TL;DR
Twelve SEO companies that small businesses actually hire, read from their own sites, Clutch and Thryv's roundup on October 14, 2026. They are sorted by whether they will tell you the price before the call. Seven do: Third Marble Marketing ($399, $699 and $999 a month by page count), Loganix ($500 and $1,000 link packages, no minimum term), Boostability (plans from $299 to $3,600 a month), Epidemic Marketing (from $2,499), WebFX (from $2,900), Searchbloom (from $3,000) and Skill Mammoth (ours, $750, $1,500 and $3,000 flat, no contract). Five more publish a Clutch minimum instead: SmartSites, Outpace, Funnel Boost Media and OuterBox at $1,000 projects, Victorious at $50,000. Ahrefs' survey of 439 providers puts the most common retainer at $501 to $1,000 a month and agencies' average at $3,209, so a "small business" SEO company is one that will work below $1,500. On this list, four will.
Disclosure first: Skill Mammoth is a Minneapolis agency that sells local SEO to contractors and local practices, and we are on this list. The other eleven are ranked by fit, by what they charge when they will say, and by what we would tell a friend with a six-person company, the same way we rank the Minneapolis list and every other roundup here. Where a company publishes no price, the table says so.
Read the search results first
Search "best seo companies for small business" on October 14, 2026 and an AI Overview cites Podium, Thryv, a Florida agency, Evolve, GoodFirms, Clutch and DesignRush. The organic page is a Reddit thread at two, then First Page Sage, Searchbloom, a two-page Florida site at six (domain rating 2, which tells you the keyword is open), Podium, Expert Market, GoodFirms and Focus Digital. Four of those are agencies ranking a list with themselves at the top. Searchbloom's own guide, for instance, places Searchbloom first; First Page Sage's places First Page Sage first. This page puts us first too, with the difference that every price below links to the page it came from and the companies that beat us on price are named.
1. Skill Mammoth (ours)
The flat-fee option: local SEO plus AI search at $750, $1,500 or $3,000 a month, website care from $350, sites at $1,000, $3,000 or $8,000, no setup fee, no contract. The $750 tier covers citations across 20-plus directories, schema, a baseline ChatGPT and AI Overviews visibility setup, two posts a month, an automated review request system and review responses, with a quarterly snapshot report. The $1,500 tier adds up to five city or neighborhood pages a month, authority placements, four to six posts and a monthly dashboard with a strategy call. Honest limitations: we serve contractors and local practices, not ecommerce or SaaS; an online store belongs with OuterBox and a national brand with Victorious or Ignite. The full breakdown of what each tier buys is in our SEO packages guide.
2. Third Marble Marketing
The lowest published retainer on this list, priced by site size: $399 a month under 40 pages, $699 for 40 to 80 pages, $999 above 80, per Thryv's roundup, which also notes the firm's own pricing page. The model is a productized monthly program for small sites, which is exactly what a four-page plumber or a single-location clinic needs and exactly what a 400-page ecommerce site does not. Fit: a small site with low local competition and a $400 to $1,000 budget.
3. Loganix
Two packages, a $500 setup on each: Standard at $500 a month for two guest-post links from sites with 100-plus organic visits and DA 30, plus a one-time SEO review and title updates; Authority at $1,000 a month for two links from DA 40-plus niche sites. "We do not have any minimum terms," month to month with 30 days' notice. This is a link-building subscription, not a full SEO program; there are no citations, no ongoing content and no monthly audit. Fit: a business that already has a decent site and content and needs authority, or an agency buying links for its clients.
4. Boostability
Lehi, Utah, founded 2009, built on white-label SEO for other companies' small-business customers and now selling direct. The pricing page is the most granular in the category: Listings from $49 a month, Local Search Starter at $299 to $499, Growth plans at $600, $1,200 and $1,800, Scale at $2,400 and $3,000, and an Executive tier shown at $3,600 for national brands. Deliverables per plan are described rather than itemized. No contract term is stated. First Page Sage calls it "affordable, standardized local SEO with Google Business Profile focus," which is accurate. Fit: a single-location business that wants a menu of prices and a standardized program, and does not need a strategist on the phone.
