Veteran-owned Nashville web design and SEO firm operating since 1996
About Horton Group
Horton Group is a Nashville web design and digital marketing firm at 1605 17th Avenue South. It opened in 1996. In May 2024 the company marked its 28th year as the longest-running firm of its kind in Nashville. Ned Horton is the founder, and Erick Pennington is chief revenue officer. The firm is veteran-owned, and its team of roughly 40 strategists, designers, developers and marketers is fully in-house. No work is outsourced.
They have offices in Franklin, Murfreesboro and Brentwood in Tennessee and in Louisville, Kentucky. In 2012 the firm also announced offices in Naples and Bonita Springs, Florida, led by Jack Campbell of CamTel Media.
Their SEO approach follows an inbound model of attracting, converting, closing and delighting customers. It starts with a site built for both classic search and AI search. On-site work covers keyword research by service, headers, titles, meta descriptions and URLs. Off-site work covers social signals, link building and consistent directory citations through their Yext partnership. They also offer AI search optimisation (AEO and GEO), Google Ads, Meta ads, branding, hosting, ADA compliance and a WebLife client dashboard with SEO alerts.
The firm is a generalist. Dental and medical are 10 percent each of its industry mix, and health care is among its sectors. It has no dental page, dental client or dental case study. Their client list leans towards hospitality, venues, education and government, including Nissan Stadium, Loveless Cafe, Nashville International Airport, Syracuse Hancock International Airport, Vanderbilt University, Metro Nashville Schools and SmartBank. A Middle Tennessee practice that wants a long-established local partner for website and search may find them a fit.
One client is a used car dealer with lots in Smyrna, Madison and Nashville. After national and local SEO, GEO and paid search were added, sales at one location rose 50 percent in just over two months. They hold a Web Excellence Awards win from 2021 and an Inc. 5000 listing. They are a Google Partner, a HubSpot Gold Partner and a Yext Certified Partner.
Google shows 4.9 from 55 reviews. Reviewers name individual staff and project managers and praise organisation, creativity, quick replies and fair prices. The average rate is 125 dollars an hour, with a minimum of about 1,000 dollars. Website clients get one free hour of support each month.
Horton Group's Website
Horton Group at a Glance
| Founded | 1996 |
|---|---|
| Team size | 10-49 employees (about 40 staff) |
| Headquarters | Nashville, Tennessee, USA |
| Other offices | Franklin TN, Murfreesboro TN, Brentwood TN, Louisville KY |
| Leadership | Ned Horton (Founder); Erick Pennington (Chief Revenue Officer) |
| Languages | English |
| Pricing | No packages published. Average rate of 125 dollars per hour; minimum of about 1,000 dollars per project. A promotion offers free setup for AI search optimisation. |
| Contracts & reporting | One free hour of website support per month for clients; all work done by the in-house team; single point of contact. |
| Tools & partnerships | Google Partner; HubSpot Gold Partner; Yext Certified Partner; WordPress; Nashville Chamber of Commerce member |
Dental Marketing Services
- custom website design and development
- on-site SEO
- directory citation management through Yext
- link building
- AI search optimisation (AEO and GEO)
- Google Ads and PPC
- Meta ads and social media management
- content and inbound marketing
- branding
- website hosting and support
- ADA website compliance
- reporting dashboard with SEO alerts
Dental Clients & Results
- Used car dealer (Smyrna, Madison and Nashville lots): sales at one location up 50% (just over two months)
Why Dentists Choose Horton Group
- Veteran-owned and in business since 1996
- Says it serves dental offices and medical providers
- Reports 70% rise in web engagement for Loveless Cafe
- Client list includes Nissan Stadium and SmartBank
- Offers ADA website compliance services
Key Strengths
- Provides ongoing practice website support and fast fixes after launch
- Follows an inbound framework: attract, convert, close and delight patients
- Keeps practice listings consistent across major directories for local and AI search
- Yext and HubSpot Gold partner supporting practice listings and inbound patient marketing
Awards & Recognition
- Web Excellence Awards 2021 winner
- Inc. 5000 listing
How the DSA Score Breaks Down
Points earned: 57.3 of 100 (profile 53 × 0.8 + client feedback 14.9). DSA Score: 91/100
What Clients Say About Horton Group
- 4 on Google
Clients Most Often Praise
- Dental website design 2
- Value for money 1
- Higher Google Maps & local rankings 1
- Understanding of dentistry 1
In ShortLong-term web design/support clients praise named staff, organization, quick responses and affordability.
Chris Patrick says Horton Group has been their trusted web partner since 2015 and praises the team's creativity, professionalism and care.
See it on designrush.comKaitlin Salyer says Zack and James helped at every step of a website project, built a new feature and kept prices affordable.
See it on designrush.comHeidi Core calls the team very organized and says it answers questions quickly and fixes website issues fast; recommends them for web design, support and digital marketing.
See it on designrush.comShow 1 more client review
- Ryan Cooney credits project manager Erin with teaching the team how to grow online visibility and calls Horton's expertise essential to the business. Google, 24 September 2024
Where Horton Group Is Listed
Questions Dentists Ask About Horton Group
Does Horton Group have dental experience?
Dental is about 10 percent of their industry mix, but they have no named dental clients or dental case studies. Their published clients are mostly venues, hospitality, education and government.
How long has Horton Group been operating?
They were founded in Nashville in 1996. In 2024 they marked 28 years in business.
Do they outsource any work?
No. All design, development and marketing is done by a full-time in-house team.
How do they keep practice listings consistent?
They are a Yext Certified Partner and include consistent directory citations in their off-site SEO work.
What does it cost to work with them?
They do not publish packages. The average rate is 125 dollars an hour, with a minimum of about 1,000 dollars.
Reviews of Horton Group
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