SEO Invoice Template

An SEO invoice is used to receive payment for services related to search engine optimization (SEO). These services will vary depending on the agreement between contractor and client, but they typically include some or all of the following: 

• Auditing: The level of auditing can differ greatly from contract to contract and will depend on the client, site, and budget. Auditing is an essential part of the SEO process but it’s not always easy to quantify, so it can be difficult for clients to understand where their money is going. An SEO invoice helps with this.
• SEO Content: When content has been optimized for search engines, it has undergone keyword research, analytics, and general optimization. It takes time and can be expensive.
• Linking: Internal and external linking is a key component of SEO and one that needs careful consideration when compiling an SEO invoice. How many links were acquired, what were the costs associated with them, was there any billable work that didn’t result in successful link acquisition?
• Expenses: Writers, designers, competitor audits, software fees—there are many expenses involved with the search engine optimization process and all need to be included on the invoice.

A properly structured and carefully itemized SEO invoice gives the client an insight into the process. It shows them what work has been completed and how much it cost them, thus preventing any confusion and ensuring that the invoice is paid on time.

Whatever services you have supplied, if you are an SEO expert, or a writer/designer/developer providing SEO services on the side, you will need an appropriate SEO invoice. And if you connect the invoice to a payment system, it will facilitate fast payments and ensure that all bills are paid promptly and that all of the cash gets to where it needs to go.

You can bill your clients by sending them an invoice. There are a few things to get right with your billing. Here’s a short list:

• You can bill by the hour, milestone, or project. 
• Hourly billing is really common and you can use Indy’s Time Tracker to track your hours easily. You can even add your time tracks to your invoices as line items.
• Milestone billing is useful for larger projects that will take place over several weeks or months. Set some milestones, such as the delivery of first stages, and send an invoice when those milestones happen. 
• Billing by the project is very common for freelancers. Once the client approves the final proof, send them the bill.
• Many freelancers take a deposit at the beginning of the project. This protects you from shady clients and sets you up for cash flow success. Deposits up to 50% are normal.
• You should set out your billing and payment terms in your contract. If you don’t have a contract, use Indy’s Contracts tool to create one before you start work.
• Once you finish the work or pass the milestone, send the client an invoice. If you don’t have an invoice, you can use Indy’s invoice generator to create a professional invoice in just a few moments.

That’s it! Those are the basics of how to bill someone for your work. 

Short answer: 

Most freelancers work 36 hours per week and charge $21 per hour according to a survey by Payoneer. Experience level is the most important factor in determining the best hourly rate to charge. New freelancers usually charge a lower amount, while experienced experts charge two to three times the average rate for their industry.

Knowing how much to charge for your work is a complicated area. We want to help freelancers, so we’re going to give you some general tips here about settling on the best amount to charge clients for your services.

Let’s think about this from a few different perspectives:

First, how much do you want/need to earn? You should create your rates to reflect what you need to earn. Keep in mind that you won’t get paid for some of the things you must do, such as preparing your taxes, looking for more customers, and weekly admin work. So, your hourly or project rate needs to be a little higher to make up for the unpaid work that is part of every freelancer’s life.

Second, how much do others charge for similar services at your level of expertise and experience? This question can be a little difficult to answer, but you can just ask. Join a Facebook group and ask. Call a local competitor and ask. Once you know what they charge, you can go under that if you’re new to the market or over it if you’re the boss.

Another massive item you should plan for is taxes. You’ll be paying your own taxes as a freelancer, so your rates should incorporate the taxes you’ll eventually have to pay. The average tax amount paid by Americans, for all taxes, is about 29%. This means you’ll end up paying $3 in taxes out of every $10 you earn. Price your work to pay your taxes and be left with the income you want.

Your best rates will be different, because everyone’s market is different. What works on the East Coast might not be successful in Nevada. Try a few different price points until you find the rate clients accept and you can live on.

This part is simple! Here’s a step-by-step guide to getting your invoice done:

1. Open one of Indy’s Freelance Invoice Templates.
2. Add your business branding and information.
3. Insert your client’s contact information.
4. Number your invoice in a useful way.
5. Fill in the lines with your work completed and the cost per task/hour.
6. Check the invoice total and details.

Once you’ve finished these six steps, you are ready to send your invoice to your client. Save it in your Indy workspace or download it as a PDF. Then, email it to your client so they can pay you.

Indy offers an all-in-one platform for freelancers to manage all their admin work. When you sign up with Indy, your invoicing gets better because the other tools work together. For example, you can use Indy’s Time Tracker to note the time spent on a project. When you’re ready, the Invoice tool can automatically pull your unbilled hours for the project onto your invoice to make it ready to use. This makes your billing more accurate and saves time as well. When you set up your customers and projects with Indy, your entire workflow becomes smoother.