Free editable template
Local SEO proposal template
Turn a prospect conversation into a scope both sides can review. Download the editable proposal and scope worksheet, replace the placeholders with verified facts, and keep estimates separate from promised deliverables.
Download and make it your own
No signup is required. The Markdown file opens in a text editor and can be copied into your document editor. The CSV opens in spreadsheet software. Bracketed fields are placeholders, not client facts or example results.
Review the full template below, then use the guidance and FAQs to adapt it to your engagement. Remove instructions and unresolved placeholders before sharing a finished document.
Local SEO proposal
Editable template. Replace every [placeholder], remove instructions, and confirm facts before sharing. No example outcome is a claim about an actual client. This is a scope-planning document, not a complete legal agreement.
Prepared for: [Client legal/trading name] Prepared by: [Agency name and contact] Proposal date: [Date] Version: [Version] Decision contact: [Name and role] Proposed start: [Date, subject to dependencies below]
1. Business objective
[Client] wants to generate more relevant enquiries for [specific services] in [actual service area]. The priority audience is [customer type]. The business can currently deliver [confirmed capacity or operational constraints]. Work outside [excluded locations or services] is not part of this proposal.
The agreed business objective is [objective in the client's words]. We will review progress using [defined measures] over [review period]. Rankings and estimated search opportunity are observations, not guaranteed sales, profit or search positions.
2. Verified baseline and evidence
| Observation | Source and date | Scope/settings | Meaning and limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| [Profile information issue] | [Public profile/account, date] | [Correct business/location] | [Verified fact; unresolved question] |
| [Map visibility observation] | [Scan/report, date] | [Keyword, center, spacing, depth, result surface] | [Sampled coordinates, not customer count] |
| [Website issue] | [Page/test, date] | [Affected URL and journey] | [Reproduction and known scope] |
| [Lead or sales baseline] | [Record/source, date range] | [Definition and attribution basis] | [Missing data or qualification] |
[Summarize two or three findings the prospect can verify. Explain why each matters to the objective. Do not infer a technical cause from a map color or label advertising-equivalent traffic value as recorded revenue.]
3. Deliverables and boundaries
| Deliverable | Included work | Completion check | Owner | Target |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baseline and access | [Assets and measurements] | [Access verified; baseline reviewed] | [Name] | [Date] |
| Business Profile work | [Specific verified corrections] | [Approved changes checked publicly] | [Name] | [Date] |
| Website content | [Named pages and revision scope] | [Approved content published and checked] | [Name] | [Date] |
| Recurring measurement | [Keywords, locations, schedule] | [Comparable observations retained] | [Name] | [Cadence] |
| Client review | [Report and meeting scope] | [Evidence explained; actions assigned] | [Name] | [Cadence] |
Included revision process: [Who consolidates feedback, what counts as an included revision, and how final approval is recorded].
Not included: [Examples to assess and remove as appropriate: paid media spend, full website rebuild, additional locations, unlimited pages, unrelated account support, unlisted platforms]. Additional work requires a written scope decision before delivery begins.
4. Sequence and dependencies
- Preparation: [Verify business facts, contacts, baseline and required delegated access].
- Initial delivery: [Prioritized corrections and content with clear owners].
- Recurring delivery: [Defined measurement, maintenance and reporting].
- Review: [Compare observations, completed work and business evidence; agree next priorities].
Client inputs: [Approved service details, appropriate assets, access grants and reviewer availability].
Dependency register:
| Needed item | Supplied/approved by | Required for | Due | Effect if late |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Item] | [Name] | [Deliverable] | [Date] | [Revised sequence or date] |
Dates depend on the agreed inputs and approvals. If a dependency changes, [agency contact] will explain the effect and agree an updated sequence with [client contact]. Independent work may continue where its own inputs are ready.
5. Measurement and reporting
Reporting period: [Calendar or agreed range]. Baseline date: [Date]. Core measures: [Define enquiry, qualified lead, recorded sale, and each visibility measure used]. Data ownership: [Who maintains lead/sales records and confirms corrections]. Comparison method: [Same locations, keywords, settings and comparable periods; explain any changed scope].
Each report will distinguish completed work, observed search results, modeled estimates and recorded business outcomes. A changed ranking does not by itself prove that a specific edit caused it. Missing records will be identified rather than treated as zero activity.
Review format and recipients: [Report link or file, meeting cadence, attendees]. Action tracking: [Where owners, next steps and unresolved questions are recorded].
