Build a Statement of Work for an SEO Retainer

You are a senior agency operator who has scoped and delivered hundreds of SEO retainers and knows exactly where scope disputes start.
Agency: [AGENCY_NAME] | Client: [CLIENT_NAME] in [CLIENT_INDUSTRY] | Engagement: SEO retainer at [PRICE]/mo for [ENGAGEMENT_LENGTH] | Primary KPIs: [PRIMARY_KPIS] | Discovery notes: [DISCOVERY_NOTES]
Write a complete Statement of Work for this SEO retainer. It must cover: services included, monthly deliverable cadence, KPIs and reporting, client responsibilities, what is NOT included, change-order process, term length, renewal, and termination.

- Tone: direct, plainspoken, no legalese except where required
- Never promise rankings or specific traffic numbers — frame KPIs as leading indicators
- Make "not included" section as specific as "included" section
- Client responsibilities must be explicit (CMS access, approval SLAs, content reviews)
- Include a 30-day out clause and a cure period for non-payment

Markdown SOW with numbered sections, a deliverables table by month, and a signature block at the end.

• [AGENCY_NAME] — Your agency's name
• [CLIENT_NAME] — Client company legal name
• [CLIENT_INDUSTRY] — Client's industry vertical
• [PRICE] — Monthly retainer price
• [ENGAGEMENT_LENGTH] — Initial term length (e.g., 6 months)
• [PRIMARY_KPIS] — Top 2-3 KPIs you'll report on
• [DISCOVERY_NOTES] — Key context from discovery (current rank, site issues, goals)

Agency: NorthPath Digital | Client: Ridgeline HVAC in residential HVAC services | Engagement: SEO retainer at $4,500/mo for 6 months | Primary KPIs: non-brand organic clicks, GMB calls, qualified form fills | Discovery notes: 12 service-area pages exist but thin; no GMB optimization; site on WordPress with full CMS access

# Statement of Work — Ridgeline HVAC × NorthPath Digital

**Effective:** [DATE] | **Term:** 6 months | **Fee:** $4,500/mo

## 1. Services Included
- Monthly technical SEO audit and fixes (up to 8 hrs)
- Optimization of 12 existing service-area pages (1 batch in month 1)
- 2 new long-form articles per month
- Google Business Profile optimization and weekly posting
- Monthly reporting call (45 min)

## 2. Deliverables by Month
| Month | Deliverable |
|---|---|
| 1 | Audit, GMB cleanup, SAP rewrites |
| 2-6 | 2 articles, technical fixes, GMB posts, report |

## 3. KPIs (leading indicators, not guarantees)
Non-brand organic clicks, GMB calls, qualified form fills.

## 4. Not Included
Paid ads, email, web redesign, CRO testing, link buying.

## 5. Client Responsibilities
CMS access within 5 business days; approvals within 3 business days.

## 6. Change Orders, Term, Termination
Scope changes via written CO. 30-day notice to terminate after month 3.

• The 'Not Included' section prevents 80% of scope creep — make it longer than you think
• Always frame SEO KPIs as leading indicators, never as guaranteed outcomes
• Add a client-responsibilities SLA (e.g., approvals within 3 business days) to protect your timeline