407-233-3387Most do, and there is a legitimate reason: SEO takes months to show results, and an agency that front-loads audits, fixes, and content in month one loses money if you leave in month two. A short commitment protects both sides.
What is not legitimate is a twelve-month lock-in with no performance obligation and no exit. Here is how to tell the difference.
Thinking of doing SEO?
We can help. Drop your info below and we’ll take a free look at your Google Business Profile and website, then tell you straight what’s holding your rankings back.
Prefer to talk it through? Call (407) 233-3387 or send us a message.
What length is fair
- 90 days, then month-to-month. The fair standard. Long enough to get through the construction phase, short enough that you are not trapped.
- 6 months. Defensible in competitive markets where nothing moves before month four.
- 12 months with no exit clause. Protects the agency only. Negotiate or walk.
- No contract at all. Sounds great, but it can mean the agency avoids front-loading work because you might vanish. Ask what happens in month one.
Clauses that matter more than length
Ownership
The single most important clause. You should own the domain, hosting account, website files, all content produced, your Google Business Profile, and your Analytics and Search Console properties. Some agencies build on their own hosting under their own accounts and you discover on the way out that you own nothing.
Deliverables in writing
A contract that says “SEO services” is not a contract, it is a permission slip. Get counts: pages per month, links per month, posts per month, reporting date.
Termination and notice
- 30 days written notice is standard and reasonable
- Ask what happens to work in progress at termination
- Ask what is handed over and in what format
- Watch for auto-renewal clauses that require notice 60 or 90 days ahead
Price increases
Look for a clause letting the agency raise the retainer with short notice. Ask for a cap or a fixed rate for the initial term.
Terms worth refusing
- The agency owns the website. Non-negotiable. Walk.
- No termination clause at all.
- Auto-renewal for another full year unless you cancel months in advance.
- Ranking guarantees written into the contract. A promise nobody can keep is a sign of how the rest will go.
- Exclusivity that binds you but not them. If you cannot work with anyone else, they should not be working with your direct competitor either.
How to negotiate without being difficult
Most agencies will move on term length if you are reasonable about the first quarter. A sentence that usually works: “We are happy to commit to 90 days so you can front-load the work, then we would like month-to-month with 30 days notice.” That is fair to both sides and a professional shop will accept it.
If they will not move at all, that tells you how flexible they will be when something goes wrong six months in.
Keep reading
- Use the whole filter in how to choose an SEO company in Orlando.
- Understand the recurring model in why SEO companies charge monthly.
- Browse what we do on our SEO and web design services page.
- See recent builds in our project gallery.
- Ready to talk? Get in touch with Mamba Media.
Thinking of doing SEO?
We can help. Drop your info below and we’ll take a free look at your Google Business Profile and website, then tell you straight what’s holding your rankings back.
Prefer to talk it through? Call (407) 233-3387 or send us a message.