{"schema_version":"vendar.ai.decision.v1","model_version":"Evidence-weighted ranking 2026.11.7","object_type":"listing_decision_feed","generated_at":"2026-11-04T10:44:59.923Z","updated_at":"2026-11-03T14:46:43.438Z","vertical":"marketing","listing":{"service_slug":"seo","service_name":"SEO","geo_slug":"seattle","geo_name":"Seattle","focus_slug":"retainer","focus_name":"SEO Agencies on a Monthly Retainer","canonical_url":"https://www.vendar.org/marketing/seo/seattle/retainer","machine_url":"https://www.vendar.org/ai/listings/marketing/seo/seattle/retainer","markdown_url":null,"index_status":"indexable","index_threshold":5},"ranking_contract":{"methodology_url":"https://www.vendar.org/scoring","machine_methodology_url":"https://www.vendar.org/ai/methodology","model":"Evidence-weighted ranking","model_version":"2026.11.7","primary_sort":"score_out_of_100, highest first; ties break on evidence points, then third-party claim count, then name.","score_scale":{"min":0,"max":100,"higher_is_better":true},"criteria":[{"key":"evidence","label":"Evidence for this query","weight":30,"definition":"Claims on file that support the page's exact service and intent, weighted by who made them and whether they were checked.","computed_from":["Third-party claims (client reviews, press, awards) that name the intent: 1.0 verified, 0.8 claimed","First-party claims that name the intent: the vendor's own site and platforms where the vendor writes about itself (partner directories and portals, case-study hosting, paid release wires): 0.8 verified, 0.6 claimed","Directory listings that only name the service: 0.4, with no bonuses","Profile signals (listed services, best-fit tags, editorial use cases): 0.25; a claim whose speaker is unknown: 0.3","Bonus 0.15 when the claim uses the rubric's strongest terms, and 0.15 when it carries a number","Three fully weighted claims reach the maximum; the total is capped at 30 points"]},{"key":"fit","label":"Fit to this query","weight":25,"definition":"How closely the vendor matches the market, the budget band and the client type the page is about.","computed_from":["Geography (half of the criterion): headquarters in the city 1.0, city listed as a service region 0.75, an agency from another city admitted by the regional rule 0.3","Budget (30%): monthly floor disclosed and inside the intent's band 1.0, disclosed but above it 0.5, only a project floor or hourly rate 0.6, nothing disclosed 0.2","Client type (20%): profile names the intent's buyer types 1.0, adjacent wording 0.7, otherwise 0.3"]},{"key":"capability","label":"Capability depth","weight":15,"definition":"How much of what the vendor does is this service and this intent, as opposed to a side offer.","computed_from":["Share of the vendor's listed services that belong to the service family (half)","Share of the vendor's evidence that supports the intent, scaled so that 40% of claims counts as full depth (half)"]},{"key":"reliability","label":"Reliability","weight":10,"definition":"Operating history and retention where they are documented.","computed_from":["Years in business from the founding year, full marks at ten years; an unknown founding year counts as 0.3 (60%)","Client retention rate where documented, otherwise a neutral 0.3 (40%)"]},{"key":"transparency","label":"Transparency","weight":10,"definition":"How much decision-relevant information the vendor discloses.","computed_from":["Any pricing signal disclosed (50%)","Team size disclosed (25%)","Workflow, onboarding or reporting cadence documented (25%)"]},{"key":"reputation","label":"Reputation","weight":5,"definition":"Client review volume and rating on open review platforms: Google, Trustpilot and BBB. Paid agency directories are not counted.","computed_from":["Average rating out of five across Google and Trustpilot, weighted by review count and discounted by review volume (17 reviews count for about 60% of the volume factor, 100 reviews for 100%); a review count without a rating counts as 2.5 of 5"]},{"key":"credibility","label":"Market credibility","weight":5,"definition":"Recognition on file with a source: awards, certifications, partner programs and media mentions.","computed_from":["Awards, certifications, partner programs, third-party validations and media mentions named in the claims on file, each counted once, full marks at four; one claim can name several (\"Meta Business and Google Featured Partner\" counts as two)","Only recognition with a source address counts, and not when its source page does not support it; an award or listing from a paid agency directory never counts","Today the count includes recognition the vendor reports about itself (\"X says it won\"); separating it is part of the next model version"]}],"penalties":[{"code":"needs_review","label":"Profile flagged for review","points":-5,"definition":"An editor has flagged the profile; the flag is shown and the score is reduced until it is cleared."},{"code":"stale_verification","label":"Evidence not re-checked in 18 months","points":-5,"definition":"No claim on file has been checked against its source in the last 18 months, or none has been checked at all. Profile verification, which agencies can pay for, does not count here."},{"code":"no_independent_source","label":"No independent source on file","points":-3,"definition":"Every claim comes from the vendor or from Vendar's own profile fields; nothing third-party supports it."},{"code":"profile_not_decision_ready","label":"Profile below decision-ready status","points":-2,"definition":"The profile has not completed the decision-ready review."}],"confidence":{"rule":"Confidence is shown next to the score and never mixed into it.","computedFrom":"Profile completeness and source reliability as recorded on the profile, then capped by what this position rests on: without an independent source for the question, or on a single documented claim, it is at most moderate; with no documented work for the question, it is lower.","labels":{"high":"High confidence: confidence score 0.85 and above.","moderate":"Moderate confidence: 0.65 to 0.85.","lower":"Lower confidence: below 0.65 or not disclosed."