Whatever your niche or product is, all startups face the same problem - how can they get in front of their target audience and grow sustainably?
The first step most startups take is to make a functional, user-friendly website that displays their products or services. However, you need to be able to make that website visible in search results so that it doesn’t get lost in the list of your competitors.
With a sustainable and efficient SEO strategy, you can improve your startup’s visibility in search rankings and stand out amongst competitors. There are many methods involved in SEO, and not all startups will benefit from the same techniques. It is where an SEO agency for startups comes in.
An SEO agency will take a look at your startup and decide what it needs to improve its SEO. By hiring an SEO agency for your startup, you can expect an increase in visibility and organic traffic to your website. With this, you can expect a higher chance of visitors making a purchase.
Do Startups Need To Spend Money on an SEO Agency?
Since one of the primary concerns of many concerns is cost-saving, you might wonder if hiring an SEO agency is worth the money.
Whilst startup SEO agencies vary in price, the long-term benefits can go a long way for your startup. An SEO agency can take care of many aspects of your SEO, depending on your requirements. With their expertise, the chances of increasing traffic to your site skyrockets. With more traffic and visitors seeing your products or services, there are more chances of making a sale.
It might require some capital at first, but hiring an SEO agency is about sustainable growth- it’s not an immediate fix. With our list, you can take a look to see what our recommended SEO agencies can offer your startup.
Here’s our list of the 20 best startup SEO agencies in 2023. We have also provided some FAQs to clear up any questions you might have about SEO or SEO agencies for startups.
Our List - The Top 20 SEO Agencies For Startups In 2023
1. Code200 - dedicated startup SEO agency
Why do they stand out?
The three key attributes of Code200 making them an ideal choice for enhancing SEO for a startup are as follows:
- Code200 is comprised of SEO experts who have years of experience working with SaaS and tech startups.
- Code200 only works with a set number of clients at one time - so you can feel reassured that Code200 is committed to your startup as much as possible.
- Code200 can work with SaaS, B2B, and B2C startups.
Since Code200 works with up to 5 clients simultaneously, they can prioritize finding the correct SEO strategy for each client. As a result, no generic or standard SEO strategies are offered. Instead, this SEO agency develops a plan to leverage the strong sides of a business with a potential for scaling and reiteration to achieve results within one month. Code200 can develop an SEO strategy based entirely on what your startup needs.
Their results can be seen in public case studies. For example, one of their clients is Zebrium. Zebrium is a startup that uses machine learning to identify the root cause of errors in logs.
The goal was to increase organic traffic and product awareness. Code200 carried out competitor research and SEO audit for Zebrium to produce relevant content. Among the activities to generate sustainable growth, Code200 also carried out relevant link-building.
Overall, a +240% increase in organic traffic was observed, as well as 4 positions for a target keyword in the top 10 search results.
Team Size: 5
Key Services: Startup, SaaS, B2B and B2C SEO, Technical SEO, Link-Building, Content Optimization
Clients: Zebrium, StatusGator, DeployPlace, NetSequency
Case Studies:
2. Hallam - B Corp agency and a recent Google Partner
Differentiator: Hallam stands out among SEO agencies for startups due to the following acknowledgments:
- The Drum Awards for 4 years in a row
- They are officially partnered with Google
- They are officially a B Corp agency as of 2021
With over 50 different awards and B Corp status, they offer a range of paid media and growth strategies, as well as dedicated SEO services. SEO services include technical SEO, SEO audits, SEO migration and training, and e-commerce SEO.
A case study showing their work is that of Orgvue, a SaaS company providing software for HR and finance teams. They were at a stage in their growth in which a new website, marketing strategy, and rebrand were taking place. They partnered with Hallam so that they could follow a sustainable growth strategy. Hallam prioritized enhancing SEO and used link-building and content creation/optimization to increase search rankings. Three key results were:
- 900% ROI increase on paid search activity
- 29% increase in sales-qualified opportunities
- 168% increase in closed-won revenue YoY
Year Founded: 1999
Team Size: 51-200
Key Services: Technical SEO, SEO Audits, SEO Migration, SEO Training, E-commerce
Clients: Boots, Speedo, Hitachi, University of Nottingham
Case Studies:
3. GrowthExpertz - experiences startup marketing company
Differentiator: They are a specialized startup marketing agency with over 5 years of experience. As well as this, they take a similar approach to Code200.io and only work with a select few organizations at a time. That way, their full focus can be on your startup, so you are reassured you are paying for the best possible results. They refer to the organizations they work for as a team, rather than a client. They also have accreditations from Clutch and Designrush.
