Local SEO (search engine optimization) strategies can significantly grow your business’ presence in your local area. The best local SEO services can perform a good mix of strategies to increase your site’s local ranking, generate more traffic, and ultimately bring in more local customers to your site (and your physical store, if you have one). We compared dozens of agencies to help you find the best local SEO company—find out more about them below.
Here are the best affordable local SEO services for small businesses, based on different use cases:
- Best overall local SEO provider: Rank by Monday
- Most affordable all-in-one option: SEO Discovery
- Best artificial intelligence (AI)-driven services to boost ROI: WebFX
- Best for building backlinks and domain authority: Straight North
- Best platform for self-managed strategies: BrightLocal
- Cheapest local SEO services: Fiverr
- Best all-in-one solution with no long-term commitment: 1SEO
- Best for content-based lead generation: Manta
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Best Local SEO Services at a Glance
Provider | Monthly Cost | Performance Dashboard | Dedicated Support | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | From $250 | ✕ | ✓ | or |
 | From $250 | ✕ | ✓ | |
 | From $425 | ✓ | ✓ | |
 | Custom | ✓ | ✓ | |
 | From $29 | ✓ | ✕ | |
 | From $5 | ✕ | ✕ | |
 | Custom | ✓ | ✓ | |
 | From $600 | ✓ | ✓ |
Which local SEO service is best for you?
Rank by Monday: Best Overall Local SEO Services
Pros
- Affordable solution for all-in-one local SEO services
- Website keyword optimization, keyword research, competitive analysis
- Conversion rate optimization to ensure good leads and clean traffic
- All plans come with an SEO audit
Cons
- No performance dashboard
- Cheapest plan only includes a limited amount of website copy
- Costs can increase quickly if you want a lot of content or need to optimize for more keywords
Rank by Monday plans start at an affordable $250 per month for the Startup tier. All plans include all services and features, with prices only increasing if you need more keywords or pages to analyze.
Plan | Startup | SEO for SME | Professional |
|---|---|---|---|
Monthly Cost | $250 | $450 | $750 |
Keywords | 5-10 | 20-25 | 35-40 |
Site Audit | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Competitor Analysis | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Keyword Grouping & Mapping | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
On-page Optimization* | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
*Includes XML sitemap optimization, Robots.txt check, meta tags creation, and optimization of web content and keywords
- Site audit
- Competitor analysis
- Keyword mapping
- Web content creation
- On-page and off-page blogs
- Landing page optimization
- Image optimization
- Local business listings
- Classifieds
- Google Analytics reports
- Monthly reporting
Rank by Monday is overall one of the best local SEO services we’ve reviewed, thanks to its affordable, hassle-free solutions for local SEO. Its plans provide comprehensive services, from web content creation to competitor analysis and ensuring the technical aspects of your website are optimized for ranking on search results pages. Plus, you’ll also get a dedicated project manager to oversee your efforts, and round-the-clock support Monday through Friday.
Among the core services offered, Rank by Monday will conduct comprehensive keyword grouping and mapping. These make sure your content is targeted at the right keywords to convert leads to customers and grow your brand presence. The team will also install tools to ensure you are staying on top of the leads your site is generating.
Rank by Monday offers some of the best all-in-one local SEO services for small businesses.
One fairly unique feature of Rank by Monday is their social bookmarking service, which tags your content and posts on social media so local users can find them more easily. This isn’t something offered by many other local SEO services, and it can significantly boost not only the performance of your social media content, but also your audience on linked website content.
With affordable plans starting at just $250 a month, robust customer support, and a suite of service offerings that rival much more expensive competitors, Rank by Monday has some of the best local SEO services at small business-friendly pricing. Reach out for a free consultation to get started.
