How to Compare SEO Proposals for Law Firms: Deliverables & Cost Explained

Understanding how to evaluate an SEO proposal from a marketing agency to a law firm can be super ambiguous. Questions that may arise such as:

1. A fair proposal: Am I getting a good deal?
2. Results: When and how do I know if I will see results?
3. Benefits: What is the benefit?

In this guide, we will break down how to compare SEO proposals between different firms, what to look for, and how to know if you’re getting a good deal.

How to Compare SEO Proposals for Law Firms

SEO proposals are typically structured as a flat rate on a monthly basis for each deliverable. Below is an example of common elements in a SEO proposal. You may see one or many of these deliverables:

Key Deliverables of an SEO Proposal

1. Monthly SEO-Optimized articles: Creation of 4-8 quality blog posts per month.
2. On-page Optimization (Content): Optimizing previously written content. 
3. Link building: Depending on your website, you may need backlinks where directories or authoritative sources link to your website to build credibility, boosting your content above others.
4. Local SEO: Local SEO can also be called Google My Business (GMB) optimization. Activities include: directory citations, verifying and optimizing your map profile on Google, Apple, and Microsoft.
5. Technical SEO: Technical SEO is optimizing your website for site speed, readability, crawlability, which are all aspects that Google looks for when ranking a page.
6. Keyword research: This is required to determine what pages to go after.
7. Schema markup implementation: Implementation of code on the back end of your website to help with readability.

Typical Itemized Costs of a SEO proposal

1. On-page SEO (Content): $5,000 for 6 high-quality articles or $833.33 per page. Recommendation: Evaluate on a per page output. 
2. Link building: $300 to $1,000 per link. Recommendation: Ask for the “Domain Authority” or DA of each link in the proposal. The higher the better. 
3. Local SEO: $500 to $3,000 for a monthly retainer or $1,000 to $4,000 for a one-time set up fee. 
4. Set-up Fee: $1,000 to $3,000.
5. Technical SEO: $500 to $1,500 for less than 100 pages. $2,500 to $7,500 for 100 to 10,000 pages. 

Typical Tier Based Pricing Proposals:

Based Package: $3,000 to $5,000 per month

• Basic on-page optimization
• 2-4 blogs 
• Minimal link building
• Starter local SEO

Often insufficient in competitive metros.

Mid-tier Package: $4,000 to $8,000 per month

• Strong content calendar
• 4-8 blogs
• Consistent authority building
• Full local SEO
• GBP management
• Ongoing technical work

This is common for competitive cities.

Top-tier Package: +$10,000+/month

• Aggressive link acquisition
• 10+ blogs
• Digital PR
• Multi-location strategy
• Heavy content expansion

What Should Be Included in an SEO Proposal?

If it’s not clearly listed in the proposal, assume it’s not happening. 

1. On-Page SEO Deliverables

A real proposal should break this down clearly what the marketing agency is going to provide and why. 

Look for:

• Keyword research
• Quantity of blog posts
• Page-by-page optimization plan
• Title tag & meta description rewrites
• Service page rewrites (if underperforming)
• Internal linking improvements
• Conversion optimization suggestions
• Technical audit

2. Content Calendar (Not Just “X Blogs Per Month”)

If you’re signing up for SEO, you should expect to work with the agency for 6-12 months before you see results. It will not be immediate. A strong SEO proposal includes a 6–12 month content roadmap.

It should show:

• Primary target keyword
• Secondary target keyword
• Title of the blog
• Short description
• Status
• Publish date
• Assigned to

The content calendar is a byproduct of a discovery call where you define what geography you want to target, types of clients, and other relevant information that’s pertinent to your business.

3. Local SEO Deliverables

Law firms also generates many leads from local searches via Google Maps. The marketing agency’s proposal may include key deliverables such as:

• NAP (Name, Address, Phone) consistency audit: Making your profile’s name consistent with your brand.
• Citation building: Listing your business in different directories, which gives credibility and high visibility. 
• Location page optimization: Optimizing a location page targeting a given geography.
• Local link outreach: How many links will be obtained.
• Google My Business (GMB) Optimization: Google’s own guidance from Google emphasizes completeness and activity as ranking factors.
  
  

Note: Local SEO will help you build the foundation for local search. However, the quantity and quality of reviews to your verified profile are the best indicator of success. 

4. Schema Markup & Technical SEO

Technical SEO is a key pillar of a good SEO strategy. We also always recommend inserting schema mark up on all of your webpages as there are many benefits. A simple AI search for “insert schema mark up for a blog page” will give you what would be inserted on a given webpage. Now, of course, there are optimization strategies to employ. 

5. Link Building (With Realistic Cost Examples)

Google will only rank your blog if your website is credible. There are many factors to that, but links from other websites are one of the most important. 

Common methods of acquiring links: 

• Digital PR campaigns
• Legal guest placements
• Niche edits
• Local sponsorship links
• Local press outreach

Realistic cost examples (varies by market):

• $300–$800 per local link
• $800–$1,500 per high-authority legal placement
• $2,500+ for digital PR campaigns

When Can You Expect ROI From SEO?

We highly do not recommend our clients to sign up for SEO services and then expect results within the first 3-6 months. It can happen. But, SEO is a long-term game.

You may see cases come in the first 6 months, but we advise our clients to not see a total ROI on SEO spend until after the first year. 

Red Flags in SEO Proposals

If there’s 1 easy way to determine a good agency, it’s the outputs of previous clients. There are tools like SEMRush, Ahrefs, and Google Search Console that agencies can pull up and show the results of their efforts. 

The red flags to consider include:

• Rankings: Guarantee rankings is a fool’s errand. You should see rankings but sometimes you may not out rank a law firm that’s spent years investing in SEO.
• Link sources: This is a big one - refusing to explain link sources. 
• Content roadmap: They don’t provide a content roadmap.
• Provide vague deliverables: Deliverables should be quantifiable or at least actionable.
• Experience: They have no experience in the legal industry. 

Key Takeaways

• Compare SEO proposals by deliverables, not price.
• On-page, local SEO, GBP, schema, and link building should all be clearly defined.
• Link acquisition must be explained and budgeted.
• ROI typically appears between months 4–12.
• One additional signed case can justify the investment.

If you’re evaluating SEO proposals and want a second opinion, call us at Pattern 6 to learn more how we can help.

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