They offer paid user acquisition and influencer marketing. Their SEO-specific services include technical SEO, keyword research, social SEO, content optimization, and PR strategies.
Year Founded: 2016
Team Size: 11-50
Key Services: Paid User Acquisition, SEO, Influencer Marketing, PR Marketing, B2B Lead Generation
Clients: Tinder, BBVA, DataDistillr
Case Studies: N/A
4. Digital Uncut - committed SEO agency for B2B startups
Differentiator: They are committed to startups only and are official partners with Google and Meta. Working with startups in a variety of industries, they also offer B2B startup-specific SEO services. Digital Uncut emphasize the importance of a data-driven strategy, and technical SEO enhancement is a key SEO strategy they utilize for clients. Other SEO strategies include content optimization, backlink building, and keyword research.
A highlighted case study is Mitratech. Mitratech offers software solutions to corporate legal departments, risk and compliance teams, and HR professionals. This SaaS also had multiple websites merging into one, so SEO enhancement was required. With the implementation of link-building strategies and keyword research by Digital Uncut, Mitratech saw a 60% increase in organic traffic MoM.
Year Founded: 2015
Team Size: 11-50
Key Services: SEO, PPC, Web Development, B2B SEO
Clients: Matterport, Mitratech, HERO
Case Studies:
5. Blue Array - B Corp startup SEO agency
Differentiator: They are a B Corp agency with multiple awards, but they also offer 3 separate SEO plans. One of these plans is aimed at startups and is called Blue Array Ignite, which is designed to be cost-friendly to startups.
One thing to note is that this plan has prerequisites. It includes being under 5 years of age, less than 50 employees, and the completion of a funding round. Typical services you can expect from their startup plan are technical SEO, content SEO, monitoring of web vitals, and SEO audits.
Year Founded: 2015
Team Size: 51-200
Key Services: Technical SEO, SEO Audits, Content SEO, Web Vital Monitoring
Clients: Zoople, RAC, Pret
Case Studies: N/A
6. Thrive - B2B, ECom, startup SEO agency
Differentiator: Thrive is comprised of experts in many different niches related to digital marketing. However, they offer expertise for startups, and separate strategies for B2B, B2C, and e-commerce startups. With an extensive list of services and experts available, you can expect to find the right service for your startup.
The key SEO services available are:
- Technical SEO
- Local SEO
- Franchise SEO
- E-commerce SEO
- Amazon SEO
SEO strategies are unique to their clients, as they take into account the varying requirements of different startups. Typical SEO strategies will include keyword research/strategy, link-building, technical SEO, on/off-page SEO, and more.
In one of their case study, they describe the job they did for an undisclosed mobile app development company. This company develops a range of different apps, from games to audio editing.
To boost their web-to-app link acquisition and increase organic traffic to their landing pages, they partnered with Thrive. In 16 months, they saw 407 inbound links via guest posts and 727k estimated views.
Year Founded: 2005
Team Size: 51-200
Key Services: Technical SEO, Local SEO, Franchise SEO, E-commerce SEO, Amazon SEO, Link-Building, Keyword Research
Clients: Adobe, American Media Inc, Bruker
Case Studies:
7. MadX - SEO agency for startups and SaaS
Differentiator: MadX takes a data-driven approach to enhance SEO for your startup. However, their main attribute is that they specialize in SEO for SaaS startups.
With interactive reports, clients can look past SEO jargon and understand their metrics and KPIs easier. SaaS SEO is their main service, but other strategies such as link-building, technical SEO and content optimization are offered for startup SEO.
Their primary case study details their results with Postalytics, a direct mail SaaS. MadX employed SEO strategy, on-page and technical SEO, and eventually content creation (including a landing page, blogs, and social media) to maximize sustainable growth. MadX helped Postalytics increase organic traffic from 30,00 to 81,000, reduce loading page time to 1.9 seconds, and have 4,200 new top positions on Google.
Year Founded: 2016
Team Size: 11-50, 4 on LinkedIn.
Key Services: SaaS SEO, Link-Building, Technical SEO, Content Optimization
Clients: Postalytics, ParcelTracker, Longvadon
Case Studies:
8. Outerbox - startup SEO agency partnered with Google
Differentiator: They proudly acknowledge their total revenue generated amongst clients is over 5 billion. They are also a Google partner and have awards such as a 5-star rating on Clutch. OuterBox offers a range of services to startups to enhance their SEO and become more visible. However, they focus on B2B companies.
