Choosing an SEO agency can be challenging. Some agencies specialise in ecommerce, others focus on technical SEO, and some help large businesses manage organic search alongside paid advertising, content marketing and digital PR.
The right choice depends on your website, your competition and what you want SEO to achieve. A local plumbing company in Birmingham has very different needs from a Shopify fashion brand selling across the UK or an international business managing websites in several countries.
To make the decision easier, this guide compares 10 SEO agencies in the UK for 2026. It looks at their areas of expertise, the types of businesses they may suit and the factors worth considering before signing a contract.
Disclosure: FactoryJet, the publisher’s own agency, is included in this list. Its inclusion is disclosed, and readers should assess its services alongside the other agencies rather than treating the ranking as an independent endorsement.
Quick Comparison: Top 10 SEO Agencies in the UK
| Agency | Main Speciality | Best Suited For |
|---|---|---|
| FactoryJet | SEO, website development and AI search visibility | Small businesses and ecommerce brands |
| Brainlabs | Integrated marketing and enterprise SEO | Mid-sized and enterprise businesses |
| Croud | International digital marketing and data | Brands expanding into multiple markets |
| Builtvisible | Organic search, content and digital PR | Businesses with ambitious organic growth targets |
| NOVOS | Ecommerce SEO and website migrations | Shopify and other online retailers |
| Rise at Seven | Creative SEO and digital PR | Consumer and retail brands |
| Screaming Frog | Technical SEO and website auditing | Complex websites and technical teams |
| Blue Array | SEO consultancy and organic search strategy | Businesses with in-house marketing teams |
| The SEO Works | SEO, local search and digital marketing | UK SMEs and growing companies |
| Add People | Local SEO and small-business marketing | Local businesses and smaller companies |
This is a shortlist organised by specialisation, not a universal ranking of agency performance. The best fit for your business will depend on the work you need, your budget and the evidence an agency can provide.
1. FactoryJet: Best for Small Businesses and Ecommerce Brands
FactoryJet combines SEO with website development and technical implementation. This approach can be useful for businesses that need more than keyword research and recommendations.
One common problem with SEO projects is that an agency identifies issues but depends on a separate developer to fix them. That can delay improvements to page speed, site structure, indexing or mobile usability.
FactoryJet’s combined approach aims to bring those activities together. Its offering also covers visibility across AI-powered search experiences, including tools such as ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google’s AI Overviews.
A practical example
Imagine a UK furniture retailer selling sofas and dining tables online. Its product pages have duplicate metadata, important category pages are difficult to find and mobile pages load slowly.
An SEO-only provider might deliver a technical audit and ask the retailer’s developer to implement the changes. A combined development and SEO team could potentially handle both the diagnosis and implementation, reducing coordination between suppliers.
Why consider FactoryJet?
- SEO and website development under one service.
- Technical improvements alongside content and search optimisation.
- SEO support for small businesses and ecommerce websites.
- AI-search visibility included in its stated service offering.
What to check before hiring: Ask for relevant client results, the precise deliverables included in the monthly fee, and evidence supporting any performance claims. FactoryJet is the publisher’s own agency, so its first-place position should be understood in that context.
Website: https://factoryjet.com/
2. Brainlabs: Best for Enterprise SEO and Integrated Marketing
Brainlabs is a London-based digital marketing agency that combines search marketing with other performance marketing disciplines. Its broader capabilities make it worth considering for organisations that need SEO to work alongside paid media, analytics and measurement.
For a large business, organic search is rarely an isolated activity. The SEO team may need to coordinate with paid search specialists, content teams, developers, analysts and regional marketing managers.
Brainlabs’ integrated model is designed for businesses that want those activities to support shared commercial objectives.
A practical example
Consider a national electronics retailer running paid campaigns for laptops, televisions and home appliances.
Its SEO team might discover that several product categories attract strong organic impressions but receive relatively few clicks. Meanwhile, the paid media team is spending heavily on similar searches.
By reviewing organic and paid performance together, the retailer could identify opportunities to improve category pages, refine its search messaging and make more informed decisions about its overall search budget.
The objective would not simply be to increase rankings. It would be to understand how organic search contributes to revenue and how the different marketing channels work together.
Why consider Brainlabs?
- Integrated SEO and paid media capabilities.
- Performance measurement and marketing analytics.
- Potentially suitable for complex retail and ecommerce operations.
- Broader resources for businesses with substantial marketing requirements.
What to check before hiring: Confirm how much of the proposed budget will go towards SEO, who will manage the account and how the agency will measure organic revenue separately from paid performance.
