Finding the right provider of SEO services in Chicago takes more than comparing rankings or pricing. Browse vetted providers on DesignRush and narrow your options by budget, team size, industry expertise, and client reviews.
Our list of top Chicago SEO companies was selected from 160+ agency providers based on their range of services, portfolio, industry reputation, pricing, and client reviews. Read this list to find the right agency to improve your local SEO positioning in Chicago.
The Number 1 Chicago SEO Company as Selected by DesignRush Is...
Comrade Digital Marketing
- Best for: Overall
- Average hourly rate: $100
- Minimum budget: $10,000 - $25,000
- Founded: 2008
- Notable clients: Hitachi, Europa Eyewear, American Optical, Kitchen Cabinet Guys
Specializing in web development, pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, and search engine optimization (SEO) for over 20 years, Comrade Digital Marketing has helped 300+ businesses rank on Google’s first page.
The agency provides services in PPC management, SEO auditing and consulting, local SEO, social media and email marketing, search engine marketing (SEM), and conversion rate optimization (CRO). It also develops websites on platforms like WordPress, Shopify, WooCommerce, and Magento.
On average, Comrade Digital has helped its clients increase:
- SEO traffic by 2.5x
- Qualified sales leads by 70%
- PPC revenue by 120%
- Conversion rate by 35%
Moreover, it has helped businesses generate a 900% return on ad spend (ROAS) and over $50 million in revenue.
The Kitchen Cabinet Guys sought Comrade Digital Marketing’s expertise to strengthen its online presence and boost website leads by 50%. The Chicago SEO company revamped the Kitchen Cabinet Guys’s website, improved keyword relevance, and performed A/B tests.
Due to its efforts, it secured the Kitchen Cabinet Guys in the top 3 SERP positions in Chicago. Plus, it increased:
- Organic traffic by 142%
- Qualified leads by 55%
- PPC leads by 60%
Check Comrade Digital Marketing Agency Profile
3Q/DEPT
- Best for: Multi-channel digital marketing
- Average hourly rate: Inquire
- Minimum budget: $50,000 & Up
- Founded: 1996
- Notable clients: Netflix, Patagonia, Reddit, Rituals, Uniqlo
3Q/DEPT maintains its boutique agency experience by providing full-funnel marketing. It does this by using its patented Qontrol™ and Growth Labs approaches:
- Qontrol™: An automated intelligence platform that stores all client online accounts. This allows the Chicago SEO agency to efficiently manage platforms, automate tasks, identify optimization opportunities, and forecast performance.
- Growth Labs: A dedicated market research team that uses the latest industry tools and partnerships to innovate new marketing methodologies. Some of the technologies it uses are Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, Bing, and The Trade Desk.
A testament to the success of these approaches, 3Q/DEPT reports a $3 billion managed spend. Moreover, it has won hundreds of awards, including being named a 2022 Finalist for Lead Generation at the Google Premier Partner Awards.
Before partnering with 3Q/DEPT, Rituals had individual websites for every location. This made it difficult for Google to crawl and index its pages, leading to low searchability and poor online presence. Additionally, it confused customers who spoke the same language but lived in different areas, making Rituals lose conversions.
As a solution, 3Q/DEPT created one website for all locations with an indexable page per language, country, and currency. This improved domain authority, maximized crawl budget, and enhanced user experience. Most of all, it increased Rituals’ revenue by 186% before peak season.
Digital Third Coast
- Best for: Bing and Google SEO
- Average hourly rate: $150
- Minimum budget: Inquire
- Founded: 2007
- Notable clients: Intelligentsia, Bedside Manor Ltd., IPX 1031, Dealnews
Digital Third Coast is a Chicago SEO agency with a 15-year track record of dominating search engines. It has helped clients achieve 270+ campaign placements, increase organic traffic by 351%, and boost revenue by 653%. It also boasts a 95% client retention rate.
Digital Third Coast's services include paid media, paid socials, SEO, and digital PR. Its list of tech and tools includes Screaming Frog, Ahrefs, SEMrush, Moz, and BrightLocal. It is also certified by Google Analytics, SEMrush Academy, and BrightEdge Certified Professionals.
