Is this SEO deal fair? Send it to me before you sign.

Send me the proposal. Within 24 business hours you get my written verdict, the costliest problems quoted back to you, and an email you can send the agency as it is. No calls, and since I don't sell SEO, I gain nothing whether you sign or walk away.

I audit English and Chinese proposals, including cross-border deals.

Tell me if this deal is fair What the report contains
  • Flat $199, paid once
  • Report within 24 business hours or a full refund
  • Full refund if you never send the proposal
  • I don't sell SEO

24 business hours count Monday to Friday only, not US federal holidays.

SEO Proposal Audit

Proposal reviewed: 12-month SEO retainer

Example report, illustrative

Verdict

Overpriced

Risk score

68/100

Risk score: 68 / 100

Higher means more risk to you

Top issue 1 of 3

Do not sign as written

RF-01 Ranking guarantee

“Guaranteed first-page rankings within 90 days.”

Proposal, page 2

Nobody controls Google rankings. Google itself calls guaranteed rankings a warning sign.

Negotiation email, ready to send

Before we sign, please replace the ranking guarantee on page 2 with a written list of monthly deliverables, and change the 12-month term to 3 months, then month to month.

Ahrefs agency average

$3,209 a month × 12 months = $38,508

A second opinion first

$199

Average agency SEO retainer, Ahrefs survey of 439 SEO providers (2023, updated 2024)

Andy Wu, founder of SEO Proposal Audit

I got burned by SEO agencies. Now I read proposals before owners sign.

I'm Andy Wu. I've been in SEO for over 10 years and I run my own ecommerce businesses. Along the way I hired many SEO agencies and freelancers, and more than once I paid for work that was never done, or that didn't match what the proposal sold me. So I learned SEO and did it myself.

Some agencies are good. Some aren't. From the proposal alone, you can't tell which one you're talking to. For cross-border deals, like a Chinese business hiring for an overseas market or the other way round, I also check which market is really being targeted and how hard your niche is.

I read every proposal myself. AI helps with the research and the first draft, then I check every finding and write the verdict.

I was on stage at the Shenzhen SEO Conference in 2025 and 2026. In 2026 I spoke on using AI to find what is missing from an ecommerce catalog.

More about me LinkedIn

Every report runs six core checks that guard your money.

Most bad SEO deals fail in the same few places. I check each one and tell you what it means for you, in plain words.

    • 12-month lock-in
    • Auto-renew
    • Exit fee

    Contract trap check

    A 12-month lock-in, an auto-renew, an exit fee. I find the clause and quote it back to you, so you can strike it while it's still a draft. They are the SEO contract terms to push back on first.

  • Promise reality check

    Nobody can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google, and Google says so itself. That is why an SEO guarantee is a warning sign, and I flag any proposal that makes one.

  • Ownership check

    If you leave, do you keep your website, your domain and your Google Business Profile? I check who owns what on paper.

  • Price check

    Is the price fair for the work that is actually listed? I compare the price with what the same work usually costs, using public survey data on SEO pricing in 2026.

  • Live-site reality check

    Was the plan written for your site, or for anyone's? I open your site and hold the plan against what an SEO proposal should include.

  • To: the agency

    Before we sign, please change the 12-month term to 3 months, then month to month, and remove the exit fee.

    Negotiation email

    Copy it, send it, done. For example, 20% off the retainer is 20% off every invoice for as long as you stay.

Plus three checks, where they apply.

These run when the proposal gives me something to check. Each one is sized to fit inside the 24 business hours.

Case study check
When the agency cites client results, I check up to three of them. Is the client a real business? Does its site rank for what is claimed? Does the timeline fit? Each one is rated verified, plausible but unverifiable, or doubtful, with the evidence.
Review signals
I read the agency's public reviews on Google, Clutch, Trustpilot, the BBB and similar sites, looking for bursts, one-review accounts and copied wording. You get a short read: consistent, mixed or concerning. It is a pattern read, not proof.
AI search (GEO) check
Is the agency selling GEO, AEO or "AI visibility"? I separate what is actually new from SEO with a new label, and flag any promise to get you into ChatGPT answers.

Source: Google Search Central, "Do you need an SEO?"

Three steps. No sales call.

An agency hands you a proposal worth thousands a year, with no neutral way to judge it. I read it line by line myself and send back a plain verdict and what to ask for. Send it before you sign.

  1. Step 1

    You send the proposal

    Pay $199 once. Then upload the proposal as a PDF, Word file, slides, spreadsheet or screenshots, or paste the email thread. No call.

  2. Step 2

    I read every line

    I check it against 18 red flags, like ranking guarantees, lock-in, auto-renew and who owns your site. Then I look at your live site.

  3. Step 3

    You decide

    Within 24 business hours you get the verdict, the top 3 problems, and an email to send the agency. Sign, push back, or walk away.

One clause can cost you a year. Here is what I ask for instead.

Example. An illustrative clause, not a real client.

In the proposal

Flagged: lock-in

"This agreement renews on its own for another 12 months unless you cancel in writing 90 days before the term ends. Leaving early costs 3 months of fees."

