26 Seo Services Success Stories [2024]
An SEO services business helps other businesses improve their visibility on search engines like Google.
It involves tasks like optimizing website content, building quality backlinks, and conducting keyword research.
Essentially, it helps websites rank higher in search results, making them more likely to be found by potential customers.
Starting an SEO services business can be a low-cost venture, as it mainly requires a computer, an internet connection, and some basic SEO knowledge.
You can offer your services to small businesses looking to improve their online presence without the need for a large upfront investment.
In this list, you'll find real-world SEO services success stories and very profitable examples of starting a SEO services that makes money.
1. Zero Gravity Marketing ($9.6M/year)
Chris Uzzo, the founder of Zero Gravity Marketing, came up with the idea for his digital marketing agency after building and overseeing the SEO and PPC departments for multiple agencies. With a focus on data-driven strategies and a commitment to transparency, Zero Gravity Marketing has experienced impressive growth, including being recognized by Inc as one of the fastest-growing privately-owned companies and projecting over $10 million in revenue for 2022.
How much money it makes: $9.6M/year
How much did it cost to start: $10K
How many people on the team: 70
Zero Gravity Marketing is a five-star rated digital marketing agency with Premier Google Partnership and recognized by Inc 5000 for the last three years, on track to gross over $10M in 2022, specializing in SEO, paid media management, social media marketing, email marketing, website design, CRO, content marketing and creative services.
2. NERDS Collective ($2.28M/year)
Born out of a passion for underground UK music, Luke Hodson founded NERDS Collective in 2007, transforming an initial series of warehouse parties into a youth marketing powerhouse with a near £1 million turnover by year four.
How much money it makes: $2.28M/year
How much did it cost to start: $3.5K
How many people on the team: 10
Luke Hodson founded NERDS Collective, a youth marketing agency based in London that specializes in big data, cultural intelligence, and gen-Z, after starting out selling doughnuts and snacks in school playgrounds to identify opportunities and make money, and now boasts a turnover of just under £1m and 112 signed off projects by Puma through a client-servicing strategy that is brutally honest and solution-oriented.
3. High Voltage SEO ($2.16M/year)
Kyle Roof, co-founder of High Voltage SEO, came up with the idea for his business after realizing that most SEO agencies didn't conduct testing to gain insights into Google's algorithm. He saw an opportunity to differentiate his agency by offering scientifically based, bespoke SEO services. This concept resonated with potential clients and helped the business stand out from the crowd, leading to its success.
How much money it makes: $2.16M/year
How much did it cost to start: $1K
How many people on the team: 28
High Voltage SEO co-founder Kyle Roof explains how his company provides bespoke SEO services based on scientific testing and how offering productized services and shifting from month-to-month to longer contracts helped increase their profitability and client lifespan.
4. Scalenut ($1.2M/year)
Mayank Jain, along with his co-founders Gaurav Goyal and Saurabh Wadhawan, came up with the idea for Scalenut after spending a decade each in the digital startup industry. They noticed the challenges that brands face in scaling their content marketing efforts and saw an opportunity to create a platform that helps businesses drive organic traffic and scale their content production. With their MVP product launched in September 2021, Scalenut has experienced rapid growth, with over 100k users and $100,000 in monthly recurring revenue.
How much money it makes: $1.2M/year
How much did it cost to start: $100K
How many people on the team: 30
Scalenut is an AI-powered SEO and content marketing platform that aims to help businesses scale their efforts to nail the entire content life cycle, from planning to creation, which has led to the company turning over $100,000 in MRR within 6 months of launching.
5. PageTraffic ($1.2M/year)
Navneet Kaushal, the founder & CEO of PageTraffic, came up with the idea for his SEO agency after experiencing the impact of the internet during his MBA studies. He tested SEO strategies on his own website and saw it rank in the top ten within months. With a passion for digital marketing and a desire to help businesses succeed, Navneet launched PageTraffic in 2002 and has since grown it into a successful agency with a strong online presence and a global client base.