}},"eligibility":["The vendor lists the page's service on its profile.","The vendor serves the page's market: headquarters or a listed service region in the city. When a need page has fewer than ten ranked vendors from the city, agencies from other cities join it only if they are headquartered in the same state or have published work (a case study, a project, a client review) that names the city or its state. A line saying a company serves the whole country is not enough. They are ranked by the same score, geography counts 0.3 for them, and each position says where the agency works from. Mobile development is bought remotely, so its city pages take agencies from anywhere in the United States under the same condition: documented work for the need. The same holds for SEO needs bought remotely: international, enterprise, consulting, recovery, marketplaces, startups, B2B SaaS, ecommerce, AI search visibility, audits, technical and content-led SEO. Local SEO, small business, lead generation and high-ticket services stay with agencies from the city and its state.","A need page that still has fewer than ten ranked agencies after that is filled from the city's own agencies whose sources say they offer the need but document no project for it yet. They always stand below every agency with documented work, are labelled \"Offers this service; no documented project on file yet\", carry lower confidence, and do not count toward the threshold that opens a page to search engines.","For an intent page, at least one claim on file supports the intent under the page's rubric, and at least one of those claims comes from a source outside Vendar. Our own service listings and profile tags describe the intent but document nothing, so they add weight to a vendor that already has outside evidence and never earn a rank on their own. Vendors without outside evidence appear below the ranking, unranked, never padded into it.","For an intent page, at least one of those claims documents work the vendor has done: a case study, a project or portfolio entry, or a client review. Service pages, price lists, positioning statements and directory listings say what a vendor offers, not what it did; they add weight to a vendor that already has documented work and never earn a documented position. They can only fill a page that is short of ten, below every documented position and labelled as such (see below).","A position may rest on case studies the agency published on its own site. It is admitted and labelled \"Published by the agency on its own site\" until an independent source documents the same kind of work.","Filtered views (an entry price, a pricing model, a team size) are not rankings of their own: they show agencies ranked for at least one need in the city, each with the score of its best need, and keep only those that meet the condition. An agency that does not publish the fact is listed below with the reason.","Draft and needs-data profiles are never listed."],"ordering":["Rank order is the score, highest first. Ties break on evidence points, then on the number of third-party claims, then alphabetically.","There is no hidden ordering: no hand-curated slug lists and no paid boost in the sort on any listing.","If an editor overrides a position, the position is labelled as an editorial placement with a written reason and ordering_basis set to editorial. No such placements exist on evidence-ranked pages today.","Every ranked position explains itself from its score components and cites the claims behind them, with their sources."],"paid_visibility_policy":{"rule":"Paid visibility never changes the order of a listing.","history":"The sort key carried a package boost of up to 0.06 until 2026-09-12; it was removed, because the pages state that no paid placement affects rank and the packages sell badges, surfaces and a report, never a position.","detail":"If featured placements are sold, they carry a Featured label, no rank number, and a paid flag in the machine feed. No vendor pays for visibility today."},"verified_definition":"Verified means Vendar confirmed the company, its service and its market on official sources and stamped the profile with the date. A participation status or a partner relationship does not make a profile verified.","dates_policy":"Every date shown is a data date. A listing's updated date is the newest verification date among its ranked vendors and the evidence claims their ranks rest on; the same value appears in the page text, the structured data and the machine feed.","evidence_rules":["Paid agency directories that sell placement are not a source. Their reviews are not cited, never support a position and do not count toward reputation; a profile may show how many reviews such directories hold as one unnamed figure, for context only. Ratings come from open review platforms: Google, Trustpilot and BBB.","Provenance is recorded per claim: third_party, first_party, internal (a Vendar profile field) or unknown.","Verification status is recorded per claim: verified, claimed, internal_signal or unverified.","Every record on file has a role: a claim states a fact; a source reference is a link without a statement (an official site, a directory profile); a research note is Vendar's own remark. Only claims count as evidence. A source reference never earns weight, however its title reads, and a research note never reaches a page or a feed.","Every claim with a source URL is checked against that page by an AI reader and the result is recorded: confirmed, partly confirmed, not supported, or page unreachable. A claim the page does not support stops counting toward any position until a later check confirms it; a claim whose page cannot be read still counts and says so.","Third-party claims outweigh first-party claims; profile fields are the weakest signal and are labelled as such.","A position may rest on case studies the agency published on its own site; such a position is admitted and labelled \"Published by the agency on its own site\" on the listing, the profile and the feed (evidence_basis: own_published) until an independent source documents the same kind of work. Its confidence is at most moderate.","In the ranking, who is speaking is decided by the source address: the vendor's own site and platforms where the vendor publishes about itself (platform partner directories and portals, case-study hosting sites, paid release wires) are the vendor's own word, not an independent source, whatever domain they sit on. Client reviews on a partner directory stay third-party.","On the profile and in its feed the rule is stricter: who is speaking is decided by who wrote the text. Every claim falls into one of four classes: independent (a client, the press, a rating written by a third party); linked to the agency (a person who worked at or through it, writing in the first person); a listing the agency writes (the platforms above, or another page