Nottingham has one of the strongest search marketing scenes outside London. Several of the UK’s best-known SEO agencies started here, and the city is home to everything from 100-person firms on King Street to small specialist teams in the Lace Market and West Bridgford. That choice is useful, but it also makes picking the right partner harder.
We compared eight agencies that work with Nottingham businesses on how they measure results, how transparent their reporting is, what they specialise in and how much they publish about pricing. Most are based in Nottingham. Our top pick is not, and we explain why below. If you want a second view before choosing, this SEO Agency Nottingham guide ranks eight agencies on results, reporting and pricing.
How we chose these agencies
- Measurement: whether the agency ties SEO to leads and revenue rather than rankings alone.
- Evidence: published results with sources and dates.
- Transparency: clear reporting and, where possible, published prices.
- Specialism: what kind of business each agency serves best.
1. SEO Engico
SEO Engico is a London-based SEO and link building agency that works with businesses across the UK, US and Australia, including clients outside London who work with the team remotely. It is our top choice for Nottingham businesses that want to know exactly what SEO is worth before they commit to a long programme.
Its approach starts with measurement. In the first 30 days, called the Revenue Baseline, the team configures GA4 conversion values, recovers conversions lost on Safari and iOS, attributes calls and forms to the searches that produced them and connects closed deals in the CRM back to the original query. The client then receives a plain-English readout of what organic search is currently worth each month. If SEO Engico cannot show that within 30 days, the client does not pay for that phase.
Only then does growth work begin: technical SEO, content, on-page work, local SEO (Google Business Profile, citations and local pages), authority building and reporting against the baseline, including months when results do not move.
The published results are specific. Be Cool Refrigeration, a London commercial refrigeration firm, reached 9,091 UK organic clicks in a quarter, up 127% year on year according to Search Console. Entour Brand grew from 63 to 969 US organic clicks per quarter, and One Planet Migration Law has grown organic clicks every quarter since tracking began.
Key facts:
- Building since 2018, with 190+ clients across B2B and agency work
- SEO Agency of the Year (London and South East England), Prestige Awards 2026/27
- 2026 finalist, Best Digital Marketing Agency, UK Small Business Awards
- Manually vetted link building, with 94% of links live after 12 months
Pricing: published. The Revenue Baseline is $3,499 one-off. The Growth retainer is $4,500 a month after a three-month initial term, and Senior starts at $7,500 a month. Invoices can be issued in pounds on request.
Best for: Nottingham businesses that want SEO tied to revenue, with published prices and a guarantee on the first phase.
2. Impression
Impression was founded in 2012 and is headquartered at Fothergill House on King Street, with further offices in London, Manchester and New York. Its team of more than 120 covers SEO, AI search visibility, paid media and digital PR. It is a certified B Corp and has worked with brands including Cancer Research UK.
Best for: larger brands that want a full-service performance agency with a Nottingham base.
3. Hallam
Hallam was founded in 1999 by Susan Hallam MBE and is one of the longest-running digital agencies in the city. It is 100% employee-owned and a certified B Corp. Its 60-plus staff work across SEO, paid media, digital PR, content and development, and it has won Best Integrated Search Agency at the Global Search Awards along with several European Search Awards.
Best for: organisations that want an established, award-winning integrated search agency.
4. Exposure Ninja
Exposure Ninja was founded in 2012 by Tim Cameron-Kitchen and is based at Tudor Square in West Bridgford, with offices in London and Cebu City. Its 50-plus team covers SEO, AI search optimisation, PPC, content and web design. It is a B Corp and offers a free website review before you commit.
Best for: businesses that want to start with a free review before choosing a package.
5. Adtrak
Adtrak has been based in Nottingham since 1997 and has close to 100 staff. It combines SEO with web design, PPC and branding, and works heavily with construction, retail, professional services and healthcare businesses. It holds Google Partner status.
Best for: local service businesses that want their website and SEO handled together.
6. Cartwright
Cartwright was founded in 2006 and works from Nottingham’s Creative Quarter, with offices in London and Birmingham. Its team of up to 40 covers SEO, digital PR, technical audits and content. One published six-month campaign increased impressions by 202% and applications by 525%.
Best for: brands that want SEO combined with digital PR and communications.
7. Growthack
Growthack is a small Nottingham agency focused on technical SEO, content, brand authority and website migrations, with B2B software firm elementsuite among its clients. It is one of the few local agencies to publish prices: its Growth System starts at £2,500 a month plus VAT, and its Authority Engine starts at £5,000.
Best for: growing B2B companies that want a small senior team with published pricing.
8. Herdl
Herdl is a Nottingham agency of 10 to 49 people whose work splits mainly between SEO and PPC. It holds a 5.0 rating on Clutch.
Best for: businesses that want SEO and Google Ads run by one local team.
Comparison at a glance
| Agency | Base | Known for | Pricing published |
|---|---|---|---|
| SEO Engico | London, works UK-wide | Revenue-first SEO, vetted links | Yes |
| Impression | King Street, Nottingham | Full-service performance | No |
| Hallam | King Street, Nottingham | Integrated search, awards | No |
| Exposure Ninja | West Bridgford | SEO and AI search, free review | No |
| Adtrak | Nottingham | Web design plus SEO | No |
| Cartwright | Creative Quarter | SEO and digital PR | No |
| Growthack | Nottingham | Technical B2B SEO | Yes, from £2,500/month |
| Herdl | Nottingham | SEO and PPC | No |
Does your SEO agency need to be in Nottingham?
A local agency can be useful if you want face-to-face meetings or if local knowledge matters to your campaign. But most SEO work happens in analytics, content and outreach, and good agencies run it just as well remotely. What matters more is whether the agency measures the right outcomes and reports honestly. If your goal is local visibility, check that any agency, wherever it is based, handles Google Business Profile, citations and location pages.
Frequently asked questions
How much does SEO cost in Nottingham?
Entry-level local retainers typically start at a few hundred pounds a month, growth retainers run into the low thousands, and award-winning agencies often have minimums of several thousand pounds a month. Ask what is included and how results will be measured.
How long does SEO take to work?
Most businesses see early movement within three to six months, with larger gains after that. Agencies that measure from a clear baseline can show progress sooner.
Final thoughts
Nottingham businesses are well served by local agencies such as Impression, Hallam and Exposure Ninja. For businesses that want SEO judged on revenue from day one, with published prices and a first-phase guarantee, SEO Engico is our top recommendation.
