What Does It Take to be the Best SEO Company in Canada?

In a world where being seen online can make or break a business, 1st on the List continues to work diligently to be the best SEO company in Canada for our clients!

Since our inception in 1996, we’ve witnessed many web browsers come and go. We’ve also been there for every Google update. This experience helped us to continually hone our digital marketing strategies to become the best Canadian SEO company possible.

We are not just another SEO agency. Beyond simply achieving rankings, we value our relationships with clients and look to build trust through clear advice and strategies. After all, your success is our success:

• 1st on the list has maintained client relationships for over 20 years, far exceeding the industry’s 24-month turnover norm.
• The size of our SEO agency ensures personalized service with a broad skill set, avoiding the pitfalls of larger, less personal firms.
• We are committed to transparency and campaign impact. We recommend SEO only if it truly benefits your business goals – if not, we’ll tell you straight up.

These are just a few reasons why our clients consider us the best Canadian SEO agency.

Please keep reading to discover how our dedication to SEO has led to long-term success for our clients and major accomplishments within our own businesses.

History of Our Canadian SEO Company

Did you know that we’re probably the oldest SEO agency in Canada? 1st on the List was started in 1996 by Chris Genge at a time before SEO was even coined as a term. Google didn’t exist then! This means that we have experienced every single algorithm update that Google has ever released. We know what we’re doing.

To set the stage as to where the technological world was at this time, enjoy these interesting throwback tech facts:

• DVDs had just come out and started making their way to Canada.
• eBay just started their online auction and shopping website.
• Internet Explorer was the main medium for using the World Wide Web.
• Yahoo! was the #1 search engine.
• Amazon was just a bookstore.

How It All Started

Starting in 1996 as a personal project to understand search engine rankings, Chris Genge created 1st on the List, which was officially founded in 1997.

Chris started applying his engineering skills to pioneer SEO techniques during the early days of online search. Back then, the process was so responsive that Chris could change a single keyword on a website and see almost immediate improvements in rankings for that keyword—a story he often shared.

Although started as a one-man operation, 1st on the List quickly grew due to the demand for these new-found services. It eventually led to the expansion of the team and a new office space. This foundation set the stage for becoming a pioneering SEO firm in Canada.

Sadly, Chris Genge passed away in 2021 after a battle with cancer. He left behind a legacy of innovation and dedication to excellence in search engine digital marketing. His vision continues to guide the company, striving to maintain the high standards Chris set in providing leading SEO services.

Timeline History of 1st on the List

Over the years, we’ve expanded our SEO services to meet the unique needs of our clients. Here’s a brief timeline outlining our efforts to become the best SEO company in Canada:

Now that you know what makes our Abbotsford SEO company one of the best, in the next section we lay out what makes us different from other search engine marketing agencies. To learn more about our SEO company or our services, please call us toll-free at 1-888-262-6687

Our Ethos Surrounding SEO

You’re probably wondering what makes our SEO agency different from the rest. Our team understands the ins and outs of SEO. SEO is more to us than just ranking online one time. It’s about growing our clients’ businesses using long-lasting, white-hat SEO methods that have been tried and true for literally decades.

Here’s how we stand out amongst the search marketing crowd:

Long-Lasting Results

At 1st on the List, we implement SEO strategies that keep your website doing well in search results over time, prioritizing sustainable growth over short-term gains.

Long-lasting SEO results for a business means:

• More (and consistent) inquiries
• Higher conversion rates
• Sustained growth and revenue

Our lasting SEO methods lay a strong foundation for your business’s website, allowing it to maintain long-term success even through all of Google’s algorithm changes. WE adjust our SEO strategies as needed to help to drive growth, attract the right customers, and meet your long-term objectives.

Organic White Hat Strategies

1st on the List only uses fair and honest SEO strategies to improve your website’s search rankings. White-hat organic SEO strategies involve using ethical methods to improve a business’s search engine rankings. For a business owner, this means attracting more genuine visitors to your website without risking penalties from search engines.

An Example of Why Organic SEO Strategies Matter

In 2012, Google’s algorithm update targeted websites using underhanded tactics, like purchasing low-quality backlinks. This shift led to a surge in businesses reaching out for our help to remedy the consequences of either their own backlink purchasing decisions or the actions of disreputable SEO firms they’d previously hired.

