Employee-owned Sheffield search agency with a dental SEO service and healthcare track record
About The SEO Works
The SEO Works is a search and digital growth agency headquartered in Sheffield, with further offices in Leeds and London. Neil Palmer and Simon Margetts founded the business in 2009. On 2 September 2025 ownership passed from the founders to staff through an Employee Ownership Trust, backed by financing from Shawbrook Bank. Ben Foster is CEO and James Corry is Managing Director, and the agency has more than 80 employees. Its services span SEO, PPC, digital PR, social media, web design and GEO for AI search.
The agency runs a dedicated dental SEO service for NHS practices, private dentists, specialist clinics and multi-site dental groups. Work follows six stages. It begins with a website audit and a review of which competing practices rank for target terms. Keyword research then focuses on treatments such as emergency dentistry, implants, Invisalign, cosmetic work and hygienist appointments. Technical fixes cover site speed, Core Web Vitals, mobile usability and crawlability, followed by content updates and new pages. The final stage is ongoing optimisation and reporting. Local work includes Google Business Profile optimisation, citations and location pages, and authority is built through digital PR and backlinks.
Healthcare is their largest sector, at 30% of focus. Their best-known health project is Patient.co.uk, where research into how people phrase health searches helped lift monthly organic visits from about 5.25 million to 19 million over two years. That campaign won Best B2C SEO Campaign at the first Drum Search Awards in 2015. For SureSafe, a fall alarm supplier, they delivered a recovery from a Google penalty, 142% more organic and paid revenue and a 633% return. Podiatry supplier Canonbury Healthcare has renewed its SEO contract three times. No dental practices are named in their published work.
The award list is long. It includes the Drum Search Awards Best Health Campaign and a Digital Impact Award for healthcare in 2019, SEO Agency of the Year at the 2024 Digital Excellence Awards, and Search Agency of the Year at the 2024 Northern Digital Awards. The scale and process suit established private practices, multi-location groups and practices competing hard for implant or orthodontic searches.
Clients on Clutch rate them 4.8 from 58 reviews. Reviewers praise named account managers, detailed monthly reports and technical knowledge. Lower scores mention cost and a wish for more long-term strategic input. Rates run USD 100 to 149 per hour, with a USD 1,000 minimum project and a GBP 1,000 monthly minimum. They offer dental practices a free SEO audit, and meaningful gains usually take three to six months.
The SEO Works' Dental SEO Page
The SEO Works at a Glance
| Founded | 2009 |
|---|---|
| Team size | 80+ employees |
| Headquarters | Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, UK |
| Other offices | Leeds, London |
| Leadership | Ben Foster (CEO); James Corry (Managing Director); Neil Palmer (Co-founder); Simon Margetts (Co-founder) |
| Languages | English |
| Pricing | USD 100-149/hour; minimum project USD 1,000+ (some listings say GBP 5,000+); minimum monthly budget GBP 1,000+; free SEO audit and quote |
| Contracts & reporting | Free SEO audit before engagement; dedicated account manager; regular (typically monthly) reporting on rankings, traffic, enquiries and ROI; meaningful results usually take 3 to 6 months; some Trustpilot reviewers mention 12-month contracts |
| Tools & partnerships | Google Partner; Microsoft Advertising (Bing) accredited; Semrush Agency Partner |
Dental Marketing Services
- Dental SEO audits
- competitor analysis
- treatment keyword research (emergency dentistry, implants, Invisalign, cosmetic, hygienist)
- technical SEO (site speed, Core Web Vitals, mobile usability, crawlability)
- on-page and content optimisation
- local SEO and Google Maps visibility
- Google Business Profile optimisation
- local citations
- location-specific pages
- digital PR and link building
- PPC
- web design
- GEO for AI search
- rankings, enquiry and ROI reporting
Practice Types They Work With
- General dentistry (NHS and private)
- implants
- cosmetic dentistry
- Invisalign and orthodontics
- emergency dentistry
- specialist clinics
- multi-location dental groups
Dental Clients & Results
- Patient.co.uk: monthly organic visits from about 5.25M to 19M, 1,066 new number one rankings (two years)
- SureSafe: organic and paid revenue +142%, call enquiries +1,555%, 633% ROI after Google penalty recovery
- Luxe Watches: top-3 rankings from 189 to 557 and organic enquiries +69%
Why Dentists Choose The SEO Works
- Owned by its employees through a trust
- Named SEO Agency of the Year three times
- Official Google Partner and accredited Bing agency
- Won Global Integrated Search Agency of the Year
- Each client gets a set account manager
Key Strengths
- Earns links and coverage for practices through digital PR campaigns
- Improves Core Web Vitals, mobile usability and crawlability of practice sites
- Targets treatment searches such as emergency appointments, implants and Invisalign
Awards & Recognition
- Drum Search Awards 2015, Best B2C SEO Campaign (Patient.co.uk)
- Drum Search Awards 2019, Best Health Campaign
- Digital Impact Awards 2019, Best Use of Digital, Healthcare
- AVA Digital Awards 2019, Best Health Website
- UK Digital Growth Awards 2020, SEO Agency of the Year
- Prestige Awards 2021, SEO Agency of the Year
- Global Agency Awards 2023 and 2024, Integrated Search Agency of the Year
- Digital Excellence Awards 2024, SEO Agency of the Year
- Northern Digital Awards 2024, Search Agency of the Year
- UK Search Awards 2025, Best Use of Search B2C
How the DSA Score Breaks Down
Points earned: 61.6 of 100 (profile 62 × 0.8 + client feedback 12). DSA Score: 92/100
What Dental and Healthcare Clients Say About The SEO Works
- 1 on review sites
- 1 on its website
Clients Most Often Praise
- Communication & responsiveness 2
- Understanding of dentistry 1
- More new patient bookings 1
- Clear reporting & honesty 1
In ShortClients praise communication, account managers, technical knowledge and realistic targets. Healthcare clients report strong traffic/revenue growth. Clutch reviewers occasionally cite cost and wanting more proactive strategy.
Anonymous praises the team's professionalism and knowledge; notes remote communication can sometimes be difficult.
See it on clutch.coHead of Online reports 50-60% year-on-year turnover growth and roughly doubled mobile conversions, and praises communication.
See it on seoworks.co.ukWhere The SEO Works Is Listed
Questions Dentists Ask About The SEO Works
Do they work with NHS as well as private dental practices?
Yes. They work with NHS practices, private dentists, specialist clinics and multi-location dental groups.
How long before dental SEO shows results?
SEO is a long-term investment. Meaningful gains in rankings, traffic and enquiries usually appear after three to six months, depending on the site, competition and target areas.
What healthcare results can they point to?
Their Patient.co.uk campaign grew monthly organic visits from about 5.25 million to 19 million over two years and won a Drum Search Award. For SureSafe they delivered a penalty recovery with 142% more revenue.
Who owns the agency?
Since September 2025 the agency has been employee-owned through an Employee Ownership Trust. Founders Neil Palmer and Simon Margetts transferred ownership to staff, and Ben Foster leads as CEO.
How much does it cost?
Rates run USD 100 to 149 per hour, with a USD 1,000 minimum project and a GBP 1,000 monthly minimum. They offer a free SEO audit and quote before you commit.
What do clients criticise?
On Clutch, cost is the lowest-scored area, and some reviewers wanted more long-term strategy beyond monthly reports. Some Trustpilot complaints concern 12-month contracts and limited ranking gains.
Reviews of The SEO Works
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