Ranking Logic

How We Rank Agencies

We rank agencies based on real results, verified reviews, and how well they match the service and location you’re viewing. We use strict criteria to sort agencies into useful groups and highlight only those that meet our standards.

Verified Client Ratings

Agencies with more consistent and complete review scores rank higher. We take an average from five separate criteria left by past clients: value for money, quality of work, scheduling, innovation, and communication. Agencies with more reviews are weighted slightly higher.

Verified Company Details

Agencies that complete our business verification process—submitting company information and verifying their ID via KYC—receive a ranking boost. This helps ensure transparency and trust, and distinguishes verified businesses from anonymous or unverified listings.

Relevant Match to the Page

We only show agencies that actively work in the service and location on the page. An agency won’t appear on a page about SEO in London if they don’t list SEO or serve London.

Profile Score

This is based on how complete the agency profile is. Agencies with full information—like team size, services, year founded, language coverage, and location—score higher than those with blank or vague fields.

Industry Focus

We look at each agency’s portfolio. If most of their work is in one industry (like education or retail), they will appear higher on related industry pages. Agencies without any portfolio examples are ranked lower.

Awards and Recognition

We check every award listed. If an agency says they’ve won something, it must be backed up by a valid source. Verified awards help boost their visibility, but only if the award is relevant to the service on the page.

Service Dilution Penalty

Agencies listing too many unrelated services are ranked lower. We give more credit to those who specialise. A company that only does web design will appear higher on the web design page than one claiming to do everything.

Review Penalties

Agencies with low review ratings drop in the rankings.

  • Ratings between 3.0–3.5 lower the profile slightly
  • Ratings between 2.5–3.0 lower it more
  • Ratings below 2.5 are penalised heavily

Filter Matching

We apply every filter you choose:

  • Industry
  • Skills
  • Budget
  • Hourly rate
  • Languages
  • Team size
  • Minimum reviews

Only agencies that match everything you’ve selected will be shown.

Sponsored Listings

These appear at the top of the page and are clearly marked. They are limited, paid slots. Sponsored listings must still meet all page requirements.

Membership Tiers

Some agencies have Premium or Elite membership. These agencies are shown with badges but are not ranked higher unless they also meet the same standards listed above.

Agency Ranking FAQs

No. Every agency listed in the directory has joined for free. Payment is only involved for sponsored placements or membership badges, which are clearly marked and limited. Rankings are not influenced by whether an agency pays or not. Agencies with no paid features can still rank higher than paying ones if they meet the criteria better.

We do not allow anonymous or self-submitted reviews. Each review must come from a verified project with a real client. We use secure links tied to specific jobs, and reviews are only accepted if we can confirm the relationship. Ratings must include detailed feedback and are reviewed manually before going live.

Clients score agencies in five categories: value for money, quality of work, scheduling, innovation, and communication. We average these scores across all approved reviews. Agencies with more reviews are weighted more heavily. New agencies are not penalised but need to build trust over time.

Agencies can add awards to their profile, but these must be backed by a public announcement, press release, or award site listing. We manually check every award submission before it appears. Awards with no public reference or verifiable source are rejected and not shown on the listing. Verified awards contribute to the agency’s visibility on matching pages.

Yes, but only if their profile and services match those pages. An agency listing SEO and working in London can appear on the SEO London page. If they list multiple services, they may appear elsewhere too—but only if the match is valid and relevant.

We only show agencies that have completed profiles and match the service and region of the page. If an agency hasn't entered enough information, hasn’t chosen the relevant service line, or doesn't serve the page's location, we remove them from the results automatically.

The rankings refresh every time the page loads. When a new review is approved, or an agency updates their profile, their score is recalculated. This ensures the directory is always up to date, without needing manual sorting or monthly refreshes.

We give each agency a score based on how complete and specific their profile is. Key fields include company description, team size, location, services offered, supported languages, typical project budgets, and year founded. Agencies that fill in every section accurately rank higher than those that leave blanks or generalise.

Agencies that list too many unrelated services receive a lower score. This is to reward focus. If an agency lists web design, SEO, app development, social media, and blockchain—without proven work in each—they are penalised. The more focused the service offering, the higher the agency ranks for that service.

No. They are identified with badges and may be highlighted visually, but they are not moved to the top of rankings unless they also meet all other criteria. Performance, relevance, and reviews always come first. Paid membership alone does not influence ranking position.

Not directly. Sponsored slots are fixed positions at the top of a page and are clearly labelled. They are limited in number and must meet strict eligibility rules. Once these are filled, no additional sponsored positions are sold. Sponsored agencies must still match the page focus to appear.