Untangling this web of black-hat backlinks was a meticulous process, requiring significant effort to remove enough of them for Google to lift penalties. Even after clearing the penalties, these websites struggled to regain their rankings because they lacked genuine, quality content. They also lacked quality backlinks – a reminder of the role that legitimate, organic SEO strategies play in building and maintaining a strong, long-term online presence.

Practical Guidance & Advice

At 1st on the List, we give advice and outline plans that fit what your business needs. We get that every business has its own goals and story. We tailor our SEO strategies to fit your business’s specific dreams and hurdles. We ditch the cookie-cutter methods and dive deep into what your business needs to grow online. Our clients receive hands-on, actionable strategies customized to their specific business.

Our commitment to search engine optimization goes beyond just strategies for our clients. Let’s take a look at how we’ve put our SEO ethos into action.

We Built 3 of Our Own Online Companies With SEO

At 1st on the List, we don’t just optimize clients’ websites but also cultivate our businesses through SEO. When clients ask, “If you’re experts in SEO, do you use it to expand your own business?” we can proudly answer that we do exactly that! Unlike many competitors, we have concrete examples like 1st on the List, That’s Coffee, and Lifty Life — companies that have flourished due to our SEO strategies.

1. 1st on The List: SEO At The Core

Simply put, we continually strive to be the best SEO company in Canada. Our approach sets us apart from many other SEO agencies because we don’t just apply SEO for our clients – we actively use it to grow our business ventures as well.

This hands-on experience gives us a practical understanding of what truly works in search marketing. While some SEO agencies might not see the direct results of their SEO efforts, we witness the growth firsthand. 1st on the List uses SEO to build brand power and consistent rankings year after year when other SEO companies come and go.

Our successes are tangible evidence—like the proof in the pudding—that SEO isn’t just theory for us. It’s a proven digital marketing strategy for ourselves and our clients.

2. That’s Coffee: 100% Organic SEO Marketing

Imagine growing a business where every single customer discovers you exclusively through SEO. For 10+ years, our online gourmet coffee store, That’s Coffee, has been a real example of what happens when you apply SEO strategies without spending a penny on other marketing avenues.

We launched That’s Coffee as a real-world SEO laboratory and wanted to demonstrate what could be achieved when SEO recommendations are fully implemented — not just theorized.

This e-commerce gourmet coffee store is now one of the top-ranking online coffee shops in the US and has become the largest drop-ship vendor for our supplier.

The SEO rankings are outstanding, and the business has grown entirely from people finding us through search engines. This means the cost to attract each new customer has been practically nothing.

3. Lifty Life Hospitality: 7-Figure Revenues from SEO

While the vacation rental industry battles high customer acquisition and marketing costs, Lifty Life Hospitality has turned the tables. By leveraging SEO, they’ve reduced acquisition to almost nothing compared to the industry standard of USD 6,000 per homeowner.

Our successful SEO-driven strategy has led to a top-ranking position in Canada for vacation rental websites, with minimal spend.

The results? Lifty Life grew to 7-figure revenues and acquired new customers in an industry with high CPAs.

With numerous keywords driving our organic traffic, our approach with Lifty Life has proven that SEO can be a huge advantage, achieving growth and profitability that outpaces the competition.

4. Beyond Our Own Companies: Our Small Businesses

At 1st on the List, our commitment to SEO extends beyond professional services for our clients. Our team members actively use their SEO expertise to grow their individual business ventures, giving us firsthand insight into the challenges and stakes involved in running a business. One of our multi-talented SEO experts uses his expertise to grow his music business. Another talented employee uses her skills to grow her virtual assistant operations.

This blend of personal and professional use of search engine optimization enriches our understanding and empathy toward the business owners we work with. We’re not just SEO consultants; we are fellow small business owners who face and overcome similar everyday challenges.

Building our own companies with SEO strategies showcases our expertise and commitment to real-world results. Find out more by calling toll-free 1-888-262-6687

Keep scrolling to learn how we’ve applied this experience to drive growth for 50+ Canadian companies, many of which are long-term clients.

SEO Case Studies Of Canadian Companies We Grew

This section highlights our client success stories with various Canadian businesses, showing how we helped them grow their online and offline businesses.

Case Study 1: Small City HVAC Company

Family Plumbing and Heating needed more online visibility, impacting their ability to attract new customers and expand their local business.