Leading investment and property exchange brand IPX1031 partnered with Digital Third Coast to enhance its online presence. The Chicago SEO company eliminated duplicate content on IPX1031’s website, improved site tagging, built better site navigation, and claimed 45 previously unclaimed Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) listings. Additionally, it created a PPC campaign to geo-target audiences.
Through these combined efforts, IPX1031 experienced:
- 94% more meaningful conversions
- 300% increase in leads via calls
- 476% year-over-year increase in Google Business Profile actions
- 4x higher online visibility
- 18.1% spike in exchange orders
Check Digital Thirst Coast Agency Profile
OneIMS
- Best for: Inbound marketing
- Average hourly rate: Inquire
- Minimum budget: $1,000 - $10,000
- Founded: 2006
- Notable clients: Hello Fresh, G2, Samsung, Salesforce, Florock
OneIMS provides expertise in SEO, paid digital media, PR, content marketing, social media marketing, white-label agency services, and video and audio production. The Chicago SEO agency helps businesses attain a consistent sales pipeline and continuous revenue growth through Integrated Marketing Solutions (IMS).
The unique IMS methodology focuses on creating awareness, capturing demand, and converting leads into customers in a continuous cycle. Using this, OneIMS grew its client base to 500+ with a 97% client retention rate.
Florock marketing approached OneIMS to improve its inbound marketing from its website. After partnering with the Chicago SEO agency, the client saw a continuous spike in inbound marketing and quality leads.
Linchpin SEO
- Best for: Local and enterprise SEO
- Average hourly rate: $120
- Minimum budget: $1,000 - $10,000
- Founded: 2013
- Notable clients: Tumbleweed Travel Co., Budweiser, Nissan, HairClub
To rank its clients first on search engines, Linchpin SEO provides branding, web design, and content strategy services alongside its main SEO capabilities. In doing so, it ensures long-term returns on investment (ROI) for all its clients.
Its SEO services include website and technical SEO audits, keyword strategy, and competitive analysis. It also offers local SEO strategies, such as Google Business Profile management, local listings and competition audit, and local content creation.
With 120+ franchises across the US, HairClub needed Linchpin SEO’s help to grow its national online presence and simultaneously improve its local SEO. Linchpin SEO built a multifaceted approach, where it conducted national and local audits to develop its local SEO and regional landing page strategies. It also optimized HairClub’s Google Business Profiles to improve local rankings.
After Linchpin created the needed pages, HairClub increased its Google Maps listings by more than 32% and traffic to location pages by 110%.
Check Linchpin SEO Agency Profile
Straight North
- Best for: Full-service digital marketing
- Average hourly rate: Inquire
- Minimum budget: $1,000 - $10,000
- Founded: 1997
- Notable clients: Bluepay, Boston Analytical, Chrysler, EZ Links, Virginia Spine Institute
Operating for over 25 years, Straight North is an established full-service digital marketing agency for B2C and B2B brands. It acquired an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and has a client retention rate of 95%. Its services include SEO, web design and development, paid advertising, and brand development. It also offers traditional marketing services, such as brochures and brand collaterals.
Boston Analytical collaborated with Straight North to amplify its online presence and generate more leads. To do so, Straight North conducted keyword research, optimized backlinks, and mapped target pages on the client’s site. Since then, Boston Analytical has increased SEO leads by 664% and organic traffic by 37%.
Check Straight North Agency Profile
Marcel Digital
- Best for: Google Analytics
- Average hourly rate: $199
- Minimum budget: $1,000 - $10,000
- Founded: 2003
- Notable clients: Herbalife Nutrition, John Hopkins Medicine, Kellog’s, RJO Futures
With over 23 years as a Chicago SEO company, Marcel Digital is an expert in web development, paid media, SEO, conversion rate optimization, and Google Analytics. Marcel Digital’s SEO-specific services include off-page improvements, penalty recovery, website migration, and local listings.
It has accomplished 150+ successful SEO migrations and optimized 10,000+ pieces of content, among other projects. Moreover, it has been a Google Analytics Certified Partner for over 20 years and is one of the few Umbraco Certified Gold Partners.
