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TSM Service Agreement & Scope of Work
Purpose: Define the working relationship, deliverables, and boundaries for TSM SEO services.
When to use: Send to the client after they express interest but before work begins.
Last updated: 2026-06-01 · Version 1.0
1. Parties
Service Provider: The SEO Master (TSM)
Client: [Client Business Name]
Date: [Date]
Engagement Type: ☐ T1 Audit | ☐ T2 Implementation | ☐ T3 Monthly Retainer
2. Service Description
2.1 T1 — Technical SEO Audit (One-Time)
What I do:
- Crawl and analyze your website using professional SEO tools (Screaming Frog, PageSpeed Insights)
- Identify technical issues: broken links, missing metadata, speed problems, mobile issues, indexing errors
- Benchmark your site against 2 competitor websites
- Deliver a prioritized checklist of fixes ranked by impact vs. effort
What you get:
- 📄 Branded PDF audit report (typically 15–30 pages)
- 📊 Competitor performance benchmark table
- 📋 Tickable action checklist with severity ratings
- 💬 30-minute video walkthrough of findings
What I don't do:
- Fix the issues myself (that's T2)
- Keyword research beyond what's discoverable from crawl data
- Content writing or backlink outreach
- Ongoing monitoring or monthly updates
Investment: $[amount] — [full upfront / 50% upfront, 50% on delivery]
2.2 T2 — Implementation (One-Time Project)
Prerequisite: T1 Audit completed (can be a previous audit by TSM or another provider)
What I do:
- Fix the high- and medium-priority issues identified in the audit
- Typical scope: title tag optimization, meta description improvements, broken link fixes, canonical tag fixes, image alt text, basic speed optimization, redirect cleanup
What you get:
- ✅ Implementation completion report with before/after comparison
- 📋 Change log documenting every modification made
- 💬 30-minute handoff call explaining what was changed and why
What I don't do:
- Website redesign or platform migration
- Major content strategy or content creation
- Advanced technical work requiring developer support (complex schema, custom code)
- Ongoing monitoring after handoff
Investment: $[amount] — [50% upfront, 50% on completion]
2.3 T3 — Monthly Retainer (Recurring)
Prerequisite: T1 Audit + T2 Implementation completed (or audit-only if site is already clean)
What I do:
- Monthly technical SEO health check (automated crawl + manual review)
- Track and report on: indexation status, new errors, speed trends, competitor movements
- 1 monthly report delivered by the 5th of each month
- 1 quarterly strategy call (30 min) to review progress and adjust priorities
- Email support for urgent SEO questions (24–48h response)
What you get:
- 📄 Monthly PDF report with findings and trends
- 📋 Prioritized action list for the month ahead
- 💬 Quarterly strategy call
- 📧 Direct email support
What I don't do:
- Daily management or real-time monitoring (weekly checks + monthly reports)
- Content creation or link building (can be added as separate project)
- PPC or social media management
- Guaranteed rankings — SEO depends on many factors outside my control
Investment: $[amount]/month — [monthly invoice, net-7 payment terms]
3. Timeline
| Milestone |
T1 Audit |
T2 Implementation |
T3 Retainer |
| Kickoff / access received | Day 0 | Day 0 | Day 0 (1st of month) |
| Work begins | Day 1 | Day 1 | Ongoing |
| First deliverable | Day 5 | Week 2 check-in | Monthly by 5th |
| Final deliverable | Day 5 | Week 3–4 | Continuous |
| Review call | Day 5–7 | Week 3–4 | Quarterly |
Typical duration:
- T1 Audit: 3–5 business days after receiving all access
- T2 Implementation: 1–3 weeks depending on site size and issue complexity
- T3 Retainer: Ongoing, minimum 3-month commitment recommended
4. Client Responsibilities
To deliver results, I need your cooperation on:
- Timely access provision — GSC, GA4, CMS logins within 48 hours of kickoff
- Approval for changes — For T2, confirm before I modify live site content
- Content availability — If content changes are recommended, provide or approve new copy
- Communication — Respond to questions within 2 business days so work doesn't stall
- Point of contact — One designated person with authority to approve changes and make decisions
If access is delayed by >5 business days: Timeline extends proportionally. If delayed by >10 business days, project pauses until access is restored.
5. Payment Terms
| Tier |
Amount |
Payment Structure |
| T1 Audit | $299–$499 | 100% upfront or 50/50 |
| T2 Implementation | $800–$2,500 | 50% upfront, 50% on completion |
| T3 Retainer | $150–$500/mo | Monthly, invoiced on 1st, due by 7th |
Payment methods: Bank transfer / PayPal / Wise / Stripe
Late payments: 5% late fee after 7 days overdue. Work pauses after 14 days overdue.
Refunds: T1 Audit — 50% refund if cancelled before work begins. No refund once crawl is initiated. T2/T3 — prorated refund for unused days if cancelled mid-project.
6. Boundaries & Limitations
What I cannot guarantee
- #1 rankings — No ethical SEO professional can guarantee specific rankings. I guarantee thorough analysis and best-practice execution.
- Traffic increases — SEO is a long-term investment. Typical results appear in 30–90 days.
- Fixing algorithm penalties — If Google has manually penalized your site, recovery is possible but not guaranteed and may take months.
What is outside scope (unless explicitly added)
- Website design or redesign
- Content writing / blog management
- Social media management
- PPC / Google Ads management
- Reputation management / review generation
- Backlink outreach or link building campaigns
Technical limits
- Free tools: I use Screaming Frog free tier (500 URL limit). For sites >500 pages, we discuss upgrade options.
- JavaScript-heavy sites: Free SF tier cannot render JavaScript. For React/Vue/Angular sites, a licensed crawl or manual review is needed.
- Login-walled content: I cannot audit pages behind authentication unless you provide test credentials.
7. Confidentiality & Data
- All client data, website access, and findings are strictly confidential
- I do not share your data with third parties except the tools required for the audit (Screaming Frog, PageSpeed Insights, Notion for report storage)
- Reports are stored in a private Notion workspace. You receive a shareable link. Access can be revoked at any time.
- I may ask to use anonymized findings for case studies or portfolio pieces. Only with your explicit written permission.
8. Termination
- T1/T2 (one-time): Either party can terminate before work begins with full refund (T1) or 50% refund (T2). No refund once deliverables are produced.
- T3 (retainer): Either party can terminate with 14 days written notice. Final invoice is prorated to the termination date.
- Abuse / non-payment: I reserve the right to terminate immediately and revoke report access if payment is 30+ days overdue or if client is abusive.
9. Signatures
By proceeding with payment and/or providing website access, both parties agree to the terms above.
Service Provider:
Name: _________________________
Signature: _________________________
Date: _________________________
Client:
Name: _________________________
Title: _________________________
Business Name: _________________________
Signature: _________________________
Date: _________________________
Quick Reference: What's Included by Tier
| Feature |
T1 Audit |
T2 Implementation |
T3 Retainer |
| Technical crawl analysis | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ (monthly) |
| Competitor benchmark | ✅ | — | ✅ (quarterly) |
| Prioritized action list | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| PDF report | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ (monthly) |
| Walkthrough call | ✅ | ✅ | Quarterly |
| Actually fix the issues | — | ✅ | ✅ (as needed) |
| Ongoing monitoring | — | — | ✅ |
| Email support | — | 1 week post-handoff | ✅ |