What We Did

We upgraded Family Plumbing and Heating’s Website Design to a search-engine-friendly WordPress platform. The website was re-designed for action-oriented results. Our Content Development team completely rewrote the content to better represent their services and incorporated SEO keywords. We also initiated a Local SEO plan focusing on specific service-related keywords in Regina, enhancing the company’s online visibility and lead generation.

Results Achieved

After implementing SEO strategies with 1st on the List, Family Plumbing saw a substantial rise in online visibility and customer inquiries. This led to increased service calls, allowing them to grow their team and enhance their offerings.

For detailed insights into the strategy, visit the case study HERE.

Case Study 2: Full-Service Concrete Company

General Concrete Ltd. aimed to expand its business and attract customers closer to its primary service regions in the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley BC.

What We Did

We provided General Concrete Ltd. with a new SEO-friendly website design featuring updated content and a design focused on converting visitors to leads. The website showcases its services and customer satisfaction effectively, complemented by a Local SEO campaign targeting specific regions and services.

Results Achieved

The revamped online strategy led to a significant increase in quality leads and job requests, enabling General Concrete Ltd. to double its workforce to meet the growing demand. For more about how we supported this concrete service company’s growth, view the case study HERE.

These case studies are evidence of strong ROI from our SEO and web design strategies. However, in the next section, you’ll find the nitty-gritty statistics that show why we’re are considered to be one of the top SEO firms in Canada.

Statistics Support Our Efforts to Be the Best SEO Company in Canada

Now it’s time to dive into the proof. ‘Check the receipts’ as they would say. Through a blend of expertise, innovation, and dedication, we’ve achieved remarkable results that not only highlight our team’s capabilities but also showcase our role in our clients’ successes.

Diverse Client Success Stories

From Fortune 500 companies to ambitious startups, our search engine expertise has propelled businesses of all sizes to new heights of online visibility and success.

An Increase Of Inquiries With SEO

Take a look at this graphic showing our client’s SEO campaign’s journey to success: from boosting search impressions and clicks to a surge of new inquiries and job opportunities:

Search Engine Optimization Brought Thousands Of New Calls

Here’s another snapshot of the real results our SEO strategies delivered for a client: more visitors, a huge spike in search impressions, and thousands of new calls:

More Long-Term Client Results

Below are more SEO wins we’ve achieved for our clients in the past few years, from almost 5 million search visits for one client to increasing web traffic 5-fold for another.

Award-Winning SEO

Our commitment to superior SEO services that produce results has earned our SEO company prestigious awards and recognition from industry-leading SEO authorities. This includes recognitions from the below organizations, underscoring our position as a leader in the SEO domain​:

As Featured In…

Our digital marketing agency has been seen in platforms and publications where our expertise has been recognized, showcasing our influence and authority in the SEO industry for nearly three decades.

All product names, logos, and brands are the property of their respective owners. All company, product and service names used in this website are for identification purposes only. Use of these names, logos, and brands does not imply endorsement.

Now that you’ve seen our successes – a big shout out to our clients past and present for being a part of our journey. Let’s look at how our award-winning SEO services can help your business grow.

Ongoing Training & Learning

At 1st on the List, our knowledge of SEO isn’t just based on over 25 years of experience—a wealth of industry-recognized certifications backs it.

Our Certifications

Each badge of certification is a stamp of quality, assuring you that your SEO is in the hands of professionals who not only talk the talk but walk the walk.

Training, Trade Shows & Speaking Opportunities

Our team actively participates in major SEO conferences across North America to gather insights and network with industry leaders. This way, we stay in the know about successful search marketing methods through multiple sectors. Then, we use this knowledge and tailor it to help our clients succeed.

Some of these conferences and trade shows include:

• SMX Search Marketing Expo
• Semrush Academy
• Neil Patel and NP Digital
• SEO Square

How Our SEO Company Can Help Grow Your Business

Most SEO agencies use an outdated cookie-cutter, A-B-C-D-E approach. This approach cannot be customized to each client and doesn’t produce the results that the clients hired them for. At 1st on the List, we approach every client and business as a new project with its own unique needs. We offer a completely customized approach that produces the best results for their organization. Here’s how:

Pillar 1: Build A Website With SEO In Mind From the Beginning

We start with a solid SEO foundation to ensure your website is visible to your intended audience from the get-go. Beautiful websites full of imagery and little-to-no text are, well, beautiful, but in the eyes of SERPs, they typically don’t rank.