Website: https://www.brainlabsdigital.com/
3. Croud: Best for International SEO
Expanding into another country involves more than translating a website. Businesses must consider local search behaviour, language differences, regional competitors, website structure and the search engines used in each market.
Croud operates internationally and combines digital marketing expertise with its Croudie Network of specialist talent. This model may appeal to brands that need support across several countries or marketing disciplines.
A practical example
Suppose a UK-based skincare company wants to expand into the United States, Germany and France.
A direct translation of its UK product pages might not match how customers search in those markets. Product terminology, buying preferences, regulations and competitors can all differ.
An international SEO programme could involve local keyword research, market-specific landing pages, appropriate hreflang implementation, technical checks and locally relevant content.
For example, the German website may need a different content strategy from the French site rather than simply copying the English version.
Why consider Croud?
- International digital marketing capabilities.
- Access to specialist expertise across markets.
- SEO that can be coordinated with paid media and data analysis.
- Potential suitability for multinational brands.
What to check before hiring: Ask whether the agency has experience in your target countries and languages. Request examples of international organic growth, and establish who will be responsible for each market.
Website: https://www.croud.com/
4. Builtvisible: Best for Organic Search, Content and Digital PR
Builtvisible specialises in organic performance, including SEO, content strategy and digital PR. It is worth considering for brands that need a coordinated approach to improving search visibility and earning attention through useful content.
Technical SEO helps search engines discover and understand a website. Content gives people a reason to visit it, while digital PR can help a brand earn relevant coverage and authoritative mentions.
Combining these activities can be particularly useful in competitive industries.
A practical example
Imagine a UK financial comparison website competing for searches related to savings accounts and personal loans.
Publishing another generic article about saving money may not be enough to stand out. A stronger campaign might involve original research into household saving habits, expert commentary and a useful interactive calculator.
If journalists find the research valuable, they may reference it in their articles. The campaign could earn relevant links and brand mentions while giving the website content that genuinely helps readers.
Results would depend on the quality of the research, the relevance of the campaign and how effectively it reaches the intended audience.
Builtvisible became part of Brave Bison in 2025, so businesses should consider its current structure and service offering when evaluating it.
Why consider Builtvisible?
- Organic search strategy.
- Content planning and production.
- Digital PR and authority-building campaigns.
- A suitable option for brands seeking more than routine on-page optimisation.
What to check before hiring: Request case studies that explain the starting position, campaign activities and commercial outcomes. Ask how digital PR results will support your target pages and wider business objectives.
Website: https://builtvisible.com/
5. NOVOS: Best Ecommerce SEO Agency
Ecommerce SEO presents challenges that are different from those of a typical business website. Online stores may have thousands of products, complex category structures, changing inventory and filters that generate large numbers of URLs.
NOVOS focuses exclusively on ecommerce SEO, with experience across platforms such as Shopify and projects involving website migrations and more complex store architectures.
For an online retailer, specialist knowledge can be particularly valuable when a technical change risks affecting organic traffic.
A practical example
Consider a Shopify clothing store with hundreds of products and multiple variations for size and colour.
The store may have category pages competing with individual product pages, discontinued products returning errors and filtered URLs being crawled unnecessarily.
An ecommerce SEO project could address internal linking, category-page content, product metadata, canonical tags, structured data and crawl efficiency.
If the retailer later moves to a new theme or platform, the SEO team should also help map old URLs to their replacements and monitor important pages after launch.
A migration is not automatically successful because the new website looks better. Rankings and traffic can be affected if URLs, internal links, redirects or indexation settings are mishandled.
NOVOS has publicly highlighted ecommerce migration experience and has worked with recognised retail brands. Verify the relevance of its current case studies to your particular platform and business size.
Why consider NOVOS?
- Ecommerce-focused SEO expertise.
- Shopify and other store-platform experience.
- Technical support for website migrations and replatforming.
- Potential suitability for direct-to-consumer brands.
What to check before hiring: Ask for examples involving stores of a similar size, including what happened to organic revenue and non-brand traffic during and after a migration.
Website: https://www.novos.agency/
6. Rise at Seven: Best for Creative SEO and Digital PR
Rise at Seven takes a creative approach to search marketing, combining SEO with digital PR, content campaigns and social search.
This model may suit consumer-facing businesses that need to stand out in crowded markets where traditional blog content alone struggles to attract attention.
Creative SEO campaigns often aim to give people a compelling reason to discuss, share or reference a brand.
A practical example
Imagine a UK sportswear retailer competing against established brands for attention around running shoes and fitness clothing.
