Top 12 SEM Agencies to Help Your Business Boost ROI

Building a successful search engine marketing (SEM) strategy isn’t just about what you work on. It’s also about who you decide to work with.

The people on your team will determine how well you plan and execute your SEM campaigns. And we’re not just talking about your in-house experts — it’s also about your agency partners.

Working with a search marketing agency can ensure you have the support and expertise you need to reach your goals. But how do you find the right agency?

We reviewed and vetted the best SEM agencies in the game to help with your evaluation process.

The best SEM agencies to consider

Having been in the business for over a decade, we’ve seen plenty of other agencies produce excellent work.

The following SEM firms made it to the list because of their quality of work and industry expertise. In fact, we refer prospects to them when they aren’t the best fit for our agency.

The SEM agencies we listed made it to the top because of their:

• Years of experience
• Awards won
• Partnership with Google
• Organic search and social presence for their own brand
• Impressive client base (multiple companies across multiple industries)

So without further ado, let’s jump into the top 12 SEM agencies.

1. HawkSEM

Us, biased? No waaay.

But in all seriousness, we think HawkSEM genuinely deserves the spot at the top of this list because of our wide-ranging services and expertise across various fields.

We work with a large number of companies of all sizes, from small businesses to enterprises, and across markets like B2B, B2C, ecommerce, software-as-a-service (SaaS), finance, healthcare, education, and professional services.

Odds are, if you need to build your online presence, traffic, and conversions, we can help you get the job done.

If you’re looking for a well-rounded search engine marketing strategy, we can build and execute it for you. But don’t just take our word for it. We have numerous case studies to back this claim.

For example, Caring Places Management, an assisted living services provider, partnered with HawkSEM to drive more organic traffic to its website from the SERPs (search engine results pages).

After developing a solid, long-term SEO strategy, we put it into action and monitored their site’s performance. This included developing blog categories and filters as well as optimizing existing content for high-value keywords.

The end result: triple the keyword rankings and a 79% increase in website traffic. Our proprietary software, ConversionIQ, makes keyword research easier. It pinpoints keywords that drive results, which means more quality leads coming to your site.

If you’d like to see more of our results-driven campaigns, then check out our other case studies.

Best for: B2B/B2C, ecommerce, SaaS, finance, healthcare, education, professional services

Services offered:

• Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
• PPC Services (Google Ads + Microsoft Ads)
• SEO (for both Google and Bing)
• Content Marketing
• Paid Social Media Marketing
• Conversion Rate Optimization
• Ecommerce Marketing
• Remarketing
• Landing page optimization (with the help of our talented copywriters)

Clients:

• Microsoft
• Verizon
• Siemens
• Nike

2. Merkle

Merkle is a big agency with over 16,000 employees across the world and world-class clients.

In fact, Merkle was recently recognized as ‘Best in Class’ in the PAC Innovation RADAR for Adobe & Salesforce-related services in Europe.

But it’s not your typical Fortune 500 company. The agency works closely with customers to build deep relationships.

It offers a range of multi-channel marketing services that encompass everything from digital marketing strategy to Google Analytics and more.

It also offers several high-quality products, such as New Stream Media, which is a platform that uses first-party data to match vendors with shoppers in their preferred media channels. Cutting-edge technology for a cutting-edge agency.

The advantages of working with Merkle is that it:

• Can handle large workloads (ideal for scaling)
• Has huge market expertise and a personal database
• Offers several products tailored to the services it provides

The only downside is that it may not be suitable for small business’s budgets.

Best for: Enterprise businesses and businesses looking to scale

Services offered:

• Performance Media
• Digital messaging
• Analytics
• Digital and user experience
• B2B marketing solutions
• Customer Strategy
• Data solutions
• Performance creatives
• Loyalty solutions
• Promotion and gamification
• Enterprise Technology

Clients:

• Google
• Adobe
• Salesforce
• Amazon
• Oracle

3. Rise Interactive

Rise Interactive is a performance marketing agency that caters to B2B and ecommerce brands. The agency excels in helping companies with lead generation via its wide range of SEM services.

It also has its own proprietary tool called Connex, which is an online marketing platform that provides cross-channel management and optimization.

This tool gathers and unifies data from various channels to detect performance trends. Then the agency proactively uses the intelligence to capitalize on opportunities in real time.

Rise has multiple awards and accolades to its name, such as the Excellence Award from Web Excellence, a Product of the Year win from the Sales and Marketing Technology Awards, and a finalist spot from the US Agency Awards of 2023.

Rise Interactive is a strategic partner of Google, Meta, Amazon Ads, and Snapchat Business, giving it an advantage in building winning campaigns across these channels.

The fact it’s a well-established brand and recognized by industry partners makes it a good choice for companies large and small.