Building a website with SEO in mind from the start is crucial for a business owner because it lays the foundation for your site to be more visible to search engines. You could have the best-looking website for your industry and beyond, however, without quality content that supports your keywords, search engines have trouble indexing the pages.

Our web design team specializes in creating user-friendly WordPress websites, ensuring that people can easily find your business online when they search for what you offer.

Pillar 2: Craft Website Content That Is SEO Friendly from the Start

Our content engages readers and is designed to perform well in search rankings, drawing in your target audience.

Making your website’s content SEO-friendly means writing it in a way search engines can understand and like. This helps your website show up higher when people search for things related to what your brand offers.

It’s like using the right keywords so search engines can match your site to what people are looking for, bringing more visitors to your site. This early step is important for reaching more potential customers and leads online, and we’re here to get it started.

Pillar 3:  Build Site Authority From Our Link Building Services

We improve your website’s credibility and visibility through strategic link-building, establishing it as a trusted resource.

Quality link-building services help your website get mentioned and linked to from other websites, acting as recommendations in the online world. For search engines, each link is like a positive vote for your site, making it appear more trustworthy and authoritative.

This is crucial for businesses because a website seen as authoritative by search engines will rank higher in search results, attracting more visitors and potential customers.

Pillar 4:  Receive Monthly Reports That Track Your Performance

For a small business owner, the reports you receive are the details that matter: how many visitors, where did they come from, how can we get them to convert, and how can we get more?

​​With regular detailed reports on your website’s performance, we continuously refine our strategies to keep your business growing. No need for excess numbers or data that you don’t quite need or that doesn’t quite tell you what the next steps should be.

Monthly analytics are key pieces of information, allowing you to adjust SEO efforts to help your business grow online. In the next section, our SEO professionals share their thoughts on how we strive to be the best SEO company in Canada.

Expert Quotes From the Top SEOs in Our Company

You’ve now seen how we work hard to become the best SEO company in Canada, let’s hear insights from our top SEO experts. Their experience highlights the strategic thinking that powers 1st on the List’s success.

My experience with 1st on the List since year 1 has been nothing short of exceptional. With a foundation dating back to 1997, we’ve demonstrated a remarkable journey of growth and expertise. Beginning in a humble basement with just two of us, 1st on the List swiftly expanded to a team of five. Eventually, Chris, the owner, relocated us to an office space to accommodate our flourishing operations. I feel what truly sets us apart is our longevity in the industry, predating even the emergence of Google itself. With a robust client base boasting years of loyalty and repeat business, our commitment to staying abreast of evolving algorithms and delivering tailored solutions for enhancing website performance and user experience has solidified our position as one of the premier SEO companies in Canada.”

Angela tucker – Senior SEO Project Manager: Technical SEO on her experience with our seo company from year 1

As President of 1st on the List, my focus is not just on us being a top SEO company in Canada, but more importantly, helping our clients achieve their business goals through effective digital marketing strategies. We are committed to understanding our client’s unique business needs and creating customized search marketing solutions that deliver. From SaaS companies to hospitality and tourism businesses to automotive repair shops, success for us means seeing our clients grow and thrive in their industries long term.”

KEIRAN GRIFFITHS – President & Managing Director On Running The Top SEO Company in Canada

When SEO began in the late 1990s, it was all about keywords and getting rankings on the top search engines like Yahoo!, Excite, Alta Vista, and Lycos. So much has changed. They are all gone now, overtaken by Google, which currently has 91% of all online traffic and Bing, which is second with 3.37%. SEO had to evolve as well. Today, SEO experts need to focus on creating high-quality, relevant content that is personalized, accessible, and offers a great user experience. SEO takes longer and requires a lot more effort to satisfy not only users but also Google’s E.E.A.T. and YMYL requirements. SEO experts must now also contend with AI and how to use it effectively.”

TONY HUTCHCROFT – Senior SEO Project Manager on how seo has changed in canada over the years

 

Wondering If Our Canadian SEO Company Is The Right Fit?

Every business is different, and so is every SEO strategy. Over the years, 1st on the List Promotion has successfully helped hundreds of companies become visible online with top-ranking results that last.

If you’re serious about improving your visibility and growing online, we’d love to learn more about your goals and share how we can help. Our Discovery Call is a no-pressure way to explore what working together could look like (here’s what to expect in that first chat).

Set up a chat by completing the form below, calling us toll-free at 1-888-262-6687, or connecting with us online.