Instead of publishing only product guides, the retailer could commission an original study on running habits among UK adults, build a campaign around the findings and pitch relevant insights to sports and lifestyle publications.
The resulting coverage could introduce the brand to new audiences and generate relevant editorial links.
The important distinction is that a creative campaign should still support a business objective. A campaign that generates attention but attracts the wrong audience may have limited value for organic revenue.
Rise at Seven has worked with consumer and retail brands, including JD Sports and PrettyLittleThing, according to its published portfolio.
Why consider Rise at Seven?
- Creative SEO campaigns.
- Digital PR and link-earning strategies.
- Search visibility for consumer and retail brands.
- Interest in how audiences discover brands through social platforms as well as traditional search.
What to check before hiring: Ask how campaigns are connected to target keywords, category pages, qualified traffic and sales. Review examples of both campaign reach and longer-term organic impact.
Website: https://riseatseven.com/
7. Screaming Frog: Best for Technical SEO
Screaming Frog is widely recognised for its SEO Spider crawling software. Its agency services are also relevant to businesses that need detailed technical analysis rather than a general marketing plan.
Technical SEO is particularly important for large websites, where a small configuration problem can affect hundreds or thousands of pages.
Problems can include broken internal links, redirect chains, duplicate pages, incorrect canonicals, crawl inefficiencies and indexation issues.
A practical example
Suppose a UK travel website has 20,000 URLs covering destinations, hotels, room types and travel dates.
Google may spend time crawling low-value parameter URLs while important destination pages receive insufficient internal links. Some pages might also point to outdated canonical URLs.
A technical SEO team could crawl the website, inspect its URL patterns, analyse internal linking and use server logs where available to understand how search-engine bots interact with the site.
The resulting recommendations might include improving navigation, controlling unnecessary URL variations, consolidating duplicate pages and fixing broken links.
Screaming Frog’s experience with crawling and technical analysis makes it a natural candidate for this type of work.
Why consider Screaming Frog?
- Technical SEO auditing and website crawling.
- Expertise in diagnosing complex site problems.
- Tools used by SEO professionals to analyse large websites.
- Potential suitability for developers and in-house technical teams.
What to check before hiring: Ask to see a sample of the actual audit output. A useful audit should prioritise problems by impact, explain how to fix them and provide a way to verify that the fixes have worked.
Website: https://www.screamingfrog.co.uk/
8. Blue Array: Best for SEO Consultancy and In-House Teams
Blue Array focuses on SEO consultancy and organic search strategy. It may be a good fit for businesses that already have marketing and development teams but need specialist guidance, a clearer roadmap or additional strategic support.
Not every company needs an agency to carry out every SEO task. Some have writers, developers and marketing managers in-house but lack the expertise to decide which work should come first.
A practical example
Consider a UK property portal with an established marketing department and a large development team.
The company already produces content and updates its website regularly, but organic growth has stalled. Different departments are making changes without a shared SEO roadmap.
A consultancy could analyse the site’s technical health, review the search performance of important page types and work with internal stakeholders to prioritise improvements.
Rather than taking over every task, the consultant could help the internal team decide what to change, explain why it matters and measure the impact.
Blue Array has published work involving organisations such as Zoopla, RAC and the Post Office. Prospective clients should examine the specific projects relevant to their needs.
Why consider Blue Array?
- SEO strategy and consultancy.
- Support for in-house marketing teams.
- Technical audits and organic growth planning.
- Experience with larger organisations and complex requirements.
What to check before hiring: Clarify whether you need strategic advice, hands-on execution or a combination of both. Make sure the proposed engagement includes clear responsibilities and measurable deliverables.
Website: https://bluearray.co.uk/
9. The SEO Works: Best for UK SMEs and Growing Businesses
The SEO Works offers a range of digital marketing services, including SEO, local SEO and related organic growth activities. It may suit businesses that want a more comprehensive service without building a large internal marketing department.
Small and medium-sized businesses often need an agency to balance several priorities at once: improving rankings, fixing technical problems, creating useful content and generating enquiries.
The challenge is choosing an SEO programme that matches the company’s size and sales goals.
A practical example
Imagine a Sheffield-based commercial cleaning company that serves offices and industrial facilities across South Yorkshire.
Its website may attract visitors for broad cleaning-related searches but fail to generate enquiries from businesses in the areas it actually serves.
A local SEO programme could improve service pages, strengthen internal links, update the Google Business Profile where appropriate and create useful location-specific information.
