SEO Agency RFP Template: Complete Checklist for Semantic SEO Evaluation [2026]
An SEO agency RFP (Request for Proposal) is a structured document that defines your requirements, evaluation criteria, and expected deliverables — enabling objective comparison of agency proposals on equal terms. This template includes a complete RFP structure, semantic SEO-specific evaluation criteria, and a weighted scorecard to identify agencies with genuine methodology versus those making vague promises.
When Should You Use an SEO Agency RFP?
Use an RFP when evaluating 2 or more agencies for a contract above $3,000/month, when replacing an existing agency, or when your organization requires a formal procurement process. For smaller engagements or clear referrals, a simpler briefing document may be more efficient.
| Situation | Use RFP? | Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Evaluating 3+ agencies, budget >$5k/month | ✅ Yes | — |
| Enterprise procurement requirement | ✅ Yes | — |
| Replacing underperforming agency | ✅ Yes | — |
| Single trusted referral, budget <$3k/month | ⚠️ Optional | Agency brief + discovery call |
| Urgent project (<4 weeks) | ❌ No | Direct outreach + proposal request |
RFP Template: Complete Structure
Section 1: Company Overview
Provide context that helps agencies tailor their proposals to your actual situation:
- Company name, industry, and primary markets
- Current website URL and CMS (WordPress, Shopify, custom, etc.)
- Domain Authority / Domain Rating (Ahrefs or Moz)
- Current monthly organic traffic (provide GSC screenshot if possible)
- Primary business goal (lead generation, e-commerce revenue, brand visibility, etc.)
- Primary competitors (3–5 URLs you want to outrank)
- Current SEO situation (existing agency, in-house team, or no SEO history)
Section 2: Project Scope and Requirements
- SEO services required — technical audit, content strategy, link building, local SEO, international SEO, GEO/LLMO
- Monthly budget range — be specific; agencies waste time proposing outside budget
- Contract duration — 6 months, 12 months, ongoing
- Start date
- Reporting requirements — frequency, format, KPIs
- Team access requirements — GSC, GA4, CMS, staging environment
Section 3: Deliverable Requirements
Specify exact deliverables, not just service categories:
| Deliverable | Frequency | Format Required |
|---|---|---|
| Technical SEO audit | Initial + quarterly | Structured report with priority tiers |
| Topical map / content strategy | Initial | Spreadsheet with cluster structure |
| Content production | Monthly | Published posts with word count targets |
| Performance report | Monthly | GSC data + rankings + commentary |
| Link building report | Monthly | New links acquired with metrics |
| Quarterly strategy review | Quarterly | Live call + written summary |
Section 4: Semantic SEO Evaluation Criteria
Standard RFPs miss the most important differentiators. Add these semantic SEO-specific questions:
- Entity optimization: “Describe how you identify and optimize for entity relationships in content.”
- Topical authority: “Show an example of a topical map you’ve built for a client. How do you define cluster boundaries?”
- EAV content structure: “How do you structure content for featured snippet eligibility and AI search visibility?”
- Internal linking methodology: “Describe your approach to semantic internal linking. How do you audit and improve link equity flow?”
- Schema markup: “What schema types do you implement by default? How do you validate schema effectiveness?”
- GEO/LLMO: “What is your approach to Generative Engine Optimization? Have you measured AI search citation rates for clients?”
Section 5: Required Proposal Elements
Tell agencies exactly what to include in their response:
- Agency overview — founding date, team size, specializations
- Relevant case studies — minimum 2, with verifiable metrics in your industry
- Proposed methodology — specific to your situation, not generic
- Team structure — who will work on your account and their roles
- Deliverable schedule — what you’ll receive in months 1, 3, 6
- Pricing breakdown — itemized by service, not a single monthly number
- Reporting samples — actual reports from current clients (anonymized)
- References — 2–3 current clients willing to speak
Semantic SEO Agency Scorecard
Use this scorecard to evaluate each agency’s proposal on standardized criteria:
| Criterion | Weight | Score (1–5) | Weighted Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Semantic SEO methodology (topical maps, EAV, entities) | 25% | _ | _ |
| Documented case studies with verifiable metrics | 20% | _ | _ |
| Technical SEO depth (Core Web Vitals, schema, crawlability) | 15% | _ | _ |
| Content strategy quality (cluster structure, intent alignment) | 15% | _ | _ |
| Reporting transparency and communication | 10% | _ | _ |
| GEO/LLMO capability (AI search optimization) | 10% | _ | _ |
| Pricing value (deliverables per dollar) | 5% | _ | _ |
| Total | 100% | _/5.0 |
Scoring guide:
- 5 — Exceptional: specific, documented, verifiable evidence provided
- 4 — Strong: clear methodology with relevant examples
- 3 — Adequate: general approach described, no specific evidence
- 2 — Weak: vague claims, no methodology explained
- 1 — Disqualifying: no response, misleading claims, or generic copy-paste
Red Flags to Eliminate Agencies Immediately
- 🚩 Guarantees specific rankings (“We’ll get you #1 for [keyword] in 30 days”)
- 🚩 No case studies or “confidential, can’t share” as only answer
- 🚩 Methodology section is entirely generic (keyword research, on-page optimization, link building — with no specifics)
- 🚩 Pricing is a single number with no deliverable breakdown
- 🚩 Cannot explain what topical authority, entity optimization, or semantic SEO means
- 🚩 Reporting samples show only ranking tables without traffic, conversion, or impression data
- 🚩 Mentions using AI to write 100% of content without editorial process
RFP Timeline Template
| Phase | Duration | Action |
|---|---|---|
| RFP preparation | 3–5 days | Complete this template with your specifics |
| Agency outreach | 1 day | Send to 3–5 pre-screened agencies |
| Q&A period | 5 days | Answer agency questions about your situation |
| Proposal submission deadline | Day 14 | Receive all proposals |
| Evaluation and scoring | 3–5 days | Apply scorecard to all proposals |
| Finalist presentations | 2–3 days | Top 2 agencies present live |
| Decision and contracting | 3–5 days | Select agency, negotiate contract terms |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an SEO RFP and when should I use one?
An SEO RFP (Request for Proposal) is a structured document sent to multiple agencies that defines your requirements and asks for comparable proposals. Use it when evaluating 2+ agencies for significant engagements (>$3k/month), when procurement requires formal documentation, or when replacing an underperforming agency with clear evaluation criteria.
How many agencies should receive the RFP?
Send to 3–5 pre-screened agencies. Fewer than 3 limits comparison; more than 5 creates evaluation overhead without meaningfully improving selection quality. Pre-screen by reviewing case studies and methodology pages before sending the RFP — eliminate obvious mismatches before investing in full proposals.
What should I look for in semantic SEO agency proposals?
Look for: specific topical map examples, documented entity optimization methodology, case studies with traffic and conversion data (not just rankings), schema implementation details, and GEO/LLMO capability. Red flag: any agency that cannot explain topical authority or entity-based SEO in concrete terms. See our SEO Agency Scorecard Template for a full evaluation framework.
How do I evaluate semantic SEO capability in agency proposals?
Ask for a sample topical map from a previous client project. Ask the agency to explain their content structure methodology (EAV, extractive answers, Question H2s). Ask specifically how they measure topical authority growth — agencies with real semantic SEO capability will answer these questions specifically; those without it will give generic responses about “quality content.”
Should the RFP include budget information?
Yes — always. Including your budget range (e.g., “$5,000–$8,000/month”) ensures agencies propose within your parameters and allows you to evaluate deliverable quality per dollar rather than comparing incomparable proposals. Hiding budget wastes everyone’s time and usually results in proposals that miss the mark entirely.