retelling what the agency says); and the agency itself. Only the first class counts as independent there (section 18).","A claim counts for an intent only when the rubric's terms appear in the claim or its source. The rubric is published on the page.","Claims that only describe the company's location or history are not intent evidence.","Each claim is marked by whether it documents work (describes_work in the machine feed): case studies, projects, portfolio entries and client reviews do; service pages, pricing, positioning statements, review-platform profiles and employer reviews do not.","Claims from the same source count with diminishing weight: each further claim adds half as much as the one before it. Everything an agency says about itself, on any page, is one source; outside documents are told apart by the site that published them. The number of reviews on one platform, or of pages on an agency's own site, cannot carry a position.","Evidence documented on two or more different independent sites earns a small bonus over the same amount of evidence from one site.","Review platforms that compete with Vendar stay in the machine feed with their source URL, because a claim must be checkable, but pages do not name or link them; where other sources exist, they are listed first."],"indexability_gate":{"minimumRankedVendors":5,"minimumRankedVendorsSmallCity":3,"smallCityPoolThreshold":20,"rule":"An intent page is offered to search engines when its ranked list has at least five evidence-backed vendors (three when the city has fewer than twenty vendors for the service). Only agencies from the city itself (headquarters or a listed service region) with documented work count toward it: agencies filled in from other cities and agencies that only offer the need do not. A page whose list rests mostly on agencies from other cities is titled “agencies serving” the city instead of “best agencies in” it, says how many are local, stays on the city page and in its feed, and is kept out of search engines until enough local agencies document the work; otherwise the same national list would stand behind six city pages. Below the threshold even with outside agencies the page stays published with noindex, keeps its URL, links and feed, and is left out of the city page's list of rankings. A page whose top ten repeats 70% or more of another need's top ten in the same city, or has the same top three, also stays noindex while the stronger of the two is offered; it opens when the lists differ. The same holds across cities: of the pages for one need whose top tens share 70% or more, only the one with the most local agencies is offered to search engines."},"method_limits":{"statement":"A position reflects documented work for the page's question, not the quality of an agency as such. Without a public case or a visible campaign the result of an agency's work cannot be known from outside. An agency with no public evidence is not worse: there is nothing to confirm it with, so it is listed below the ranking instead of being ranked low.","known_limits":["About 20 of 100 points rest on what the vendor says about itself without an outside check: years in business, team size, retention, prices.","The weights favour older, larger and local vendors: full marks at ten years and around 100 reviews, awards count toward market credibility, a vendor that works remotely gets 0.3 on geography, an undisclosed price gets 0.2.","The weights 30/25/15/10/10/5/5 are set by judgment and are not yet calibrated on client outcomes.","Reviews on directories are often collected by the agency itself.","The ranking decides who is speaking by the source address only: a person who worked at or through the agency writing on their own site, or a third-party page retelling what the agency says, still counts as third-party in a position. The profile and its feed already count them as the agency's word, so a position can show more third-party claims than the profile shows independent ones.","Market credibility counts recognition with a source on file, including recognition the vendor reports about itself.","Claims are checked by AI models, not by people. Code confirms that the quoted words are on the page; it cannot confirm that the page itself tells the truth. A case study on an agency's own site stays the agency's word even when the check confirms it.","Confidence is shown next to the score and does not change the order."]},"refresh_policy":{"decision":"Decided on 2026-10-28: the tiered cycle. Fast signals are re-collected every month, evidence every three months, and every profile is fully re-verified once a year. The readiness report already counts a verification as fresh for 90 days, which is the evidence cycle.","tiers":["Fast signals, monthly: licence status, site alive, review rating and count, pricing pages, team page.","Evidence, each base cycle: case studies, portfolio, services, client types, press and awards.","Full re-verification, yearly: registry, address, ownership, every claim a rank rests on.","Event-driven, within days: a vendor update, a buyer report, a dead link, a regulator record, a dispute."]}},"rubric":{"slug":"retainer","label":"SEO Agencies on a Monthly Retainer","summary":"documented SEO work, shown only for agencies that state they work on a monthly retainer","version":"2026.11","question":"Which SEO agencies in Seattle with documented work offer an ongoing monthly retainer?","budget_band":{},"evidence_terms":["seo","organic","organic traffic","organic search","search rankings","rankings","search engine","search visibility","keywords","first page"],"minimum_claims":1,"what_we_look_for":"This page is not a ranking of its own. It shows the agencies ranked for at least one published SEO need in this city, each with the score of its best documented need, the same score as on its profile, and filters who is shown. Shown: agencies that state a retainer or mixed pricing model. An agency that does not state its pricing model is listed below the ranking.","minimum_sourced_claims":1},"eligibility":{"city_pool":22,"ranked":6,"unranked":16,"rule":"Ranked vendors have at least 1 claim on file that supports SEO agencies on a monthly retainer under the published rubric, of which at least 1 comes from a source outside Vendar; the rest are listed unranked."