores llms.txt files and doesn’t need special markup, “chunked” content or rewrites aimed at AI systems.
- How it should be measured: Search Console’s Generative AI performance report shows impressions in AI Overviews and AI Mode, and Bing Webmaster Tools reports citations in Copilot answers.
If a proposal sells “AEO” or “GEO” as an extra line item, ask what it does beyond the SEO work and how it will be measured in those reports.
How do you compare SEO proposals like-for-like?
Send every shortlisted provider the same questions and ask for written answers. Vague answers usually mean vague work, and specific ones make proposals comparable even when the prices differ.
| Ask | A strong answer | A weak answer |
|---|---|---|
| Which pages will you optimize each month? | Named URLs or a monthly count tied to the keyword map | “Ongoing optimization” |
| How much content, and who writes it? | A number per month, a named writer and your approval step | “Regular blog posts” |
| How will you earn links? | Specific tactics, with every link logged by URL | A monthly link quota based on a third-party score |
| Who implements technical fixes? | The agency, via CMS access, or tickets for your developer | “We’ll send you an audit” |
| What will you report, and how often? | Monthly organic leads, clicks by page, work done and next steps | Ranking charts only |
| Who does the work? | Named people, with any subcontracting disclosed | Nobody beyond the salesperson |
| What access do you need? | User or manager access to accounts you own | Your passwords, or new accounts in their name |
| What are the term and notice period? | Written terms with a handover process | Auto-renewal and no exit clause |
Example: a scope specific enough to compare
The figures below are an illustration for a fictional two-location dental clinic, not an industry benchmark. What matters is the level of detail: every line can be checked at the end of the month.
| Area | Example monthly deliverable |
|---|---|
| Technical | Fix the top items on the audit backlog, confirmed in Search Console |
| On-page | Optimize four priority service and location pages |
| Content | Two new articles by a named writer, approved by the clinic |
| Local | Four Business Profile posts per location and replies to every new review |
| Links | Outreach to ten relevant local organizations, with results logged |
| Reporting | A monthly report and a 30-minute review call |
How are SEO packages for small businesses priced?
Most providers use one of four pricing models. The model matters less than what it buys, so always ask what each month’s or project’s fee delivers in pages, content, links and hours.
| Model | How it works | Best for | Ask this |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly retainer | Fixed monthly fee for an agreed scope | Ongoing work where results build over time | What is delivered each month, and what happens to unused hours? |
| Fixed-fee project | One price for a defined output | Audits, site migrations, launches, Business Profile setup | Is implementation included, or only recommendations? |
| Hourly or day rate | You pay for time used | Consulting, training, reviewing your team’s work | What is the estimate, and is there a cap? |
| Performance-based | Fees tied to rankings or traffic targets | Rarely a good fit | Which keywords count? Easy terms can hit targets without bringing leads. |
Location also changes the quote. Salaries and overheads differ between Pakistan, the UK, the UAE and the US, so similar scopes can be priced very differently. Compare the deliverables, the seniority of the people doing the work and the hours you can talk to them, not just the monthly figure.
Vetting the agency itself is a separate step, covered in how to choose an SEO company. Whichever model you choose, budget for several months of work; our guide to how long SEO takes explains why timelines vary with your site and competition.
Which red flags should rule an SEO package out?
Some promises and line items signal work that is either useless or risky for your site. Google is explicit that you are responsible for the actions of any company you hire, so treat these as deal-breakers.
- Guaranteed rankings. Google says no one can guarantee a #1 ranking, and warns about SEOs who claim a “special relationship” with Google or a “priority submit” service.
- Secret methods. If a provider won’t explain what it will change on your site, don’t sign.
- Link bundles. Buying links that pass ranking credit, including paying in goods or services, is link spam under Google’s policies.
- Content by the hundred. Dozens of unedited AI pages a month invites a scaled content abuse problem instead of rankings.
- Accounts in their name. Google’s Business Profile rules require third parties to let businesses keep ownership of their profiles at all times.
