Terms & Conditions

1. Acceptance of Terms & Definitions

These Terms and Conditions ("Terms", "Agreement") constitute a legally binding agreement entered into between SEO Signature ("Agency", "we", "us", or "our") and any individual, corporation, or entity ("Client", "you", or "your") who accesses our website (https://seosignature.com), submits an inquiry, requests an audit, or engages our professional digital marketing services.

By accessing this website, requesting a proposal, or signing a statement of work, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by all provisions of this Agreement. If you are entering into this Agreement on behalf of a business or legal entity, you represent that you possess the full legal authority to bind that entity.

2. Scope of Services

SEO Signature provides high-performance digital marketing, technical search engine engineering, and growth consultancy services. Specific deliverables, project milestones, and commercial terms are formalized in individual Statements of Work (SOW), client service agreements, or official written invoices, which may encompass:

• Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Technical site audits, Core Web Vitals optimization, on-page content architecture, schema markup, and authoritative white-hat digital PR acquisition.
• Answer Engine Optimization (AEO): Featured snippet engineering, voice search readiness, and structured data positioning for conversational search engines.
• Generative Engine Optimization (GEO): Entity-based brand graph seeding, knowledge vault construction, and citation optimization across modern AI models (ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Perplexity, Claude).
• Search Experience Optimization (SXO) & CRO: Conversion rate optimization, responsive user experience enhancement, and conversion funnel streamlining.
• Paid Advertising Management (PPC): Strategy, campaign architecture, creative testing, and ROAS optimization on Google Ads, Meta Ads (Facebook/Instagram), LinkedIn Ads, and YouTube Ads.
• Video Marketing & Creative Production: Explainer videos, 3D product commercial animations, corporate shoots, motion graphics, and video SEO.
• Website Design & Development: Fast, custom modular PHP/WordPress/HTML web platforms engineered for zero layout shift and rapid Core Web Vitals performance.

3. Search Engine & Algorithm Policy (Crucial Disclaimer)

Please read this section carefully:

SEO Signature adheres strictly to certified white-hat optimization methodologies recognized by major search engines. However, search engines (including but not limited to Google, Microsoft Bing, Yahoo, and AI answer engines such as OpenAI and Perplexity) are independent third-party platforms with proprietary, constantly shifting algorithms.

• No Guaranteed Positions: We do not guarantee permanent number-one (#1) search placements, exact keyword positions, or specific continuous organic traffic volumes. Any agency or individual promising guaranteed #1 rankings violates search engine webmaster guidelines.
• Third-Party Algorithm Volatility: Search engines roll out core algorithmic updates periodically. While our proactive strategies mitigate risk and prioritize long-term brand authority, SEO Signature cannot be held liable for sudden ranking shifts, search layout changes, or traffic fluctuations caused by third-party platform algorithm overhauls.
• Commercial Conversion Dependency: Organic visibility delivers qualified traffic to your website. Final sales conversions, closing rates, and commercial revenue depend heavily on your product pricing, market demand, sales pipeline efficiency, inventory levels, and customer support, which remain outside the Agency's control.

4. Paid Advertising Spend & Platform Policies

For clients engaging our Paid Advertising (PPC) and Performance Marketing services:

• Separation of Fees: The Client acknowledges that direct advertising spend (payable to Google, Meta, Microsoft, LinkedIn, or TikTok) is entirely distinct from SEO Signature's monthly management, strategy, and optimization retainer fees.
• Direct Ad Billing: Advertising ad spend must be paid directly by the Client to the respective advertising networks via the Client's own corporate billing profile or credit card.
• Platform Compliance & Suspensions: The Client is solely responsible for ensuring their products, services, claims, and destination landing pages comply with platform advertising policies (e.g. Google Ads Policies, Meta Advertising Standards). SEO Signature is not responsible for ad account disapprovals or suspensions caused by client product categories, restricted industry status, or policy violations inherent to the client's business.

5. Client Responsibilities & Cooperative Governance

Timely, high-impact campaign execution requires active collaboration. The Client agrees to:

• Provide Timely Access: Furnish necessary administrative access to Google Search Console, Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, ad accounts, and website CMS / FTP environments within 5 business days of campaign kickoff.
• Prompt Reviews & Approvals: Review and provide written approval or constructive feedback on proposed content briefs, technical audit recommendations, and ad creatives within 3 to 5 business days.
• Truthful Information: Supply truthful, accurate, and non-misleading information regarding products, pricing, corporate certifications, and legal operating rights.
• Notification of Site Changes: Promptly notify SEO Signature prior to altering website URLs, publishing major CMS updates, migrating servers, or installing third-party plugins that could impact indexation, site speed, or conversion tracking tags.

