Glossary

What Is an SEO Agency or Company?

An SEO agency or company is a marketing firm that specializes in improving a website’s visibility on search engines through tactics like keyword research, on-page optimization, technical audits, content strategy, and link building. By analyzing a site’s current performance and aligning strategies with business goals, an SEO agency helps attract more qualified organic traffic, improve search rankings, and increase conversions for businesses of all sizes.

SEO agency

An SEO agency is a company that offers services to improve a website’s visibility and organic search rankings on search engines through strategies such as keyword research, on-page optimization, technical SEO, content creation, link building, analytics, and ongoing performance tracking.

What Does an SEO Agency Do?

Keyword Research

Identify high-value, relevant search terms, assess intent and competition, and prioritize keywords that align with business goals.

SEO Audit and Strategy

Evaluate site health, baseline rankings, and traffic; identify technical and content gaps; and build a prioritized, measurable SEO roadmap.

On-Page Optimization

Optimize title tags, meta descriptions, headings, URL structure, internal linking, schema markup, and content to improve relevance and CTR.

Technical SEO

Fix crawlability and indexation issues, optimize site architecture and page speed, and implement structured data, mobile responsiveness, canonicalization, and XML sitemaps.

Content Strategy and Creation

Plan, produce, and optimize blog posts, landing pages, product descriptions, and other content that targets keywords, satisfies user intent, and supports link acquisition.

Link Building and Outreach

Earn high-quality backlinks through outreach, partnerships, content promotion, digital PR, and resource link placement to boost authority and rankings.

Local SEO

Optimize Google Business Profile, local citations, reviews, localized content, and on-page signals to improve visibility for local and “near me” searches.

E‑Commerce SEO

Enhance product and category pages, handle faceted navigation, implement structured data for products, and create conversion-focused content for online stores.

Analytics, Reporting, and KPIs

Set up tracking, monitor organic traffic, keyword rankings, conversions, and ROI, and deliver regular reports with actionable insights.

Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)

Test and optimize page elements, CTAs, and user flows to convert more organic visitors into leads or customers.

Penalty Recovery and Risk Management

Diagnose and recover from manual actions or algorithmic drops, remove toxic links, and implement clean SEO practices to prevent future issues.

Ongoing Maintenance and Iterative Optimization

Continuously monitor performance, experiment, update content, apply technical fixes, and adjust strategy to sustain and grow organic results.

Consulting

Provide in-house training, documentation, and strategic consulting to align SEO with broader marketing and business objectives.

Types of SEO Agencies

Full-service digital agencies — Offer SEO, PPC, social, CRO, and web design; good for businesses seeking integrated marketing with a single vendor.

Specialized SEO agencies — Focus exclusively on SEO tactics (technical, content, links); ideal for clients needing deep SEO expertise and strategy.

Local SEO agencies — Optimize for Google Business Profile, local citations, reviews, and local content; best for brick-and-mortar and service-area businesses.

Enterprise SEO agencies — Handle large-scale sites, complex architectures, governance, and cross-team coordination; suited for large enterprises and multi-brand companies.

eCommerce SEO agencies — Specialize in product schema, category optimization, site architecture for large catalogs, and conversion-driven tactics; ideal for online retailers and marketplaces.

Technical SEO agencies — Focus on crawlability, site speed, structured data, migrations, and developer collaboration; chosen when technical issues block growth.

Content-focused SEO agencies — Emphasize content strategy, creation, and topical authority to drive organic traffic and links; great for content-driven growth goals.

Boutique agencies — Small teams offering high-touch, customized service and niche expertise; good for brands seeking close collaboration and tailored strategies.

White-label/reseller SEO agencies — Provide SEO services delivered under another agency’s brand; used by agencies that need to expand service offerings without in-house teams.

Freelance SEO consultants — Single experts offering flexible, often lower-cost engagements; best for small projects, audits, or when you want direct access to the practitioner.

Industry-specific SEO agencies — Possess deep vertical knowledge (legal, healthcare, SaaS, real estate) with compliance and audience expertise; choose when domain experience matters.

International/Multilingual SEO agencies — Handle hreflang, geo-targeting, translations, and global technical setups; required for brands targeting multiple countries or languages.