Key takeaways
- Top pick: LP (Logical Position), best for: Small and mid-sized businesses that want a paid search team with top-tier Google and Microsoft status.
- Also near the top: HawkSEM and Tinuiti.
- How it was ranked: 10 agencies compared. Each verdict is below.
LP is the best SEM agency for most buyers because paid search is its founding service, it holds Google Premier Partner and Microsoft Advertising Elite Channel Partner status, and it says it manages $3B+ in ad spend for 7,000 businesses.
HawkSEM is best for mid-market brands that want a search specialist,
Tinuiti for large consumer brands running search with retail media, and Directive for B2B SaaS companies that measure search on pipeline.
Top 10 SEM Agencies, compared| RANK | ENTRY | BEST FOR | SCORE | FROM |
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| 1 |  LP (Logical Position)LP says it manages $3B+ in ad spend, holds Google Premier Partner and Microsoft Advertising Elite Channel Partner status, and was named Microsoft's 2024 Global Channel Partner of the Year. | Small and mid-sized businesses that want a paid search team with top-tier Google and Microsoft status | 96.8 | Custom |
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| 2 |  HawkSEMHawkSEM says it manages $80M in client ad spend, and its Verizon Digital Media paid search case study reports conversions up more than 400% and average cost per click down more than 37%. | Organisations requiring measurable results and scalable growth with full-funnel tracking | 95.4 | Custom quote |
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| 3 |  TinuitiTinuiti says it has $4B in digital media under management and 1,000+ employee owners. | Brands seeking full-service agency execution and strategy | 94.1 | Custom |
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| 4 |  JumpFlyJumpFly's case studies report a 52% ROAS increase and 42% lower CPA for Nature Hills Nursery, and a 99% revenue increase for Hayabusa Fightwear. | Medium to large businesses seeking experienced PPC management | 92.7 | Custom |
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| 5 |  BrainlabsBrainlabs says it manages more than $1.5B in media spend for 250+ brands, and its paid search page reports a 1,242% rise in new customers and 32% lower CPA for Clinique using Performance Max. | Data-driven global enterprises | 91.5 | Custom |
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| 6 |  KlientBoostKlientBoost says its clients' monthly ad spend ranges from $5,000 to $1,000,000, and that it hit 84% of client goals in Q3 2026. | Conversion rate optimization paired with ads | 90.2 | $2,500/mo |
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| 7 |  Directive ConsultingDirective's Skillable case study reports 50% year-over-year pipeline growth and an MQL-to-SQL rate that rose from 23% to 42%. | Tech and SaaS companies optimising pipeline quality and CAC efficiency | 88.9 | 5,000/month |
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| 8 |  Stella RisingStella Rising won Agency of the Year, PPC at the Search Engine Land Awards in 2024 and again in 2025. | Beauty and consumer brands | 87.6 | Custom |
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| 9 |  Workshop DigitalWorkshop Digital was named Best Small PPC Agency at the 2025 US Search Awards, and reports a 54% cost-per-lead improvement for Performance Foodservice from combining Performance Max and Search. | Mid-sized US brands that want a smaller, senior PPC team | 86.3 | Custom |
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| 10 |  PPC GeeksPPC Geeks says it holds Google Ads Premier Partner status for 2026, placing it in the top 2.5 percent of UK PPC agencies, and reports a 65% revenue increase over six months for IT Bay. | UK ecommerce and lead generation businesses | 85.0 | Custom |
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How to choose
Start from what you need it for. Where each entry fits best:
- LP (Logical Position) (#1): Small and mid-sized businesses that want a paid search team with top-tier Google and Microsoft status
- HawkSEM (#2): Organisations requiring measurable results and scalable growth with full-funnel tracking
- Tinuiti (#3): Brands seeking full-service agency execution and strategy
- JumpFly (#4): Medium to large businesses seeking experienced PPC management
- Brainlabs (#5): Data-driven global enterprises
- KlientBoost (#6): Conversion rate optimization paired with ads
- Directive Consulting (#7): Tech and SaaS companies optimising pipeline quality and CAC efficiency
- Stella Rising (#8): Beauty and consumer brands
- Workshop Digital (#9): Mid-sized US brands that want a smaller, senior PPC team
- PPC Geeks (#10): UK ecommerce and lead generation businesses
Each entry's full verdict is below.