They offer custom SEO strategies, which typically include in-depth keyword research, technical SEO audits, conversion optimization, on-page SEO, and lead generation.
One of their clients is A&C Plastics. It is a B2B leader in the plastic products industry. They required an e-commerce section as well as increased visibility to potential clients around the globe. Relying on OuterBox, they observed a +1,225% increase in organic search traffic, a +450% increase in organic online leads and a +522% increase in Google Ads conversions.
Year Founded: 2004
Team Size: 50-200
Key Services: B2B SEO, B2B SEO Management, Keyword Research, Technical SEO, Conversion Optimization, Lead Generation
Clients: Tronair, Drip Drop, Crayola
Case Studies:
9. Titan Growth - technical and on-page SEO for startups
Differentiator: They optimize SEO for companies of various sizes, but their key attribute is that they specialize in technical and on-page SEO optimization. They use a unique, patented TitanBOT tool and have a skilled team with Google certifications.
TitanBOT is a custom tool built by Titan Growth to analyze the geospatial attributes of your site and assess any opportunities for SEO enhancement. They focus on technical SEO using TitanBOT to improve on-page SEO. Their key service is SEO management, and their startup SEO approach targets improving organic traffic, leads, and MRR.
Their results can be seen from a case study about Sitecore, a customer experience management company. Their goal was to improve both technical and on-page SEO to drive online market share, rankings, and traffic. Titan Growth did a technical SEO audit, and on-page optimization took place in response to the findings. As a result, Sitecore observed a +32% increase in organic traffic and a +605% increase in 1st-page keyword rankings.
Year Founded: 2004
Team Size: 61 (Linkedin)
Key Services: SEO Management, Paid Media Management, Social Media Management, Link Acquisition
Clients: Sitecore, Aman, Arcadia Data, Auberge Resorts Collection
Case Studies:
10. Simple Tiger - A+ funded startup SEO agency
Differentiator: Simple Tiger is an SEO agency that targets startups, A+ funded startups, and public/enterprise businesses. They offer varied SEO solutions for startups including B2B SEO, B2B2C, and B2C SEO.
Typical SEO strategies include keyword research, technical SEO, and lead generation. Plans are also separated by industry, service, and business stage to be clearer for potential clients.
A case study highlighting significant results from Simple Tiger’s strategies is that of Jotform. Jotform is a form-building platform that can be integrated with multiple large platforms such s PayPal and Salesforce. When Adobe shut down FormsCentral, Jotform’s biggest competitor, it aimed to rank 1st for all searches related to FormsCentral alternatives. With Simple Tiger’s strategies, organic traffic increased by +597% in 2 months.
Year Founded: 2006
Team Size: 14
Key Services: Technical SEO, Link-Building, Lead Generation, Keyword Research
Clients: Totango, Segment, Bidsketch
Case Studies:
11. Netrocket - SEO services and link-buiding agency
Differentiator: They have detailed, clear descriptions of three different plans, one of which is for startups. These plans offer business-specific SEO strategies to increase organic traffic and keyword rankings. NetRocket also work with several platforms, including Shopify, WordPress, and Magneto. Services involved in the startup plans primarily consist of SEO audits, technical SEO, competitor research, link-building, keyword research, and on-page optimization.
One case study describes the promotion of a SaaS project in the US market. While only providing brief detail, the case study lists niche/competitor analysis, landing page creation, and other methods such as link building to increase organic traffic for this particular SaaS project. The results indicate a 5x increase in traffic.
Year Founded: 2011
Team Size: 38
Key Services: Competitor Research, Keyword Research, Link-Building, On-page Optimization, Technical SEO
Clients: Nearsens, OkayCMS, Telemetry TV
Case Studies:
12. Panem Agency - startup SEO and content marketing company
Differentiator: Panem Agency emphasizes that a ‘one size fits all’ solution is inefficient. Instead, they take their time to understand their customers' needs and business objectives. Their main SEO services include audits, technical and on-page management, tracking, and content strategy improvements.
One case study talks about a startup called NewoldStamp. They are a marketing tool for creating and managing email signatures. The primary aim was to increase organic traffic, so they introduced technical SEO improvements, did content planning, and link-building. NewoldStamp went from 0 organic traffic to over 40,000 post-implementation.
Year Founded: 2015
Team Size: 97
Key Services: SEO, PPC, SEO Audits, SEO for Startups, Web Analytics, Digital Planning
Clients: Trusted by Visengine, Voiptime, Corevalue, etc.
