SEO Deliverables: What to Expect from Your SEO Agency

If you’re partnering with an SEO agency, you’re likely wondering what to expect from your SEO agency in terms of deliverables. After all, you’re investing in their expertise to help your website grow, attract more traffic, and ultimately convert visitors into customers.

To ensure you’re on the same page, let’s break down the essential SEO deliverables that top agencies provide, so you know exactly what to expect and can measure the value of your investment.

What is an SEO Deliverable?

An SEO deliverable refers to the specific tasks, services, or outputs provided by an SEO agency as part of their strategy. These deliverables are designed to improve your website’s search engine rankings, user experience, and overall digital presence.

They’re tangible results from your agency’s work, and they should align with your business goals and expected outcomes.

These deliverables typically include things like keyword research, on-page optimization, content creation, backlink building, and detailed performance reports.

They are the building blocks of an effective SEO strategy and provide a clear roadmap of the work being done on your site.

1. Website Audit: The Starting Point

A thorough website audit is the foundation of any SEO campaign. This process involves analysing your website’s current performance, pinpointing issues that might be hindering your rankings, and identifying areas of improvement. The SEO agency will assess technical factors such as:

• Site speed
• Mobile responsiveness
• Broken links
• Crawl-ability
• Duplicate content

Why it matters: A detailed audit helps identify critical SEO issues and serves as the blueprint for your strategy moving forward. It’s like a health check-up for your website.

Pro Tip: If your website hasn’t had an audit in the last year, it’s time for one. Regular audits are crucial because search engine algorithms are always evolving, and keeping up with these changes ensures your website remains optimized for performance. According to semrush you should do two or more SEO Audits per year.

2. Keyword Research and Strategy

Next up is keyword research—an essential part of every SEO campaign. A reputable agency will conduct in-depth research to uncover the most valuable keywords for your business. They’ll also:

• Identify high-search, low-competition keywords
• Group keywords by intent (informational, transactional, navigational)
• Look at competitor keywords and gap analysis

Why it matters: Understanding which keywords will drive traffic—and convert—is crucial. With the right keyword strategy, your website will rank for search terms that bring relevant users to your site.

Pro Tip: Don’t just target high-volume keywords—go after long-tail keywords as well. These keywords may have lower search volume, but they tend to attract more qualified traffic that’s ready to convert. Long-tail keywords tend to convert better than short-tail ones, with an average conversion rate of around 36%. That’s because they target more specific search intent, attracting users who are closer to making a decision.

3. On-Page Optimization

On-page SEO involves tweaking the content and structure of your website’s pages to ensure they rank well on search engines. Expect deliverables like:

• Optimizing title tags and meta descriptions
• Ensuring the correct use of header tags (H1, H2, etc.)
• Improving keyword density without overstuffing
• Internal linking optimization
• Content improvements and recommendations

Why it matters: Search engines use the structure and content of your page to understand what it’s about. On-page optimization is one of the quickest ways to boost your rankings.

Pro Tip: Ensure that your title tags and meta descriptions are not only optimized for SEO but are also compelling to users. Crafting clickable titles can drastically improve your click-through rate from search results.

4. Content Strategy and Creation

Great content is the backbone of SEO success. Your agency will provide a content strategy that aligns with your business goals. This could include:

• Blog posts
• Landing pages
• Product descriptions
• Infographics and videos
• Resource guides

Why it matters: Content is not just for ranking—it’s a way to engage and educate your audience. By offering valuable, high-quality content, you can improve user experience, build trust, and increase conversions.

Pro Tip: When creating content, always think about the user’s intent. Whether they’re looking to solve a problem, learn something new, or make a purchase, your content should address their needs directly and comprehensively. Surprisingly, about 99% of all search terms can be grouped into just four intent categories: informational, navigational, commercial, and transactional.