How much money it makes: $1.2M/year
How much did it cost to start: $10K
How many people on the team: 80
Navneet Kaushal, founder & CEO of PageTraffic, shares how he started an SEO agency in India in 2002, which now generates over $1.2 million in annual revenue and attracts clients globally.
6. NAV43 ($1.14M/year)
Ben Dankiw, co-founder and CEO of NAV43, came up with the idea for his technical digital marketing agency while working as a marketing coordinator. With a strong analytical mindset and experience in Google Ads, he realized the impact he could have on brands at a larger level. After partnering with colleagues and building a client roster, they scaled the business to an MRR in the 6-figures and continue to attract and retain customers through their SEO and PPC services.
How much money it makes: $1.14M/year
How much did it cost to start: $25K
How many people on the team: 7
NAV43 is a technical digital marketing agency specializing in SEO, CRO, and PPC services, known for its SEO delivery, averaging an MRR in the 6-figures with a client roster across e-commerce, lead generation, and publisher sites.
7. SearchEye ($1.14M/year)
Chris Porteous, the founder of SearchEye, came up with the idea for his SEO platform after witnessing the low quality and standards of the industry. After working with clients who were dissatisfied with previous SEO providers, Chris saw an opportunity to create a better solution and deliver on product expectations. He funded the business out of pocket and through consulting services, and is now focused on driving faster turnaround times, low prices, and consistent product quality for his customers.
How much money it makes: $1.14M/year
How much did it cost to start: $600K
How many people on the team: 16
SearchEye is an SEO platform company that has bootstrapped its way to making $1 million a year, with a goal of hitting $100k per month by December 2021 and $500k per month by December 2022, and currently has around 20 active agency users of the platform.
8. Salt Water Digital ($1.07M/year)
Daniel Thompson, the founder of Salt Water Digital, came up with the idea for his digital marketing agency while working for a research and development company in 2011. After teaching himself web development and SEO, he built an affiliate site called ExerciseFoamRollers.com. When he was laid off in 2012, he used his unemployment insurance to start his own business and eventually expanded to offer SEO, PPC, and website development services.
How much money it makes: $1.07M/year
How much did it cost to start: $1K
How many people on the team: 9
Salt Water Digital is a digital marketing agency specializing in SEO, PPC, and website development, serving small businesses with revenue from $300k to $5m, having grown from $25k/month to $40k/month in the past eight months, with a goal to hit $60k/month by year end.
9. SEO Hacker ($1.01M/year)
Sean Si, the founder of SEO Hacker, stumbled upon SEO while working as an intern. Despite his lack of formal education and experience, he taught himself the ins and outs of SEO through experimentation and launched his own blog, which gained traction and led to his first client. Through word-of-mouth marketing, the success of his blog, interviews, and community-building efforts, SEO Hacker has attracted and retained clients, earning its status as the best SEO agency in the Philippines.
How much money it makes: $1.01M/year
How much did it cost to start: $60
How many people on the team: 50
SEO Hacker built an impressive business offering a dozen digital marketing services, growing from $10,000 to over $1,000,000 in annual revenue, serving high-profile clients like Toyota and Unilever, with a dedicated team of 50+ professionals.
10. Woww ($960K/year)
Felix Norton, the founder of Woww Digital, came up with the idea for his business while he was still a student studying Computer Science. He started building websites for friends and family on the side, which eventually became a full-time business. As the demand for digital marketing services grew, Felix and his team expanded their offerings to provide a holistic solution for clients to succeed online. They have achieved consistent growth, even during the pandemic, and are on track to reach their goal of $1 million MRR in 2026.
How much money it makes: $960K/year
How much did it cost to start: $250
How many people on the team: 25
Woww Digital is a Cape Town based digital marketing agency specializing in WordPress web design, achieving consistent 60% YoY growth through a pandemic and providing a complete solution to help clients start, grow and thrive online.
