Is It Out of Scope? — SEO & marketing
Is providing ongoing maintenance after project close out of scope for an SEO project?
Yes. A one-time SEO audit or project doesn't carry an implied ongoing optimization commitment.
This comes up after a one-time SEO audit or fix-list engagement wraps, when the client assumes rankings will keep being watched and adjusted afterward as if it were a retainer, without one having been agreed.
Is it out of scope?
Yes. SEO isn't a set-and-forget deliverable, but a closed one-time project doesn't carry an implied ongoing monitoring or optimization commitment — that requires a separate retainer.
Clause typically implicated
Clause typically implicated
Hosting and maintenance clause→ — Defines what ongoing work, if any, follows a closed engagement; without a retainer in place, continued optimization falls outside it.
Example contract wording
Example contract wording (illustrative, not legal advice)
That audit project wrapped with the delivered recommendations — keeping rankings monitored and optimized going forward would be an ongoing retainer, which I'd be glad to put together.
How MarginFlow flags it
MarginFlow flags continued-optimization requests outside_scope once an SEO contract's status shows the one-time project closed with no retainer attached.