6. Billing, Retainers, Invoicing & Late Fees

Our payment terms reflect our dedicated allocation of senior specialist hours:

• Monthly Retainers: Ongoing SEO, AEO, SXO, and PPC management retainers are billed in advance on a recurring monthly cycle. Work for each billing month commences once invoice payment is confirmed.
• Fixed Project Milestones: Web development, one-time technical audits, and video production projects require a minimum 50% upfront deposit prior to commencement, with remaining balances due upon milestone delivery or prior to final asset deployment.
• Payment Due Date: Invoices are payable within seven (7) calendar days of receipt via approved bank wire transfer, UPI, Stripe, or designated payment gateway.
• Late Payment & Work Suspension: Invoices remaining unpaid after 14 calendar days incur a late fee of 1.5% per month (or the maximum statutory rate permitted by law). SEO Signature reserves the right to suspend active campaign management, pause ad operations, or withhold technical deliverables until outstanding accounts are settled in full.
• Non-Refundable Work: Setup fees, audit fees, and retainer payments for service periods already completed are non-refundable, as agency resources and specialist time are irreversibly expended.

7. Intellectual Property Rights

Intellectual property ownership is governed by clear principles:

• Client Materials: The Client retains full ownership of all preexisting trademarks, logos, brand assets, proprietary copy, and data provided to SEO Signature.
• Delivered Final Assets: Upon 100% full payment of all related fees and invoices, the Client owns all final approved deliverables created specifically for the Client (including custom website copy, bespoke graphics, finalized video exports, and published blog articles).
• Agency Preexisting IP & Methodologies: SEO Signature retains exclusive worldwide ownership of all preexisting tools, proprietary audit frameworks, analytical models, internal software scripts, templates, and general marketing methodologies utilized during the engagement.
• Unused Concepts: Preliminary drafts, alternative concepts, and unselected creative briefs remain the sole intellectual property of SEO Signature.

8. Portfolio & Case Study Showcase Rights

Unless explicitly restricted in a formal non-disclosure agreement signed prior to project kickoff, the Client grants SEO Signature a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to reference the Client's brand name, logo, and non-confidential campaign performance metrics (such as percentage traffic growth, rankings gains, and anonymized conversion lift) in agency portfolio displays, digital case studies, award submissions, and marketing materials.

9. Mutual Confidentiality & Non-Disclosure

Both parties agree to protect each other's proprietary and confidential information with the highest degree of commercial care:

• "Confidential Information" includes trade secrets, financial records, customer databases, technical credentials, unpublished product launches, and strategic business plans disclosed during the engagement.
• Neither party will disclose or use the other's Confidential Information for any purpose outside the performance of this Agreement without prior written authorization.
• Confidentiality obligations survive the termination or expiration of this Agreement for a period of three (3) years.

10. Client Indemnification

The Client agrees to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless SEO Signature, its founder (Asish Behera), employees, contractors, and agents from and against any third-party claims, liabilities, damages, losses, costs, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from or connected with:

• Any text, images, trademarks, or materials provided by the Client that infringe upon the intellectual property, copyright, patent, or privacy rights of any third party.
• Any product liability claims, false advertising accusations, or regulatory penalties stemming from the nature, efficacy, or promotion of the Client's products or services.
• The Client's breach of any applicable laws, consumer protection regulations, or industry standards within their operating jurisdictions.

11. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law:

• Aggregate Liability Cap: SEO Signature's total cumulative liability arising out of or related to this Agreement or our services, whether in contract, tort (including negligence), breach of statutory duty, or otherwise, shall be strictly limited to the total service fees actually paid by the Client to SEO Signature in the three (3) months immediately preceding the event giving rise to liability.
• Exclusion of Consequential Damages: In no event shall SEO Signature be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, punitive, exemplary, or consequential damages, including loss of revenue, loss of expected profits, loss of business opportunities, loss of data, loss of reputation, or business interruption, even if advised in advance of the possibility of such damages.
• Third-Party Outages & Breaches: SEO Signature is not liable for service downtime, server host crashes, domain registrar expirations, or security compromises occurring on third-party platforms outside our direct control.

12. Term, Termination & Cancellation Policy

Either party may manage the duration of the engagement according to these clear terms:

• Retainer Cancellation Notice: Ongoing monthly retainers may be cancelled by either party upon providing thirty (30) calendar days written notice via email to the primary point of contact prior to the next billing cycle.
• Termination for Material Breach: Either party may immediately terminate an engagement if the other party materially breaches this Agreement and fails to cure such breach within fourteen (14) days of written notice.
• Immediate Termination by Agency: SEO Signature reserves the right to terminate an engagement immediately if the Client engages in abusive behavior toward agency staff, promotes unlawful or fraudulent offerings, or fails to satisfy overdue invoices after formal notice.
• Post-Termination Transition: Upon conclusion and settlement of all outstanding balances, SEO Signature will return or archive client credentials and deliver completed work files.

13. Governing Law & Dispute Resolution

This Agreement, its interpretation, and any disputes or claims arising out of or in connection with it shall be governed by and construed exclusively in accordance with the substantive laws of the Republic of India, without regard to conflict of law principles.

In the event of any dispute, controversy, or claim, the parties agree to first attempt resolution through good-faith executive negotiation for a period of thirty (30) days. If informal negotiation fails, the parties agree that the competent courts situated in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India shall have exclusive legal jurisdiction to resolve any proceeding arising out of or related to this Agreement.

14. Legal Notices & Official Inquiries

All formal legal notices, contractual notices, or inquiries regarding these Terms and Conditions should be submitted in writing to: