Manchester is home to some of the UK’s sharpest search specialists, from boutique consultancies to full service agencies with in-house content, digital PR and technical teams. Below is a handpicked list of 11 agencies that regularly deliver solid organic growth for clients. We looked at publicly available case studies, service pages, sector fit and Manchester presence to build a practical shortlist you can actually use.
1) Fly High Media
Fly High Media leads this list for its focus on commercially driven SEO that ties rankings to leads and revenue. The team offers full organic strategy alongside PPC, paid social and CRO, which means they can line up search with performance channels and report on business impact rather than vanity metrics. With offices in Manchester and Cheshire and a clear SEO offering dedicated to Manchester businesses, Fly High is set up for brands that want accountable growth and responsive support.
2) Embryo
Embryo is a well known Manchester agency with a strong reputation for multi channel campaigns where SEO, content and digital PR work together. Their SEO pages set out a holistic approach that covers the small details as well as bigger strategic moves, which suits brands that need depth across technical, content and authority building. If you want an agency that can plug into wider paid activity and creative, Embryo is a solid bet.
3) Candidsky
Candidsky’s Manchester SEO team talks plainly about traffic, rankings and qualified leads. They combine technical clean up, on site content and digital PR to grow search visibility in a measured way, and they publish service detail that helps buyers understand what will actually happen month to month. Good choice for B2B and ecommerce brands that want steady, defensible wins.
4) Dark Horse
Dark Horse positions itself as a forensic search outfit, and the SEO material backs that up with a data led stance and clear performance claims across sessions, revenue and conversions. The tone is bold, the approach is focused, and they are rooted in Manchester, which makes them a fit for marketers who like direct communication and firm targets.
5) Red Cow Media
Red Cow Media is a Manchester city centre agency that covers SEO alongside paid media and CRO. Their SEO pages stress a strong grip on ranking factor shifts and a hands on mindset, which will suit teams that want an agency to obsess over site health, content quality and ongoing gains. Useful if you also want to tie organic work to conversion uplift.
6) Gorilla Marketing
Gorilla Marketing runs SEO and PPC with a clear Manchester presence and a simple, no nonsense service pitch. They are a fit for SMEs that want a specialist search partner to lift local and national visibility without getting lost in jargon. If you value close contact and incremental growth, add them to your shortlist.
7) PushON
PushON blends ecommerce build with marketing, which is handy if your stack is Magento or Shopify and you need technical SEO that respects how your platform works. With roots in Manchester and service lines across SEO, PPC and broader ecommerce support, they are well suited to product catalogues, layered navigation issues and revenue tracking.
8) Add People
Based in Altrincham, Add People focuses on helping SMEs grow through accessible SEO and paid media packages. If you need a partner that can meet you at your current level and scale with you as budgets and ambition rise, their model and messaging will appeal. It is a practical option for local businesses that want search handled without heavy internal resource. Add People+1
9) CTI Digital
CTI Digital brings serious engineering and marketing firepower, with Manchester and Lancaster offices and dedicated SEO services. They are a sensible pick for larger websites and organisations that need SEO baked into design, development, analytics and content production. Expect structured roadmaps and cross discipline support rather than isolated SEO tasks.
10) Pixel Kicks
Pixel Kicks started life as a web design and development agency in Ancoats and now runs in-house digital marketing, including SEO. If your site needs design or build work alongside organic growth, their mix is useful because you can get content, technical changes and UX tweaks shipped under one roof. Strong option for growing brands that want a tidy site and search gains at the same time.
How to choose the right Manchester SEO partner
Picking an SEO agency is easier when you narrow it down to a few simple checks.
Match their strengths to your goals. If you are ecommerce, look for teams that speak fluently about product feeds, category structures and revenue attribution. If you are B2B, look for pipeline language rather than just traffic.
Ask for three live examples. Case studies matter, but nothing beats a quick walk through of current work. You are looking for the story behind the uplift, the resources required and any bumps they had to smooth out along the way.
Check how work gets shipped. SEO fails when recommendations linger in a backlog. Ask who writes and edits content, who implements technical fixes and how fast typical changes move from plan to live.
Agree on clear numbers. Rankings and sessions are useful, but deals, enquiries and assisted revenue are better for judging value. Set targets that reflect your sales cycle and seasonality.
Keep reporting simple. A concise monthly deck with actions taken, results, what is next and what you need to provide will save time and keep everyone honest.
Manchester’s SEO scene is packed with talent. If you want a team that ties search directly to leads and sales with fast communication and clear next steps, start with Fly High Media. If you want to compare styles and setups, the other ten agencies here give you a balanced view of what the city has to offer. Shortlist three, book discovery calls, and pick the partner that talks about your commercial goals first and tactics second.