What a combined design and SEO quote should cover

Why the two belong together

Search work is much easier when it is built in from the start. Page structure, address names, headings and links are design decisions, and fixing them later means redoing pages that already exist.

A site designed first and optimized afterward often needs rebuilding in places. That is why a quote that treats both together tends to save effort, provided it lists what it actually contains.

What the quote should list

Ask for a written list of deliverables, not a heading. Each item should be something you could check was done: a count of pages, a named structure, a written title for each page.

• The pages to be built and the purpose of each
• A title, description and main heading written for every page
• Clean addresses, breadcrumbs and links between related pages
• A sitemap and structured data that says who you are
• Who writes the content, and who checks it for accuracy
• A mobile check and a test of loading speed before launch
• A branded not-found page and rules for moved addresses

Structure and content, not just looks

A beautiful design with thin pages is a brochure. Ask how many pages the site will have, what each one answers, and how they link. Our page on site structure explains why this matters.

Ask to see the planned page list before design starts. A short plan that names each page and its job is cheap to change, while a finished design with the wrong pages is expensive to undo. Approving the plan first keeps both sides honest about scope.

Ask who writes the words and where the facts come from. Copy must come from your real services and areas. Generic text pasted across pages does not help a reader or a search engine.

Our page on website design covers the visual side. For this quote, what matters is that the look serves the structure: readable text, clear buttons, and layouts that hold up on a phone, because many first visits happen there.

What happens at launch

Launch is where search work often slips. Ask whether the old addresses redirect to new ones, whether a sitemap is submitted, and whether Search Console is connected so you can see what Google reports.

Our launch checklist lists these steps. If you are replacing an existing site, a missing redirect plan is a common cause of lost visitors, so ask about it early.

Ask for a written launch plan too: who connects Search Console, who checks the live pages, and who fixes what turns up in the first weeks. A launch with no named owner for those jobs tends to leave them undone.

Who owns what afterward

Ask who owns the domain, the content, the analytics and the listings once the project ends. These should be in your name. Accounts held by the provider can leave you stuck if you change companies.

Ask what happens to updates. A site that cannot be edited without paying again is a risk. Our page on website creation companies covers what to expect from the arrangement.

Also ask how long the provider keeps your files and whether you can export the site. A clear written answer, given before you pay, is a good sign. Hedging on it is a reason to slow down and ask again.

What not to expect from a quote

No quote can honestly promise a ranking, a traffic level or a number of leads. Those depend on the search engine, your competitors and your market, so treat any promise as a reason to ask more.

What a good quote can do is describe a site built to Google Search Essentials, checked before it goes live, with a plan for keeping it accurate. That is something you can verify, which is the point.

Our page on comparing with a design agency sets out the other routes. Whichever you choose, get the scope in writing, keep a copy, and check the finished pages against that list before the final payment.