The agency could then track qualified enquiry forms and phone calls alongside rankings and organic traffic.
This is a more meaningful measure of success than celebrating a ranking increase for a keyword that rarely generates customers.
The SEO Works offers SEO and local search services and has published case studies relating to organic and AI-search visibility.
Why consider The SEO Works?
- SEO for SMEs and larger businesses.
- Local SEO and technical optimisation.
- Content and digital PR capabilities.
- A broader service offering for companies seeking an ongoing partner.
What to check before hiring: Request a website review, then ask which activities would be included in the first three months and how the agency would measure leads, sales or other relevant conversions.
Website: https://www.seoworks.co.uk/
10. Add People: Best for Small and Local Businesses
Add People focuses on marketing services for small and medium-sized businesses, including local SEO and ecommerce SEO.
For a small business, an agency does not necessarily need to offer a complex international strategy. It needs to understand the local market, work within the available budget and concentrate on activities likely to produce enquiries or sales.
A practical example
Suppose a family-run dental practice in Manchester wants to attract more patients from nearby neighbourhoods.
Potential work could include improving the practice’s local search presence, ensuring its services and contact details are clearly presented, creating helpful pages about treatments and making the website easier to navigate on mobile devices.
The practice could monitor calls, appointment requests, relevant local search visibility and the number of enquiries that turn into bookings.
Because dental services involve health-related information, the content should also be accurate, professionally reviewed where necessary and written responsibly.
Add People offers SME-oriented digital marketing services and has advertised entry-level products. Confirm current prices, contract terms and exactly what is included before making a decision.
Why consider Add People?
- Services designed around small-business needs.
- Local SEO and ecommerce options.
- A broad digital marketing offering.
- Potentially accessible entry-level packages.
What to check before hiring: Find out whether your package includes regular work on the website or mainly reporting and account management. Ask who will make changes, how frequently work will be completed and whether there are additional setup fees.
Website: https://www.addpeople.co.uk/
How Much Does SEO Cost in the UK in 2026?
SEO pricing varies according to competition, website size, the amount of implementation required and the expertise involved. A local service business will generally need a different programme from a national retailer with thousands of product pages.
The following figures are indicative planning ranges from the supplied article, not verified quotations from the 10 agencies above.
| Business Type | Indicative Monthly Budget | Typical Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Local business or startup | £500–£1,200 | Local visibility, basic technical fixes and service pages |
| Growing SME | £1,500–£3,000 | Technical SEO, content and ongoing optimisation |
| Mid-market or B2B | £2,500–£5,000 | Competitive keywords, content programmes and authority building |
| Enterprise | £5,000–£20,000+ | Complex websites, multiple markets and substantial implementation |
One-off projects may include technical audits, migration planning or website reviews. Their prices depend on the scope and complexity of the work.
Example: A local business versus an online retailer
A plumber serving one city might need a well-structured website, useful service pages, a properly maintained Google Business Profile and a process for tracking enquiries.
A national online retailer might require product-category optimisation, crawl-budget analysis, structured data, content production, digital PR and ongoing monitoring of thousands of URLs.
Both businesses need SEO, but they are paying for very different amounts and types of work.
Before comparing quotes, ask each agency to specify:
- Which tasks will be completed each month.
- Whether content creation and development work are included.
- Whether digital PR and link acquisition cost extra.
- Whether AI-search optimisation is included or charged separately.
- How reporting will connect SEO activity to leads or revenue.
- The minimum contract term, cancellation period and additional fees.
Do not assume that a higher price guarantees better results or that the cheapest package will provide enough work to make a difference.
How to Choose the Right SEO Agency
1. Start with your business goals
Be clear about what you want SEO to accomplish. More website traffic is not always the right goal.
A local business might prioritise qualified enquiries. An ecommerce store might focus on non-brand organic revenue. A software company might want more relevant demo requests from decision-makers.
Your objectives should determine the agency’s strategy and reporting.
2. Look for relevant experience
Ask for examples involving businesses similar to yours in size, industry and website complexity.
For example, a Shopify retailer planning a migration should prioritise agencies with relevant migration experience rather than choosing a generalist based solely on its reputation.
3. Ask for evidence, not promises
A useful case study explains the starting position, the work carried out, the period measured and the outcome.
Ideally, it includes business metrics such as sales, qualified leads or revenue alongside organic traffic and rankings.
Be cautious of agencies promising guaranteed first-page rankings or dramatic results within a few weeks. SEO outcomes depend on many factors, and responsible providers should explain both opportunities and limitations.
4. Find out who will manage your account
The person delivering the sales presentation may not be the person working on your website.
