Question 1

How long does SEO take to show results?

Accepted Answer

Most Chicago businesses see early movement in keyword rankings within 8–12 weeks, with meaningful gains in organic traffic and leads around the 4–6 month mark. Technical fixes and Google Business Profile work can surface faster; competitive national terms take longer. We set realistic milestones in month one so you always know what to expect.

Question 2

How much does SEO cost in Chicago?

Accepted Answer

Ongoing SEO engagements typically range from about $1,500 to $6,000 per month depending on your market, the number of locations, and how competitive your keywords are. Local service businesses sit at the lower end; multi-location and e-commerce brands at the higher end. We scope every plan to your goals rather than selling fixed packages.

Question 3

What is the difference between local SEO and national SEO?

Accepted Answer

Local SEO focuses on winning the map pack and 'near me' searches in specific Chicago neighborhoods and suburbs — it relies on your Google Business Profile, local citations, reviews, and location pages. National SEO targets broader, non-geographic terms and leans more on content depth, site authority, and links. Many of our clients run both at once.

Question 4

Do you require long-term contracts?

Accepted Answer

No. We work month to month. SEO compounds over time, so most clients stay well past a year, but they stay because of results — not because a contract locks them in. You can pause or leave with 30 days' notice.

Question 5

How do you measure SEO success?

Accepted Answer

We tie rankings and organic traffic to outcomes that matter: calls, form fills, bookings, and revenue. You get a live dashboard plus a monthly review that connects the work we did to the leads it produced, so you never have to guess whether SEO is paying off.

Question 6

Will my business show up in AI Overviews and ChatGPT?

Accepted Answer

Increasingly, yes — if your content is structured for it. We build topical clusters, add schema markup, and earn credible citations so search engines and answer engines like Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, and Perplexity can confidently reference your business.

Question 7

Why hire a Chicago SEO agency instead of a national one?

Accepted Answer

Chicago is dozens of distinct micro-markets, from the Loop to Naperville. A local team understands neighborhood search behavior, seasonal demand, and the competitors you actually face — and we're in your time zone when you need us. That local context is hard to replicate from a call center in another state.

SEO strategies worth reading

Local SEO in Chicago: how to win the map pack in 2026

Core Web Vitals: what a slow site really costs you in rankings

Getting cited in AI Overviews and ChatGPT: a practical playbook