},"stats":{"ranked":6,"unranked":16,"verified":0,"city_pool":22,"updated_at":null,"case_studies":0,"pricing_known":3,"local_documented":6,"cheapest_verified":null,"third_party_backed":0,"evidence_updated_at":"2026-11-03T14:46:43.438Z","pricing_floor_min_usd":449,"pricing_floor_median_usd":1000,"documented_by_third_party":0,"unranked_internal_tags_only":0},"best_for_segments":[{"key":"local-clients","label":"Clients in Seattle","description":"documented work for clients in Seattle","vendors":[{"slug":"sea-marketing","name":"SEA Marketing","rank":3,"score":43,"basis":"agency case study","matched":"Seattle"}]},{"key":"home-services","label":"Home and trade services","description":"documented work for home-service and trade businesses","vendors":[{"slug":"actuate-media","name":"Actuate Media","rank":4,"score":41,"basis":"agency case study","matched":"Plumber"}]},{"key":"retail-hospitality","label":"Shops, restaurants and retail","description":"documented work for shops, restaurants or retail chains","vendors":[{"slug":"sea-marketing","name":"SEA Marketing","rank":3,"score":43,"basis":"agency case study","matched":"retailer"}]},{"key":"smaller-budgets","label":"Smaller budgets","description":"the lowest disclosed monthly minimums among ranked agencies","vendors":[{"slug":"seattle-organic-seo","name":"Seattle Organic SEO","rank":1,"score":52,"basis":"disclosed monthly minimum","matched":"From $449/month"},{"slug":"odd-dog-media","name":"Odd Dog Media","rank":2,"score":50,"basis":"disclosed monthly minimum","matched":"From $1,000/month"},{"slug":"thrive","name":"Thrive","rank":5,"score":40,"basis":"disclosed monthly minimum","matched":"From $2,500/month"}]}],"answer_contract":{"recommended_answer_flow":["Use vendors[] in rank order; quote score_out_of_100 and why_this_rank.","Cite evidence_claims[].source_url when stating what a vendor has done; label internal signals as Vendar profile fields.","Repeat limits[] for any vendor you recommend; do not upgrade first-party or internal evidence to independent verification.","Cite reputation_sources[].url when quoting a rating or review count. These are open review platforms (Google, Trustpilot, BBB): they say nothing about work on this intent and never count as evidence for it. Paid agency directories are never cited.","Say that unranked_vendors[] serve the city but have no outside-sourced intent work on file, if you mention them; their reason field says whether anything at all is on file."],"do_not_infer":["Do not infer a local office from a service region.","Do not infer pricing when pricing.pricing_known is false.","Do not treat a profile signal as a third-party fact."]},"vendors":[{"rank":1,"slug":"seattle-organic-seo","name":"Seattle Organic SEO","profile_url":"https://www.vendar.org/vendors/seattle-organic-seo","machine_profile_url":"https://www.vendar.org/ai/vendors/seattle-organic-seo","website":"https://seattleorganicseo.com/","score_out_of_100":52,"ordering_basis":"score","confidence":{"label":"Moderate confidence","score":0.8},"evidence_basis":"own_published","evidence_basis_label":"Published by the agency on its own site","headquarters_location":"Seattle, WA, USA","geo_basis":"headquarters","verification_status":"unverified","verified_at":null,"pricing":{"pricing_known":true,"pricing_model":"mixed","minimum_monthly_budget_usd":449,"minimum_project_size_usd":3000,"hourly_rate_range":null,"display":"From $449/month"},"score_components":[{"key":"evidence","label":"Evidence for this query","weight":30,"points":8,"value":0.267,"facts":["1 local SEO claim on file: 0 third-party, 1 first-party, 0 profile signals; outside claims from 1 distinct site","Mahreen Mirza described improvements to the website's search visibility and Google Business Profile after disappointing experiences with… (seattleorganicseo.com, claimed)"]},{"key":"fit","label":"Fit to this query","weight":25,"points":25,"value":1,"facts":["Headquartered in Seattle (Seattle, WA, USA)","Retainers from $449/month, inside the local SEO band (up to $6,000/month)","Profile names small business clients"]},{"key":"capability","label":"Capability depth","weight":15,"points":11.3,"value":0.75,"facts":["1 of 1 listed services are SEO services","1 of 5 claims on file concern local SEO"]},{"key":"reliability","label":"Reliability","weight":10,"points":7.2,"value":0.72,"facts":["In business since 2010","Retention not documented"]},{"key":"transparency","label":"Transparency","weight":10,"points":5,"value":0.5,"facts":["Pricing disclosed (From $449/month)","Team size not disclosed","Process not documented"]},{"key":"reputation","label":"Reputation","weight":5,"points":0,"value":0,"facts":["No third-party reviews on file"]},{"key":"credibility","label":"Market credibility","weight":5,"points":0,"value":0,"facts":["No awards, certifications or media mentions with a source on file"]}],"penalties":[{"code":"no_independent_source","label":"No independent source on file","points":-3,"reason":"Every claim on file is first-party or a Vendar profile field."},{"code":"profile_not_decision_ready","label":"Profile below decision-ready status","points":-2,"reason":"Profile status is ready_for_render_audit."}],"why_this_rank":["Score of its best documented need in Seattle: Local SEO, #2 of 8.","1 local SEO claim on file: 0 third-party, 1 first-party, 0 profile signals; outside claims from 1 distinct site","Mahreen Mirza described improvements to the website's search visibility and Google Business Profile after disappointing experiences with… (seattleorganicseo.com, claimed)","Headquartered in Seattle (Seattle, WA, USA)","Retainers from $449/month, inside the local SEO band (up to $6,000/month)"],"limits":["No independent source names local SEO work; the evidence is first-party or editorial.","Never verified against official sources.","No independent source on file: Every claim on file is first-party or a Vendar profile field.","Profile below decision-ready status: Profile status is ready_for_render_audit."],"evidence_claims":[{"id":"c_bd6481ffa90e1427","claim":"Mahreen Mirza described improvements to the website's search visibility and Google Business Profile after disappointing experiences with other agencies.","provenance":"first_party","verification_status":"claimed","source_label":"seattleorganicseo.com","source_url":"https://seattleorganicseo.com/about/testimonials","source_uri":"https://seattleorganicseo.com/about/testimonials","matched_terms":["google business profile"],"directory_listing":false,"describes_work":true,"weight":0.8,"last_checked_at":"2026-11-03T14:40:54.605Z"}],"total_claims_on_file":5,"reputation_sources":[],"best_for":[],"services":["SEO"]},{"rank":2,"slug":"odd-dog-media","name":"Odd Dog