SEO retainers fail when deliverables are vague. 'Monthly optimisation' is not a deliverable. A proper Dubai SEO scope names counts, owners, and deadlines — tied to leads and visibility, not vanity metrics alone.
Quick answer
Every retainer should specify monthly: technical fixes (with ticket list), new/updated pages or posts (count), GBP actions (posts, Q&A, photo refresh), citation or outreach links (quality bar), strategy call cadence, and a GSC/GBP report with commentary. If any pillar is 'as needed' with no numbers, renegotiate before signing.
Core deliverable pillars
- Technical — crawl errors, Core Web Vitals, schema, indexation
- On-page — titles, internal links, hub pages, FAQ blocks
- Content — net-new or refreshed pages aligned to keyword map
- Local — GBP posts, categories, reviews workflow, citations
- Authority — outreach, digital PR, or niche UAE directories
- Reporting — GSC, GA4, calls/forms, Map Pack geo-grid if local
Sample month-one scope
- 1Full audit PDF + prioritised 90-day roadmap
- 2Fix indexation and redirect issues
- 3GBP category, services, and photo refresh
- 4Keyword map for money pages + 2 supporting posts
- 5Baseline report: impressions, avg position, GBP views
Sample steady-state month
- 2–4 content pieces or major page refreshes
- 4–8 GBP posts + review response SLA
- 5–10 relevant outreach or citation actions
- Monthly strategy call (30–60 min)
- Dashboard update with lead commentary
SEO
Compare your proposal to this list
WhatsApp your agency SOW — we will mark up the gaps in writing.
Frequently asked questions
How many blog posts per month is normal?
For most Dubai SMBs, 2–4 quality posts or page builds beat 12 thin posts. Volume without keyword strategy rarely moves Map Pack or competitive terms.
Should backlinks be guaranteed in the contract?
Guarantee effort and quality criteria (relevant sites, no PBNs), not exact counts. Fixed '50 links' packages are a red flag unless links are real local or industry placements.
Who owns content and GSC after the contract?
You should. Deliverables should be written so all content, analytics, and GBP admin remain under your business accounts with agency as manager, not sole owner.
