Top SEO Freelancers and Contractors (April 2025)

For teams that need to hire SEO specialists (or sometimes referred to as strategists), it's best to know who the top players are in the space. It's not uncommon for companies to want to hire consultants directly versus hiring agencies. As a result, we've kept a list of all the top SEO consultants that we know are available to hire. It's important to note that in our list below, we mostly looked at publicly facing work and statements from the consultant themselves, versus trying to get deep insights. Meaning, our analysis of "what each strategist is good at" is merely a statement of what they've published or publicly spoken about.

Take a look at our list below when in the market to hire.

Key Takeaways

• Who are the best SEO freelancers overall? Stephan Spencer (enterprise SEO), Eli Schwartz (SaaS growth), and Glenn Gabe (algorithm recovery) are the top-performing U.S.-based freelancers with strong client portfolios and thought leadership.
• Who’s best for content and link-building? Ann Smarty (content marketing and outreach) and Cyrus Shepard (on-page SEO and UX) specialize in content-driven strategies that improve rankings and authority.
• Who delivers strong value for startups or SMBs? Aaron Rains, Michael Cottam, and John Doherty provide high-impact SEO services at more accessible rates, ideal for smaller teams and growing companies.

Top SEO Freelancers and Contractors

Here's a table of the top SEO freelancers and contractors:

1. Stephan Spencer

Specialty: Enterprise & E-commerce SEO
Website: stephanspencer.com

Notable Clients:

• Zappos
• Chanel
• Best Buy
• Sony

Pros:

• Co-author of The Art of SEO, a foundational industry book
• Over 20 years of experience in enterprise and retail SEO
• Offers deep audits, strategic consulting, and in-house training
• Active public speaker and thought leader

Cons:

• Premium pricing suited for enterprise clients
• May be overkill for small businesses or startups

2. Eli Schwartz

Specialty: SEO Strategy & Organic Growth
Website: elischwartz.co

Notable Clients:

• WordPress
• Quora
• Mixpanel
• Zendesk
• Blue Nile

Pros:

• Author of Product-Led SEO
• Strategic focus on long-term organic growth
• Deep SaaS and marketplace experience
• Frequent keynote speaker and guest on marketing podcasts

Cons:

• Limited hands-on implementation (more advisory and strategic)
• High demand, availability may be limited

3. Glenn Gabe

Specialty: Algorithm Recovery & Technical SEO
Website: GSQi.com

Notable Clients:

• National publishers
• Large e-commerce retailers
• Fortune 500 websites (specific names under NDA)

Pros:

• Trusted expert for Google penalty recovery and core update analysis
• Regular contributor at Search Engine Land
• Delivers deep forensic audits and recovery roadmaps
• Known for uncovering hidden site architecture issues

Cons:

• Best suited for websites experiencing traffic loss or complex issues
• Limited availability due to high demand

4. Cyrus Shepard

Specialty: On-Page SEO & Content Optimization
Website: zyppy.com

Notable Clients:

• Moz (former Head of SEO)
• Numerous startups and content-rich platforms

Pros:

• Great at refining title tags, meta structure, and UX
• Prolific educator and contributor in the SEO space
• Known for experimentation-based best practices

Cons:

• Focused more on UX and content rather than deep technical issues
• Smaller-scale clients may require DIY implementation

5. Roy Hinkis

Specialty: Technical SEO & Growth Strategy
Website: LinkedIn

Notable Clients:

• Walmart
• Waze
• Lyft

Pros:

• Combines technical SEO with performance marketing
• Expert in programmatic and scaling strategies
• Regular industry commentator on SEO trends

Cons:

• Less focus on small business or local SEO
• More growth-hacking focus than content optimization

6. Ann Smarty

Specialty: Content Marketing & Link Building
Website: smarty.marketing

Notable Clients:

• Search Engine Journal
• Moz
• Ninjas Marketing (formerly at)

Pros:

• One of the most prolific content creators in SEO
• Excellent for long-tail content, link outreach, and visibility
• Hosts community webinars and workshops regularly

Cons:

• Focuses more on organic content strategies than technical SEO
• Link building is mostly manual and may not scale for large brands

7. Michael Cottam

Specialty: Technical SEO & Site Architecture
Website: michaelcottam.com

Notable Clients:

• Travel and hospitality companies
• Local businesses and international sites

Pros:

• Expert in crawl optimization, mobile SEO, and site audits
• Offers one-on-one coaching and mentoring
• Trusted speaker at MozCon and SearchFest

Cons:

• May not offer end-to-end services (e.g., content, link building)
• More focused on solving specific technical problems

8. John Doherty

Specialty: SEO & Conversion Optimization
Website: johnfdoherty.com

Notable Clients:

• Zillow
• Trulia
• HotPads
• GetCredo (founder)

Pros:

• Deep experience with SaaS and marketplace SEO
• Strong background in CRO and product-led growth
• Connects businesses with vetted marketers via Credo

Cons:

• Works on selective freelance projects (mainly consults via Credo)
• Less hands-on with content or implementation work

9. Everett Sizemore

Specialty: Technical SEO & Content Strategy
Website: LinkedIn

Notable Clients:

• Legal, fintech, and e-commerce clients (under NDA)
• Past consulting with agency partners and startups

Pros:

• Veteran SEO strategist with over 25 years in the field
• Blends content architecture with tech audits
• Particularly skilled at site migrations and redesigns

Cons:

• Lower public visibility compared to others
• Focuses more on strategy than content production

10. Aaron Rains

Specialty: On-Page SEO & Penalty Recovery
Website: rainsaaronseo.com

Notable Clients:

• Local businesses
• Mid-sized e-commerce platforms
• Non-profits

Pros:

• Specializes in recovering from Google penalties and ranking drops
• Offers free SEO tools and templates
• More affordable than most top-tier freelancers

Cons:

• Focuses mostly on small to medium businesses
• Doesn’t offer content creation services