SEO Discovery: Most Cost-effective Local SEO Services
Pros
- Higher number of keywords on the base plan than most agencies (20)
- Optimize for multiple locations in every plan
- Local listing management, Website SEO, Google Business Profiles (GBPs), ads management
- Bundle services for an all-in-one digital marketing solution
Cons
- No dashboard for tracking progress
- Social media services only available on the Enterprise plan
- Plans are unclear about the services included under “website SEO”
SEO Discovery pricing starts at $250 per month for up to 20 keywords and two locations, making it overall one of the most affordable SEO services for small businesses when it comes to value for money. Higher plans also include reputation management, ads, and social media services.
Plan | Local SEO | Advanced Local SEO | Enterprise Local SEO |
|---|---|---|---|
Starting cost Per Month | $250 | $350 | $900 |
Target Local Keywords | 20 | 30 | Unlimited |
Target Locations | 2 | 3 | Multiple |
Google Business Profile, Google Ads | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Website SEO | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
Online reputation management | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
Social media | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
While some other plan inclusions aren’t spelled out, they do offer a free consultation, so you’ll know what you’re getting before you commit. SEO Discovery also offers custom Enterprise plans.
- Website optimization (on-page and off-page)
- Reputation management
- Google Business Profile management
- Localized Google ads
- Social media optimization
- Local business listings
- Website and competitor analysis
- Localized content creation
- Voice search optimization
If cost-effective and generally affordable local SEO services are what you’re looking for, SEO Discovery is hard to beat. Its SEO plans are among the cheapest, including local SEO services starting at an entry point of $250. While this is a higher price than Rank by Monday, the upside is you get more local keywords (20), which on Rank by Monday would cost you $450. And, with SEO Discovery, you can optimize for up to two locations.
The company provides a full array of local SEO packages for small businesses, which include Google Business Profile optimization, local citations, and paid local advertising. In addition, they also offer pay-per-click (PPC) advertising management, content marketing, and web design services. They even offer enterprise packages if you need a more custom solution.
Another thing we like about SEO Discovery is it offers reputation management, meaning they will monitor reviews websites, social media, and more to provide support and help shape your online reputation. This can be a valuable add-on for small businesses trying to build their reputation in the marketplace.
SEO Discovery offers cost-effective local (and national) SEO services that offer good value for your money.
Once you get started with SEO Discovery, you’ll have a monthly meeting with your support representative. They’ll go over progress in your campaign, address any questions you have, and offer suggestions about improving results. At any time, you can email your SEO professional with questions or concerns.
WebFX: Best AI Data-driven Strategies for Local SEO to Improve ROI
Pros
- Offers affordable a la carte services
- Custom plans available from $425; cost per location decreases with multiple sites
- Data, AI, and machine learning to help you maximize your return on investment
- Local SEO services include quarterly SEO copy or Google Business posts
- All plans include all their services
Cons
- Fully managed online reviews only available in standalone packages
- Costs can stack up quickly for bundled solutions
- Expensive if your business has a lot of locations
Full-service custom local SEO from WebFX starts at just $425 a month and includes many features small businesses need, including citation management, review management, and on-page local SEO. For small businesses with more than one location, each additional location is available for a reduced fee.
Number of Locations | 1 | 5 | 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
Cost | $425 | $1,475 | $2,350 |
Dedicated Account Manager | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Listings Management | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Review Management | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
On Page Local SEO | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Dashboard | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Custom Reports | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
ROI Tracking | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Citation-only pricing (e.g., listings management) starts at $50 per location with a five-site minimum. This service gives you control over your local SEO campaigns and access to LocalFX (WebFX’s in-house local citations platform) for citation management.
- Dedicated digital marketing team
- Citation management
- Reputation management
- On-page local SEO with quarterly SEO content
- Custom reporting
- Google Business Profile optimization
- A review of your Facebook business page
- Monthly reporting calls and reports
- Access to MarketingCloudFX, WebFX’s marketing platform
WebFX is a digital marketing company that provides full-service marketing local SEO solutions using AI and data-driven technology. It’s long provided some of the best SEO services for small businesses because it’s been in the digital marketing game for decades now, but it constantly upgrades its services with new technologies.
