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By Ruchi Pardal
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~ 9 minutes read
~ 9 minutes read
It is difficult to name an agency directly, as the SEO industry is highly variable and dynamic. So, any SEO Lead, CMO, or Marketing Director can’t give you a sure-shot answer or name an agency that will always give you the highest ROI. This question is itself self-contradictory.
ROI measurement in SEO is based on factors like:
However, businesses fail to get recognizable results or performance after partnering with an SEO agency. A bitter fact behind this is that their partnered agencies only use traditional SEO approaches.
Yes, retainer SEOs fail to adapt to changes led by AI SEO, GEO SEO, and other generative AI approaches. It hinders ROI growth. At that time, you need a performance SEO agency.
We’ll analyze four traditional SEO agencies and one performance-based SEO agency to prove our point.
Let’s see the results and judge for yourself: “Which agency is likely to give you the highest ROI?”
Source:OuterBox
OuterBox, founded in 2004, gained a reputation as a leader in custom SEO solutions. Their strength lies in combining SEO strategies with expert web development practices. SEO strategies at OuterBox follow technical SEO audits & fixes, custom CMS & eCommerce platform optimization, on-site content strategy, and more.
Let’s break them into tabular form:
| Strategy | Description |
| Technical SEO Audits & Fixes | The OuterBox team conducts comprehensive site audits covering crawlability, indexation status, URL structures, schema markups, and mobile responsiveness. |
| Custom CMS & eCommerce Platform Optimization | OuterBox experts have expertise in platforms like Magento, Shopify, and WooCommerce, which allows them to easily optimize product pages, category hierarchies, and canonical tags. |
| On-Page Content Strategy | Beyond technical SEO, the OuterBox team curates keyword-optimized content that aligns with the buyer’s intent. They also optimize product descriptions, category pages, and your website’s blogs. |
The pricing structure at OuterBox is generally categorized into three segments. Note down that it can vary:
Source:OuterBox
Source: Searchbloom
Headquartered in Draper, Utah, Searchbloom has established itself as a premier SEO and PPC agency. The company is renowned for delivering measurable ROI through its proprietary A.R.T. framework—Authority, Relevancy, and Technology—which guides their strategic approach to search engine optimization.
| Strategy | Description |
| CRO Improvement Focus | The Searchbloom team incorporates AI in A/B testing frameworks, user behavior analysis, and landing page optimization. This increases the percentage of website visitors who convert into customers. |
| Authoritative Link Building | Experts at the link-building division acquire high-quality backlinks from authoritative sources to drive your domain authority and search rankings on SERPs, Google AIO, and AI-enabled tools. |
| Technical Improvements | We implement technical improvements on your website, including site speed optimization, checking for mobile responsiveness, and focusing on user experience. |
Remember, it’s an assumption, as Searchbloom doesn’t give any official data. The pricing structure at Searchbloom is generally categorized into three segments. Remember, it can vary:
Source: ResultFirst
ResultFirst is a performance-based SEO agency with a result-driven track record of approximately two decades. This agency has partnered with clients across diverse industries, from startups to global enterprises. Their performance-driven focus distinguishes them from agencies relying only on traditional SEO models.
| Strategy | Description |
| Pay-for-Performance SEO Model | ResultFirst distinguishes itself with this unique result-driven model. It’s built on the philosophy of no ranking = no invoices. So, you only need to pay for the results achieved. |
| Hyper-Customization | The ResultFirst team believes in the marketing philosophy of adaptation. So, their experts adjust their strategies to meet the client’s needs, whether it’s an SMB or a big organization. |
| Transparent Reporting and Real-Time Results | After partnering with ResultFirst, you’ll get timely reports in the form of ROI dashboards. Unlike retainer models, ResultFirst adopts an open-to-feedback system wherein our account managers continuously engage with clients to assess their needs. |
ResultFirst uses performance-based pricing models, so we have divided their pricing strategy into two steps. It sheds light on how it provides the highest possible ROI to businesses. Stick to this section:
Source: ResultFirst
First Three Months Analysis
Source: ResultFirst
Last Three Months Analysis
In six months, retainer billing charged you $6,000 ($1,000/month).