Miss one date and you owe another full year.

What the report asks for

Fair

"A 3-month first term, then month to month. Either side can cancel with 30 days' written notice. No exit fee."

If the work is good, they keep you. If not, you can leave.

A silent auto-renewal is one of the red flags in an SEO proposal that is easiest to fix before you sign, and hardest to escape after.

$199, once. About 6% of one month with an average agency.

A full SEO site audit is a different purchase, usually $500 to $7,500. See what an SEO audit costs at each tier. This one checks the proposal, not your site, and it's $199 flat. I don't sell SEO, so there is nothing to upsell you.

Next to what SEO costs a small business over a year, it is a rounding error.

It isn't legal advice, and it won't make the agency like you.

Check it before I sign
  • $199
  • verdict in 24 business hours
  • I review every proposal myself

Sources: Ahrefs, $3,209 average agency retainer; Neil Patel, SEO audit price bands.

Refunds, in plain terms

  • Full refund if you paid but never sent me the intake form and proposal.
  • Full refund if your report takes more than 24 business hours.
  • No other refunds. Once delivered, the report is final, whatever the verdict. If I misread something, I fix it free for 7 days.

Read the full refund policy

After you get the report

  • 7 days of follow-up questions by email, at no charge.
  • One free re-audit if the agency revises the proposal (same agency, same engagement, sent within 7 days of your report), so the verdict covers the deal you'll actually sign.
  • No calls needed. Everything is in writing, so you can reread it and forward it.

Straight answers before you pay.

Do you sell SEO services yourself?
No, and that is why the verdict is independent. I gain nothing if you sign and nothing if you walk away. If you are looking for a specific type of SEO help, tell me and I can refer you to someone.
Is a person or an AI doing the audit?
A person: me. AI tools help me with research and a first draft, such as checking the public claims an agency makes. But I read every proposal myself, check every finding, and every verdict is mine.
Will the agency know I had it checked?
No. The audit is confidential and I never contact the agency. They only find out if you choose to tell them or share the report.
How long does it take?
Within 24 business hours from when you send the proposal, or you get a full refund. Business hours count Monday to Friday only, not US federal holidays. If I miss it, you still get the report.
What is the refund policy?
There are two refund cases, and only two: you paid but never sent me the proposal, or I missed the 24 business hours. Once the report is delivered it is final, whatever the verdict. The details are in the refund policy.
Is this legal advice for contracts?
No. I flag the clauses that put the risk on you and tell you what to ask for instead. That is a business opinion, not legal advice, so have a lawyer sign off on the final contract wording.
Do you audit GEO or AI-search proposals too?
Yes, at the same price. GEO is mostly SEO under a new name, so I check the same things I check in any SEO proposal, plus the claims that are specific to AI search, like promises to get you into ChatGPT answers or tracking nobody has defined. For where the line sits, see GEO vs SEO.
What if the agency sends me a revised proposal?
I re-audit it once, free, if it comes from the same agency for the same engagement and you send it within 7 days of your first report. You get what changed, which flags are fixed, and an updated verdict. The free re-audit has no cash value and no late-delivery refund.
My proposal is a Word file, a slide deck or an email thread. Is that a problem?
No. Upload up to 5 files, 25 MB each: PDF, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, text, email files (.eml or .msg) or screenshots. If the proposal lives in an email thread, paste it straight into the form. If some terms were only said on a call, write them in the notes.
What do I actually do with the result?
The report includes a ready-to-send email to the agency with the key points to push back on. Copy it, adjust it if you like, and send it. Then sign the fixed version, or walk away using the wording I give you.
What if the proposal turns out to be fine?
Then accept it and sign, knowing it is fair. That is a good outcome, not a wasted audit. I never make up flags to fill a report.
Can you audit two proposals so I can compare them?
Yes. Each proposal is its own audit at $199, and I compare the two side by side on the same 18-flag check and the same 0-100 score. That settles the hardest part of how to choose an SEO company: comparing like with like.
Do you need access to my website or Google accounts?
No. I work from the proposal you send and from what anyone can see on your public website. I never need your logins, passwords or Google accounts, so please do not send them.
Can I ask questions after I get the report?
Yes. Reply to the delivery email with any question for 7 days after delivery, at no charge. I answer by email.
Can you audit a proposal written in Chinese?
Yes. I audit proposals written in Chinese and in English. That includes cross-border deals, such as a Chinese business hiring an agency for an overseas market, where I also check which market the plan really targets.
I run an SEO agency. Can I have my own proposal checked?
No. I only work for the business that received the proposal, never for the agency that wrote it. Staying on the buyer side is what keeps the audit independent.

Not sure you need an agency at all? Read is SEO worth it for a small business first.

Before you sign, know what you are signing.

A flat $199. One proposal, read line by line. A written verdict within 24 business hours.

Tell me if this deal is fair

P.S. A year with the wrong agency costs twelve months of fees and twelve months you don't get back. Send me the proposal before you sign, and you'll have my verdict within 24 business hours.