One of the first questions my boss would ask when I was agency-side was “What’s your budget?”
It’s an innocent enough question and one worth asking, but for enterprise clients, it’s putting the cart before the horse.
As an agency, managing cash flow is one of the most challenging aspects of the job.
Asking every lead for their budget is a practical way to plan for scalability. It allows you to compare your revenue runway against capacity and forecast when to scale headcount.
But here’s the thing: This approach doesn’t work for enterprise clients.
Here’s why:
- You don’t understand how we budget internally (and when those conversations take place).
- You don’t know how we orchestrate quarterly plans.
- In some cases, we don’t know what we should do apart from knowing “SEO is important.”
- And because of the above, the dependencies are unknown.
We’d often get feedback from unsuccessful pitches along the lines of:
- “You were one of the most technical-oriented pitches; it was clear you know your stuff.”
- “Your analysis went far deeper than anyone else’s.”
- “We decided to go with someone else who’s done it before.”
We’d collectively put in 40-80 hours into a pitch and still lose out.
So, what went wrong?
- Was it our positioning?
- Were we just included in the Request for Proposal (RFP) to make the procurement process seem less biased?
- Or was it something else?
The transition from agency-side to client-side opened my eyes to what I didn’t know. Unless you’ve worked in a large organization, you don’t know what you don’t know.
00Winning an enterprise SEO account is attractive for many reasons:
- Great for cash flow: Enterprises tend to pay the entire quarter or year’s retainer in full and in advance.
- Authority: An enterprise client strengthens your agency’s reputation.
- Broader experience: Working with enterprises exposes your team to large-scale operations.
- Future opportunities: Having an enterprise client attracts more mid-market and enterprise clients.
But winning the contract goes beyond a jazzy pitch deck, a well-practiced presentation, and impressive case studies.
Agencies that win and retain enterprise work have a competitive edge: They understand how enterprise planning and budget cycles work.
In other words, they have empathy.
And this is what we’ll cover today so you can waste less time and win more by speaking the language of enterprise SEO.
We’ll unpack why agencies miss the mark on enterprise RFPs, how enterprise budgets are finalized, and my 3A framework (Audit, Align, Advance) to position yourself as the right partner at the right time.
Why Agencies Lose Enterprise RFPs
You’ve poured 40-80 hours into crafting the perfect pitch. Your analysis was deeper than anyone else’s. Your technical expertise shone through.
The feedback? “You were one of the most knowledgeable agencies we saw.”
And yet, you didn’t win the deal.
It’s frustrating, but it often boils down to this: You were the right partner – but you missed the mark on timing or positioning.
Timing: It’s More Than Just Budget Cycles
Enterprise budgets are locked in during annual planning cycles, typically in Q3 or Q4 of the prior year.
If your pitch lands outside of these cycles, there’s no wiggle room for additional funding, no matter how compelling your proposal is.
However, timing isn’t just about budget. Quarterly planning sessions often dictate tactical shifts based on performance or changing priorities.
Agencies that fail to align with these rhythms miss the opportunity to position themselves as timely, relevant partners.
Positioning: Expertise Without Overwhelming
Winning an enterprise RFP isn’t just about showcasing your technical ability.
The people evaluating your pitch might include marketers, department heads, procurement specialists, and executives – each with different priorities and levels of SEO knowledge.
Agencies often stumble when they assume their technical brilliance will speak for itself. Overloading pitches with jargon or overly complex solutions can alienate decision-makers.
The key to positioning yourself as the right partner is to:
- Simplify the message: Translate SEO strategies into business outcomes that resonate with different stakeholders.
- Show empathy: Address challenges in their language, whether that’s return on investment (ROI) for executives or workload reduction for department heads.
- Build trust: Demonstrate that you’re not just an SEO expert – you’re a partner who understands how to drive their broader goals.
By understanding these dynamics, you’ll not only craft pitches that resonate – you’ll avoid the frustration of hearing, “We went with someone else who’s done it before.”
Budget Conversations Happen The Year Prior
By the time you receive an RFP or Request for Quote (RFQ) from an enterprise, the budget is already set. Enterprises plan meticulously, typically finalizing budgets during Q3 or Q4 for the following fiscal year.
Every dollar is earmarked, and leadership has already approved how resources will be distributed.
The Anatomy Of Enterprise Budgeting
Enterprise SEO budgets don’t exist in a vacuum. They’re part of a broader conversation that aligns product, marketing, and sales goals with tactical activities.
For example:
- Product teams: Prioritize new features or site enhancements.
- Marketing teams: Focus on campaigns and content creation.
- Sales teams: Push for lead generation and conversion support.
