COMPARING AGENCY PROPOSALS?
Digital Agency Proposal Review
Whether it’s SEO, PPC, web design or something else, the question before you sign is the same: is this a good deal, and can you trust what you’re being told?
This is an independent, evidence-led review of what you’ve been offered, built to apply the same scrutiny whatever kind of agency you’re evaluating. It’s live today for SEO proposals, and this is what that looks like in practice.
✓ No agency ties ✓ Plain English verdict ✓ Nothing to sell you
THE PROBLEM WITH COMPARING PROPOSALS
Every proposal is written to be signed
Whether it’s SEO, PPC, web design or paid social, agency proposals are sales documents first. They’re built to look thorough and get you to sign, not to make it easy to compare against what you were promised, or against a rival’s offer.
Most businesses don’t have anyone in-house who can sense-check that, whatever the discipline. Before You Invest exists to be that independent check, starting with SEO, where the founder has direct agency-side experience, and applying the same standard as it goes further. Still deciding which type of agency you need in the first place? Our guide to choosing a digital marketing agency covers that first.
WHEN TO USE IT
Wherever You Are in the Buying Process
Comparing two or more proposals
Different agencies, different formats, different promises. We help you compare like for like.
One proposal, no benchmark
No second quote to weigh it against? We’ll tell you whether it holds up on its own merits.
Unsure what “good” looks like
If you don’t know what should be included, it’s hard to spot what’s missing. We do.
Deciding whether to sign at all
Sometimes the honest answer is to walk away, or negotiate first. We’ll tell you which.
HOW IT WORKS TODAY
Live now for SEO. The same rigour, whatever the discipline.
The SEO Proposal Review is the version of this that’s live today. Send us up to two SEO proposals and you’ll get back a Decision Pack: a BYI Confidence Score, a commercial risk assessment, a check for missing deliverables, and a plain-English verdict on whether it’s worth signing.
If what you’re weighing up isn’t SEO, get in touch and tell us what you’ve been offered. We’ll be straight with you about whether we can help with that discipline yet.
IS THIS FOR YOU
Built for anyone about to sign an agency proposal
This is a good fit if:
✓ You’re evaluating one or more agency proposals before you sign
✓ You don’t have anyone in-house to sense-check what’s being offered
✓ You want a straight answer before you commit budget
This probably isn’t the right fit if:
× You’ve already signed and things aren’t working — that’s better suited to Independent SEO Consultancy
× You want the review to greenlight a decision you’ve already made
× Your proposal isn’t for SEO and you need it reviewed today — get in touch first, to check
WHY INDEPENDENCE MATTERS HERE
No agenda, because there’s nothing to sell
We don’t pitch for the work.
We’re reviewing your proposal, not chasing your budget.
We don’t take referral fees.
No agency pays to be recommended, and none is quietly marked down.
One verdict, nothing more to buy.
You get a Decision Pack and a plain-English recommendation, not a sales process.
The verdict is Andy’s, not a template.
Judged against what he sees running strategy inside a UK agency, not a scoring formula.
FAQ
Questions before you get in touch.
Not yet as a formal product. SEO Proposal Review is what’s live today. If you’re weighing up a PPC, web design or other proposal, get in touch and we’ll tell you honestly whether we can help.
No. This page describes the same service for anyone comparing agency proposals more broadly. The Decision Pack you receive is identical to what’s described on the SEO Proposal Review page.
A Decision Pack PDF covering a BYI Confidence Score, commercial risk assessment, missing-deliverables analysis and a plain-English verdict. Full details are on the SEO Proposal Review page.
£395 covers a review of up to two proposals. See SEO Proposal Review for full pricing and what’s included.
No. Nothing you share is passed to your agency, or anyone else.
Start with our guide to how to choose a digital marketing agency. It covers the main types of agency and how to tell them apart, before you get as far as comparing proposals.
See What an Independent Review Looks Like
Whatever type of agency you’re evaluating, this is the same rigour we’d apply to it. It’s live today for SEO proposals, so this is what it looks like in practice.