Scorpion Marketing Contract and Website Ownership Explained

Key Takeaways

Part of our Scorpion Marketing Alternatives for Contractors. Want it done for you? See our contractor web design.

Scorpion says you own your website, including its design files and content, after the initial term, typically 12 months. The catch is the platform: if you leave, you get the files and rebuild the site elsewhere, and Scorpion does not hand over the PPC campaigns it ran. Knowing that before you sign or cancel protects your rankings and lead flow.

• Your website may not be yours when the contract ends.
• Scorpion says you own the site after the initial term, but it runs on their proprietary platform, so leaving means a rebuild.
• SEO equity, content, and design assets often stay with the agency.
• Month-to-month alternatives give you more control and less risk.
• Reading the ownership clause before signing is non-negotiable.

What Scorpion Marketing Contracts Actually Say About Ownership

Scorpion is a large digital marketing company that serves contractors, law firms, and other service businesses across the United States. They build websites, run pay-per-click ads, manage SEO, and handle reputation tools, all wrapped into one monthly fee. That sounds convenient. But the question contractors keep asking is a simple one: who owns the website when the relationship ends?

Scorpion answers this one publicly. Its FAQ says that after the initial term of your agreement, typically 12 months, you own the website it builds for you, including the design files and the content. If you cancel, Scorpion says you receive the site’s static files, design assets and content, and you work with another vendor to rebuild on a content management system such as WordPress. The part that does not travel is the platform itself, and Scorpion says it does not provide access to the Google PPC campaigns it ran on your behalf.

This is not unique to any one company. Large marketing firms that build proprietary platforms often structure contracts this way. It matters for contractors because your website is often your primary lead source. Owning the files is not the same as having a working site on day one, and a rebuild takes time. The more you’ve grown on any agency’s platform, the more planning a clean exit takes. If you’re evaluating whether to build your contractor website yourself or hire someone, understanding who retains ownership is the first question you should answer.

Contracts that obscure ownership rights or make cancellation difficult fall into a gray area that regulators are watching more closely. That’s worth knowing before you sign anything.

The Specific Contract Terms That Catch Contractors Off Guard

For complete coverage, see our Scorpion Marketing Alternatives for Contractors resource on Scorpion marketing alternatives built specifically for contractors.

Most contractors are not lawyers. They’re plumbers, roofers, HVAC techs, and landscapers who need leads, not contract seminars. That’s how complicated ownership language slips past them. Here are the terms you need to find and read before you sign any large-agency marketing agreement.

Who owns the domain name?

Your domain name is your digital address. It carries years of search history, inbound links, and Google trust signals. Some agencies register the domain in their own name rather than yours. When you leave, they keep it. You start from zero with a new URL. Ask directly: is the domain registered in my name, with my email, in an account I control? Get that in writing.

Who owns the website content and design?

Content, images, service pages, and site architecture all contribute to your rankings. If the agency retains intellectual property rights to those assets, you cannot take them when you go. You’re not just losing a website. You’re losing every blog post, every service area page, and every bit of optimization that took months to build up. This is why working with a local SEO agency for home service contractors that transfers asset ownership from day one makes such a significant difference.

What are the cancellation terms?

Scorpion describes its initial website agreement as typically 12 months and says digital advertising services like Google Ads and LSAs are typically month-to-month. The exact renewal, notice and early-exit terms live in your client agreement, not on Scorpion’s public site, so ask for them in writing and read them before your renewal date.

Why Website Ownership Matters More Than Monthly Rankings

Contractors tend to focus on the results they can see month to month. Traffic up. Calls up. Good. But ownership is the foundation under all of that. Think of it this way. You can rent an office and build a thriving business inside it. But if the landlord owns the furniture, the sign, and the client files, you don’t actually have a business you can walk away with. You have a temporary arrangement.

What happens to your SEO equity when you leave?

Search engine optimization builds up over time. In plain terms, the rankings a domain has earned stay with that domain. If you leave and the agency keeps the domain, your rankings go with them.

Can you rebuild, and how long does it take?

Rebuilding from scratch on a new domain is a real process. A brand new domain typically takes six to twelve months to start earning consistent organic traffic in competitive local markets. That’s a year of lost lead flow for a contractor who built their pipeline on the old site. The cost of that lost traffic is real, even if it doesn’t show up as a line item on your cancellation invoice. For a realistic picture of what to expect during that recovery window, the breakdown of how long SEO takes to bring contractor leads consistently is worth reading before you make any transition decisions.

Red Flags to Look for in Any Contractor Marketing Contract

You don’t need a law degree to spot a bad contract. You need to know what questions to ask and where to look. Run through this checklist before you commit to any long-term marketing agreement.