- Mass submissions or a required backlink. Google advises avoiding SEOs that offer submission to thousands of search engines, and says you should never have to link to your SEO.
What should an SEO contract say before you sign?
The contract should protect your access, your content and your ability to leave. Check these clauses in every agreement, whichever pricing model you choose.
| Clause | What it should say |
|---|---|
| Account ownership | You are the verified owner in Search Console, an Administrator in GA4 and the primary owner of your Business Profile; the agency gets user or manager access |
| Content and IP | Content, images, reports and code made for you belong to you once invoices are paid |
| Link log | A running list of every link built or earned, with URLs and dates |
| Scope | Monthly quantities for each component, and how changes are agreed |
| Term and notice | The initial term, then a notice period stated in days, with no automatic multi-year renewals |
| Handover | Access removed, data exported and open tasks documented within a set time; for Business Profiles, Google requires third parties to return exclusive control within 7 business days of your notice |
| Fees | What is included and what costs extra; an agency charging to manage your Business Profile must tell you the profile itself is free |
| Reporting | Cadence, format and contents of each report |
In Search Console, add the agency under Settings > Users and permissions as a full user, or a restricted user during an audit; Google advises granting only read access at the audit stage. If the agency verified ownership with its own token, removing it later means deleting that token too. To judge the reports you’ll receive, see what belongs in a monthly SEO report.
How TechZone can help
If you want a second opinion on a proposal, or a quote to compare, TechZone can help. Our SEO services start with an audit, and the scope, timeline and cost are agreed in a written proposal before any work begins. Our SEO audit service turns these checks into a fix list ordered by impact. You keep ownership of Search Console, GA4 and your Business Profile, the content we write belongs to you, and you get a log of every fix, page update and earned link. Book a free 30-minute consultation to go through your options.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an SEO package cost?
The cost of an SEO package depends on the size of the website, how competitive the target searches are, how many locations or markets are involved, and how much content and development work is included. Because providers scope and price work differently, compare itemized proposals rather than headline fees, and ask what each month’s fee buys in pages optimized, content, link outreach and reporting.
How long should an SEO contract last?
An SEO contract should run long enough for the work to take effect, because SEO results build over months, but it should never trap you. A sensible structure is an initial term agreed in writing, followed by a rolling arrangement with a clear notice period and a handover clause covering account access, content, reports and the link log.
What is the difference between an SEO audit and an SEO package?
An SEO audit is a one-off diagnosis: a prioritized list of technical, content and authority problems, with an estimate of the work needed. An SEO package is the ongoing implementation of that list, plus new content, local SEO, link earning and reporting. Google advises giving an SEO provider only read access to Search Console while it audits your site.
Does an SEO package include Google Ads?
An SEO package normally covers organic search only, while Google Ads is paid advertising that is managed and budgeted separately. Google states that advertising with Google has no effect on a site’s presence in its organic search results, so buying ads will not lift rankings. Agencies that offer both should price and report on each service separately.
What should an SEO package include for an online store?
An SEO package for an online store should add e-commerce work to the core components: optimizing category and product page templates, Product structured data, control of duplicate URLs created by filters and sorting, a plan for out-of-stock and discontinued products, and an accurate Merchant Center feed. Google notes that Merchant Center feeds can help products appear in AI responses and other search results.
Can a small business do SEO without buying a package?
A small business can handle much of its own SEO. Google says owners of small local businesses can probably do much of the work themselves, and recommends starting with its SEO Starter Guide. Hiring an SEO provider makes sense when time, technical skills or the level of competition outgrow what the business can manage in-house.
Sources and further reading
- Do you need an SEO? – Google Search Central
- Spam policies for Google web search – Google Search Central
- Optimizing your website for generative AI features on Google Search – Google Search Central
- Latest documentation updates – Google Search Central
- Business Profile third-party policies – Google Business Profile Help
- Managing owners, users, and permissions – Search Console Help