Best for: Healthcare companies, B2B, ecommerce, enterprise and SMB

Services offered:

• Paid search
• Amazon ads
• Programmatic ad solutions
• A wide range of analytics
• Customer experience (CX)
• Content marketing

Clients:

• Ulta
• Nicklaus Children’s Hospital
• Quill.com
• American Lung Association

4. Tinuiti

Tinuiti is a Fortune 1,000 agency that touts itself as a “brand performance accelerator” – and we agree.
It’s one of the largest independent performance marketing firms on digital platforms like Google, Facebook, and Amazon.

Tinuiti has worked with major brands, such as Converse, Nestle, Ethan Allen, and Etsy.

Plus, it managed media budgets as high as $3 billion. Tinuiti has over 1,000 employees that help its clients achieve their internet marketing goals.

It uses multiple channels, including commerce, streaming, paid media, and earned and owned media.

Like most top agencies, Tinuiti has built a proprietary software called Mobius which is a suite of marketing intelligence and media activation technology to help clients understand every data touchpoint.

In other words, the agency can make moves in real time to optimize your marketing campaigns.

Best for: Ecommerce brands, businesses looking to expand their streaming campaigns

Services offered:

• Marketing and strategy services for Amazon
• SEO
• Paid search
• Target acceleration program
• Walmart eCommerce
• Paid social
• Lifestyle marketing
• Influencer marketing
• Shoppable media
• Analytics

Clients:

• Poppi
• Rite Aid
• Olly
• e.l.f. cosmetics

5. iCrossing

Next up is iCrossing, which was named a leader in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for Global Marketing Agencies for several consecutive years.

It’s a big agency doing big things with 19 offices across the world, including the U.S., U.K., Germany, Italy, and Latin America.

iCrossing is also a strategic partner of Google, Adobe, Microsoft, Shopify, Amazon, and Salesforce. Talk about a big contender for driving amazing results.

If you’re a large enterprise looking to scale, then this is a marketing company worth looking into.

Best for: Enterprise businesses

Services offered:

• Data and consumer insights
• Customer and user experience
• Creative strategy
• Ecommerce
• Cross-platform integration & engineering
• SEO and performance media

Clients:

• CeraVe
• SkinCeuticals
• LG Electronics
• Toyota

6. Jellyfish

Jellyfish is an agency that helps businesses innovate by combining talent and partnerships to delight global audiences. It uses a unique approach — giving brands a platform to perform.

The agency has proprietary J+ media suites that use a mix of digital marketing, graphic design, and content creation to develop and manage paid ad campaigns.

It also tracks and analyzes data, and can accelerate growth on ecommerce platforms. Jellyfish is a strategic partner of Google, Meta, Amazon Ads, Salesforce, LinkedIn, Tiktok, and others.

In one of its campaigns for Greenpeace, Jellyfish developed a creative campaign, including social posts and display ads, to address France’s food poverty.

The campaign generated two million impressions across social media, received seven industry awards, and 22,000 petition signatures.

Jellyfish is equipped with over 2,000 employees in 38 offices across more than a dozen countries. So wherever you are, they can likely localize your campaign for success.

Best for: Large enterprise businesses

Services offered:

• Display
• Paid search campaigns
• SEO
• Retail media
• Paid social
• Brand strategy
• Marketing intelligence
• Web and app measurement
• Advanced analytics and modeling

Clients:

• Netflix
• Greenpeace
• Willowton Group
• Deckers Brands

7. Wpromote

Wpromote is a multi-award-winning, full-service digital marketing agency that works with SMBs and medium-sized enterprises.

Those awards (more than 50 and counting) include recognition from the likes of Adweek, The Drum, DigiDay, Campaign, AdAge, and more. They’re also a Google Premier Partner (clearly, we’re in good company).

With offices across the U.S., Wpromote runs the gamut with top-notch talent and invaluable insight across industries and demographics.

If you need an agency that can develop a complete digital marketing campaign and execute it in style, contact Wpromote.

Best for: SMB, medium-sized companies

Services offered:

• Paid search
• Paid social
• Amazon and retail media
• Performance creative
• Affiliate marketing
• Converged TB
• Digital experience
• SEO services
• Content marketing
• Email marketing
• Influencer marketing
• Conversion rate optimization
• Strategy and planning
• Reporting and data visualization

Clients:

• KitchenAid
• Samsung
• Adobe
• Instacart

8. AdVenture

AdVenture is a prestigious SEM marketing agency without a hefty price. It’s perfect for small and medium businesses (SMBs) that desire industry experience that can deliver results without hurting their budget.

According to AdVenture, they provide 100% neurotic digital advertising services, which says plenty about their out-of-the-box style.