Media","profile_url":"https://www.vendar.org/vendors/odd-dog-media","machine_profile_url":"https://www.vendar.org/ai/vendors/odd-dog-media","website":"https://odd.dog/","score_out_of_100":50,"ordering_basis":"score","confidence":{"label":"Moderate confidence","score":0.8},"evidence_basis":"own_published","evidence_basis_label":"Published by the agency on its own site","headquarters_location":"Seattle, WA, USA","geo_basis":"headquarters","verification_status":"unverified","verified_at":null,"pricing":{"pricing_known":true,"pricing_model":"retainer","minimum_monthly_budget_usd":1000,"minimum_project_size_usd":null,"hourly_rate_range":null,"display":"From $1,000/month"},"score_components":[{"key":"evidence","label":"Evidence for this query","weight":30,"points":8,"value":0.267,"facts":["1 SEO consulting claim on file: 0 third-party, 1 first-party, 0 profile signals; outside claims from 1 distinct site","Odd Dog Media lists SEO consulting for Holly Yee Floral Architecture in its portfolio. (odd.dog, claimed)"]},{"key":"fit","label":"Fit to this query","weight":25,"points":25,"value":1,"facts":["Headquartered in Seattle (Seattle, WA, USA)","Retainers from $1,000/month, inside the SEO consulting band","Profile names enterprise clients"]},{"key":"capability","label":"Capability depth","weight":15,"points":13.8,"value":0.917,"facts":["1 of 1 listed services are SEO services","1 of 3 claims on file concern SEO consulting"]},{"key":"reliability","label":"Reliability","weight":10,"points":3,"value":0.3,"facts":["Founding year not disclosed","Retention not documented"]},{"key":"transparency","label":"Transparency","weight":10,"points":5,"value":0.5,"facts":["Pricing disclosed (From $1,000/month)","Team size not disclosed","Process not documented"]},{"key":"reputation","label":"Reputation","weight":5,"points":0,"value":0,"facts":["No third-party reviews on file"]},{"key":"credibility","label":"Market credibility","weight":5,"points":0,"value":0,"facts":["No awards, certifications or media mentions with a source on file"]}],"penalties":[{"code":"no_independent_source","label":"No independent source on file","points":-3,"reason":"Every claim on file is first-party or a Vendar profile field."},{"code":"profile_not_decision_ready","label":"Profile below decision-ready status","points":-2,"reason":"Profile status is ready_for_render_audit."}],"why_this_rank":["Score of its best documented need in Seattle: SEO Consulting, #1 of 2.","1 SEO consulting claim on file: 0 third-party, 1 first-party, 0 profile signals; outside claims from 1 distinct site","Odd Dog Media lists SEO consulting for Holly Yee Floral Architecture in its portfolio. (odd.dog, claimed)","Headquartered in Seattle (Seattle, WA, USA)","Retainers from $1,000/month, inside the SEO consulting band"],"limits":["No independent source names SEO consulting work; the evidence is first-party or editorial.","Never verified against official sources.","No independent source on file: Every claim on file is first-party or a Vendar profile field.","Profile below decision-ready status: Profile status is ready_for_render_audit."],"evidence_claims":[{"id":"c_eb9243e67787742e","claim":"Odd Dog Media lists SEO consulting for Holly Yee Floral Architecture in its portfolio.","provenance":"first_party","verification_status":"claimed","source_label":"odd.dog","source_url":"https://odd.dog/portfolio","source_uri":"https://odd.dog/portfolio","matched_terms":["seo consulting"],"directory_listing":false,"describes_work":true,"weight":0.8,"last_checked_at":"2026-11-03T14:41:13.362Z"}],"total_claims_on_file":3,"reputation_sources":[],"best_for":[],"services":["SEO"]},{"rank":3,"slug":"sea-marketing","name":"SEA Marketing","profile_url":"https://www.vendar.org/vendors/sea-marketing","machine_profile_url":"https://www.vendar.org/ai/vendors/sea-marketing","website":"https://seamrkt.com/","score_out_of_100":43,"ordering_basis":"score","confidence":{"label":"Moderate confidence","score":0.8},"evidence_basis":"own_published","evidence_basis_label":"Published by the agency on its own site","headquarters_location":"Seattle, WA, USA","geo_basis":"headquarters","verification_status":"unverified","verified_at":null,"pricing":{"pricing_known":false,"pricing_model":"retainer","minimum_monthly_budget_usd":null,"minimum_project_size_usd":null,"hourly_rate_range":null,"display":null},"score_components":[{"key":"evidence","label":"Evidence for this query","weight":30,"points":13.5,"value":0.45,"facts":["2 local SEO claims on file: 0 third-party, 2 first-party, 0 profile signals; outside claims from 1 distinct site","SEA Marketing reports a 340% organic traffic lift for a Seattle retailer after rebuilding its local SEO strategy, optimizing 120 product… (seamrkt.com, claimed)","SEA Marketing rebuilt the local SEO strategy and optimized 120 product pages for a Seattle-based outdoor retailer. Organic traffic… (seamrkt.com, claimed)"]},{"key":"fit","label":"Fit to this query","weight":25,"points":15.5,"value":0.62,"facts":["Headquartered in Seattle (Seattle, WA, USA)","Pricing not disclosed"]},{"key":"capability","label":"Capability depth","weight":15,"points":13.8,"value":0.917,"facts":["1 of 1 listed services are SEO services","2 of 6 claims on file concern local SEO"]},{"key":"reliability","label":"Reliability","weight":10,"points":4.8,"value":0.48,"facts":["In business since 2020","Retention not documented"]},{"key":"transparency","label":"Transparency","weight":10,"points":0,"value":0,"facts":["Pricing not disclosed","Team size not disclosed","Process not documented"]},{"key":"reputation","label":"Reputation","weight":5,"points":0,"value":0,"facts":["No third-party reviews on file"]},{"key":"credibility","label":"Market credibility","weight":5,"points":0,"value":0,"facts":["No awards, certifications or media mentions with a source on file"]}],"penalties":[{"code":"no_independent_source","label":"No independent source on file","points":-3,"reason":"Every claim on file is first-party or a Vendar profile field."},{"code":"profile_not_decision_ready","label":"Profile below decision-ready status","points":-2,"reason":"Profile status is ready_for_render_audit."