Case Studies:
13. SureOak - SEO, content and link-building for startups
Differentiator: They rely on custom SEO strategies for startup needs, rather than adopting generic SEO services. By offering a free ‘strategy session’ with an expert, clients can work with SureOak to create an SEO plan that prioritizes specific SEO activities their startup needs to improve. They offer a range of SEO, link-building, content, and lead-generation services.
An example of their strategic approach was seen with a mapping-based company called Maptive. Maptive was losing organic traffic due to an algorithm update as well as a decrease in trial-to-purchase conversions. SureOak provided a strategy primarily involving link-building, on-page optimization, and keyword research. In less than a year, trial sign-ups increased by +51%, trial-to-purchase conversions increased by 55%, and organic traffic increased by +101%.
Year Founded: 2017
Team Size: 11-50
Key Services: SEO game plan, on-page optimization, technical SEO, SEO strategy consulting, link-building services, content optimization, and lead generation services.
Clients: Mercedes, GAP, American Red Cross.
Case Studies:
14. Incrementors Web Solutions - SEO consulting for startups
Differentiator: With awards from Business Connect, Clutch, and Upwork, as well as over 350 5-star reviews on Google, Incrementor's reputation is reassuring to clients.
A free technical audit of your site is included as part of a strategy session to decide on a customized strategy for your startup. Alongside SEO consulting, competitive analysis tests, conversion rate optimization, and a ‘lead generation funnel’ are strategies used to drive ROI increase.
Year Founded: 2012
Team Size: 162
Key Services: SEO services, PPC, Web Design, Web Development, Lead Generation
Clients: Aqualikes, Techvilla247, Tech-24X7
Case Studies:
15. NextLeft - certified agency offering SEO services to startups
Differentiator: Their selling point is being a B Corp SEO agency. As a result, they have certified credibility, and so they should uphold public transparency and legal accountability for their services. They offer a range of services, specifically SEO and content marketing. NextLeft takes a targeted approach depending on client needs, with plans typically including keyword research, content marketing, link building, technical SEO, and conversion rate optimization.
This is seen in their ShipCalm case study. ShipCalm is an e-commerce fulfillment and logistics provider in San Diego, and in 2019, required SEO optimization after migration over to WordPress. NextLeft primarily utilized technical SEO and content marketing techniques that resulted in a +1,500% increase in monthly website traffic between 2019-20.
16. Webspero Solutions - trusted digital marketing company
Differentiator: They have a high amount of positive 5* reviews, with over 600 on Upwork, over 130 on Google and over 75 on Clutch. Webspero has also designed over 1,200 websites and generated over 80,000 leads for their clients.
They work towards reducing customer acquisition costs, increasing organic traffic, improving customer retention rate, as well as technical and on-page SEO.
A case study that highlights how Webspero approaches SEO is that of Shoprocket. Shoprocket is a company that provides an online site builder tool to businesses looking to add e-commerce functionality to their websites. They worked with Webspero to increase user acquisitions and expand organic reach. By primarily adopting link-building and content optimization strategies, Webspero helped Shoprocket increase organic traffic by +93.86% as well as an increase of over 600% in keywords.
Year Founded: 2007
Team Size: 106
Key Services: Technical and On-Page SEO, Link-Building, Content Optimization
Clients: Hostinger, Betway, Lull, Shoprocket
Case Studies:
17. WebFX - experienced marketing company offering SEO to startups
Differentiator: WebFX proudly acknowledges that over the past 5 years, they have generated a total revenue of over 3 billion dollars for all of their clients combined. With this figure displayed in the top left corner of the site, which changes in real-time, it can be inferred that their SEO strategies are effective for startups.
WebFX offers custom strategies for your startup, with typical strategies for lead generation, technical SEO and keyword research. However, WebFX also discusses the use of unique AR and VR solutions, which could be appealing depending on your needs.
One case study demonstrating WebFX’s methods was that of ALL-TEST Pro, a B2B that provides electric motor testing equipment to its clients. Requiring SEO enhancement to generate more leads and stay at the forefront of their industry, ALL-TEST pro partnered with WebFX. ALL-TEST Pro saw a 71% increase in form submissions and a 25% increase in organic form leads year-over-year.
Year Founded: 1998
Team Size: 200-500
Key Services: B2B SEO, Lead Generation, Technical SEO, Keyword Research
Clients: ALL-TEST Pro, Subway, Verizon
Case Studies:
18. Razor Rank - result-oriented digital marketing
Differentiator: They prioritize transparency alongside their expertise, as they provide a detailed SEO roadmap and monthly reports of their deliverables. This way, clients can understand, in simple terms, exactly what has been achieved to feel reassured they are benefitting from investment with Razor Rank.
