SEO contracts

Search engine optimisation (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM) agreements define the respective rights and obligations of search marketing professionals and their clients.

SEQ Legal supplies two different SEO contract templates:

• SEO Agreement
• SEO Terms and Conditions

It is important - from the perspectives of both the SEO professional and his or her client - that the terms upon which SEO services will be provided are set out in writing. A written agreement should help manage expectations and reduce the scope for disputes between the parties.

The SEO professional will also want to protect him or herself from unnecessary legal risks and liabilities. While search engine results may be manipulated by a  resourceful marketer, there are no guarantees.  Accordingly, the SEO agreement will usually state that a failure to reach particular targets will not constitute a breach of the agreement. 

Clients, on the other hand, need to be sure that they will receive the service they are paying for.  The service may be defined by reference to the activities to be undertaken by the SEO or the time spent on those activities.

Other issues that should usually be covered in SEO legal documentation include:

• website access for the consultant;
• control and handover of online accounts, especially after termination;
• defined or permissible SEO techniques; and
• minimum contract periods.

An SEO agreement is an example of a web marketing agreement.