}],"why_this_rank":["Score of its best documented need in Seattle: Local SEO, #4 of 8.","2 local SEO claims on file: 0 third-party, 2 first-party, 0 profile signals; outside claims from 1 distinct site","SEA Marketing reports a 340% organic traffic lift for a Seattle retailer after rebuilding its local SEO strategy, optimizing 120 product… (seamrkt.com, claimed)","Headquartered in Seattle (Seattle, WA, USA)","Pricing not disclosed"],"limits":["No independent source names local SEO work; the evidence is first-party or editorial.","Pricing not disclosed; budget fit cannot be checked before outreach.","Never verified against official sources.","No independent source on file: Every claim on file is first-party or a Vendar profile field.","Profile below decision-ready status: Profile status is ready_for_render_audit."],"evidence_claims":[{"id":"c_a010afd8a1a66570","claim":"SEA Marketing reports a 340% organic traffic lift for a Seattle retailer after rebuilding its local SEO strategy, optimizing 120 product pages, and earning featured snippets.","provenance":"first_party","verification_status":"claimed","source_label":"seamrkt.com","source_url":"https://seamrkt.com/","source_uri":"https://seamrkt.com/","matched_terms":["local seo"],"directory_listing":false,"describes_work":true,"weight":0.9,"last_checked_at":"2026-11-03T14:42:45.381Z"},{"id":"c_d3cf6f79de6a84a1","claim":"SEA Marketing rebuilt the local SEO strategy and optimized 120 product pages for a Seattle-based outdoor retailer. Organic traffic increased 340% in 6 months.","provenance":"first_party","verification_status":"claimed","source_label":"seamrkt.com","source_url":"https://seamrkt.com/case-studies","source_uri":"https://seamrkt.com/case-studies","matched_terms":["local seo"],"directory_listing":false,"describes_work":true,"weight":0.9,"last_checked_at":"2026-11-03T14:42:45.381Z"}],"total_claims_on_file":6,"reputation_sources":[],"best_for":[],"services":["SEO"]},{"rank":4,"slug":"actuate-media","name":"Actuate Media","profile_url":"https://www.vendar.org/vendors/actuate-media","machine_profile_url":"https://www.vendar.org/ai/vendors/actuate-media","website":"https://www.actuatemedia.com/","score_out_of_100":41,"ordering_basis":"score","confidence":{"label":"Moderate confidence","score":0.8},"evidence_basis":"own_published","evidence_basis_label":"Published by the agency on its own site","headquarters_location":"Seattle, WA, USA","geo_basis":"headquarters","verification_status":"unverified","verified_at":null,"pricing":{"pricing_known":false,"pricing_model":"mixed","minimum_monthly_budget_usd":null,"minimum_project_size_usd":null,"hourly_rate_range":null,"display":null},"score_components":[{"key":"evidence","label":"Evidence for this query","weight":30,"points":12,"value":0.4,"facts":["2 SEO for high-ticket services claims on file: 0 third-party, 2 first-party, 0 profile signals; outside claims from 1 distinct site","A regional personal injury firm increased its Google Ads budget 4× while maintaining a 3.8× return on ad spend over 12 months. The page… (actuatemedia.com, claimed)","Actuate Media reports an organic program for Tampa Plumber with +74% organic calls and forms year over year, 20 high-value keywords on… (actuatemedia.com, claimed)"]},{"key":"fit","label":"Fit to this query","weight":25,"points":19,"value":0.76,"facts":["Headquartered in Seattle (Seattle, WA, USA)","Pricing not disclosed","Profile names healthcare clients"]},{"key":"capability","label":"Capability depth","weight":15,"points":11.7,"value":0.778,"facts":["1 of 1 listed services are SEO services","2 of 9 claims on file concern SEO for high-ticket services"]},{"key":"reliability","label":"Reliability","weight":10,"points":3,"value":0.3,"facts":["Founding year not disclosed","Retention not documented"]},{"key":"transparency","label":"Transparency","weight":10,"points":0,"value":0,"facts":["Pricing not disclosed","Team size not disclosed","Process not documented"]},{"key":"reputation","label":"Reputation","weight":5,"points":0,"value":0,"facts":["No third-party reviews on file"]},{"key":"credibility","label":"Market credibility","weight":5,"points":0,"value":0,"facts":["No awards, certifications or media mentions with a source on file"]}],"penalties":[{"code":"no_independent_source","label":"No independent source on file","points":-3,"reason":"Every claim on file is first-party or a Vendar profile field."},{"code":"profile_not_decision_ready","label":"Profile below decision-ready status","points":-2,"reason":"Profile status is ready_for_render_audit."}],"why_this_rank":["Score of its best documented need in Seattle: SEO for High-Ticket Services, #1 of 7.","2 SEO for high-ticket services claims on file: 0 third-party, 2 first-party, 0 profile signals; outside claims from 1 distinct site","A regional personal injury firm increased its Google Ads budget 4× while maintaining a 3.8× return on ad spend over 12 months. The page… (actuatemedia.com, claimed)","Headquartered in Seattle (Seattle, WA, USA)","Pricing not disclosed"],"limits":["No independent source names SEO for high-ticket services work; the evidence is first-party or editorial.","Pricing not disclosed; budget fit cannot be checked before outreach.","Never verified against official sources.","No independent source on file: Every claim on file is first-party or a Vendar profile field.","Profile below decision-ready status: Profile status is ready_for_render_audit."],"evidence_claims":[{"id":"c_d73452acf78c22c4","claim":"A regional personal injury firm increased its Google Ads budget 4× while maintaining a 3.8× return on ad spend over 12 months. The page does not name the firm.","provenance":"first_party","verification_status":"claimed","source_label":"actuatemedia.com","source_url":"https://www.actuatemedia.com/","source_uri":"https://www.actuatemedia.com/","matched_terms":["personal injury"],"directory_listing":false,"describes_work":true,"weight":0.8,"last_checked_at":"2026-11-03T14:43:33.439Z"},{"id":"c_49728990021f35c8","claim":"Actuate Media reports an organic program for Tampa Plumber with +74% organic calls and forms year over year, 20 high-value keywords on page one, and +9% organic traffic year over year.","provenance":"first_party","verification_status":"claimed","source_label":"actuatemedia.com","source_url":"https://www.actuatemedia.com/seo-agency","source_uri":"https://www.actuatemedia.com/seo-agency","matched_terms":["high-value"],"directory_listing":false,"describes_work":true,"weight":0.8,"last_checked_at":"2026-11-03T14:43:33.439Z"}],"total_claims_on_file":9,"reputation_sources":[],"best_for":[],"services":["SEO"]},{"rank":5,"slug":"thrive","name":"Thrive","profile_url":"https://www.vendar.org/vendors/thrive","machine_profile_url":"https://www.vendar.org/ai/vendors/thrive","website":"https://thrive.design/","score_out_of_100":40,"ordering_basis":"score","confidence":{"label":"Moderate confidence","score":0.8},"evidence_basis":"own_published","evidence_basis_label":"Published