Their key services include technical SEO, on-page optimization, keyword research and link-building - all of which are components of a promising SEO strategy for startups.
Significant results can be seen from their 360 Training case study. 360 Training is a training solutions provider in the US and wished to improve ranking in search results. After working with RazorRank, organic traffic increased by 91% monthly, their bounce rate decreased by 22% and new users increased by 67%.
Year Founded: 2015
Team Size: 11-50
Key Services: SEO, Paid Media, Web Development, Content
Clients: GAP, Footlocker, Universal Production Music
Case Studies:
19. Zupo - focused SEO services for startups
Differentiator: Their selling point is that they emphasize that SEO is all they do, Many other SEO agencies use their expertise for other elements of digital marketing, unlike Zupo. Their services include website analytics, content development, on and off-site SEO campaigns, technical SEO and keyword research. They offer a free SEO strategy call to potential clients.
Targeted keyword research and optimizing content appear to be key strategies involved in Zupo’s SaaS SEO services. This is seen in their case study about 10-8 systems, a public safety SaaS startup involving CAD software. Zupo adopted these strategies to build a search presence for 10-8 systems, resulting in a 256% increase in organic traffic over 3 years.
Year Founded: 2019
Team Size: 2-10
Key Services: Technical SEO, on and off-site SEO campaigns, keyword research
Clients: Vincit, Sparkhouse, Saratech
Case Studies:
20. Search Nurture - specializes in SaaS startup SEO
Differentiator: Search Nurture offers a range of services but primarily specializes in B2B and B2B SaaS startups. With tailored strategies, Search Nurture adopt specific SEO methods depending on what their client’s startup requires to help clients. Key SEO services include technical SEO, content optimization, link building and keyword research.
One case study displays their results effectively when it comes to how Search Nurture can help startup clients. Gentem Health, a billing software service, needed to increase brand visibility in the medical market. With help from a low-budget campaign designed by Search Nurture, Gentem Health observed a 400% increase in monthly traffic sessions and a 300% increase in monthly leads via their landing page.
Year Founded: 2017
Team Size: 11-50
Key Services: SEO, B2B SaaS SEO, Lead Generation, Keyword Research, Technical SEO
Clients: John Freida, Bioré, Aurora
Case Studies:
Conclusion
Since every startup is different, it will inevitably have different SEO requirements in order to grow. If you want to boost your visibility and increase traffic, then an SEO agency is for you. However, we can’t tell you which is the best, as it depends on your business!
Take a look at what area of your startup you need to grow, then take a look at our list to see what SEO agencies have to offer. If you’re looking for more SEO content and on-page optimization, take a look at Netrocket or TitanGrowth. If you’re looking for a more technical approach, try Code200 or Sure Oak.
On the other hand, take a look at what SEO agencies specialize within your certain business type. Whether you're a startup, SaaS, or B2B there will be an SEO agency for you.
If you want a startup SEO agency that will prioritize you due to working with a dedicated partner try Code200 or GrowthExpertz.
Overall, what SEO agency you pick depends on what you require. That said, the list above is certain to find an option for you.
FAQ
Since choosing the right SEO agency for your startup can be quite a task, we’ve put some FAQs together to help you with any questions you might have.
This largely depends on your startup, so there is no definite answer. However, many startups benefit from improving SEO in the following areas:
- On-Page Content
- Link-Building
- Keyword Research
- Technical SEO
Different SEO agencies will most likely focus on these areas when improving your startup’s SEO.
There are a number of reasons why SEO for a startup is crucial, but the primary benefit is that it can increase organic traffic toward your business. With higher traffic comes a higher chance of converting visitors into customers. With better search rankings as a result of SEO, your startup will be more visible.
Better SEO will result in your startup being more visible in search engines and ranking higher in search results. This happens when potential customers search for keywords associated with your startup. By ranking higher than your competitors, the chances of getting more potential customers to visit your site increase. As a result, you can increase your chances of converting visitors into customers.
This largely depends on your budget, so it’s difficult to put a maximum amount on what you can expect to spend. On the other hand, you can expect to spend a minimum of $500/per month on an SEO agency. This price of course can go higher, with some SEO agencies charging up to $5000/per month. However, SEO enhancement can massively benefit your startup in the long term – and be the game-changer when it comes to sustainable growth.