For instance, at the heart of WebFX is MarketingCloudFX, an AI-driven software suite that tracks key metrics, such as keyword performance. It integrates with business platforms like client relationship managers (CRMs) and bookkeeping software to help you accomplish routine tasks.
WebFX offers some of the most comprehensive, data-driven local SEO services for small businesses.
After an initial consultation, WebFX crafts a strategy and installs proprietary software to execute your local SEO program. The team will conduct on-page local SEO, citation management, and reviews management to boost your online reputation. All of this is tracked with MarketingCloudFX. Then, when you’ve signed up, you’ll be assigned a dedicated support agent who’ll keep you informed via monthly calls, and have access to WebFX’s team of experts.
As a full-service agency, WebFX offers a wide range of additional services, making it easy to add PPC or ecommerce SEO services as your company grows. Additional services will come at additional cost, so prices can quickly become expensive. More information is available from WebFX.
Straight North: Best Local SEO Agency for Link Building
Pros
- Specific backlinking strategy to increase domain authority with Google
- Local PPC Ad support available
- Custom solutions tailored to small businesses needs & budgets
- Consultation with recommendations to help you know where to start
Cons
- Pricing isn’t transparent on the website
- Bundled solutions can get pricey
- Specific plans and inclusions aren’t listed on the website
Straight North tailors each plan to the specific needs, goals, and budget of the client, so there are no exact plans or pricing.
However, we spent quite a bit of time on a call with their team and feel confident that pricing to start with Straight North is comparable to other providers on this list. In addition, they indicated that they have strategies to help small businesses and startups generate short-term gains that can help them add in more services quickly.
Straight North also prides itself on educating clients. Your consultation will be free and without obligation. Additionally, the team will offer specifics on tactics they would use to improve your rankings in local online search, whether or not you sign up as a client.
- Link acquisition
- Local Pack (Google Maps pack) optimization
- Google Business Profile optimization
- Local citation audit and management
- Page optimization and local keywords
- Content asset creation to attract backlinks
- Technical SEO to audit and fix common problems
Straight North is a highly-rated digital marketing agency with lots of positive reviews. Among the tactics your local SEO strategy with Straight North will include are backlinking strategies, which can significantly help your ranking on Google. Examples include backlink campaigns and creating assets like infographics, which can help your website get backlinks and therefore increase its domain authority.
Straight North’s local SEO strategy focuses on backlinking strategies to improve your ranking on Google, which they customize for your business.
Straight North offers comparable pricing for local SEO vs other agencies on this list. We specifically asked the team there whether small businesses can afford the services, and we’re pleased to learn that Straight North prides itself on serving startups and companies on a small budget. With a free consultation, the team will outline a plan based on your needs and budget, including ways to generate a return on investment in the short term.
In addition to local SEO, Straight North offers local pay-per-click (PPC) ad management, allowing your campaigns to work hand in hand. Local SEO campaigns include keyword research and targeting, content creation, on-page and technical site optimizations, listings management, and link building. Get started with a free consultation to learn more today.
Pro tip: SEO Discovery, WebFX, and Straight North aren’t just three of the best SEO companies for small businesses, they’re also some of our top digital marketing agencies overall. You’ll find them, along with some others, in our guide to the best digital marketing agencies for small businesses—check it out if you want a more all-around digital marketing solution beyond local SEO.
BrightLocal: Best Self-managed Local SEO Service for Small Businesses
Pros
- $29 per month (base plan, billed annually)
- All-in-one platform with tools for keywords, listings, and reviews
- Competitor listings analysis
- Agency-friendly & affordable for use with multiple businesses
Cons
- Only provides local SEO tools and reports (not the services themselves)
- Clients say citation tracking isn’t always accurate
- Not the best option for beginners
BrightLocal offers a 14-day, risk-free trial to allow you time to see if its tools are suitable for your SEO needs. After the trial, plans range from $29 to $44 per month on annual billing. You can choose to pay month-to-month at a higher price, but you’ll have the flexibility to cancel at any time without cancellation fees. Prices also increase with more locations.