5. Funnel Boost Media
San Antonio (Cherry Ridge Drive), since 2012, 4.9 on 259 reviews on its site and 4.9 on 119 on Clutch, where it lists a $1,000 minimum project and $50 to $99 an hour, the lowest hourly band on Clutch's small-business SEO page. Industries served include home services, remodeling, legal, healthcare, automotive and funeral homes. The site promises "transparent pricing" and keeps the figures on a pricing page that did not load for us. Fit: a service business that wants local SEO from a reviewed mid-size shop at a $1,000 floor.
6. Searchbloom
South Jordan, Utah, founded December 2014 by Cody Jensen. The site publishes floors: SEO from $3,000 a month, Google Ads management from $2,000. Clutch: $1,000 minimum project, $100 to $149 an hour, 4.9 on 102 reviews. The site claims retention above 95 percent and lists Nordstrom, U.S. Bank and Moxie Pest Control among its logos. Fit: a growing company with $3,000 a month that wants a founder-led team for local, national and AI search together.
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7. Epidemic Marketing
Denver, since 2009. It is the budget pick in Searchbloom's own guide. Its site says "packages start at $2,499/month" with audits around $1,000, and it names HVAC, plumbers and personal injury as core verticals, with Local Services Ads management included. We profiled it in the Denver list. Fit: a service business in a competitive metro that wants a trade-focused shop and can clear $2,500.
8. WebFX
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, 250 to 999 staff, 4.9 on 450 Clutch reviews with a $1,000 minimum project listed there. The SEO pricing page says plans start at $2,900 a month with a custom strategy, on-page copywriting, design and conversion support, and ROI reporting through its own platform. Fit: a company with a marketing manager that wants a large agency's resources and revenue-linked reporting; absurd for a one-truck operation, and WebFX would say so.
9. SmartSites
Paramus, New Jersey, founded 2011, and first on Clutch's small-business, dental and legal SEO categories alike: $1,000 minimum project, $100 to $149 an hour, 250 to 999 staff, 4.9 on 369 reviews. No price on the site. Fit: a business that wants the most-reviewed generalist on Clutch and a $1,000 floor.
10. Outpace SEO
Oklahoma City, 10 to 49 staff, 5.0 on 116 Clutch reviews, $1,000 minimum project, $150 to $199 an hour. An SEO specialist rather than a full-service agency. Fit: a business that wants a small, highly rated SEO-only team.
11. Thrive Internet Marketing Agency
Arlington, Texas, founded 2005, 53 industries on its site, and the agency that ranks for "best SEO companies in [almost any city]" with a page that puts Thrive first; our Thrive comparison covers what that means in practice. Clutch reports average projects of $10,000 to $50,000 per Thryv's roundup. Fit: a company that wants one generalist for SEO, web and paid and is not price-sensitive.
12. Victorious and OuterBox
The two for companies that have outgrown this page. Victorious (San Francisco) lists a $50,000-plus minimum and $300-plus an hour on Clutch at 4.8 on 119 reviews; OuterBox (Copley, Ohio) is the ecommerce specialist at a $1,000 minimum and $150 to $199 an hour, 5.0 on 93. If you sell products online, OuterBox is the first call on this list, and most of the others are the wrong one.
