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Top SEO Companies New York City, NY

businesses screened
2,339
qualified
70
listed
3

We found 2,339 businesses in and around New York City listed as marketing or SEO firms, and only 504 offer SEO. Many “Manhattan” addresses turn out to be coworking desks or virtual offices, and the two agencies AI assistants named most often both failed our screen. This list comes from a review of every SEO agency we could find in the five boroughs and the New Jersey side within 25 km: what they publish, what they’ve proven, what clients say, and how they rank for their own city.

The short answer For SEO, web and ads from one large agency, start with SmartSites. For small businesses that want SEO alongside Google Ads, Digital Drew SEM. For local businesses that need Google Maps visibility, DK Consulting Group of NY.

Read all three →

Reviewed by Andrew Eagar, fractional SEO · Updated

No agency paid to be listed or can pay to change its position. I run a fractional SEO practice, which some businesses hire instead of an agency, so I don't rank myself here. How we reviewed

Side by side

Compare New York City’s top SEO agencies

AgencyBest forStarting priceSEO case studiesGoogle ratingMedian tenureContract
SmartSites SEO with web design and paid media $2,600/mo Several 5.0 (896) 3.8 yrs Not published
Digital Drew SEM Small businesses, SEO + Google Ads $1,500/mo Several 5.0 (81) — Not published
DK Consulting Group of NY Local businesses, Google Maps $500/mo Several 5.0 (24) — No contract

Prices and terms as published on each agency's site, October 2026. Tenure is the median from LinkedIn company data.

The three

The three agencies, reviewed

Top pickBest for businesses that want SEO, web and ads from one agency

SmartSites

5.0 on Google (896) · 4.9 on Clutch (369) · Paramus, NJ (remote team) · 311 on LinkedIn

Why we picked them

  • Published SEO pricing: from $2,600 a month for a minimum of 40 hours at $65 an hour, with free setup.
  • 896 Google reviews at 5.0 and 369 on Clutch at 4.9.
  • Named in 7 of 15 AI-assistant answers we tested, more than any other qualified agency.

What clients say

Most reviewers praise a named account manager and cover web, ads and social work; few describe SEO results. His expertise in content strategy and SEO is already making a huge difference — Apostile Corp, Google, 2026

Watch-outs

Headquartered in Paramus, NJ, and its site describes a fully remote team. Only about 4 of its 30 newest Google reviews mention SEO, and lower-rated reviews repeat a complaint of no results and under-resourced work. Case-study figures have no start points or dates, and contract terms aren't published.

2 · Small businesses that want SEO alongside Google Ads

Digital Drew SEM

5.0 on Google (81) · 4.8 on Clutch (33) · NoMad, Manhattan · 3 on LinkedIn

Why we picked them

  • Published SEO plans at $1,500, $2,500 and $3,500 a month.
  • Top 10 for 5 of 12 New York City SEO searches we checked, more than any other qualified agency.
  • 81 Google reviews at 5.0 and 33 on Clutch at 4.8, many citing rankings, traffic and leads.

What clients say

Reviewers credit SEO and Google Ads results and praise the team's quick, proactive replies. they’ve been an outstanding SEO partner — Michael K., Google, 2026

Watch-outs

It also sells white-label link building, including guest posting, to other agencies; it says links are earned through outreach, not bought. Most of its work is paid search, and case-study gains are percentages without start dates. LinkedIn shows 3 staff while its site names 13, and contract terms aren't published.

3 · Local businesses that need Google Maps visibility

DK Consulting Group of NY

5.0 on Google (24) · No Clutch reviews · Bensonhurst, Brooklyn · Solo consultant

Why we picked them

  • Google Business Profile management at a published $500 a month, with no contract.
  • Case studies with start points, e.g. a Midtown lash studio moved from page 39 to page 4 for "eyelashes midtown NY" in three months.
  • 24 Google reviews at 5.0, most crediting better Google Maps visibility and more local inquiries.

What clients say

Reviewers credit better Google Maps rankings and more local customers, and say the founder explains things clearly. we’re now ranking higher on Google and seeing more local customers than ever before — Mark F., Google, 2025

Watch-outs

A one-person consultancy: the founder runs every account. One Google review begins "You can just copy paste this:", and most reviews we read are dated about 11 months ago, with none in the past eight months. Case-study results have no calendar dates, and the $500 plan covers Google Business Profile work, not full website SEO.

Free agency audit

Not sure your agency is earning its retainer?