RJO Futures has been partnering with Marcel Digital for more than 10 years for its different marketing needs. This included building its website, which generated 1,500 new leads and increased organic traffic by 317%.
Recently, RJO Futures needed to update its website to maintain its SERP ranking. As such, Marcel Digital developed new content, optimized current content, updated the sitemap XML, and implemented the latest Google best practices.
This attracted 45,000 more users and increased organic traffic by 181.64%. Additionally, the Learning Center section of its website experienced a surge of 31,000 new users, resulting in a new user rate of 861%.
Check Marcel Digital Agency Profile
Dabaran
- Best for: Local SEO
- Average hourly rate: $149
- Minimum budget: $1,000 - $10,000
- Founded: 2009
- Notable clients: Seltzer Nation, Cooking Steels, Avery Coonley School, IPaintMyMind
Dabaran delivers long-term results through its seven-stage SEO marketing strategy: discover, evaluate, ideate, implement, assess, report, and recalibrate.
Its expertise covers website audit, link-building, content marketing, and on-page optimization. That said, its specialty lies in local SEO. To date, the Chicago SEO company has served 1,300+ satisfied clients, completed 2,000+ projects, and targeted 350+ cities.
IPaintMyMind, a non-profit art organization based out of Chicago that helps artists find work, approached Dabaran to build its online reputation and improve visibility. Dabaran helped IPaintMyMind rank first for the target keyword “rent art online”. Plus, the client ranked in the top 10 for other keywords like “art leasing companies”, “nonprofit organizations in Chicago”, and “work murals”.
WebFX
- Best for: Digital marketing
- Average hourly rate: $150
- Minimum budget: $10,000 - $25,000
- Founded: 1995
- Notable clients: Verizon, Fujifilm, Subway, YMCA, Area Flooring & Tile, Inc.
Known for its data-driven revenue marketing, WebFX is an expert in SEO, lead generation, CRO, and UI/UX. It has generated over 7 million leads and over $6 billion in revenue for its clients. But what really differentiates it from other Chicago SEO agencies is its custom-built MarketingCloudFX software.
MarketingCloudFX is an all-in-one marketing platform that uses IBM Watson and Google Cloud Platform to centralize and harness data. With it, businesses can create personalized content per location and industry, optimize sales team efficiency, and leverage AI to maximize their ROI. On average, MarketingCloudFX increases a business’s ROI by 20%.
Wanting to propel its online traffic and local presence, Area Flooring & Tile, Inc. hired WebFX’s expertise. In doing so, it gained a more robust internal linking structure, targeted more relevant keywords, and attracted higher-quality leads. By the end of the project, its website sessions rose by 50% year-over-year (YoY), and new users increased by 51% YoY.
Brafton
- Best for: Content marketing
- Average hourly rate: $150
- Minimum budget: $1,000 - $10,000
- Founded: 2008
- Notable clients: Stanford University, Rubbermaid Commercial, Canva, Crews Control
Brafton’s content marketing strategy combines creativity and data to ensure a maximum ROI for its clients. It does this through the Brafton Content Marketing Platform (CMP), a one-stop hub for all content marketing activities. This includes content planning, project management, and internal team communication. Brafton's CMP also integrates with tools like Google Analytics and SEMrush, so businesses have a centralized location for all of their data.
Brafton provides services in content marketing and sales enablement including eBooks, white papers, and newsletters. It also offers graphic design, web design, video production, and animation.
Crews Control approached Brafton to target local audiences while still maintaining its global positioning. Brafton wrote content for city-specific conversion landing pages, created PPC ads for priority pages, leveraged email drips, and used SEO targeted at informational queries. Within one year, Crews Control:
- Climbed to the #1 position on 16 target SERPs
- Gained 7,000 new organic and paid sessions
- Generated 101 additional qualified leads
How We Picked the Best Chicago SEO Companies
To select the top Chicago SEO companies in 2024, we reviewed their testimonials, case studies, industry reputation, team expertise, client roster, and executive management. Our team of agency experts developed a scoring system to measure their overall performance based on several important factors:
- Reviews: Quality of work, client satisfaction, and level of trustworthiness
- Portfolio: Tangible examples of an agency's track record
- Awards and press: Industry reputation and innovation
- Team bios: The agency’s qualifications and team dynamics
- Top services: Core competencies and areas of expertise
Visit the DesignRush Agency Ranking Methodology for more information on how we research agencies.
