What an SEO contract should say about scope
Start with the subject of the agreement. Name the website, the search engines (Google, Yandex), the region you want to reach and the list of services: audit, technical optimisation, keyword research, content, external mentions, analytics and reporting. If the site runs in both Uzbek and Russian, say so explicitly, because the amount of work differs noticeably between one language and two.
Be wary of phrases like "comprehensive promotion" with no breakdown. Vague wording gives neither side grounds for a complaint. Attach a plan for the first month and describe how plans for later months get approved.
State what is not included as well: design, building new sections, paid ads. If these are billed separately, the text should make that visible.
Who actually changes the website
This clause is forgotten more than any other. SEO nearly always depends on changes to the site: titles, structure, page speed, product cards. Does the contractor edit the site directly, or write tasks for your developer?
A common scenario: an online shop was built by a studio that charges for every edit. The SEO specialist sends tasks, they sit in a queue for months, and nothing improves. The contractor is not at fault. So write down approval and implementation deadlines for both sides, and say how the schedule shifts if the delay is on your end.
Access rights and account ownership
The second risk is a messy breakup where the contractor leaves with your data. Set the rules in advance:
- Search Console, Yandex Webmaster, analytics and map listings are registered to your company, not to the contractor's personal email
- The contractor receives user-level permissions, not owner rights
- The domain and hosting stay with you
- Any account the contractor creates is handed over to you
- Access is revoked from a written list when the work ends
Reporting and how results are measured
Agree on how often reports arrive, what they contain and in what format. At minimum: work completed, changes in impressions, clicks, traffic and leads from search, and the plan for the next period. A report that lists only keyword positions, with no traffic or enquiries, is a reason to revisit this clause.
Leads from search can only be counted if analytics is set up properly, so check that goals and tracking of calls or Telegram enquiries are working before the project starts. Otherwise, three months in, there will be nothing to measure and nothing to discuss.
Guarantees and banned tactics
An honest contractor will not guarantee specific rankings, because results depend on search engines and competitors. If the contract says "top 10 guaranteed", ask what happens if it does not work out and what methods are used to get there. It is more sensible to commit to the volume and quality of work and judge results by how the numbers move. If part of the fee depends on results, define exactly how a result is determined.
Add a separate clause banning tactics that break search engine rules: bulk purchased links from poor sites, artificial behavioural signals, hidden text, doorway pages and fake reviews. Describe what happens if they are found. This clause disciplines the contractor and filters out careless providers during negotiation.
Ownership, confidentiality and ending the contract
Decide who owns the texts, images, keyword research and technical briefs created under the contract. Usually the rights pass to the client after payment. Agree separately on links and publications the contractor placed: what happens to them after the relationship ends.
The contractor will see your sales data, customers and plans, so include a confidentiality clause: nothing is shared with third parties or used in work for competitors. Then plan the exit:
- notice period for termination
- how payment for completed work is settled
- handover of keyword files, plans, reports and the list of placed publications
- revoking access
- no actions that harm the site after termination
Before you sign
Give the text to the person who will work with the contractor day to day and go through it together. Check that the appendices, the work plan and the report format, are actually attached. If a clause is unclear, ask for it to be explained in plain words. A contractor who resists reasonable edits to the contract will probably be just as reluctant to answer questions during the project. Have a lawyer review the legal wording either way: this article explains what the clauses are for, it does not replace legal advice.
If you are preparing a contract and want to understand what your site really needs first, markdev can help define the scope of SEO optimisation in Uzbekistan and put together the appendices. Tell us about your task and we will go through it with you.
FAQ
Can an SEO contract include a top 10 guarantee?
It can be written down, but it carries little weight, since rankings depend on search engines and competitors. If someone promises it, ask which methods they use and what happens if it fails. Fixing the volume of work and the way results are assessed is more reliable.
Whose name should Search Console and analytics be registered under?
Your company's. The contractor gets user-level access. That way, if you change providers, you keep your data history and control of the site.
What if our web developer is slow to make the requested changes?
Write approval and implementation deadlines for both sides into the contract, along with how the work schedule moves if there is a delay. Then a delay does not turn into an argument about why there are no results.
Should a lawyer look at the contract?
Yes. You can check the practical clauses yourself, but the legal accuracy of the wording is best confirmed by a lawyer.
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