I've spent years inside SEO agencies, so I know where the hours go and where they don't. Give me read-only access and your last three reports, and I'll grade the work against what you were promised: what shipped, what it earned, and what's missing.

You'll get a one-page scorecard and a 30-minute call with a straight answer: keep, fix or replace. If they're not delivering, I'll show you what fractional SEO would look like instead.

Get a free agency audit 5 audits a month

Choosing an agency instead? Send me the proposals and I'll tell you which one I'd sign.

Sample scorecard
Scope vs. delivery
B
Results vs. spend
C
Work quality
C
Reporting
D
Ownership and risk
A

Verdict: Fix

Illustrative example, not a real client.

First-party data

The New York City SEO market in numbers

13%
publish their pricing
40%
show SEO case studies with real numbers
3%
rank top 10 for their own New York City searches
7 of 70
get named by AI assistants for New York City SEO
Published SEO prices start at a median of about $1,100 a month Lowest published monthly SEO plan, for the 9 of 70 qualified agencies that publish one

Teal: agencies on this list. Grey: other qualified New York City agencies (not named).

Only nine of New York City's 70 qualified agencies publish a monthly SEO price. Just two rank in the top 10 for their own New York City SEO searches, where directories and national firms take most of the spots.

Before you sign

What we saw that you should watch for

None of these rules an agency out on its own, but each is worth a question before you sign.

  • "New York" addresses that are coworking desks At least 30 agencies we screened list a New York address that turned out to be a coworking space or virtual office, with no sign of a local team. Ask where the people doing your work are based.
  • Bought and sold links More than ten agencies we screened sell backlinks, guest posts or paid placements on other sites. Paid links break Google's guidelines; ask how links are earned.
  • Ranking guarantees At least ten agencies we screened promise rankings, such as first place for a set number of keywords. Nobody controls Google's rankings; treat promises like this as a red flag.
  • AI recommendations aren't a check The two agencies AI assistants named most often in our tests both failed our screen, one for having no local office and one for selling guest posts. Check any AI-suggested agency yourself.
  • "Best agencies" lists written by an agency Several agencies we screened publish "best agencies" lists that rank themselves first. Check who wrote a list, this one included.
  • Review drives Some agencies collect many reviews in a short burst, in one case nine Clutch reviews in a single week. Read what reviews describe and when they were written, not just the average.
  • Directories and national firms in search results Of the 62 sites in the top 10 for the 12 New York City SEO searches we checked, 23 are directories or list sites and 16 are national firms. A high ranking doesn't mean local knowledge.

Method

How we reviewed

Every agency went through the same three rounds, each looking harder at fewer agencies.

  1. Screen. Names SEO as a service, has a New York City-area office, active in the last 12 months, names real people, has client reviews. Guaranteed rankings or paid link schemes rule an agency out.
  2. Qualify. Proof of results, rankings for their own New York City searches, reputation, transparency, SEO depth and awards.
  3. Deep dive. For the top 10: review text, team stability on LinkedIn, and 15 AI-assistant answers.

No agency paid to be included, and none was contacted. We re-check each quarter. Send a correction · Full methodology

Three of 2,339 made the list

Found in New York City2,339

Offer SEO504

Passed the screen70

Deep-dive finalists12

Listed3

FAQ

Questions, answered

How much does an SEO company cost in New York City?

Among agencies that publish a price, monthly SEO plans start between $59 (a hosting-and-SEO bundle) and $4,500, with a median of about $1,100. Most agencies quote after a call.

How do I choose an SEO agency in New York City?

Ask for case studies with real numbers from businesses like yours, the contract length and exit terms, and who will do the work. Check whether the team is actually in New York.

Do I need a New York City-based SEO company?

Not necessarily, but many firms with a Manhattan address work from a coworking desk or elsewhere. If local knowledge matters to you, confirm where the team is.

Is SEO still worth it with AI search?

Yes, but don't take an AI assistant's agency list at face value. In our tests, the two New York agencies AI assistants named most often both failed our screen.

Is hiring an agency my only option?

No. Many businesses hire a fractional SEO instead: one senior specialist working directly on the account, with less overhead.

Photo of Andrew Eagar

About the reviewer

Andrew Eagar

Andrew Eagar has worked in SEO since 2008. He has been Director of SEO at four agencies, built SEO departments from the ground up and led teams of more than 20 SEOs, on brands including Twitter, Amazon, S&P Global, PGA Tour, Allstate and Seagate. He has contributed to Moz and Clutch, and today runs The Fractional SEO in Virginia. LinkedIn