The ranking, in detail
01
Paid search management at scale for small and mid-sized businesses
LP, which rebranded from Logical Position in October 2026, is a performance marketing agency founded in 2010 in Beaverton, Oregon and now headquartered in Lake Oswego. Paid search is its founding service, run alongside paid social, Amazon Advertising and SEO, and it says it partners with 7,000 businesses across North America.
From Custom
PROS- Google Premier Partner and Microsoft Advertising Elite Channel Partner
- Paid search, paid social and Amazon Advertising under one team
CONS- Pricing not published
- Client base concentrated in North America
- Best for
- Small and mid-sized businesses that want a paid search team with top-tier Google and Microsoft status
- Where it falls short
- Pricing not published.
96.8
02
Data-driven PPC specialists with proprietary ConversionIQ tracking platform
HawkSEM is a US search marketing agency whose core service is PPC management, with SEO, conversion rate optimization, landing pages and paid social alongside. It says every hire joins with at least three years of experience, and it promotes its in-house ConversionIQ technology for tying ad spend to revenue.
From Custom quote
PROS- Proprietary ConversionIQ platform provides comprehensive tracking advantage
- Emphasis on measurable outcomes and scalable growth strategies
CONS- Pricing not publicly disclosed, requiring custom quote consultation
- Platform-dependent approach may require client tech integration
- Best for
- Organisations requiring measurable results and scalable growth with full-funnel tracking
- Where it falls short
- Pricing is not publicly disclosed, requiring a custom quote consultation.
- Pick something else if
- you need transparent pricing upfront.
95.4
03
The largest independent performance marketing firm
Tinuiti began in New York in 2004 as Elite SEM, a firm founded on search engine marketing, and took the Tinuiti name in 2019 after acquiring CPC Strategy and others. It runs paid search, shoppable media and AI SEO alongside retail media, streaming TV and social, and won Google's 2022 Premier Partner of the Year Award in International Growth.
From Custom
PROS- Extensive industry experience and talent pool
- Proprietary marketing technology suite called Mobius
CONS- High minimum spend requirements for agency clients
- Communication can sometimes feel bureaucratic
- Best for
- Brands seeking full-service agency execution and strategy
- Where it falls short
- High minimum spend requirements may exclude smaller clients.
- Pick something else if
- you have a limited marketing budget.
94.1
04
JumpFly, Inc. is a US paid search agency that says it has worked with clients since 2003. It manages paid search and display on Google and Microsoft Advertising, plus Meta and Amazon campaigns, and publishes dozens of PPC case studies, mostly for ecommerce and lead generation businesses.
From Custom
PROS- Extensive experience across major ad platforms
- Dedicated account managers with high specialisation
CONS- Higher budget minimums apply for new clients
- Best for
- Medium to large businesses seeking experienced PPC management
- Where it falls short
- New clients must meet higher budget minimums to work with the agency.
- Pick something else if
- you need a lower entry budget.
92.7
05
Brainlabs was founded in 2012 by Dan Gilbert, who left Google to start it, and made eight acquisitions between 2019 and 2023. It runs paid search, SEO, paid social, programmatic and retail media from hubs on five continents, and says it has logged more than 2,500 experiments across its clients.
From Custom
PROS- Advanced proprietary technology and automation tools
- Deep expertise in complex performance campaigns
CONS- Higher pricing structure suitable mostly for large budgets
- Best for
- Data-driven global enterprises
- Where it falls short
- Its higher pricing structure is suitable mostly for large budgets.
- Pick something else if
- you need a solution for small budgets.
91.5
06
More conversions for less money
KlientBoost is a performance marketing agency with offices in Santa Monica, Raleigh and London that runs search, display, YouTube and social ad campaigns alongside landing pages and conversion rate optimization. It says it has 250+ current clients and more than 200 published case studies.
From $2,500/mo
PROS- Strong focus on landing page experience
- Flexible pricing tiers for growing businesses
CONS- Fast-paced style may not suit traditional corporate cultures
- Best for
- Conversion rate optimization paired with ads
- Where it falls short
- Its fast-paced style may not suit traditional corporate cultures.
- Pick something else if
- you prefer a traditional corporate culture.
90.2
07
Full-funnel pipeline optimisation via Customer Generation methodology
Directive is a B2B marketing agency for software and technology companies, with offices in Orange County, Austin, New York, Mexico City, London and Toronto. Its PPC practice runs Google Search and Microsoft Advertising campaigns tied to CRM outcomes through offline conversion tracking, and it says it has served 700+ brands.
