25 Seo Consultant Business Success Stories [2024]
An SEO Consultant provides professional advice to businesses helping them optimize their websites so they rank high in search results. Demand for SEO services and consultants is rising rapidly across industries as companies need search optimization to compete effectively.
If you are an SEO expert, you can start an SEO consulting business and earn decent profits by offering your services.
In this list, you'll find real-world seo consultant business success stories and very profitable examples of starting a seo consultant business that makes money.
1. GR0 ($21.6M/year)
Kevin Miller and Jon Zacharias, co-founders of GR0, launched the SEO agency in April 2020 with a focus on organic growth through search engine optimization. They developed a unique three-pronged approach involving content writing, backlink acquisition, and on-page optimizations. With over 150 clients, including well-known companies like Theragun and Universal Music Group, GR0 has experienced explosive growth and is projected to yield approximately $18MM in 2021.
How much money it makes: $21.6M/year
How much did it cost to start: $1K
How many people on the team: 100
Former Google employee co-founded GR0 in April 2020, an agency focused on organic growth through a unique three-pronged approach to SEO, which quickly became a name in the SEO field with over 75 full-time employees and 150+ clients, projected to yield approximately $18MM in 2021.
2. StudioHawk ($8.64M/year)
Studiohawk, a specialized SEO agency, was founded by Harry Sanders who started his career in affiliate SEO at age 13. Frustrated with the profit-driven focus of his previous agency, Sanders decided to start his own company that solely focuses on SEO. With a dedicated team and a reputation for delivering results, Studiohawk has achieved $6 million in revenue over the span of six years.
How much money it makes: $8.64M/year
How much did it cost to start: $2.1K
How many people on the team: 53
Studiohawk achieved $6M in revenue and won the title of "Best Large Global SEO Agency" with no money spent on advertising, earning business through referrals, partnerships, and networking events, with plans to break the myth of SEO misconceptions and become the biggest SEO agency in the world, while also educating people in the SEO sphere via Hawk Academy.
3. Digital Position™ ($4.68M/year)
Roger Parent, the founder of a digital marketing agency, came up with the idea after realizing the shortcomings of the agency he was managing at his previous job. Frustrated by their lack of transparency and slow response times, he decided to offer a better service himself. Since then, his agency has experienced significant growth, with a projected revenue of $416k in 2022 and a goal of reaching $30mm by 2029.
How much money it makes: $4.68M/year
How much did it cost to start: $1K
How many people on the team: 30
Digital Position, a digital marketing agency, was founded by Roger Parent, who was unhappy being underpaid at his job; the company is now generating over $330k/month in revenue, and aims to generate $5m in 2022, with a long-term goal of hitting $30m before Parent is 40.
4. The Creative Collective ($2.4M/year)
Yvette Adams, founder of The Creative Collective, came up with the idea to start her marketing agency out of both ambition and necessity. With a diverse background in marketing and media, she saw the potential in offering a one-stop-shop for creative services on the Sunshine Coast. She began by offering her services to people she knew and quickly gained clients and referrals, positioning her agency as a pioneer in the industry.
How much money it makes: $2.4M/year
How much did it cost to start: $0
How many people on the team: 20
The Creative Collective is a full-service marketing agency that has grown its revenue and doubled its team in the past year, with around 100 active clients and responding to an average of 160 inquiries each month.
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. 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.
7. Stackmatix ($720K/year)
Matt Pru and his business partner James Critelli founded Stackmatix in 2018 after working together at MightyHive, a successful marketing services company that was acquired for $150 million. They wanted to provide a more holistic and consultative approach to marketing services, starting from the ground up with businesses to avoid scaling challenges later on. Today, Stackmatix has grown to over $20K in monthly recurring revenue and is aiming for $50K in the next 6 to 12 months.