10 Most Popular Chicago SEO Companies
| Agency name | Hourly rate | Size | Best for |
| Comrade Digital Marketing | $100 | Under 49 | Overall |
| 3Q/DEPT | Inquire | 500 - 999 | Multi-channel digital marketing |
| Digital Third Coast | $150 | Under 49 | Bing and Google SEO |
| OneIMS | Inquire | 50 - 99 | Inbound marketing |
| Linchpin SEO | $120 | Under 49 | Local and enterprise SEO |
| Straight North | Inquire | 100 - 249 | Full-service digital marketing |
| Marcel Digital | $199 | Under 49 | Google Analytics |
| Dabaran | $149 | Under 49 | Local SEO |
| WebFX | $150 | 500 - 999 | Digital marketing |
| Brafton | $150 | 100 - 249 | Content marketing |
Organic rankings are determined by five factors: top services, reviews, portfolio, awards/press, and team expertise. Sponsored listings pay for a placement that appears above organic positions. Sponsorship does not affect star ratings or review content - read more on our methodology page.
Push Down Negative Google Search Results Fast
Push It Down is for people and brands who care what shows when someone searches their name. If bad links or angry posts show first, we help you push down those results and suppress the content that hurts trust...
Top Services:
- SEO
- Reputation Management
- Location
- Chicago, Illinois
- Number of Employees
- Under 49
- Average Hourly Rate
- $100/hr
- Minimal Budget
- $1,000 - $10,000
Data sourced from the agency's DesignRush profile, its website, and other relevant accountsPush It Down Services
Data sourced from the agency's DesignRush profileNorthbridge Legal Group BrightTrail Fitness Studios Skyline Vista Capital
Find Yours
Path Creative is a Chicago-based digital marketing and content studio specializing in photography, videography, web design, and branded storytelling. We help businesses elevate their presence with visually powerful campaigns...
Top Services:
- Content Marketing
- Creative Services
- Design Services
- Web Design
- Video Production
- Show more
- Location
- Chicago, Illinois
- Number of Employees
- Under 49
- Average Hourly Rate
- $85/hr
- Minimal Budget
- $1,000 - $10,000
Data sourced from the agency's DesignRush profile, its website, and other relevant accountsPath Creative Services
Data sourced from the agency's DesignRush profileGarrett Popcorn NexTerra Wine Co GreenSource USA SIDEKICK Steel City Tire HiTec Self Storage
Related Services in Chicago
SEO Agencies Near Chicago
Popular Services
Why companies trust DesignRush
Every agency is independently vetted before it can be listed or ranked
4.8
4.8Some agencies pay for sponsored placement, clearly labeled and held to the same vetting standards.
8 FAQs About Chicago SEO Companies
Should I hire a local Chicago SEO company, or does location matter?
You should hire a local Chicago SEO company if your growth depends on geographically concentrated customers. Otherwise, the quality of the SEO services matters far more than physical location.
For businesses looking to compete in Chicago’s local SERPs, local knowledge can directly impact performance because Google’s Map Pack heavily influences conversions. Google confirms that local ranking is primarily driven by relevance, distance, and prominence rather than agency location itself.
However, many high-performing providers of SEO services in Chicago operate remotely and still outperform local-only firms because technical execution and link authority are not location-dependent.
The real decision isn’t “Chicago vs. non-Chicago agency”. It’s whether the Chicago SEO agency you’re considering understands local intent patterns and competition levels in your niche.
What red flags should I watch for when evaluating SEO agencies in Chicago?
The most common red flags when evaluating Chicago SEO companies are unrealistic ranking guarantees, unclear link-building practices, templated strategies that ignore industry differences, a lack of transparency with data access, and reporting that focuses on vanity metrics instead of business results.