11. Pearl Lemon ($960K/year)
In August 2017, Deepak Shukla founded Pearl Lemon after experiencing a moment of disappointment and a renewed seriousness about starting his own company. With a background in marketing and a drive to be successful, Deepak focused on building a pipeline of clients through cold outreach, LinkedIn, Upwork, and more. Today, Pearl Lemon generates between 80-110K per month and has expanded into various niches, with plans to continue growing and attracting 1000 leads per month within 18 months.
How much money it makes: $960K/year
How much did it cost to start: $50
How many people on the team: 27
Deepak Shukla founded Pearl Lemon in 2016, and as of February 2022, the company generates between $80-$110K per month providing SEO and B2B lead generation services to clients ranging from small businesses to public companies.
12. Novus Digital Ltd ($600K/year)
Alex, the founder of Novus Digital, came up with the idea for his SEO agency when a former client reached out to him seeking help. With six years of experience in SEO, Alex wanted to create a company that focused on delivering measurable return on investment to clients, rather than just buzzwords and rankings. Despite initially launching with a shoestring budget, Novus has grown to attract clients ranging from small local businesses to international household names, generating $20,000 per month and with ambitious growth plans for 2022.
How much money it makes: $600K/year
How much did it cost to start: $2K
How many people on the team: 19
Novus Digital, an SEO agency based in the UK and US, provides measurable ROI for clients, with a team of 8 and $20,000 monthly revenue, while transitioning to targeting SME service-based brands and e-commerce stores with a $1-10mil turnover and setting up a registered company in India.
13. Profit Parrot Marketing and SEO Company ($600K/year)
Lark and her husband JM started Profit Parrot SEO with a vision of growth. After generating $150/month from their first client in 2009, they expanded their services, grew their team, and now run a profitable $1 million per year business. Their success is built on quality work, long-lasting client relationships, and a focus on SEO strategies that help businesses rank on page 1 of Google.
How much money it makes: $600K/year
How much did it cost to start: $500
How many people on the team: 7
Profit Parrot SEO, started by Lark Begin, made $150/month from its first client in 2009, and has since grown into a million-dollar-per-year business by streamlining into quality SEO services and creating long lasting relationships with clients.
14. Attrock ($500K/year)
While working at an Ireland-based digital marketing agency in 2012, Gaurav Sharma saw clients frustrated with generic SEO packages, leading him to launch Attrock in 2014, offering customized digital marketing solutions and generating $500,000 annually.
How much money it makes: $500K/year
How much did it cost to start: $1K
How many people on the team: 25
Attrock, a digital marketing agency, has grown its business to generate revenues of half a million dollars annually by providing highly tailored solutions to clients and prioritizing retention over acquisition, resulting in a 95% client retention rate and 25-30% YoY growth.
15. Regex SEO ($480K/year)
Dmitrii Kustov, the founder of Regex SEO, came up with the idea for his data-driven internet marketing agency while working as a PHP developer at a digital agency. After being given the ultimatum to learn SEO or get fired, Dmitrii immersed himself in the intricacies of SEO and quickly became the head of the agency's marketing department. In 2015, he decided to start his own business to provide individualized, results-driven marketing solutions for businesses.
How much money it makes: $480K/year
How much did it cost to start: $0
How many people on the team: 18
Learn how Regex SEO, a data-driven internet marketing agency, grew from a one-man company to a team of 16 full-time employees and over 30 contractors, with $1M+ annual revenue pre-COVID, by prioritizing individual approach, hard work, and retention of good people.
16. Travel Tractions ($420K/year)
Matthew Davison, the founder of Travel Tractions, came up with the idea for his tourism-focused marketing agency after scaling his previous travel startup to over 500,000 page views a month. He saw an opportunity to help other travel businesses achieve similar results and launched Travel Tractions as a productized service agency, focusing on SEO content and audits before expanding into other services like social media, PPC, and web builds. Despite facing challenges during the COVID pandemic, the company has rebuilt and grown to a monthly revenue of $35k, with a focus on client retention and a predicted triple-digit growth in 2024.
