White label SEO allows marketing agencies and consultants to offer SEO services without building in-house capabilities. A white label provider handles the work behind the scenes while you maintain the client relationship under your brand. Understanding how white label SEO works helps agencies scale their offerings and deliver comprehensive digital marketing solutions.
What Is White Label SEO?
White label SEO is a business arrangement where one company performs SEO services that another company sells under their own brand. The end client never knows a third party is involved—they see only your agency delivering results.
For example: A web design agency sells SEO packages to their clients. Rather than hiring SEO staff, they partner with a white label provider who executes all optimization work. Reports go out with the design agency's branding, and the provider remains invisible to end clients.
How White Label SEO Works
The Basic Model
- You sign a client who needs SEO services
- You engage your white label partner with the project details
- The partner performs all SEO work (audits, optimization, content, links)
- You receive deliverables branded with your agency's identity
- You present results to your client as your own work
- You keep the margin between what you charge and what you pay the partner
Communication Flow
Typically, you handle all client communication. Your white label partner communicates only with you, providing updates and deliverables that you then pass to clients in your own voice and format.
Some arrangements allow for more integration—the white label team might join calls (positioned as your staff) or handle client emails from your domain. These arrangements require careful coordination.
White Label SEO Services
Technical SEO
Site audits, crawl error fixes, site speed optimization, schema implementation, and other technical tasks. Often delivered as branded audit reports and implementation guides.
On-Page Optimization
Title tag and meta description optimization, content optimization, internal linking improvements. Work may be delivered as recommendations or implemented directly.
Content Creation
Blog posts, landing pages, service pages written for SEO. Content is typically delivered ready to publish or for your review first.
Link Building
Outreach campaigns, guest posting, digital PR to earn backlinks. Particularly valuable as link building requires specialized relationships and skills.
White Label Local SEO
Google Business Profile management, citation building, local content creation. Essential for agencies with clients targeting local markets.
Reporting and Analytics
Monthly performance reports branded with your logo and colors. Most white label providers offer customizable reporting dashboards.
White Label SEO Tools
Beyond done-for-you services, some companies offer white label SEO tools—software you can present as your own platform to clients.
White Label Reporting Tools
Platforms like AgencyAnalytics, DashThis, or Raven Tools allow you to create branded SEO dashboards and reports. Clients see your logo on login screens and reports.
White Label Audit Tools
Tools that generate branded SEO audits you can present to prospects and clients. Useful for sales processes and ongoing health checks.
White Label Rank Tracking
Ranking monitoring with your branding, allowing clients to check positions without seeing third-party tool interfaces.
White Label SEO Reports
Reporting is crucial for demonstrating value to clients. Effective white label SEO reports include:
- Your branding: Logo, colors, and agency name throughout
- Executive summary: High-level results for busy clients
- Ranking progress: Position changes for target keywords
- Traffic metrics: Organic visitors and trends
- Work completed: Activities performed during the period
- Upcoming work: What's planned for next period
- Recommendations: Strategic guidance for continued improvement
Choosing a White Label SEO Partner
Quality Indicators
Track record: Ask for case studies and references. A quality partner can demonstrate results achieved for their agency clients' end customers.
Process documentation: Professional providers have clear processes for onboarding, communication, and deliverables.
Transparent methods: You should understand exactly what tactics they use. Avoid partners who are vague about their approaches.
Communication responsiveness: Test their responsiveness before committing. Slow communication creates problems when your clients expect timely updates.
Red Flags
- Prices far below market rates (corners are being cut)
- Unwillingness to explain their methods
- Guaranteed ranking promises
- No references available
- Poor communication during sales process
Questions to Ask
- How do you approach SEO strategy for new clients?
- What does your link building process look like?
- How quickly do you typically show results?
- What's your communication process and turnaround times?
- Can I speak with current agency partners?
- How do you handle situations when expected results aren't materializing?
Pricing and Margins
Typical White Label Pricing
White label services typically cost 40-60% of retail rates. This allows healthy margins while remaining competitive:
- Basic packages: $300-500/month wholesale → sell for $750-1,500
- Standard packages: $750-1,500/month wholesale → sell for $2,000-4,000
- Premium packages: $2,000+/month wholesale → sell for $5,000+
Maintaining Margins
To protect margins, consider:
- Bundling SEO with other services you provide in-house
- Adding your own layer of strategy and consultation
- Positioning on expertise and relationship, not just deliverables
- Choosing partners who deliver quality that justifies your pricing
Making White Label SEO Work
Stay Involved
Don't completely disconnect from the SEO work. Understanding what's being done allows you to speak confidently with clients and add strategic value.
Quality Control
Review deliverables before they reach clients. Catch issues early and ensure quality meets your standards.
Set Expectations
Align your client promises with what your white label partner can realistically deliver. Overpromising creates problems.
Build the Relationship
Treat your white label partner as a true partner. Good communication and fair treatment result in better service for your clients.
Is White Label SEO Right for You?
White label SEO makes sense when:
- You want to offer SEO but lack in-house expertise
- Building an SEO team isn't cost-effective at your scale
- You want to expand services quickly without hiring
- SEO isn't your core competency but clients need it
Consider building in-house when:
- SEO represents a major part of your revenue
- You have enough volume to justify dedicated staff
- You want complete control over methods and quality
- Margins on white label don't meet your goals
White label SEO enables agencies to offer comprehensive services without massive investment in specialized talent. When you find the right partner and manage the relationship well, it's a powerful model for scaling your agency and serving clients better.