Put clear terms around SEO work before rankings, reports and retainers are debated

SEO arrangements often look simple at the start, but problems usually appear when expectations are not written down clearly. A client may assume rankings are promised, that content creation is included, or that technical fixes sit with the SEO provider when they actually depend on the client or a developer. A written agreement can clarify what is included, what is excluded, how reporting works, who gives approvals and what cooperation is required from the client. That matters in SEO because results can be affected by third-party platforms, website condition and decisions outside the provider's control.

It will usually cover the services being provided, such as audits, keyword research, on-page optimisation, content recommendations, link-related work, reporting and strategy sessions. It should also address fees, retainer structure if relevant, payment timing, client responsibilities, access to websites or analytics tools, confidentiality, intellectual property and termination rights. In many SEO engagements, it is also useful to spell out what is not included, such as website development, paid media management or implementation by third-party providers. Those exclusions can be just as important as the service description itself.

We usually need to know whether you offer one-off audits, monthly retainers, project work or white-label services, and whether your clients are businesses, agencies or end brands. We also look at how reporting is delivered, whether you need access to analytics or search tools, whether you provide content or only recommendations, and whether developers or other suppliers are involved. If your work involves handling user data, analytics access or mailing list information, the right drafting and advice depend on For SEO Services Agreement, the wording should follow your real information flows. For SEO Services Agreement, collection points and disclosure practices shape the drafting. information.

Often not. Generic templates may list broad contract clauses but miss the pressure points that are specific to SEO work, such as ranking expectations, algorithm changes, delayed client approvals, implementation dependencies, access to search console or analytics accounts, and the difference between recommendations and execution. They may also fail to separate ongoing retainer services from one-off deliverables. A more targeted agreement can better reflect how your SEO engagements are sold and delivered, which is important if you want the document to be useful when a client questions scope, timing or results.

No. This service is for the SEO services agreement document and the legal wording that supports that engagement. It does not include technical implementation on the website, campaign management, security remediation, or broader strategic advice across all of your marketing services. If you need a wider contract framework for multiple service lines, a master services agreement may be more suitable. If you need help negotiating a client's contract or dealing with a live dispute, that can usually be handled as separate work outside this fixed-fee drafting service.

Just submit an enquiry via this page or click the 'get started' button on our website to submit an enquiry. After you've submitted an enquiry, one of our legal consultants will review your enquiry within 1 business day and get in touch to get a better idea of exactly what you are looking for.

Then your legal consultant will send through an email with a bit more information about the services you need, along with a fixed fee quote setting out costs, scope of the service and timing. Have a read through it, and if you're happy with the scope, you can accept and sign our engagement letter online - easy!

Once you've formally accepted, we'll connect you with a specialist lawyer and they will work with you to complete your project. They will contact you by email or phone if they need to get in touch.

Sprintlaw works on fixed-fee pricing wherever possible, so you can review the scope and cost before you decide whether to proceed. For the SEO Services Agreement service, pricing starts from $900.00.

After you enquire, a legal consultant will confirm what is included, the expected timing and whether any extra work is needed before you engage us.

We operate completely online, which means we can help you wherever you are in New Zealand. We have office spaces in Sydney, and in Melbourne, but our use of technology allows our team members to work remotely from around the world. Our legal team are mostly based in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. We also have a London office for Sprintlaw UK.

Our legal team is made up of experienced lawyers, who are specialists in various areas of law and hold an Australian legal practising certificate. None of our Sprintlaw lawyers are New Zealand qualified lawyers and they do not currently hold a New Zealand practising certificate.

They provide legal services working remotely from Australia via our 'legal consultancy' model, through which (under section 6 and section 35 of the New Zealand Lawyers and Conveyancers Act 2006) our Australian legal team are permitted to provide legal services to New Zealand businesses provided they do not provide services in certain 'reserved' areas of law. You can read our FAQ page to learn a bit more about our 'legal consultancy' model.

Given the strong similarities between Australian and New Zealand law, and the areas of law in which we practice (being small business and startup law), we do not view the fact that our lawyers have not qualified in New Zealand as having any substantive impact on the quality of our service. We are committed to ensuring that we provide high quality, affordable legal services to all our New Zealand clients.

Our legal team have all trained at leading firms, but have left the traditional corporate law world to join us on our mission to create a new and better way of delivering legal services. They have specialist expertise in technology law, intellectual property law, contract drafting and review, corporate law and commercial law.