How much money it makes: $420K/year
How much did it cost to start: $100
How many people on the team: 11
Travel Tractions, a tourism-focused marketing agency, which produces and optimizes almost half a million words of content a month for a wide range of travel publications and businesses all over the world, has built back up to be a formidable business today after losing 95% of its business due to COVID and many of the team two years ago, now doing around $35k/month.
17. Straight Up Search ($360K/year)
ears, and it's an exciting time for Straight Up Search. We have a solid client base and have been able to consistently generate revenue month after month. Moving forward, we plan to continue providing exceptional SEO services to our clients while expanding our team and client portfolio. With our strong foundation and track record of success, the future looks bright for Straight Up Search.
How much money it makes: $360K/year
How much did it cost to start: $500
How many people on the team: 4
Straight Up Search is a leading full-service bespoke SEO agency with a portfolio of 35 clients generating an average monthly revenue of $30,000, successfully securing PR mentions and high authority backlinks from big publications such as The Independent and Shopify.
18. Paper Box SEO ($336K/year)
Russell Michelson, the founder of Paper Box SEO, originally began as a freelance web designer. However, after clients consistently asked him for help with driving traffic to their websites, he transitioned into the world of SEO. Through teaching himself about digital marketing and experimenting with different methods, he developed a passion for SEO and eventually started his own boutique SEO agency, Paper Box SEO. Today, the company brings in $20k/month in revenue and focuses solely on providing comprehensive SEO services to small to medium-sized businesses.
How much money it makes: $336K/year
How many people on the team: 2
This case study describes the journey of Russell Michelson who, after leaving his corporate job, turned his WordPress skills into a thriving boutique SEO agency earning $20k/month, thanks to client referrals and Upwork.
19. SpeedYourWeb ($300K/year)
After managing hundreds of slow e-commerce websites over 14 years, two founders launched SpeedYourWeb, leveraging their expertise to optimize site speed and enhance Google rankings, ultimately boosting sales and user experience. Today, they boast a skilled team of 10 developers and offer free speed tests that include actionable improvement insights.
How much money it makes: $300K/year
How much did it cost to start: $99
How many people on the team: 10
These founders provide a free page speed optimization service in addition to SEO to help e-commerce websites improve their organic reach and boost their sales.
20. HelloSEO ($300K/year)
Jade Pruett, the founder of HelloSEO, initially didn't have plans to start her own business. However, after realizing she could leverage her SEO skills to help other businesses, she began offering SEO services on the side. Through webinars, referrals, and networking, she attracted clients and grew her business to generate around $25,000 a month in revenue.
How much money it makes: $300K/year
How much did it cost to start: $1K
How many people on the team: 0
From $0 to $25,000 monthly, Jade Pruett's HelloSEO thrives with an 80% profit margin by offering SEO services and Power Hours that yield a 12,000% ROI, proving that responsiveness to client feedback and focusing on a single skill can accelerate growth.
21. Spear Growth ($240K/year)
Ishaan, the founder of Spear Growth, started his entrepreneurial journey while exploring various ventures during his time as a computer science engineering student. After gaining experience in marketing and SEO, he left his job at a unicorn startup and realized the importance of understanding business to become a better marketer. This realization led him to start Spear Growth, a B2B SaaS marketing agency that has grown rapidly, bringing in impressive results for clients and expanding its team from 6 to 9 full-time employees in just 6 months.
How much money it makes: $240K/year
How much did it cost to start: $2K
How many people on the team: 9
Spear Growth, a B2B SaaS Marketing agency, has helped high-growth companies like Hasura and Darwinbox achieve results like 13x SQLs from Paid ads in 6 months and has grown from a team of 6 to 9 full-time people in just the last 6 months.
