Our ranking methodology is described in full on our website. At the bare minimum, an agency must meet the following criteria in order to be listed:
Location Proximity - Because our lists are designed to help small & medium sized local businesses, we require any agency listed in our directory to be located within 30 miles of a given city to qualify for placement on a list for that city (for local or geographic-based lists).
Core Offering/Targeting - At least 50% of an agency’s business must be comprised of small & medium sized businesses to be considered for our Top Local Agency directory.
From there, our complex proprietary ranking algorithm takes into account a plethora of other factors to decide which agencies deserve those top spots.
Client Reviews
We continually assess feedback from customers and clients to ensure high-quality agencies are given priority in our marketplace.
Project Timeliness - Was the work completed in a timely manner?
Pricing - Was the price charged an accurate representation of the services provided?
Communication - Was the agency open and transparent with communication? Did they provide regular updates?
Recommendation - Would you recommend the agency to your colleagues or peers?
Top Local Agency Profile Completion
To ensure that the marketplace contains high-quality, informative listings, we require agencies to maintain a minimum standard for their profiles:
Directory Profile Completion - In order to connect businesses with the best possible service providers, we have designed our TLA directory profiles to include at-a-glance information that helps business owners quickly determine if a service provider is a good fit for their project. Because of this, we heavily weight profile completion when assigning list placement to ensure that agencies at the top will always have the most complete and up-to-date profile information visible.
Profile Information Accuracy - We also check to ensure that the information agencies present in their directory profiles is an accurate representation of their service offerings & capabilities, giving businesses peace of mind when shopping for digital marketing services.
Agency Authority & Market Presence
We take a number of external market factors into account when considering agencies for inclusion:
Online Market Presence - We assess many factors of an agency’s online presence, including organic search visibility and paid advertising utilization.
Website Representation - Because an agency’s website is the “face” of their business online, we strongly consider the site and its content when assessing agencies for ranking placement. Some of the most important factors we consider:
Presence of Services-Related Copy - Does the site accurately and comprehensively explain the services offered by the agency?
Quality of Content - Is the website content concise and accurate to the agency’s offerings and abilities?
Authority & Trust Symbols - Has the agency been recognized for their work or reputation? Do they prominently display these accolades on their site?
Reputation & Social Presence - Does the agency have a positive reputation online and in reviews? Does the agency actively represent themselves on social media?
Site Design & Performance - Does the agency website comply with current best practices? Is the site responsive or mobile friendly? Does the site load quickly and without error?
Agency Certification
Agencies who work directly with UpCity or have joined our certification & partner program receive priority in list ranking.
Certified Agencies - Agencies who work closely with UpCity, utilize UpCity's marketing software and/or services, and can demonstrate a minimum standard of quality are eligible for our certified partner agency program. This provides additional trust symbols & badging, as well as preference in list placement.