The best way to work around something like this is to map out the long-term strategy in phases. Build out a brief project map that outlines what they will receive within the 1-3 month period, the 4-7 month and the 8-12 month period. Set micro objectives for each period and this will give the client a bit more confidence in the short-term plans as well as the long.

The key thing to remember here is that the client will often be worried about being tied into a contract that doesn't deliver results. As a result, you need to show why you need the time that you do. One thing that I often throw in is an extra incentive for longer contract lengths - for example, an extra PR/content campaign or some paid advertising extras.

Try to assure them of some shorter term results that you can obtain as 'quick wins' and build their confidence this way - the major targets will always be longer term but if you can demonstrate that there will be progress between then they will be a lot more receptive.

I have three steps to help CEOs and marketing executives come around:
1) Wait until they're hooked before you push on the contract. Don't push for 12 months until they really want you - and ONLY you.
2) Offer annual pricing at a 40% discount compared to quarterly billing. Explain that when you take them on, you're making a commitment to their success - and you only go out of your way for clients who can commit to their own success.
3) Prove it. Show them what you'll deliver, then give them video testimonials from similar clients, show them SERP rankings you've obtained for similar clients, tell them about the ROI clients receive (preferably have this directly in the testimonials), provide references they can call, show them a roadmap and bake in an exit clause to the contract that guarantees you will follow through.

Of course, just because they asked for a proposal does not mean they are sold on you. The most important part of the entire process is step 1: getting them to not just say "I want to work with you", but "I want to work with you - and ONLY you." I can help you figure out how to get to that point.

Once you can get there consistently, the rest is a relative breeze. If you want help creating the plan and brand that will make that happen, pick a time on my calendar and we'll deep dive to get your business growing faster: www.clarity.fm/ryandraving

Break it in 3 phases - 1 month, 6 month & 12 months. Tell them what you'll "do" in 1 month and then tell them what they'll "get in results" after 6/12 months. Map results to their revenue/traffic.

Now give them an irresistible offer - if they extend the contract to 12 months within 30 days of signing up , they get X,Y,Z extra worth $XXX. These free things can be landing page's conversion optimization, paid media buys every month, monthly press release for media exposure etc. Think what else might help them as business an club those in free package.

To answer your question, offering a guarantee that minimizes their risk should do the trick... (i.e. if you dont double the money you pay me in 12 months, Ill give you a refund... assuming you don't damage their site, just the time passing and age alone should produce double what you charge them, even without doing any real SEO..)

However...

I don't see any reason why you would need a full year to show results... There are usually low hanging fruits you can uncover and fix for the first crawl google does showing results within weeks.
If you are promoting content to earn links, than I think 4-6 months is reasonable...

Your best bet is to talk about accumulative efforts, and how the value you provide will build on itself, and it would be a shame if you didn't have a chance to see it through. (i.e. building relationships from outreach to earn links will create new linking opportunities in the future...etc...)

All in all, I do SEO month to month, and i have clients that stuck with me for 5+ years... I guess it really depends what you are actually doing for them...

I think the reason they're hesitant is because they're not sure if they can really compete with Spotify, Rdio, Google Music and YouTube!

Even if someone is able to stream one song they couldn't find anywhere else, 5000k artists isn't going to satisfy them for long.

Go in at 12 months if you think it's worth it, but don't do month to month on this. Personally, I would punch a sales person at my company if they sold this client SEO.

This is a great question, and one for the ages. Its difficult to run a business on month-to-month revenues. David mentioned earlier that he's run a successful business for over 5 years on with month to month contracts. And while it can be done, its just not stable and reliable. I've had clients for over 5 years before too, on month to month contracts. But its tough to do when you don't have 100 clients. When you have 10 clients and aren't sure if you can count on that revenue next month or the month after it really holds you hostage.

You definitely need to map out a plan for long term contracts. And in my business, SEO, you HAVE to have a long term approach. Because SEO results come over time. The ROI of SEO should be measured in years, not months, because long after I'm done working for a client they are still reaping the benefits of my work, compounding the ROI.

I offer discounts for 6-12 month commitments and find that this works, along with educating the client on why they need to give SEO a 6-12 month shot. It really boils down to educating the prospect or client. And the long term commitments are not just for my benefit. Clients need to commit to SEO and not get cold feet after 2-3 months and move on to a new SEO agency or give up all together. Doing this is sure way to ruin your business.

If you can't show some results in a few months there's something wrong with your strategy...

Pivot—they don't trust you yet, so you need to build their trust first.

Offer an initial "paid discovery" project, instead of pushing a long-term contract before they're ready to commit. They can see the quality of your strategy work, and you and they can decide if you want to continue to a strategy and implementation retainer.

With paid discovery, you'll get paid (good), and they get a concrete deliverable (also good). For SEO agencies, paid discovery typically involves doing an audit, but you could also outline an initial strategy for (for example) their most-lucrative artist.

Ultimately, you'll also learn what you're getting into before you commit, too—50,000+ pages is a lot to optimize.