That means every time someone types something into Google, they’re doing it with a purpose—and understanding that purpose is the secret sauce to crafting content that actually gets clicks. Whether they’re just curious, ready to buy, or somewhere in between, knowing the intent behind a search can make or break your SEO strategy.

5. Link Building and Backlink Strategy

Building backlinks is a long-term SEO strategy that boosts your website’s authority. A professional SEO agency will develop a link-building strategy that includes:

• Identifying high-authority domains for backlinks
• Reaching out to influencers or bloggers for guest posts
• Analyzing competitor backlink profiles
• Creating shareable content that naturally attracts backlinks

Why it matters: Search engines like Google view backlinks as votes of confidence. A strong backlink profile signals that your website is trusted, helping to improve your rankings over time.

Pro Tip: Focus on quality over quantity when building backlinks. A few links from highly authoritative sites can have a much greater impact on your rankings than numerous links from low-quality sources. Link building remains one of the trickiest—but most vital—parts of SEO. Even though backlinks aren’t in Google’s top three ranking factors anymore, they still carry serious weight. In fact, 93.8% of link builders say quality matters more than sheer volume when it comes to earning results.

6. Technical SEO Improvements

Technical SEO focuses on optimizing your website’s backend to ensure it’s search-engine friendly. Expect deliverables like:

• Site speed optimization (e.g., image compression, JavaScript optimization)
• Schema markup implementation
• Fixing broken links and redirect issues
• Optimizing robots.txt and sitemap
• Improving crawlability and indexability

Why it matters: Technical SEO is crucial for ensuring search engines can easily crawl, index, and understand your website. If the tech side is neglected, all the great content and keywords won’t matter much.

Pro Tip: Site speed is more important than ever for both SEO and user experience. Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to identify opportunities for speed improvement—users and search engines prefer fast-loading websites.

7. Local SEO (If Applicable)

For businesses with a physical location or a local service area, local SEO is crucial. Expect deliverables like:

• Optimizing your Google My Business profile
• Building local citations (mentions of your business on other websites)
• Collecting and managing reviews
• Local keyword optimization

Why it matters: Local SEO ensures that people in your area can find your business when they search for relevant products or services. It’s an essential strategy for driving foot traffic and local conversions.

Pro Tip: Make sure your business is listed consistently across all local citation sites (like Yelp, Yellow Pages, etc.). Inconsistent information across the web can confuse search engines and harm your local rankings. A whopping 88% of people who do a local search on their smartphone end up interacting with a store—usually within just 24 hours. Local SEO isn’t just about visibility—it’s about action. When someone searches locally on their phone, they’re often ready to visit, call, or buy right now. That 24-hour window means businesses that show up in local search results have a huge opportunity to convert high-intent users into real customers almost immediately.

8. Regular Reporting and Analytics

Transparency is key when working with an SEO agency. Expect to receive monthly or quarterly reports that include:

• Traffic and ranking updates
• Organic search growth
• Conversion metrics
• Return on investment (ROI) tracking
• Recommendations for future actions

Why it matters:Regular reporting ensures you can track progress and see the tangible results of your investment. This keeps your SEO agency accountable and allows you to adjust the strategy if necessary.

Pro Tip: Request detailed reports that show both data and insights. Understanding not just the numbers but what they mean and how they impact your business goals will help you make more informed decisions.

9. Ongoing Optimization and Adaptation

SEO is not a one-and-done project. Your agency will continuously monitor your site’s performance and adapt the strategy based on algorithm changes, competition, and industry shifts. This could include:

• Refining your keyword strategy
• Updating content to stay fresh and relevant
• Implementing new technologies or features to improve user experience

Why it matters: Search engines frequently update their algorithms. An adaptable SEO strategy ensures your website remains competitive in an ever-changing digital landscape.

Pro Tip: SEO is a marathon, not a sprint. Continuously optimize your content and strategy, especially after major algorithm updates. Adaptation is key to staying ahead of your competition.

What is Seen as Extras by an SEO Agency?