More specifically:
- Guaranteed rankings or fixed timelines that ignore how search algorithms actually work
- Vague link-building explanations, such as “authority networks” or “trusted partners,” without showing real acquisition sources
- Generic SEO packages reused across industries rather than adapted to intent, competition, and conversion paths
- Restricted access to performance data, such as Google Search Console or Analytics
- Reporting focused on impressions, rankings, or keyword counts rather than leads, conversions, or revenue impact
How long does it take to see results from SEO services in Chicago?
Most SEO services in Chicago begin showing movement in rankings and impressions within 3 to 6 months, but considerable results usually come in 6 to 12 months, depending on competition and domain strength.
Businesses working in more saturated and competitive industries, such as law, insurance, medical, and real estate, will need even longer because established competitors already have strong backlink profiles and content depth.
Notably, industry research shows that most new pages do not reach top rankings within the first 6 months in competitive SERPs. Furthermore, 72.9% of pages in Google’s top 10 are more than 3 years old, while the average #1 ranking page is 5 years old.
To help new clients celebrate early wins and stay motivated, experienced agencies break the journey into phases:
- Months 1 to 3: technical fixes + indexing + foundational content
- Months 3 to 6: ranking movement + early traffic gains
- Months 6 to 12: authority growth + lead generation impact
What do Chicago SEO companies charge that most buyers don't expect?
Most Chicago SEO services quote a monthly retainer that excludes content and technical audits. Other common exclusions include:
- Link building: Many Chicago SEO companies include only a limited number of outreach placements each month, with additional links priced separately.
- Local SEO: Google Business Profile optimization, citation management, and local directory submissions are frequently quoted as standalone services.
- Reporting and software: Some agencies charge extra for third-party rank tracking or analytics platforms, even when they're used to report campaign performance.
How do I know if an agency is using tactics that could get my site penalized?
Warning signs that a Chicago SEO agency may be using risky or black-hat tactics include evasiveness about backlink sourcing and promises of fast rankings.
When evaluating providers of SEO services in Chicago, ask them to explain:
- Where backlinks come from, including examples of the publications or websites they typically secure.
- How content is produced and reviewed, especially if AI tools are part of the workflow.
- Whether every link is earned, sponsored, or paid, and how those relationships are disclosed.
- How they balance speed with long-term sustainability, rather than relying on shortcuts designed to manipulate rankings.
What does a bad SEO engagement look like, and how do I avoid it?
Strong indicators of a bad SEO engagement include:
- Reports full of impressions and keyword movement, but no lead tracking
- No clear connection between SEO work and revenue
- No defined deliverables per month
- A strategy that changes constantly without explanation
To avoid this:
- Require defined KPIs tied to leads or revenue
- Ask for a 90-day execution roadmap before signing
- Ensure Google Search Console and analytics access are included
- Confirm how success is measured beyond rankings
How do I compare two SEO companies in Chicago that look equally qualified?
When two Chicago SEO companies look similar on paper, give both providers the same brief, then compare how they diagnose your site's problems, what they would prioritize in the first 90 days, and whether their strategy is built around your business or a generic checklist.
Beyond the initial pitch, go deeper with these comparison points:
- Technical analysis first: Does the agency audit your site before recommending services, or do they pitch a package immediately? A qualified agency finds problems before proposing solutions.
- Industry-specific strategy: Generic SEO checklists apply to any business; an experienced agency builds a strategy around the market competition.
- 90-day action plan: Ask both agencies what they would tackle first and why.
- Reporting and ownership: Who owns the data, the content, and the links if you leave?
- Case studies in your vertical: Rankings in one industry don't always transfer; ask for examples closest to your business type.
- How they talk about risk: Agencies that never mention what could go wrong are either inexperienced or not being honest with you.
How do I know if a Chicago SEO company understands my industry?
A Chicago SEO company that truly understands your industry will reference specific search intent, seasonal demand patterns, and the conversion behaviors that are unique to your niche. More specifically, they will speak to your buyers before they speak to your rankings.
These are the specific indicators that separate genuine industry knowledge from surface-level familiarity:
- They reference your actual competitors, unprompted
- They understand intent at each funnel stage
- They know which content formats convert in your vertical
- They can speak to seasonal and geographic demand shifts
- They reference compliance or regulatory constraints, if relevant
- They have an opinion on your current site without being asked
