Free Resource · Spreadsheet

The SEO Proposal Comparison Worksheet — put 3 proposals side by side and catch the red flags before you sign.

If you've got two or three SEO quotes on your desk and no idea how to tell them apart, this is for you. It's a simple spreadsheet that lines them up — scope, deliverables, terms, and price — so you can finally see what you're actually paying for, and what's missing.

Compare up to 3 proposals on the things that actually matter
A weighted score so the cheapest quote isn't automatically the "winner"
A red-flag checklist for the lines that should make you pause
Plain English — no jargon, built for your first SEO proposal
Works in Excel, Google Sheets, or Numbers
Free download

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3
Proposals, side by side
3
Tabs — grid, scoring, red flags
20
Years reviewing SEO scopes
$0
Free — no strings

What's inside

Three tabs that walk you from "these all look the same" to "now I know which one to sign — and which questions to ask first."

TAB 01

Comparison Grid

Every proposal in its own column, lined up row by row: monthly price, contract length, what's actually included, who does the work, reporting, and the exit terms. The empty cells are the tell — they show you what a proposal quietly leaves out.

Side-by-side, up to 3 proposals
TAB 02

Weighted Scoring

Rate each proposal on the things that matter to you — transparency, scope, experience, reporting, price — and the sheet weights and totals them for you. It stops the cheapest quote from automatically looking like the best deal.

Auto-calculated score per proposal
TAB 03

Red-Flag Checklist

The phrases and gaps that should make you slow down: guaranteed #1 rankings, no clear deliverables, locked-in 12-month contracts, vague reporting, work shipped offshore. Check them off as you read each proposal.

The lines worth a second look

Why I built this

Most people comparing SEO proposals are doing it for the first time. The quotes use different words for the same thing, hide the important parts in fine print, and price themselves so differently that a fair comparison feels impossible. So the decision usually comes down to gut feel — or whichever number is smallest.

That's how people end up locked into a 12-month contract for work they can't see. This worksheet gives you a structure: the same questions asked of every proposal, scored the same way, with the common red flags spelled out so you know what to push back on before you sign.

Want a second opinion?

Got a real proposal in front of you?

The worksheet helps you compare. If you want an independent read on a specific proposal — or on whether the SEO you're already paying for is actually working — the SEO Impact Audit gives you a verified, no-sales-pitch answer using holdout analysis on your own data.

See the SEO Impact Audit →
R

Rich Nashawaty

SEO Consultant · Boston, MA · 20 Years Experience

I've sat on both sides of the SEO proposal — writing them as a consultant and reviewing them inside agencies and enterprise teams across travel, media, recruiting, and healthcare. I know exactly where the gaps tend to hide. This is the same side-by-side I'd use if a friend forwarded me three quotes and asked which one to trust.