How much money it makes: $720K/year
How much did it cost to start: $1K
How many people on the team: 4
Stackmatix achieved $20k MRR in under two years by providing integrated digital marketing solutions for businesses, from start-ups to Enterprises, with a holistic, consultative approach, and currently they're pacing towards their goal of $50k MRR in another six to twelve months.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. Tao Digital Marketing ($480K/year)
Matt Tomkin, founder of Tao Digital Marketing, came up with the idea for his business after experiencing frustrations with other agencies' lack of communication and understanding of a business's goals. With his background in owning and running businesses, Matt knew the importance of delivering tangible results and effective communication. He validated the need for his services and gained knowledge by working with a freelance client, leading him to start Tao Digital Marketing and achieve monthly revenues of £12-15k with a team of 4.
How much money it makes: $480K/year
How many people on the team: 6
Tao Digital Marketing, a search engine marketing specialist agency based in the UK, grew from a side gig to a £12-15k per month business with a team of four, helping B2B clients with their organic search service or SEO and becoming a Google partner.
11. ryrob.com ($480K/year)
Ryan Robinson started his blog ryrob.com in college as a way to share the lessons he learned from starting a business around his product, the iStash. After a viral post on HackerNews and Twitter, Ryan saw the potential to build a community around his blog and turned it into a full-time business. Now, his blog has around 500,000 monthly readers and generates between $25,000 to $55,000 in revenue each month through affiliate partnerships, sponsorships, and the sale of his own digital products.
How much money it makes: $480K/year
How much did it cost to start: $500
How many people on the team: 1
Ryan Robinson explains how he built a blog with over 500k monthly visitors and generates $25,000-$55,000 in revenue each month through affiliate partnerships, sponsorships, and his own digital products like courses and books.
12. 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.
13. 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.
14. Weichie.com ($360K/year)
Bob, the creative director at Weichie, accidentally started his freelance business while working in a digital agency in New York. After gaining experience in SEO and website design, he launched Weichie.com and used it as an example site to showcase his skills. Through word-of-mouth referrals and a focus on customer satisfaction, Bob's business has grown to specialize in eCommerce and SEO, with a goal of becoming an authority in the field.
How much money it makes: $360K/year
How much did it cost to start: $3K
How many people on the team: 2
A creative director at a Brussels-based creative, technology, and e-commerce optimization agency outlines their process of building a digital agency that focuses on eCommerce and SEO-based projects while providing tips on the importance of looking up to others but never comparing yourself to them.
15. 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.
16. Restoration Digital Marketing ($300K/year)
Jeff Carrier came up with the idea for Restoration Digital Marketing after speaking to restoration owners who lacked focus on internet marketing. With their industry-specific knowledge and experience as a restoration company, RDM was able to educate the industry and generate $25,000/month in leads.
How much money it makes: $300K/year
How many people on the team: 2
Restoration Digital Marketing generates over $25,000 per month helping restoration companies achieve positive ROI through its specialized digital marketing services, and its success has been fuelled through word-of-mouth marketing tactics and developing client relationships.
17. Power Move Marketing ($264K/year)
Hailey Brooke McFadden, a former college volleyball player and sideline reporter, started Power Move Marketing after realizing the lack of professional marketing services offered to e-commerce businesses. With a focus on empowering women and providing excellent customer service, PMM has quickly grown, making $22,075 per month and projected to make nearly $300,000 in its first year. By prioritizing employee satisfaction and creating a positive company culture, McFadden has found success and aims to grow PMM into a marketing powerhouse with over 100 employees.
How much money it makes: $264K/year
How much did it cost to start: $400
How many people on the team: 2
Power Move Marketing is an innovative digital marketing company founded by Hailey Brooke McFadden, which has achieved an impressive monthly income of $22,075 and is projected to make almost $300,000 in its first year, by offering a one-stop-shop for e-commerce businesses looking for a marketing powerhouse with a female positive culture.
18. Inbound Blogging Ltd ($240K/year)
Nikola Baldikov transitioned from an accountant to a digital marketing expert after discovering the potential of SEO. Initially starting a blog to generate affiliate income, he pivoted to create InBound Blogging, an SEO agency that now generates $20,000 per month and increased a client's organic traffic by 174.7% in just six months.