In-house SEO professionals must advocate for their initiatives by tying SEO outcomes to these larger objectives.
For agencies, this means stepping into a game that’s already in motion. If your pitch doesn’t align with these pre-established goals and budgets, it’s unlikely to succeed.
What This Means For You
Most agencies approach enterprise clients reactively, responding to RFPs after budgets are finalized. This is a missed opportunity.
To win enterprise clients, you need to:
- Understand their planning cycles: Engage in Q2 or early Q3 to influence the next budget cycle.
- Speak to strategic objectives: Show how SEO supports broader product, marketing, and sales goals.
- Build relationships before the RFP: Regularly connect with key stakeholders to position yourself as a partner – not just a vendor.
How Quarterly Planning Fits In
While annual budgets set the high-level framework, enterprises adjust tactics during quarterly planning.
If your pitch aligns with a new quarterly priority – like shifting focus from content to technical SEO – you can insert yourself into the conversation even mid-year.
For example, an in-house SEO might discover a drop in organic visibility during Q1 and advocate for technical improvements in Q2. If you’ve positioned yourself as a trusted advisor, you’ll be their first call when an additional budget is freed up.
How To Win Enterprise Clients: My ‘3A’ Framework
Audit: Start With A Test Budget To Uncover Hidden Opportunities
Sometimes, enterprises come to you with a vague sense of urgency: “We know SEO is important, but we’re not sure where to start.” This isn’t a red flag – it’s an opportunity.
Instead of diving straight into a full proposal, suggest starting with an audit. A test budget for an SEO audit allows you to:
- Identify the pain points they haven’t articulated yet.
- Highlight quick wins to build immediate trust.
- Map the unknown dependencies that could derail a larger project later.
An audit positions you as a strategic advisor, not just a vendor. It shows that you understand the complexities of their business and want to align your recommendations with their priorities.
Plus, by starting small, you lower the perceived risk for stakeholders who may be hesitant to commit significant resources right away.
Here’s how you might pitch it:
“Before we make any big decisions, let’s start with an audit. This will give us a clear roadmap of what’s working, what’s not, and where the biggest opportunities lie. It’ll also help us figure out how to align with your broader business goals.”
Plus, you get paid.
Align: Build Trust And Solve Dependencies Before You Pitch
Enterprise RFPs often feel like a rush to the finish line: Deliver the pitch, seal the deal, and move on to execution. But rushing the pitch is one of the fastest ways to lose the deal.
Before you pitch, take the time to:
- Build trust with key stakeholders. Spend time understanding their challenges, their team dynamics, and their priorities. This is especially important when stakeholders aren’t sure what they need.
- Solve unknown dependencies. Use conversations, discovery calls, or smaller projects (like the audit) to uncover potential roadblocks, such as IT constraints, compliance requirements, or overlapping vendor responsibilities.
- Align on the scope of work. Make sure everyone understands what success looks like. If different departments have conflicting expectations, address them now – not after the project has started.
Delaying the pitch isn’t about dragging your feet. It’s about doing the groundwork to ensure your proposal resonates.
When you take the time to do this, your pitch becomes less about selling your services and more about demonstrating how you’ll solve their problems.
Advance: Pitch With Confidence After Achieving Buy-In
The biggest mistake agencies make is pitching too soon. A great pitch delivered at the wrong time is still a losing pitch.
To win an enterprise client, wait until you’ve:
- Mapped dependencies: Understand the internal and external factors that could impact your success, from IT limitations to stakeholder buy-in.
- Understood the stakeholders: Know who needs to sign off on the project and what their priorities are. Tailor your pitch to address their specific concerns.
- Aligned with the budget cycle: If you’ve done your homework, you’ll know whether the client has budget allocated – or if you need to position your work as a priority for the next cycle.
When you pitch, focus on delivering a solution – not just a service. Show them how your expertise fits into their broader goals, aligns with their budget, and resolves the challenges they’ve been grappling with.
Your pitch should feel like the natural conclusion of all the conversations you’ve had with them so far. It’s not about convincing them. It’s about confirming that you’re the right partner to help them achieve their goals.
In Closing
Winning enterprise SEO clients isn’t just about being the most technical or having the best case studies – it’s about timing, trust, and alignment.
Start small, align early, and always put yourself in their shoes. Empathy wins enterprise SEO.
More resources:
- Top 17 Enterprise SEO Metrics To Inform Your Reporting
- A Guide To Local SEO For Large Enterprises & Franchises
- Enterprise SEO Guide: Strategies, Tools & More
Featured Image: PeopleImages.com – Yuri A./Shutterstock