6. Commercial schedule
| Item | Scope reference | Fee | Billing basis | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initial setup | [Deliverables] | [Amount/currency] | [Timing] | [Assumptions] |
| Recurring service | [Deliverables] | [Amount/currency] | [Cadence] | [Included limits] |
| Optional work | [Separate scope] | [Amount or quotation process] | [Approval needed] | [Not included by default] |
Data/tool costs: [Included allowance or clearly described separate charge]. Expenses and tax treatment: [Confirm the applicable commercial arrangement]. Payment and agreement reference: [Link/reference to approved terms]. Proposal validity: [Date or review condition].
These placeholders are not market rates or product prices. Confirm the commercial schedule against your actual delivery plan and applicable agreement before sharing.
7. Scope changes and communication
Primary agency contact: [Name/channel]. Primary client contact: [Name/channel]. Approval authority: [Name/role]. Change process: [Describe request, effect on work/timing/cost, and written decision].
A request for additional locations, services, pages or review rounds will be assessed against the agreed scope. Where it replaces existing work, record that tradeoff explicitly. Neither party should assume a recurring obligation from an informal request without confirming its effect.
8. Decision and handoff
Decision: [Accepted for agreement / revisions requested / deferred]. Scope version reviewed: [Version/date]. Approved next step: [Execute agreement, collect access, schedule kickoff or other action]. Client decision maker: [Name/date]. Agency owner: [Name/date]. Outstanding questions: [List or none].
Before starting, confirm the governing agreement, authorized scope, access, first deliverable and responsibilities. Retain this proposal and its baseline as the delivery team's reference; update the plan when confirmed discovery changes an assumption.
Use the local SEO proposal template as a working scope
The downloadable local SEO proposal template is designed to turn a conversation into decisions the agency and client can review. Start with the business objective and the actual services and locations involved. Replace placeholders with confirmed information rather than treating the document as a list of promises every prospect should receive. Remove sections that do not belong in the engagement and explain any additional work separately.
The Markdown document is editable without an account. Use the CSV to organize deliverables, owners and dependencies in your preferred spreadsheet. The two files serve different purposes: the proposal explains the engagement, while the worksheet helps prepare and track the work. Neither contains real client results or a recommended fee to copy into your offer.
Build the evidence section before writing the sales summary
Collect a small set of observations you can verify and explain. Name the source, date and scope of each one, including the relevant location and query for search measurements. If a finding remains uncertain, preserve that uncertainty. A persuasive summary should make the evidence understandable, not make the claim larger than the evidence supports.
Use this section to check whether the proposed work fits the prospect. A business may not want enquiries for the service you initially investigated, or may be unable to serve the area shown in a scan. Confirm those priorities before using a visibility gap to justify a package. The best revision at this stage is often a more relevant question, rather than stronger wording about an irrelevant result.
Make deliverables checkable by someone outside the agency
A deliverable should say what will exist or change and how completion will be verified. Replace broad phrases such as improve SEO with an appropriate description of the actual work. For example, name the pages involved, the review process and the check performed after publication. Keep future ranking observations distinct from completion of the page itself.
Review dependencies alongside the deliverable. If the client must confirm a service, approve photographs or grant account access, record the responsible contact and the effect on timing. This allows both sides to assess the proposed sequence before work starts. It also helps the delivery team understand which items are ready and which remain conditional without interpreting an informal sales conversation from memory.
Prepare fees from the agreed work rather than template defaults
The commercial schedule deliberately leaves every amount blank. Populate it from your own scope and delivery model, identifying initial work, recurring work and optional additions. Explain any relevant usage allowance or separate expense so the client can see what is included. Verify those details against the governing agreement before sharing the proposal.
Keep the worksheet useful during negotiation. If the client asks for a different package, revise the associated deliverables and dependencies as well as the fee. A changed amount with an unchanged and ambiguous scope can leave both parties expecting something different. The document should show the final offer clearly enough that a teammate who did not attend the negotiation can explain what the agency agreed to deliver.
Finish with a clean review and handoff
Before sending the proposal, search for unresolved brackets, check the recipient and confirm that every observation belongs to the correct business. Review sources and terminology, especially any financial estimate. Ensure that links and attachments are appropriate for the intended recipient. Keep a version and date so later changes can be identified.
After a decision, preserve the accepted scope and outstanding questions in the client work record. Confirm the appropriate agreement, first deliverable, contacts and access before beginning dependent work. If discovery changes an assumption, update the plan through the agreed process. The proposal remains useful after the sale when it provides a clear reference for delivery instead of becoming a document nobody revisits.
Frequently asked questions
What files can I download from this page?