• Domain registered in your name, your email, your account.
• Ownership clause explicitly states content rights transfer to you on cancellation.
• Cancellation terms spelled out in plain language with no hidden auto-renewal windows.
• Month-to-month option available after an initial setup period.
• You receive all login credentials and access to all platforms on day one.

If a contract is vague on any of these points, ask for clarification in writing. A marketing partner that respects your business will not have a problem putting ownership terms in plain language. If they push back, that’s your answer.

What a Contractor-Friendly Marketing Arrangement Looks Like

Not every agency locks you into proprietary platforms. Some build your site in WordPress or another open platform, register your domain in your name, and hand over full credentials from day one. That’s how it should work. The agency earns your business every month because the results are there, not because leaving would hurt too much. Understanding what digital marketing packages actually cost in 2026 helps you benchmark whether what you’re being quoted is reasonable before you commit to any term length.

What does month-to-month actually mean for a contractor?

Month-to-month means your agency is accountable every 30 days. If leads drop, you can have a direct conversation about it. If they can’t fix it, you can move on without penalty. That accountability changes the dynamic. The agency has to perform, not just retain you through contract mechanics.

How do you transition an existing website to a new agency?

If your current site is built on a platform you own, the transition is straightforward. You point your domain to the new host, give the new agency access, and continue. If the site is on a proprietary platform, you need to build fresh. That means new content, new structure, and a waiting period for the new domain to earn trust. It’s doable. Just go in knowing it takes time. Plan for at least six months before organic traffic matches what you had before, possibly longer in competitive trades markets. Knowing what you should see after 6 months of paying for SEO gives you a concrete benchmark to hold any new agency accountable to during that rebuilding period.

Exercise that right every time.

How Much Does Scorpion Marketing Cost?

Scorpion does not publish standard pricing publicly, which is itself worth noting. Based on contractor forums and widely reported experiences, monthly fees tend to run from several hundred dollars on the low end to several thousand dollars per month for full-service packages that include SEO, PPC, and reputation management. Setup fees may apply on top of that. The specific number depends on your market, your trade, and the services bundled into your agreement.

The issue is not necessarily the price. It’s whether the results justify it and whether you own what you’re paying to build. A lower monthly fee from an agency that lets you own your assets will almost always outperform a higher fee where you’re renting the platform. For contractors who want to supplement organic growth while rebuilding, understanding how PPC for contractors works as a lead generation channel can help fill the gap during any transition period.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Scorpion marketing do for contractors?

Scorpion is a digital marketing company that offers website design, SEO, pay-per-click advertising, and reputation management services, primarily for contractors, legal professionals, and other service-based businesses. They operate on a managed platform model where most services are bundled under one monthly fee. Contractors use them to generate leads online, though the contract and ownership terms vary and should be reviewed carefully before signing.

How much does Scorpion marketing typically cost?

Scorpion does not list standard pricing publicly. Based on contractor and professional forum discussions, monthly fees commonly range from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars depending on market size, trade category, and services included. Setup fees are sometimes charged separately. Because pricing is custom-quoted, the only way to get an accurate number is to go through their sales process directly.

Who owns the website when you cancel a Scorpion contract?

Scorpion’s FAQ says you own the website, including design files and content, after the initial term, typically 12 months. If you cancel, it says you receive the static files, design assets and content, and you rebuild on a new content management system with another vendor. Confirm the details in your own agreement, especially what applies if you leave before the initial term ends.

Is Scorpion a good marketing company for contractors?

Scorpion has served a large number of contractors and professional service businesses. Some report positive lead results. Others report frustration with contract terms, pricing, and difficulty leaving when results did not meet expectations. Whether they’re a good fit depends on your budget, your market, and how comfortable you are with the ownership and cancellation terms in their specific agreement.

What happens to my SEO rankings if I leave my marketing agency?

If you own your domain and your site is migrated properly, most of your rankings can be preserved. If the agency owns the domain or the site is on a proprietary platform, you lose the SEO history tied to that domain. Building equivalent rankings on a new domain typically takes six to twelve months in competitive local markets. The loss of that traffic during the transition period is a real business cost. Understanding why you don’t show up in Google after a domain change can help you diagnose and fix visibility problems faster during that recovery window.

What should contractors look for in a marketing contract before signing?

Look for clear domain ownership registered in your name, explicit content rights that transfer to you on cancellation, plain-language cancellation terms with no hidden auto-renewal windows, and full access to all platform logins f

Sources checked November 12, 2026: Scorpion FAQ. Pricing and terms change; confirm current details with each company.

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