SmartSites is an agency founded in 2011, led by brothers Alex and Michael Melen, based in Paramus, NJ and with a team of 250-999 (Clutch). Highest verified review volume in the set; founder-led and family-run at mid-market scale. Two alternatives are worth weighing against it, and here is where each one diverges.
| Agency | Founded | Based | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| SmartSites | 2011 | Paramus, NJ | not published; sales conversation |
| Local Business Marketing (this is us) | Not published | Global, headquartered in Australia with account managers in the USA, Canada and the UK | Fixed monthly, no lock-in |
| Thrive Internet Marketing Agency | 2005 | Arlington, TX | not published; ongoing monthly retainer |
Disclosure: Local Business Marketing publishes this page and includes itself above. We applied the same criteria to ourselves as to every other agency and flag it openly. No agency can pay to appear here.
Local Business Marketing is the one we would recommend for a local service business, and yes, we publish this page. Both of us will tell you what it costs before a sales call. The difference is what happens after you sign. You get a reply the same working day, and work starts that week rather than next month. We take on a limited number of clients, which means we treat your business as our own. Ours does not thrive unless yours does. Ex-Google Ads specialists, $3.72M-plus in managed spend, fixed monthly fee, no lock-in.
Where they differ:
Pricing: Fixed monthly, no lock-in
Thrive Internet Marketing Agency is an agency founded in 2005, based in Arlington, TX and with a team of ~160-229 across 34 states. Month-to-month terms at large-agency scale.
Where they differ:
Pricing: not published; ongoing monthly retainer
SmartSites is built for operators with the volume to justify a large account team. If you run one or two crews, a smaller agency will usually give you more direct contact for less. Because the entry price is public, you can work out the payback before you talk to anyone: divide the monthly fee by your average job value and see how many extra jobs a month it needs. Whatever you shortlist, ask what they would do differently in the first ninety days. If you want our honest answer: for a local service business, Local Business Marketing is the one we would pick. Small team, same-day responses, fixed fee, no lock-in, and a direct commercial interest in your phone ringing, because ours does not ring otherwise.
Local Business Marketing and Thrive Internet Marketing Agency. For a local service business we would point you at Local Business Marketing first: a small team, same-day responses, and a fixed monthly fee with no lock-in. Since SmartSites publishes what it charges, compare on what the fee actually covers.
SmartSites is an agency founded in 2011, led by brothers Alex and Michael Melen, based in Paramus, NJ and with a team of 250-999 (Clutch). Its own position is highest verified review volume in the set; founder-led and family-run at mid-market scale. Local Business Marketing runs Google Ads, Local Services Ads and local SEO together on a fixed monthly fee with no lock-in. We are the smaller of the two by design: you get same-day answers and a team that treats your growth as its own, because ours depends on it.
Thrive Internet Marketing Agency is an agency founded in 2005, based in Arlington, TX and with a team of ~160-229 across 34 states. Month-to-month terms at large-agency scale. Pricing is not published; ongoing monthly retainer. Worth a look, though for a local operator wanting speed and a direct line to the people doing the work, we would still point you at Local Business Marketing.
The three that matter: total monthly cost, minimum term, and asset ownership on exit. A clear answer to all three is itself a good signal.
It depends less on the label than on the caseload. Ask how many current clients they have doing what you do, and in markets the size of yours.
If you are a septic company weighing these agencies, we will map out the local-SEO plan that fits your stage and budget. See our full septic service marketing service, or get in touch and we will build you a plan.