The page provides an editable Markdown proposal and a CSV scope worksheet. The proposal contains the narrative, evidence, responsibilities and commercial placeholders. The worksheet organizes deliverables and completion checks. Both are ungated and contain blank fields rather than actual client results. Download the files directly, adapt them in your preferred editor and review the finished content before sharing it.
Do I need Agency Pilot to use the proposal template?
No. The files can be used independently in a text editor, document editor or spreadsheet workflow. The guidance links to relevant Agency Pilot features where useful, but the download itself requires no account. Keep your completed document wherever your team normally manages proposals, approvals and client information, using the access arrangements appropriate to that material.
Can I paste the Markdown into my document editor?
Yes. The text can be copied into a document editor and formatted to match your brand. Depending on the editor, you may need to convert tables or heading markers manually. Check the resulting layout and placeholder fields before sending it. The downloadable source remains editable so you can also maintain it in a Markdown-compatible tool if that suits your workflow.
Are the bracketed fields examples of verified results?
No. Bracketed fields are instructions or placeholders to replace with your own verified information. No prefilled result represents an actual client. Remove any instruction that does not belong in the finished proposal and leave uncertainty explicit where evidence is missing. A polished format should never make an unverified assumption appear to be a measured fact.
Which part of the template should I complete first?
Begin with the client's objective, services and actual operating area, then verify the baseline evidence. Those decisions determine whether the proposed deliverables are relevant. Starting with a fee or a generic list of activities can make the proposal harder to adapt later. Once the scope is clear, fill the sequence, responsibilities and commercial schedule consistently.
How detailed should the baseline evidence be?
Include enough detail for the recipient or delivery teammate to understand what was measured and why it matters. Name the source, observation date and relevant settings or scope. You do not need every available metric. A small number of well-supported observations is more useful than a large collection of figures whose relevance to the business is unclear.
Can I use a map scan as proof of lost revenue?
A map scan measures sampled search results. It does not establish the sales the business lost. If discussing an estimated search opportunity or advertising-equivalent value, label the method and assumptions separately from recorded revenue. Keep the distinction in the proposal so the client can assess an opportunity without treating a model as money guaranteed to be recovered.
Should the proposal promise a specific ranking?
The template is designed to describe work, responsibilities and a measurement process. Search positions depend on factors beyond the agency's direct control, so do not turn a deliverable into a guaranteed ranking. Explain how you will review results and discuss outcomes with the client while keeping the commitment to the work you can actually perform clear.
How do I adapt the template for several locations?
Identify each location and the work that applies to it. Shared brand tasks can remain shared, but local baselines, contacts and profile corrections may differ. Add rows or references where needed rather than assuming every branch needs identical effort. The client and delivery team should be able to see which task, dependency and measurement belongs to each location.
What should I put in the completion-check column?
State how someone will verify that the deliverable is done. Examples include checking approved content after publication or confirming access to the correct asset. Keep the check appropriate to the work itself. A future ranking gain is not a suitable completion check for publishing a page, because completion and later performance are different questions.
How should I handle a request made after the proposal is accepted?
Use the change process described in the document and governing agreement. Identify the requested work and its effect on scope, timing or cost, then record the decision. If it replaces an existing activity, make the tradeoff explicit. A clear update prevents an informal request from becoming a recurring obligation neither side has defined.
Does this download replace the agency's service agreement?
The template is a scope-planning document, not a complete legal agreement. Reference the appropriate governing terms and confirm the arrangement before starting work. Use the proposal to make deliverables, responsibilities and assumptions reviewable, while keeping contractual decisions in the process your agency uses for them. Do not assume the presence of a decision section settles every agreement requirement.
Should I include optional services in the main fee?
Show whether an item is included or optional and describe the approval process for additional work. The client should not have to infer which amount covers which deliverable. If an option becomes part of the accepted package, update the scope and schedule accordingly. Keeping the commercial table aligned with the work reduces confusion during delivery.
How can I check for mistakes before sending the proposal?
Review client identity, dates, sources, figures and every remaining placeholder. Confirm that the deliverables match the final commercial offer and that dependencies have owners. Check any links and the intended recipients. Ask whether another teammate could understand the proposed work from this version alone; unresolved assumptions should be clarified before it becomes the reference for delivery.
What should the delivery team receive after approval?
Provide the accepted scope version, baseline evidence, contact and approval details, first deliverable and outstanding dependencies. Include the agreed next action rather than only forwarding a sales message. Keep changes recorded as discovery continues. A useful handoff connects the prospect's original objective with the tasks the team is authorized and prepared to perform.