From 5,000/month
PROS- Accessible starting price point for Series A companies
- Holistic funnel approach prevents siloed channel optimisation
CONS- Full methodology requires coordinated multi-channel investment
- May require existing content or SEO foundation to accelerate results
- Best for
- Tech and SaaS companies optimising pipeline quality and CAC efficiency
- Where it falls short
- It requires a coordinated multi-channel investment to access its full methodology.
- Pick something else if
- you need a single-channel approach.
88.9
08
Accelerating brand growth on Amazon
Stella Rising is a US media agency with offices in New York, Southport, Connecticut and Raleigh, working mainly with beauty, health and wellness, food and beverage and lifestyle brands. Paid search sits alongside paid social, Amazon, TikTok Shop and SEO, and the agency uses an in-house AI tool called Lumos for spend allocation.
From Custom
PROS- Deep retail industry roots
- Strong strategic planning
CONS- Primarily tailored for established brands
- Best for
- Beauty and consumer brands
- Where it falls short
- Primarily tailored for established brands.
87.6
09
Small, award-winning PPC and SEO agency in Virginia
Workshop Digital is a digital marketing agency in Richmond, Virginia that runs paid search, paid social, programmatic and SEO for B2B and B2C brands. It displays Google Premier Partner and Microsoft Partner badges and names clients including McKesson, Atlantic Union Bank and UVA Health.
From Custom
PROS- Live client dashboards showing campaign performance
- Every engagement tied to business-impact KPIs
CONS- Pricing not published
- Smaller team than national agencies
- Best for
- Mid-sized US brands that want a smaller, senior PPC team
- Where it falls short
- Pricing not published.
86.3
10
UK Google Ads Premier Partner for ecommerce and lead generation
PPC Geeks is a UK pay-per-click agency with offices in Liverpool, Knutsford, London and Kendal. It manages Google Ads, Shopping and feed optimization, Bing, Meta, LinkedIn, TikTok and Amazon campaigns, and builds landing pages for paid traffic.
From Custom
PROS- Google Ads Premier Partner with Shopping feed expertise
- Free account audits for qualifying businesses
CONS- Pricing not published
- UK-focused, with less presence in other markets
- Best for
- UK ecommerce and lead generation businesses
- Where it falls short
- Pricing not published.
85.0
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Frequently asked questions
How much does an SEM agency cost?
Most SEM agencies charge a percentage of ad spend, a flat monthly fee or a hybrid, and HawkSEM's site describes percentage models as commonly 10% to 30% of the monthly budget. Most agencies in this ranking, including LP, Tinuiti and Brainlabs, quote fees privately. KlientBoost says its clients spend from $5,000 a month on ads, which is a useful floor for planning.
How do I choose an SEM agency?
Check verified partner status first: LP, HawkSEM and Brainlabs all show Google Premier Partner status, and LP is also a Microsoft Advertising Elite Channel Partner. Then ask for case studies in your sector, such as Directive's B2B pipeline work or JumpFly's ecommerce results. Finally, confirm that you will own the ad accounts and the data if you leave.
Which SEM agency is best for a small business?
LP is built around small and mid-sized businesses and says it works with 7,000 of them across North America. Workshop Digital, named Best Small PPC Agency at the US Search Awards, suits mid-sized US brands that want a senior team. PPC Geeks is a good fit for small UK ecommerce and lead generation businesses.
Should I hire an SEM agency or run paid search in-house?
An agency brings a trained team, platform support and benchmarks from many accounts, which is why Tinuiti points to early access to Google and Bing beta programs and Brainlabs to its library of 2,500+ logged experiments. In-house makes sense once your spend justifies a full-time specialist. Agencies such as KlientBoost work with clients spending from $5,000 a month, so below that level a freelancer or in-house hire is often cheaper.
Do SEM agencies also manage Microsoft Advertising and Shopping campaigns?
Most do: LP holds Microsoft Advertising Elite Channel Partner status, JumpFly displays a Microsoft Elite badge and Directive runs separate Bing and Microsoft Search campaigns. For Shopping and Performance Max, PPC Geeks offers Google Shopping feed optimization and Brainlabs reports large new-customer gains for Clinique from Performance Max.
Sources
Where we checked each company's facts, and when.
Some links on Lister are affiliate links. Rankings are not affected.