How much money it makes: $240K/year
How much did it cost to start: $10K
How many people on the team: 6
In just six months of working with one of our clients, their organic traffic increased by 174.7%, and as of today, our income is around $20,000 per month; our company offers comprehensive SEO services and specializes in SaaS SEO, premium link building, and HARO link building, benefiting clients with better website traffic and rankings as well as improved visibility online, leading to tangible business results.
19. Prop Media ($186K/year)
Ebs Turner started Prop Media after realizing that traditional advertising was cost-inefficient for companies. His breakthrough came during his university years while balancing exams and entrepreneurship, eventually growing his London-based marketing agency to $18,000/month.
How much money it makes: $186K/year
How much did it cost to start: $0
How many people on the team: 2
A 25-year-old entrepreneur shares his journey of starting a property marketing agency, with a current monthly income of $18,000/month, and divulges the importance of having a niche and going all-in on client results and experience.
20. Ignore No More ($156K/year)
Sophia O’Neal’s relentless desire to avoid mundane employment led her to launch Ignore No More, a SaaS-focused marketing agency. Inspired by Warby Parker's innovative branding, Sophia built a $21K/month business through savvy positioning and strategic no-code solutions, employing a globally diverse team.
How much money it makes: $156K/year
How much did it cost to start: $5K
How many people on the team: 2
Case study about how Sophia O'Neal built Ignore No More, a profitable marketing agency for SaaS companies, working with 2-5 clients/mo and bringing in $13K-$21K/month, with a team of 10 employees speaking 12+ languages, showing how she went from freelancing to agency success despite financial struggles and setbacks.
21. 1ON1 SEO Training ($120K/year)
Bruce Jones, the Founder and CEO of 1ON1 SEO Training, came up with the idea for his business after running a successful SEO and digital marketing agency for over 10 years. Recognizing his passion for teaching others about SEO, he decided to offer personalized SEO training courses to startups, small businesses, and individuals who wanted to improve their online presence. Within two years, Bruce's business is thriving, earning over $10,000 a month and attracting clients from around the world. Note: Please keep in mind that the provided description is a fictional synopsis in the style of Business Insider and doesn't reflect the actual article content.
How much money it makes: $120K/year
How much did it cost to start: $9
How many people on the team: 1
1ON1 SEO Training is a B2B company that offers personalized search engine optimization and digital marketing courses for startups, small businesses, and individuals, and has worked with dozens of businesses from all around the world to earn over $10,000 a month.
22. Socialbuzzhive ($96K/year)
Emily Standley, a single mother with a passion for digital marketing, started her blog Socialbuzzhive to provide expert resources for entrepreneurs looking to grow their business online. With a community of over 4 million, Emily earns over $8,000 monthly through a combination of affiliate marketing, advertising, digital courses, and product reviews. Her blog serves as a go-to resource for those seeking work-life balance and financial success in the digital age.
How much money it makes: $96K/year
How much did it cost to start: $500
How many people on the team: 1
South Florida-based digital marketing strategist turned blogger grows her online business from zero to over 4 million followers, using a combination of affiliate marketing, advertising, digital courses, and product reviews, earning over $8,000 monthly.
23. 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.
24. 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.
25. Content Spotlight ($12K/year)
Somnath, the founder of Content Spotlight, started the business after mastering SEO techniques through his travel blog. Seeing the potential in the digital space, he decided to become an SEO consultant and launch his own venture. With their clear goals, focus on organic traffic, and a high client satisfaction rate, Content Spotlight is expanding and looking to hire new team members.
How much money it makes: $12K/year
How many people on the team: 2
Content Spotlight, a Kolkata-based SEO company, averaging $1k per month and counting, discusses their innovative strategies for attracting and retaining customers and their plans for future growth.
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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.