And then improve your agency's own marketing (including positioning, testimonials, case studies, and other social proof). SEO clients are happier to sign long-term contracts when they already trust that your agency is the perfect match for them.

Want advice on that? I'm glad to do a Clarity call to help. Good luck!

People who can get results don't need contracts. Do you know who do contracts? People who can't generate results and have large overheads.

Big digital marketing companies with hundreds of clients struggle to get results because they got too many clients, especially in the same niche so they play a numbers game.

And their services end up becoming a sales game and their focus is generally on their big clients.

I do ZERO contracts. Clients pay you to make them MONEY. If you can't deliver then you can't ask them to continue to pay.

If you generate results for your clients they will continue to use your service with or without contracts.

So focus your efforts on making them money.

Google says you need "4-12 months" here (video @ 1:27)...
https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/35291

Double your price, and offer a 50% discount + a commission structure (paid regularly, NOT at the "end of a project")... if they sign a 12 month contract so you can do your job properly & according to Google's recommendation.

My answer to you is that they really don’t have a true understanding of what it takes. I would craft a better understanding/presentation and if they aren’t on board I would find a potential different client. Mainly because a lot of your hard work won’t be attributed for the short term.

Tons of experience with this sort of scenario.
1. I would show them what their competitors in search have on their websites in regards to content, and also their link profiles using a tool like Ahrefs.com (not an affiliate).
2. I would show them the search volume for their target keywords so they can plainly see the results they could be achieving as a percentage of what's possible.
3. I would make sure they are ready to go beyond just advertising for growth and if so, if there are changes that could happen on the site to show short-term results, that should help to point those out.
4. I would increase the rate for a shorter term project allowing you more resources to implement what's needed. It doesn't just so happen that SEO takes exactly 12 months, people just tend to charge that way. SEO can take place very quickly or very slowly depending on how you approach it and the workload/price are directly related to the speed and volume of results.

I hope this helps and good luck! Let me know if I can help any further.

-Jeremiah

To make a client signup up 12 months SEO contract you must create a solid contract that catches attention of the client. Besides duration, there are more differences between long and short-term contracts. A long-term contract is an agreement when an agency and a client have some serious projects to work on. We are not talking about making a new logo here.
We are talking long-term social media and marketing strategies, SEO campaigns, and analytics that often require many months (even years) to figure out and capitalize on.
What is a long-term contract in terms of a timescale? Anything that is around 6 to 12-months: These long-term plans are essential as many big-ticket items like SEO and content marketing campaigns need months to prepare and execute properly. Long-term contracts can provide much-needed stability to an agency, especially if you are just starting out. A long-term contract can help you take the financial guesswork out of your agency’s cash flow, and they offer a great opportunity for you to grow a meaningful relationship with your client. No matter how experienced and proficient your agency is, you need some time to get to know the ins and outs of your client’s company. It takes time to discover their pain points and what they are looking to achieve long-term
Their target audience, forecasts, and goals cannot be worked out overnight. Allowing your agency some time to figure these out will give you an intimate look into the company. It is important to do this, as it is these early stages in a contract’s lifetime that can give your agency key insights to help build highly profitable campaigns for your client down the line. This also gives you time to figure out how many resources you should invest in the project to make it work. If you have a long-term contract in place, you can dedicate more of your agency’s resources into this crucial stage early.
A long-term contract allows you to provide your client with more direction and figure out a long-term plan to make sure the project is sustainable. A shorter contract adds pressure as a client will want to see results immediately, and it may be difficult for them to see the bigger picture. A long-term contract can eliminate these issues as time can build a strong bond between your agency and your client. Building and maintaining a solid relationship with your clients will help you secure more clients in the future.
A typical long-term contract will focus on marketing goals that take several months. If a client needs services like building brand awareness, increasing sales and conversions, or SEO, a long-term contract may be the best fit. If you find that a long-term contract is the best option, then your next step will be to draft the details. But what should you include? Here are two key points to consider adding when drafting your contract:
1. Include a clear plan with milestones-If you are considering a client for a long-term deal, you need a strategy that will keep you on track. You should clearly outline how and when your agency plans to meet certain milestones for a client. If you plan to increase a client’s click-through-rate by 30% in the next six months, write it into your contract as a milestone. With milestones in place, your client will know when campaign goals should be met.
2. Have a payment trigger for each milestone-Every time you hit a milestone, make sure that you get paid. One of the perks of signing a client up long-term is the guaranteed cash flow, but make sure you aren’t waiting too long to see the money. If you have planned to have a conversion strategy reach a certain point at the six-month mark, and it has, your agency should have a trigger payment setup to make sure you are compensated. Alternatively, you could consider putting your client on a retainer so that you have income flowing in monthly. Additionally, retainers provide clients with expected costs which make budgeting easier. Without clear milestones or a retainer in place, you could find yourself months into a long-term contract, lacking in finances and at the worst, having to draw on credit to keep your agency going.
Besides if you do have any questions give me a call: https://clarity.fm/joy-brotonath