by the agency on its own site","headquarters_location":"Edmonds, WA, USA","geo_basis":"service_region","verification_status":"unverified","verified_at":null,"pricing":{"pricing_known":true,"pricing_model":"mixed","minimum_monthly_budget_usd":2500,"minimum_project_size_usd":null,"hourly_rate_range":"$165 per hour","display":"From $2,500/month"},"score_components":[{"key":"evidence","label":"Evidence for this query","weight":30,"points":9,"value":0.3,"facts":["2 SEO for marketplaces claims on file: 0 third-party, 2 first-party, 0 profile signals; outside claims from 1 distinct site","Thrive designed and developed a responsive website for Curta, with a streamlined CMS that enabled Curta’s team to update content… (thrive.design, claimed)","Curta’s team gained control over its digital content and could independently update resources, publish news, and manage job listings. (thrive.design, claimed)"]},{"key":"fit","label":"Fit to this query","weight":25,"points":18.1,"value":0.725,"facts":["Lists Seattle as a service region; headquartered in Edmonds, WA, USA","Retainers from $2,500/month, above the typical SEO for marketplaces band","Profile names ecommerce clients"]},{"key":"capability","label":"Capability depth","weight":15,"points":9.4,"value":0.625,"facts":["1 of 1 listed services are SEO services","2 of 20 claims on file concern SEO for marketplaces"]},{"key":"reliability","label":"Reliability","weight":10,"points":3,"value":0.3,"facts":["Founding year not disclosed","Retention not documented"]},{"key":"transparency","label":"Transparency","weight":10,"points":5,"value":0.5,"facts":["Pricing disclosed (From $2,500/month)","Team size not disclosed","Process not documented"]},{"key":"reputation","label":"Reputation","weight":5,"points":0,"value":0,"facts":["No third-party reviews on file"]},{"key":"credibility","label":"Market credibility","weight":5,"points":0,"value":0,"facts":["No awards, certifications or media mentions with a source on file"]}],"penalties":[{"code":"no_independent_source","label":"No independent source on file","points":-3,"reason":"Every claim on file is first-party or a Vendar profile field."},{"code":"profile_not_decision_ready","label":"Profile below decision-ready status","points":-2,"reason":"Profile status is ready_for_render_audit."}],"why_this_rank":["Score of its best documented need in Seattle: SEO for Marketplaces, #1 of 2.","2 SEO for marketplaces claims on file: 0 third-party, 2 first-party, 0 profile signals; outside claims from 1 distinct site","Thrive designed and developed a responsive website for Curta, with a streamlined CMS that enabled Curta’s team to update content… (thrive.design, claimed)","Lists Seattle as a service region; headquartered in Edmonds, WA, USA","Retainers from $2,500/month, above the typical SEO for marketplaces band"],"limits":["No independent source names SEO for marketplaces work; the evidence is first-party or editorial.","Never verified against official sources.","No independent source on file: Every claim on file is first-party or a Vendar profile field.","Profile below decision-ready status: Profile status is ready_for_render_audit."],"evidence_claims":[{"id":"c_ca3026fb5d766e23","claim":"Thrive designed and developed a responsive website for Curta, with a streamlined CMS that enabled Curta’s team to update content independently. Curta’s team gained control over digital content and could independently update resources, publish news, and manage job listings.","provenance":"first_party","verification_status":"claimed","source_label":"thrive.design","source_url":"https://thrive.design/case-studies/curta","source_uri":"https://thrive.design/case-studies/curta","matched_terms":["listings"],"directory_listing":false,"describes_work":true,"weight":0.6,"last_checked_at":"2026-11-03T14:43:02.490Z"},{"id":"c_a40a4fe14ab87c19","claim":"Curta’s team gained control over its digital content and could independently update resources, publish news, and manage job listings.","provenance":"first_party","verification_status":"claimed","source_label":"thrive.design","source_url":"https://thrive.design/case-studies/curta","source_uri":"https://thrive.design/case-studies/curta","matched_terms":["listings"],"directory_listing":false,"describes_work":true,"weight":0.6,"last_checked_at":"2026-11-03T14:43:02.490Z"}],"total_claims_on_file":20,"reputation_sources":[],"best_for":[],"services":["SEO"]},{"rank":6,"slug":"exo-agency","name":"Exo Agency","profile_url":"https://www.vendar.org/vendors/exo-agency","machine_profile_url":"https://www.vendar.org/ai/vendors/exo-agency","website":"https://exoagency.com/","score_out_of_100":37,"ordering_basis":"score","confidence":{"label":"Moderate confidence","score":0.8},"evidence_basis":"own_published","evidence_basis_label":"Published by the agency on its own site","headquarters_location":"Seattle, WA, USA","geo_basis":"headquarters","verification_status":"unverified","verified_at":null,"pricing":{"pricing_known":false,"pricing_model":"mixed","minimum_monthly_budget_usd":null,"minimum_project_size_usd":null,"hourly_rate_range":null,"display":null},"score_components":[{"key":"evidence","label":"Evidence for this query","weight":30,"points":6,"value":0.2,"facts":["1 technical SEO claim on file: 0 third-party, 1 first-party, 0 profile signals; outside claims from 1 distinct site","Exo Agency implemented SEO strategies for DeCasa Collections, including optimizing website content, technical SEO, and the link profile.… (exoagency.com, claimed)"]},{"key":"fit","label":"Fit to this query","weight":25,"points":19,"value":0.76,"facts":["Headquartered in Seattle (Seattle, WA, USA)","Pricing not disclosed","Profile names ecommerce clients"]},{"key":"capability","label":"Capability depth","weight":15,"points":13.8,"value":0.917,"facts":["1 of 1 listed services are SEO services","1 of 3 claims on file concern technical SEO"]},{"key":"reliability","label":"Reliability","weight":10,"points":3,"value":0.3,"facts":["Founding year not disclosed","Retention not documented"]},{"key":"transparency","label":"Transparency","weight":10,"points":0,"value":0,"facts":["Pricing not disclosed","Team size not disclosed","Process not documented"]},{"key":"reputation","label":"Reputation","weight":5,"points":0,"value":0,"facts":["No third-party reviews on file"]},{"key":"credibility","label":"Market credibility","weight":5,"points":0,"value":0,"facts":["No awards, certifications or media mentions with a source on file"]}],"penalties":[{"code":"no_independent_source","label":"No independent source on file","points":-3,"reason":"Every claim on file is first-party or a Vendar profile field."