What they charge, side by side
| Company | Published price or signal (Oct 14, 2026) | Source | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skill Mammoth (ours) | SEO $750, $1,500, $3,000 a month; care from $350; no contract | skillmammoth.com/pricing | Contractors and local practices |
| Third Marble Marketing | $399, $699, $999 a month by page count | Thryv roundup; agency pricing page | Small sites, low competition |
| Loganix | $500 or $1,000 a month plus $500 setup; no minimum term | Agency packages page | Link building only |
| Boostability | $49 listings; $299 to $3,600 a month plans | Agency pricing page | Standardized local SEO menu |
| Funnel Boost Media | $1,000 minimum project; $50 to $99 an hour | Clutch | Service businesses, lowest hourly band |
| Searchbloom | SEO from $3,000; PPC from $2,000; $1,000 Clutch minimum | Agency site; Clutch | Founder-led team, local plus national |
| Epidemic Marketing | From $2,499 a month; audits about $1,000 | Agency site | Trades in competitive metros |
| WebFX | From $2,900 a month; $1,000 Clutch minimum | Agency pricing page; Clutch | Companies with a marketing manager |
| SmartSites | $1,000 minimum; $100 to $149 an hour | Clutch | Most-reviewed generalist |
| Outpace SEO | $1,000 minimum; $150 to $199 an hour | Clutch | Small SEO-only specialist |
| Thrive | Not published; $10,000 to $50,000 average projects | Clutch via Thryv | One generalist for everything |
| Victorious / OuterBox | $50,000-plus minimum / $1,000 minimum | Clutch | National brands / ecommerce |
| Verdict | Seven of twelve publish a price. Below $1,000 a month the choices are Third Marble, Loganix, Boostability's lower tiers and Skill Mammoth's $750 tier; the managed-agency floor is $2,499 to $3,000; Ahrefs' agency average is $3,209. | ||
How to choose between them
Decide what "small business" means for you before you call anyone. Ahrefs' survey of 439 providers found the most common retainer is $501 to $1,000 a month, 42.8 percent of providers charge $501 to $2,000, and agencies average $3,209 against freelancers' $1,349; the full breakdown is in how much SEO costs. A company with one location, a 20-page site and five local competitors is a $400 to $1,500 problem. A company with three locations in a metro where the top competitor spends five figures is a $2,500 to $5,000 problem. Hiring the second kind of agency for the first kind of problem is the most common waste on this page.
Then ask five things on the first call. What will you do in the first 90 days, specifically. Who owns the site, the Google Business Profile and the ad accounts at exit. Which current client my size can I call. What does the monthly report show, and can I see one. And what is the price before the proposal. Seven agencies here answered the last one before you asked. The other five may be fine; they just made you work for it.
Frequently asked questions
Who are the best SEO companies for small business?
By budget: Third Marble ($399 to $999), Loganix ($500 to $1,000, links only), Boostability ($299 to $3,600 menu) and Skill Mammoth ($750 to $3,000 flat, ours) below the agency average; Funnel Boost Media, SmartSites and Outpace at a $1,000 Clutch minimum; Epidemic ($2,499), WebFX ($2,900) and Searchbloom ($3,000) as managed-agency floors; Thrive, Victorious and OuterBox for companies that have outgrown the small-business label.
How much should a small business pay for SEO?
Ahrefs' provider survey puts the most common retainer at $501 to $1,000 a month and the local SEO average at $1,557. On this list, published retainers run from $399 (Third Marble) to $3,000 (Searchbloom), with Skill Mammoth at $750 and $1,500. A single-location service business in a mid-size market should expect $750 to $1,500 for a real program; below $400 buys reporting and citations, not content or links.
Which SEO companies publish their prices?
On October 14, 2026: Third Marble, Loganix, Boostability, Epidemic Marketing, WebFX, Searchbloom and Skill Mammoth. SmartSites, Outpace, Funnel Boost, OuterBox and Victorious publish a Clutch minimum instead. Thrive publishes neither.
Is a cheap SEO company worth it?
At $300 to $500 a month, an honest program is citations, a Google Business Profile cleanup, titles and a monthly report, which is worth it for a business with no competition and worthless for one with a lot. The failure mode is a $300 plan that promises content and links; at that price they are automated or offshore, and a penalty costs more than the savings.
Should I hire a local SEO company or a remote one?
Remote is fine if the reporting is by city and the agency knows your trade. Local matters when you want to meet in person or when the agency's own map-pack ranking in your city is the portfolio piece. Most of the twelve companies above serve clients nationally from one office.
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