And it’s grown in popularity, catering to over 500 companies that chose this agency to manage their paid search and social campaigns. In 2020, was awarded one of the top 32 ad agencies in NYC by Expertise.com.

Ready to add this premier Google Partner to your team? Consider consulting with one of its SEM experts to find out how to get on board.

Best for: SMB, startups

Services offered:

• Enterprise AdWords management
• PPC for eCommerce
• Remarketing
• Facebook PPC campaign management
• Landing page design
• Training and consulting
• A/B Testing
• Web development

Clients:

• Sports Illustrated
• Nasdaq
• Forbes
• Hanes Brands

Ignite Visibility

Ignite Visibility is a top-rated search engine marketing agency that caters to SMBs and boasts awards from the likes of Inc., Clutch, UpCity, and more.

Although it has big-name clients like Experian, Tony Robbins, and California’s Army and Navy Academy, it still values helping the underdog companies looking to grow and scale.

Furthermore, Ignite Visibility is also involved in social causes in San Diego and donates 5-10% of its business to pro-bono campaigns.

Ignite Visibility is an agency you stick with long-term. Doing so provides more value since its packages are intensive and designed to improve your business over time.

Free consultations are available, so you can begin by talking to one of its experts to find out more.

Best for: SMB

Services offered:

• Website design and development
• Google penalty removal and recovery
• Amazon optimization and marketing
• Online reputation management
• Email marketing
• Radio
• Franchise marketing
• TV
• Influencer marketing

Clients:

• Tony Robbins
• Experian
• The Knot Worldwide

10. Victorious SEO

Victorious SEO is a local and national agency that concentrates on everything search engine optimization.

Based in San Francisco, California, Victorious hosts a roster of talented workers in cities across the country.

The agency caters to several markets, from small business SEO and local services to enterprise, international SEO, new websites, and more.

Being strictly an SEO agency makes it a master of optimization, earning it awards from Search Engine Land, U.S. Search Awards, and Clutch for being a top global SEO agency.

The agency’s company culture is also worth noting if you prefer to work with ethical professionals. It has a people-first ethos and believes in total transparency and honest communication regarding client SEO campaigns.

As an ROI-obsessed agency, you know you can trust Victorious SEO to generate a return on your campaigns.

Best for: SMB and local services

Services offered:

• E-commerce (Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, BigCommerce)
• SaaS
• Travel
• Real Estate
• Luxury
• SEO for News Publishers
• Cannabis SEO

Clients:

• Citron Hennessey
• Save the Music Foundation
• Eden Health
• Union Bay

11. Thrive

Thrive is another multi-award-winning agency that’s received recognition for being a top SEO company from Clutch, Inc. 5000, and UpCity.

Plus, it’s a Premier Google Partner, which means it has a proven track record of generating real results. Then to top it off, Thrive’s an official member of the Forbes Agency Council.

Their services are available to any size business, including SMBs, local brick-and-mortar companies, and multi-location organizations. However, its core focus areas are education, finance, health/medical, home services, and manufacturing.

If you’re interested in seeing how this agency can help you thrive, then schedule a call to receive a free proposal.

Best for: SMB, brick-and-mortar, finance, healthcare, home services, and manufacturing

Services offered:

• Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
• Franchise SEO
• Local SEO
• Technical SEO
• Link Building
• Web Design & Development
• Custom Website Design
• Social Media Marketing
• Pay Per Click (PPC) Management
• Video Production

Clients:

• Innovate MR
• American Institute of Dental Public Health
• Kranium Consulting
• Prestige ER

12. Dentsu

You know you have a winner when the agency you work with puts out reports that direct CMOs to the newest trends and economic climate to prepare them to make tough decisions.

That’s what you get with Dentsu.

As for clients, you’ll see some familiar name brands like Oreo, Kroger, and Foot Locker found this agency capable enough to use for their campaigns.

What sets this agency apart is its focus on leveraging consumer intelligence to help brands spearhead competitors, while winning the hearts of consumers.

To date, Dentsu has worked with more than 11,000 clients, caters to more than 100 markets, and employs tens of thousands of passionate professionals.

If you need an agency that’s well-orchestrated, yet flexible enough to try new things, then reach out to its experts today.

Best for: Enterprise businesses

Services offered:

• Branding
• Design, create, and optimize media experiences
• Develop data-driven strategies for enhanced customer experiences

Clients:

• Oreo
• Kroger
• Footlocker

The takeaway

Generally, when selecting the right agency for your needs, consider everything: cost, vertical expertise, experience, and past successes.

The more you know about the agency, the better you can evaluate if they can add value to your business.

So check out the options on this list and connect with a few to see which matches your business best.

If you consider HawkSEM as an option for your company, then reach out to our team to see how we can take your business to the next level.