Plan | Track | Manage | Grow |
|---|---|---|---|
Cost per Month* | $29 | $36 | $44 |
Local Rankings Tracker | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Geo-grid Search Tracker | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Local SEO Audit | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Local Listings Management | Limited | Full | Full |
Reviews Management | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
White-labeling, Google Analytics, GBP Insights | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
*With annual billing and for one location. Plans increase for month-to-month billing and more locations.
- Citation tracker
- Review management
- Listings management (pay as you go)
- Active Sync for listings
- Local rank tracker
- Geo-search grid tracker
- Plan dependent: extra use of free tools, white labeling, Mobile Rank tracker, API access, Agency Lead Generator & Directory
Unlike the agencies on this list that will do the work for you, BrightLocal is a self-service platform that can boost your marketing strategy. It’s one of the best local SEO tools for tracking rankings, citations, and reviews. This means it’s more affordable than a full-service agency, although the catch is you’ll need to do all the work yourself. Therefore, it may not be the best option if you’re a complete beginner to local SEO.
Still, BrightLocal is easy enough to learn and includes reporting options to see whether your efforts are paying off. You’ll also be able to improve your rankings and online reputation, all from one platform. You can use the platform to make better business decisions, pour more time or effort into generating reviews, build citations, or create more effective, affordable local SEO content for your site.
Here’s an example of BrightLocal’s Local SEO Performance Dashboard. (Source: BrightLocal)
As mentioned, because BrightLocal is a self-service SEO solution, you’ll be on your own to execute most tasks. That’s not to say you’ll go without help. BrightLocal support staff is available 23 hours a day, Monday through Friday, via web chat. The support staff are experts at using BrightLocal tools to achieve results.
Overall, BrightLocal is a great do-it-yourself option for small businesses looking to get started with local SEO on a tight budget. You’ll need some basic background about local SEO, but if you’re willing to put forth a little learning effort and invest the time, BrightLocal can be a powerful tool to help you land at the top of local searches.
Fiverr: Cheapest Project-based Local SEO Services
Pros
- Cheap options for startups and budget-strapped local businesses
- Wide range of services and thousands of freelancers to choose from
- Reviews make it easier to find high-quality services
Cons
- Finding the right service for your business can be time-consuming
- Few all-in-one solutions
Pricing on Fiverr is very affordable. For example, services start as low as $15 for one-time outsourcing of citation building. However, you’ll most likely need to find a separate freelancer for each of the local SEO tasks you need (for instance, one for citation building and one for keyword research).
Also, most Fiverr services are one-time only and don’t include ongoing services, reporting, or coverage of other aspects of local optimization like reviews management and website SEO.
- SEO audits
- Local listing submissions
- “Near me” optimizations
- Regional keyword research
- Citation and directories review
- Local search ads management
- Competitor analysis
- Aggregate directory submissions
- Account set-up services
While Fiverr isn’t a local SEO company per se, it still offers some of the most affordable local SEO services. However, they aren’t the same as the managed services of SEO Discovery, WebFX, or others on this list. This is because Fiverr is a freelancer platform, so all the tasks on it are conducted by independent contractors you pick. Therefore, the best way to use Fiverr is to build on your in-house efforts or to improve efficiency.
For example, citation building and updating can be very time-consuming. So this is a good example of a local SEO tactic you can get extra help from a Fiverr freelance on vs tactics you can self-manage, such as writing local search-optimized content for your website. You’ll also find freelance professionals on Fiverr for reputation and review management, link building, and website optimization.
A sample of local SEO services you can get on Fiverr
Another thing to note is because you’re working with independent contractors, things like support and reporting will vary greatly. While they’ll usually provide you with a summary report after work is completed, you’ll most likely be on your own to keep track of your efforts and ensure they’re paying off. If you don’t have the time to track your local SEO performance, another solution may be best.
Keep in mind that each freelance professional on the platform offers a different range of services, so vetting to find the best service for your business will take some time. Reviews are available for each provider, and pricing is transparent, which is a big plus for startups and small businesses on a budget that want a good return on investment. Start your search at Fiverr.