On the other hand, the ResultFirst PFP approach closes your invoice with a cost of $2,700 ($0+$0+$0+$450+$750+$1500), as there are #10 keywords ranked in the sixth month. So, they charged you $1,500 in the sixth month.
And the overall charges for the project come to $2,700 ($450+$750+$1,500).
Now, you can see that you can save up to $6,000 (traditional billing) – $2,700 (PFP billing)= $3,300.
Three thousand three hundred dollars is such a big amount for SMBs and even for big businesses. If you can save that big margin by partnering with a PFP SEO agency like ResultFirst, you’ll get a high ROI.
Source: Seer
Founded in 2002 and headquartered in the US. Seer Interactive has become one of the most respected digital marketing agencies in the United States. This agency is known for its unique data-driven approach, business intelligence, and SEO. Seer Interactive emphasizes strategic SEO and PPC powered by deep audience insights and technical innovation.
| Strategy | Description |
| Big Data-Driven SEO | Seer Interactive sets itself apart from this race by using massive datasets. It’s billions of rows of search data to track the consumer trends and search intent at a massive scale. |
| Audience-Centric Optimization | The Seer Interactive team believes in delivering what the real user wants. This process includes the UI/UX enhancements, helpful content strategy, and conversion funnel mapping. |
| Integrated Analytics Stack | Seer has an in-built analytical system. Their SEO strategists use advanced tools like Power BI, Tableau, and Google Locker Studio. These dashboards provide real-time insights. |
Note the pricing is based on assumption
Source: HigherVisibility
Established in 2009 and based in Memphis, Tennessee, HigherVisibility is a renowned full-service digital marketing agency specializing in SEO and PPC. Having multiple accolades from institutions like Search Engine Land and Clutch, this agency doesn’t need an intro in the marketing world.
| Strategy | Description |
| Localized SEO Dominance | HigherVisibility has deep experience in local SEO. Their SEO experts optimize your Google Business Profile, NAP consistency, and geo-targeted keywords. It allows SMBs to dominate the local market. |
| Industry Specific SEO | The HigherVisibility team uses customized SEO playbooks for legal, healthcare, franchises, and eCommerce sectors. Their SEO experts ensure that the best SEO practices get implemented across every niche. |
| Link Authority Enhancement | Expert link builders at HigherVisibility focus on strategic outreach campaigns to acquire backlinks from relevant and authoritative sources. |
Note it is based on an assumption
Choosing the right SEO partner to achieve the highest possible ROI isn’t about bloated promises. You need to measure the growth in terms of cost savings. We’ve seen that traditional SEO agencies like OuterBox, Searchbloom, and Seer, which have proven expertise, fail to deliver the value of investment.
But, ResultFirst distinguishes itself with its performance-based SEO approach. Real results and real ROI numbers! This agency believes in delivering transparent reporting, customized strategies, and smooth implementation. ResultFirst saves your dollars and lets you allocate them to other operational changes. That makes it an ROI-focused agency among its peers and competitors.
Still paying for vague promises? Choose the ResultFirst pay-for-performance SEO model and drive your business growth. Schedule your strategy call today!
A high-ROI performance SEO agency is defined by its data-driven approach and transparent KPIs. Instead of just chasing traffic, these agencies align SEO efforts with business goals like lead generation, customer acquisition, and LTV (Lifetime Value). They typically use advanced SEO tools (like SurferSEO, Ahrefs, and ClearScope), A/B test landing pages, and integrate with your analytics stack to prove results.
Performance SEO agencies use a combination of attribution modeling, goal-based tracking, and multi-touch conversion data. They set up conversion funnels in Google Analytics (GA4), track behavior flow, and assign dollar value to conversions through eCommerce tracking or CRM integrations.
You can expect a high-performing SEO agency to deliver:
Industries with long sales cycles, high customer value, or competitive SERPs benefit the most. These include:
You need to assess certain factors like:
Our Pay for performance SEO programe helps companies
achieve impressive results