22. Front Page SEO ($144K/year)
Janet Camilleri, the founder of Front Page SEO, initially started her business as Redland City Living, a local magazine-style blog. However, after a year, she realized that this wasn't what she truly wanted to do. In 2014, she rebranded as Front Page Web Writing, and eventually transitioned her business to specialize in search engine optimization (SEO). It took time for her business to become profitable, but with the help of a business coach, she has seen immense growth, surpassing her goal of making $100,000 AUD last year and expanding her team.
How much money it makes: $144K/year
How much did it cost to start: $500
How many people on the team: 1
Janet Camilleri, the founder of Front Page SEO, turned her love for writing and passion for the web into a boutique digital marketing agency specialising in SEO, which has seen tripled turnover and doubled profits in the past year and launched a DIY SEO HQ membership program to guide small business owners.
23. Rise Visible ($96K/year)
Aunia Kahn, CEO of Rise Visible, started her digital marketing agency after receiving an old computer from a friend that had software like Dreamweaver and Adobe Photoshop. With no previous experience, she learned through trial and error and discovered her passion for digital marketing. Through solid work and referrals, Rise Visible has been able to attract and retain clients, leading to impressive revenue growth and recognition as a top-ranking woman-owned digital agency.
How much money it makes: $96K/year
How much did it cost to start: $0
How many people on the team: 0
Rise Visible, a full-service digital marketing agency, founded by Aunia Kahn, has achieved Top-Ranking Woman-Owned Digital Agency 2022 by Clutch and is rapidly approaching its first $100K year in revenue, solely through solid work, referrals, digital marketing through Google My Business, reviews, Facebook groups, social media and newsletters.
24. Topnotch SEO ($84K/year)
Eddie, a professional SEO specialist, developed the idea for his business, Topnotch SEO, after realizing the growing importance of online marketing and SEO as more people started searching for products and services online. With his background in sales and offline marketing, Eddie saw an opportunity to help businesses improve their search engine rankings and increase online visibility. Through his efforts, he has helped businesses like K Chicken and his brother's business, Renewcar, significantly increase their website traffic and customer inquiries. Eddie's success has allowed him to earn $7,000 per month in residual income and establish himself as a trusted SEO expert in Auckland, New Zealand.
How much money it makes: $84K/year
How much did it cost to start: $500
How many people on the team: 0
SEO specialist Eddie overcame credit card debt and COVID-19 impacts to earn $7k per month through residual income, helping local businesses prosper with his effective SEO tactics, including a Korean fried chicken restaurant that now enjoys 29k monthly visitors.
25. Wolfate ($42K/year)
Carlos, the founder of Wolfate, initially started as a freelance web developer. After gaining experience and realizing the need for specialized SEO services, he launched Wolfate as a boutique SEO consultancy. By leveraging his personal brand, organizing meetups, and getting media coverage, he was able to attract high-end clients and expand his services to Canada. Persistence and hard work were key factors in his success.
How much money it makes: $42K/year
How much did it cost to start: $100
How many people on the team: 4
Wolfate, a specialized boutique SEO agency based in Mexico and Canada, shares its story of expansion through offering services for specific scenarios such as web migration and ranking drops, and implementing successful marketing strategies like organizing SEO meetups and media outreach.
26. DKDesigns ($36K/year)
David and Kaitlyn Gilbert founded DKDesigns after realizing their combined corporate skills could meet the diverse needs of small businesses in Brooklyn, NY. Starting as a side hustle aiming for $10K annually, they surpassed this in the first quarter alone, hitting $3K in monthly revenue quickly.
How much money it makes: $36K/year
How much did it cost to start: $1K
How many people on the team: 0
Case study about DKDesigns, a web design agency in Brooklyn, NY, that offers affordable corporate quality digital marketing services to small businesses, surpassing their $10K annual revenue goal in the first quarter and closing in on $3K in monthly revenue in their first year.
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Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