1SEO: Best Month-to-month Solution for Local SEO
Pros
- No long-term commitment required
- Custom solutions for content marketing, reputation management, citations, listings, social media, and website SEO
- Ability to cap your monthly cost based on your budget
Cons
- No exact pricing information since all plans are custom
1SEO does not publish pricing for local SEO packages. However, it does work with each business to craft an affordable local SEO plan. Also, 1SEO provides all-in-one solutions on a month-to-month basis, meaning you can cancel your service at any time.
- On-page website optimization
- SEO audit
- Reputation management
- Business listings
- Social media management
- Content creation
- Citation management
- Google Business Profile optimization
At 1SEO Digital Agency, you can get a comprehensive all-in-one solution for local SEO, from technical on-page SEO on your small business website to social media management on a month-to-month basis. If you find the service is not for you, you can cancel it without hefty cancellation fees. The service includes citations, listings, backlinks, and reputation management.
After auditing your business website, 1SEO will propose a digital marketing plan that may include redesigning your business’ website, adding metatags or changes to your headings and URLs, and other on-page SEO work. You’ll also get options to add content through local-search-optimized posts and recommendations regarding backlinks, listings, and citations.
1SEO is unique for offering month-to-month local SEO plans you can cancel easily at any time.
1SEO reports to clients regularly on the progress of their local SEO efforts. Plus, it also has a proprietary dashboard that displays all the critical metrics for whatever you’re tracking, whether it’s site visitors, reviews, or citations, so you always get an overview of how your strategies are doing.
Any small business needing help showing up in local search results can benefit from 1SEO. With no long-term commitments, you can give it a try without worrying about expensive cancellation fees. You can also choose a la carte services, like SEO-driven content, so you aren’t paying for something your site or business may not need.
Manta: Best Local SEO Company for Content Lead Generation
Pros
- Content recommendations, changes, and creation in all plans
- On-page blog post publication in higher plans
- Performance reports and dashboard
Cons
- More expensive starting cost than other services on this list ($600)
- No reputation management or schema support services
- Services can vary for each business according to needs and budget
With pricing starting at $600 a month, Manta is far from the cheapest small business SEO company, but they pack a lot of value into that price point. Each month, Manta will complete up to 14 tasks, including keyword research, custom blog publication, content creation to drive organic traffic, and managing business listings.
Plan | Bronze | Silver | Gold |
|---|---|---|---|
Starting Cost per Month* | $600 | $1,100 | $2,100 |
Tasks Included | 14 | 18 | 20 |
Pre-Audit | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Keyword Research, Backlinking | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Blog Posts | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
Business Listings | ✓ | ✓ | |
Monthly Report | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Onsite Recommendations & Changes | Custom | Custom | Custom |
Copy Creation | Custom | Custom | Custom |
On-site Blog Post | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
Authoritative Articles | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
*Prices vary each month according to each business’s needs and budget
- Pre-launch SEO audit
- Keyword research
- Blog writing
- Backlinking
- On-page content creation
- Off-page content creation
- Citable content
Manta offers local SEO services tailored specifically for lead generation through content. Their services provide small businesses with all the resources they need to generate and track local leads. Plus, its transparent reporting platform helps you know where your leads come from and tracks them through every stage of the conversion process. Manta also creates targeted local content to generate leads and convert sales.
Manta’s local SEO services are also among the most comprehensive. Plans range from $600 to $2,100 a month and include backlinking from business directories, article engagement, and on-page and off-page optimization. With the Silver and Gold packages, the team will also create blog copy on your website to improve SEO performance. However, a caveat is that services can vary each month depending on your budget and specific needs.
Manta offers some of the most comprehensive local SEO services, especially in content creation.
Each month, you’ll receive a report on the performance of your local SEO plan. You’ll also receive monthly consultations with your SEO expert. Throughout the month, you can check performance on the Manta dashboard. If Manta’s all-inclusive packages aren’t right for you, the company will build a custom quote to tailor a plan for your small business. Get started with Manta by visiting its website.