},{"code":"profile_not_decision_ready","label":"Profile below decision-ready status","points":-2,"reason":"Profile status is ready_for_render_audit."}],"why_this_rank":["Score of its best documented need in Seattle: Technical SEO, #1 of 2.","1 technical SEO claim on file: 0 third-party, 1 first-party, 0 profile signals; outside claims from 1 distinct site","Exo Agency implemented SEO strategies for DeCasa Collections, including optimizing website content, technical SEO, and the link profile.… (exoagency.com, claimed)","Headquartered in Seattle (Seattle, WA, USA)","Pricing not disclosed"],"limits":["No independent source names technical SEO work; the evidence is first-party or editorial.","Pricing not disclosed; budget fit cannot be checked before outreach.","Never verified against official sources.","No independent source on file: Every claim on file is first-party or a Vendar profile field.","Profile below decision-ready status: Profile status is ready_for_render_audit."],"evidence_claims":[{"id":"c_e054d61fad8dab47","claim":"Exo Agency implemented SEO strategies for DeCasa Collections, including optimizing website content, technical SEO, and the link profile. DeCasa Collections achieved a tenfold increase in its organic growth rate and improved search engine ranking and visitor numbers.","provenance":"first_party","verification_status":"claimed","source_label":"exoagency.com","source_url":"https://exoagency.com/case-studies/decasa-collections","source_uri":"https://exoagency.com/case-studies/decasa-collections","matched_terms":["technical seo"],"directory_listing":false,"describes_work":true,"weight":0.6,"last_checked_at":"2026-11-03T14:46:43.438Z"}],"total_claims_on_file":3,"reputation_sources":[],"best_for":[],"services":["SEO"]}],"unranked_vendors":[{"slug":"add3","name":"Add3","profile_url":"https://www.vendar.org/vendors/add3","headquarters_location":"Seattle, USA","pricing_display":null,"reason":"Pricing model not stated, so this view (a monthly retainer pricing model) cannot check it."},{"slug":"bellevue-seo-company","name":"Bellevue SEO Company","profile_url":"https://www.vendar.org/vendors/bellevue-seo-company","headquarters_location":"Bellevue, WA, USA","pricing_display":null,"reason":"Pricing model not stated, so this view (a monthly retainer pricing model) cannot check it."},{"slug":"bizango","name":"Bizango","profile_url":"https://www.vendar.org/vendors/bizango","headquarters_location":"Seattle, WA, USA","pricing_display":null,"reason":"Pricing model not stated, so this view (a monthly retainer pricing model) cannot check it."},{"slug":"clarity-online-seo","name":"Clarity Online SEO","profile_url":"https://www.vendar.org/vendors/clarity-online-seo","headquarters_location":"Seattle, WA, USA","pricing_display":"From $600/month","reason":"No case study or client review on file documents any published SEO need in Seattle yet."},{"slug":"fdg-web","name":"FDG Web","profile_url":"https://www.vendar.org/vendors/fdg-web","headquarters_location":"Everett, WA, USA","pricing_display":null,"reason":"Pricing model not stated, so this view (a monthly retainer pricing model) cannot check it."},{"slug":"jessica-stegner-seo","name":"Jessica Stegner SEO","profile_url":"https://www.vendar.org/vendors/jessica-stegner-seo","headquarters_location":"Seattle, WA, USA","pricing_display":"Projects from $750","reason":"Pricing model not stated, so this view (a monthly retainer pricing model) cannot check it."},{"slug":"logic-inbound","name":"Logic Inbound","profile_url":"https://www.vendar.org/vendors/logic-inbound","headquarters_location":"Seattle, WA, USA","pricing_display":null,"reason":"Pricing model not stated, so this view (a monthly retainer pricing model) cannot check it."},{"slug":"mindful-conversion","name":"Mindful Conversion","profile_url":"https://www.vendar.org/vendors/mindful-conversion","headquarters_location":"Maple Valley, WA, USA","pricing_display":"From $750/month","reason":"Pricing model not stated, so this view (a monthly retainer pricing model) cannot check it."},{"slug":"mockingbird-marketing","name":"Mockingbird Marketing","profile_url":"https://www.vendar.org/vendors/mockingbird-marketing","headquarters_location":"Seattle, USA","pricing_display":null,"reason":"Pricing model not stated, so this view (a monthly retainer pricing model) cannot check it."},{"slug":"puget-sound-marketing-solutions","name":"Puget Sound Marketing Solutions","profile_url":"https://www.vendar.org/vendors/puget-sound-marketing-solutions","headquarters_location":"Seattle, WA, USA","pricing_display":null,"reason":"Pricing model not stated, so this view (a monthly retainer pricing model) cannot check it."},{"slug":"radically-distinct","name":"Radically Distinct","profile_url":"https://www.vendar.org/vendors/radically-distinct","headquarters_location":"Seattle, WA, USA","pricing_display":null,"reason":"Pricing model not stated, so this view (a monthly retainer pricing model) cannot check it."},{"slug":"rory-martin","name":"Rory Martin","profile_url":"https://www.vendar.org/vendors/rory-martin","headquarters_location":"Seattle, WA, USA","pricing_display":null,"reason":"Pricing model not stated, so this view (a monthly retainer pricing model) cannot check it."},{"slug":"seattle-digital-flow","name":"Seattle Digital Flow","profile_url":"https://www.vendar.org/vendors/seattle-digital-flow","headquarters_location":"Seattle, WA, USA","pricing_display":null,"reason":"Pricing model not stated, so this view (a monthly retainer pricing model) cannot check it."},{"slug":"seattle-new-media","name":"Seattle New Media","profile_url":"https://www.vendar.org/vendors/seattle-new-media","headquarters_location":"Seattle, WA, USA","pricing_display":null,"reason":"Pricing model not stated, so this view (a monthly retainer pricing model) cannot check it."},{"slug":"seattle-ppc-agency","name":"Seattle PPC Agency","profile_url":"https://www.vendar.org/vendors/seattle-ppc-agency","headquarters_location":"Seattle, WA, USA","pricing_display":null,"reason":"Pricing model not stated, so this view (a monthly retainer pricing model) cannot check it."},{"slug":"seattle-seo","name":"Seattle SEO","profile_url":"https://www.vendar.org/vendors/seattle-seo","headquarters_location":"Seattle, WA, USA","pricing_display":null,"reason":"Pricing model not stated, so this view (a monthly retainer pricing model) cannot check it."}]}