While SEO agencies offer a wide range of essential services, some additional services might be considered “extras” or add-ons to the basic SEO package.

These extras are often tailored to your specific needs and can help further boost your website’s performance. Here are some of the most common SEO extras you may come across:

Social Media Marketing

Many SEO agencies offer social media marketing as an additional service to help improve brand visibility and engagement, which complements SEO efforts. This might include creating content, managing posts, and engaging with your audience on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

Social media might not directly boost your search rankings, but it definitely pulls its weight when it comes to SEO. By expanding your brand’s reach, driving more visitors to your site, and even helping you earn valuable backlinks, social platforms can quietly strengthen your overall SEO game behind the scenes.

Paid Search Campaigns (PPC)

Running paid search campaigns like Google Ads or social media ads is another extra often recommended to work alongside SEO. These campaigns help increase visibility through paid channels, driving immediate traffic while SEO delivers long-term results.

Advanced Competitor Analysis

Going beyond basic keyword research, some agencies offer detailed competitor analysis. This includes monitoring competitors’ backlinks, content strategies, and keyword rankings, offering valuable insights into how to outsmart the competition.

Content Marketing (Beyond SEO)

While SEO agencies typically offer content creation focused on ranking and keywords, some may offer additional content services such as video production, podcasts, or long-form content creation that aligns with broader marketing goals.

Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)

Some SEO agencies may offer CRO services as an extra, helping you to improve the effectiveness of your website in converting visitors into customers. This involves tweaking elements like call-to-action buttons, forms, and page layout for better user experience and higher conversion rates.

Branding and Design Services

In addition to SEO, branding services like logo design, branding guidelines, and website redesign may be considered extras. These are designed to improve your brand identity and ensure that your website is not only optimized for search engines but also visually appealing and user-friendly.

Advanced Link Building

While basic link building is often part of a standard SEO package, advanced link-building tactics, like securing high-quality, authoritative backlinks through guest blogging or partnerships, may be offered as an additional service.

Local SEO and Google My Business Optimization

Local SEO efforts, such as optimizing your Google My Business profile, improving local citations, and targeting geo-specific keywords, can be offered as an extra if your business relies heavily on local customers.

Reputation Management

If your agency provides services related to managing your online reputation, this would be considered an extra. This could involve working to address negative reviews, generating positive feedback, and improving your overall online image.

International SEO

If you’re targeting an international audience, some SEO agencies offer international SEO as an additional service. This involves optimizing your website for multiple languages and countries, ensuring that you’re targeting the right audience in various regions.

FAQ’s

How long does it take to see results from SEO?

SEO is a long-term investment. Generally, you can expect to see noticeable results within 3 to 6 months. However, significant improvements in rankings and traffic may take up to a year, depending on competition and the effectiveness of the strategy.

What is the most important SEO deliverable?

There’s no single most important deliverable, as all aspects of SEO work together to improve rankings. However, on-page optimization, keyword research, and content strategy are fundamental for achieving the best results.

Do I need SEO even if my website looks good?

Yes! Even if your website looks great, SEO is crucial for ensuring it ranks well in search engines. A well-designed website is only effective if it can be found by your target audience.

Can I do SEO on my own?

While DIY SEO is possible, it can be complex and time-consuming. Working with an experienced SEO agency ensures you’re using the most effective strategies and staying up-to-date with the latest best practices. We did an article about this earlier. comparing Inhouse SEO VS SEO Company – Which is better?

Conclusion

Understanding SEO deliverables is essential for setting clear expectations with your SEO agency. From core services like website audits and keyword research to extras such as advanced link building and reputation management, knowing what’s included in your package helps ensure you’re getting the most value.

SEO is an ongoing process that requires collaboration and consistent effort. By staying aligned with your agency and discussing deliverables upfront, you can ensure strategies are tailored to your business goals, leading to better search rankings, more traffic, and long-term growth.

Ready to elevate your SEO game? Partner with a trusted agency to start driving results today!