What Local SEO Services Can Do for Your Business
When you think of SEO, you probably automatically think of national or global SEO, where your site ranks above all the other sites in the world. However, local SEO services focus specifically on your local area. It uses the same strategies as regular SEO, but centers on gaining traffic, leads, and conversions from customers in your local community.
Some common local SEO strategies include:
- Local keyword optimization to rank your site on local searches
- Region-specific content creation
- Creating local listings for your business to build local citations
- Local voice search optimization for your site
All of these (and many, many more activities) are important because they affect the factors of local SEO, which according to Google, include your site’s relevance, distance, and prominence.
Relevance is how well your site’s content matches users’ searches, while your site’s distance is its proximity to the location mentioned in the search. Meanwhile, your site’s prominence is how authoritative it is in its subject area based on things like links, reviews, and article mentions. Find out more in our guide to what local SEO is.
Getting Started With Local SEO
While the small business SEO services above are all affordable and vetted for quality, there’s no harm in trying some local SEO tactics out yourself. Here are some simple ways to get a head start on your local SEO strategy.
- Create a Google Business Profile (GBP) to get your business found on Google.
- Then, get more Google reviews from your local customers.
- Build a website for your small business (if you haven’t yet).
- Use local keyword research tools to find words and phrases to add to your website copies.
- Create a content marketing plan tailored to your local community’s interests and needs.
Then, once you’ve started on these strategies, we recommend getting the help of one of the best local SEO services above to build on them even more.
How We Evaluated the Best Local SEO Services
The best local SEO companies for small businesses offer flexible pricing, multiple services, custom plans, dedicated account managers, performance dashboards, and monthly reports. In addition to cost, customer account management, and metrics, we also looked at reviews from current customers and the responsiveness of tech and customer support.
To determine the best local SEO company for small businesses, here are the factors we considered:
- Cost: Agency services aren’t always cheap, so the minimal cost to get started (and get results) needs to be reasonable enough for any small business. We also examined whether plans can be customized so you only pay for the services you need.
- Services: Most SEO agencies include the creation and management of citations, listings, and reviews. The top all-in-one solutions also offer social media management and additional services helpful for growing a small business.
- Contract length: Although efforts to optimize your website can take a while, having a short contract or a month-to-month commitment might be preferable for small businesses that only need a few things done or aren’t sure they want to stick with one company.
- Performance dashboard: If you don’t have time to execute optimization tactics yourself, you likely don’t have time to check on all new content and its performance, your site’s keyword rankings, and other metrics. A performance dashboard—or at the very least, reports—gives you a quick glance at how your investment is paying off.
- Expert opinion: We leaned into our firsthand experience with local SEO to weigh how well each competitor’s offerings meet your local SEO needs.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
You can get started for free with local SEO by bootstrapping a solution or paying a provider anywhere from a few bucks via Fiverr to $1,000 or more. Using free tools like Semrush for keyword research or optimizing your Google Business Profile and other business directory listings is a great way to get started. If you feel you lack the time or expertise, Rank by Monday or SEO Discovery offers the most affordable managed services.
There are multiple tactics to help your website to rank higher in local search results. These include claiming your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) and implementing an SEO content marketing plan. Also, update your business information on your site, social media profiles, and in any local SEO citations or other online listings that include your business.
Aside from your budget, how much you should pay for SEO services depends on the return on investment (ROI) produced. You can measure and track the ROI of services based on an increase in leads generated or sales made, for example. Also, the SEO company you’re using should be able to show you things like website traffic, forms filled out, and other metrics that indicate your investment is producing a return.
Bottom Line
It’s possible to do local search optimization tasks yourself to boost your site’s position in online searches and directories. However, it might be a better use of your time and money to hire experts to handle it for you. Overall, Rank by Monday is our pick for the best local SEO services for small businesses. They can build a comprehensive marketing plan to boost your ranking in local searches and bring in new customers from your local community.
