Invoice template for SEO consultants
SEO is billed in two shapes: a one-off audit and then a monthly retainer for the work that follows. Keep them apart on the invoice. The audit is a deliverable with a date; the retainer is a period of work. When both sit in one line, the client cannot see that the audit was finished and paid for, and the retainer starts to feel like it is paying for the same thing again.
Then there is money that passes through you. Paid placements or outreach costs for links, content written by someone else, tool seats you hold on the client's behalf. Bill these at cost or with a stated margin, and name them, so the retainer fee reflects your work and nothing else.
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What SEO consultants forget to bill
- The technical audit as a fixed deliverable, separate from any ongoing retainer.
- Link-building and outreach costs, passed through with what was bought.
- Content commissioned from writers for the client's site.
- Tool subscriptions held for the client, such as rank tracking or crawlers.
- Developer liaison time when fixes depend on the client's own development team.
- Migration support, which is a project in itself and not part of a normal retainer.
Questions SEO consultants ask
How do SEO consultants charge?
Usually a fixed fee for an audit or a strategy, then a monthly retainer for implementation, content guidance and reporting. Some bill hourly for consulting calls or developer support. The retainer should list what it includes each month.
Should link-building costs be on the SEO invoice?
If you pay them, yes, as their own line with what they bought. Mixing them into the retainer makes the fee look inconsistent month to month and hides what the client is spending on links.
Do I bill the retainer in advance or in arrears?
In advance is common for SEO, because the work starts on the first of the month. Say which in the contract and keep it consistent, so a client cancelling mid-month knows what they owe.
Keep the next one in OIO
Numbered automatically, tied to the client and the project, outstanding until you mark it paid. Overdue invoices get their own list and a reminder written for you. Free plan, no card.
Start freeAlso for SEO consultants: quote template and contract template. Invoice templates for related trades: content writers, web developers, marketing consultants, copywriters. Or browse all invoice templates.