Ask who will lead the account, which specialists will be involved and how much access you will have to them. You should also know who is responsible for implementing technical recommendations.
5. Review the reporting process
Monthly reports should explain what changed, what was completed, what happened as a result and what comes next.
For example, if organic traffic increases but sales remain flat, the agency should investigate whether the new visitors are relevant, whether landing pages meet their needs and whether the website converts effectively.
6. Check contract terms and ownership
Before signing, confirm who owns the website content, analytics data, accounts and any assets created during the engagement.
Review notice periods, renewal terms and what happens if you decide to change providers.
7. Agree on a realistic timeline
The first few months may involve audits, technical fixes, content improvements and establishing reliable measurement. More competitive campaigns can take longer to demonstrate commercial impact.
Ask the agency to set milestones it can reasonably control, while being transparent about the uncertainty surrounding rankings and revenue.
Which UK SEO Agency Is Best for Your Business?
There is no single agency that is the right choice for every company. Use the type of work you need as the starting point.
- For SEO combined with website development: Consider FactoryJet, while independently checking its claims and comparing its proposal with alternatives.
- For enterprise marketing and integrated media: Brainlabs may be worth evaluating.
- For international expansion: Croud is a potential fit.
- For content-led organic growth and digital PR: Builtvisible is worth considering.
- For Shopify stores and ecommerce migrations: NOVOS is a specialist option.
- For creative campaigns and consumer brands: Rise at Seven may suit your needs.
- For complex technical SEO: Screaming Frog is a logical candidate.
- For strategic SEO consultancy: Consider Blue Array.
- For growing UK businesses: The SEO Works offers a broad range of organic services.
- For smaller businesses and local search: Add People may be worth shortlisting.
The best decision comes from comparing relevant experience, the actual work proposed, transparent pricing and the quality of the people who will deliver it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the best SEO agency in the UK?
It depends on your requirements. Brainlabs may suit enterprise businesses seeking integrated marketing, NOVOS specialises in ecommerce SEO, Screaming Frog is known for technical SEO, and Add People focuses on the needs of smaller businesses. Compare agencies against your own goals rather than relying on a single ranking.
What is a reasonable SEO budget for a small UK business?
An indicative budget is £500–£1,200 per month for some local or startup campaigns, with more substantial programmes often requiring a larger investment. The right amount depends on competition, the state of your website and how much work needs to be completed.
How long does SEO take to show results?
Some technical improvements can be implemented within weeks, but meaningful ranking and commercial changes often take several months. A realistic plan should include early implementation milestones and longer-term measures of performance rather than promising guaranteed rankings.
Which agency is best for ecommerce SEO?
NOVOS is an ecommerce-focused option, particularly for retailers considering technical improvements or migrations. Rise at Seven may appeal to consumer brands looking for creative campaigns, while FactoryJet combines website development with SEO. Compare experience with your specific platform and business model.
Should I hire a local SEO agency?
Not necessarily. A local agency can be useful when in-person collaboration matters, but location alone does not determine quality. A remote agency with relevant experience, good communication and a clear delivery process may be a better fit.
Is technical SEO still important in 2026?
Yes. Search engines need to discover, crawl and understand website content. Technical problems involving indexing, redirects, duplicate URLs, internal links or site performance can limit the effectiveness of otherwise strong content and marketing campaigns.
Should AI-search optimisation be included in an SEO contract?
Ask each agency to explain what it means by AI-search optimisation. This might involve improving content clarity, strengthening technical accessibility, developing credible sources and monitoring visibility in AI-powered search experiences. Confirm the deliverables and reporting rather than paying for an undefined add-on.
What should I ask before hiring an SEO agency?
Start with five questions:
- Have you worked with businesses like mine?
- Can you show a relevant case study with measurable results?
- Who will manage and deliver the work?
- Exactly what will you complete each month?
- What is the total cost, including any additional services?
The answers should make it easier to compare agencies on substance rather than sales promises.
Final Thoughts
Hiring an SEO agency is an investment in your website’s long-term ability to attract relevant visitors and turn them into customers. The strongest partner is not necessarily the biggest agency or the one making the boldest promises. It is the one that understands your business, identifies the right opportunities and can demonstrate how its work contributes to meaningful results.
Use this list to build a shortlist, speak to agencies that match your needs and compare their proposals carefully. Before committing to a long-term contract, make sure the scope, reporting, responsibilities and commercial expectations are clear.
That is a more reliable way to choose an SEO partner than selecting an agency simply because it appears first on a list.
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