7 Upwork Alternatives for Finding Reliable SEO Experts Who Actually Deliver Results
If you’ve been searching for SEO help on Upwork and feel like you’re drowning in proposals from questionable profiles, you’re not alone. While Upwork has its place, it’s far from your only option when you need someone who truly understands search optimization. This list walks you through seven platforms where you can find skilled SEO professionals who have proven track records and won’t disappear after taking your money. Whether you need link building, content strategy, technical audits, or full-service SEO management, these alternatives offer different approaches to connecting you with the right expert for your specific needs.
- Legiit
Legiit has built a reputation as a marketplace specifically for digital marketing services, which means you’re not wading through graphic designers and virtual assistants to find someone who knows SEO. The platform focuses on connecting businesses with vetted marketing professionals who specialize in areas like link building, local SEO, content creation, and technical optimization.
What sets Legiit apart is its emphasis on transparency and accountability. Sellers list specific packages with clear deliverables, so you know exactly what you’re getting before you spend a dollar. Many SEO experts on the platform have detailed portfolios showing their previous work, client testimonials, and response times. You can filter by service type, price range, and seller ratings to narrow down your options quickly.
The community aspect also helps. Because Legiit caters to marketers helping marketers, you’ll find professionals who understand the nuances of different SEO tactics and won’t promise overnight ranking miracles. If you need ongoing SEO support or one-off projects like guest post placements or citation building, this platform gives you access to specialists who do this work day in and day out.
- Local SEO Agencies Through Clutch
Clutch operates differently from freelancer marketplaces. It’s a B2B ratings and reviews platform where agencies showcase their work and collect verified client feedback. If you prefer working with an established agency rather than an individual freelancer, Clutch lets you compare SEO firms based on their portfolio, client reviews, and service offerings.
The verification process Clutch uses adds a layer of credibility. Reviews come from real clients who Clutch contacts directly, so you’re less likely to encounter fake testimonials. You can filter agencies by location, budget, industry focus, and specific services like technical SEO or e-commerce optimization. Many agencies list case studies showing how they improved rankings or organic traffic for clients in your industry.
This option works best if you have a reasonable budget and want a team approach. Agencies typically cost more than solo freelancers, but you get multiple specialists working on different aspects of your SEO strategy. Clutch also shows average project costs and minimum budgets upfront, which helps you avoid wasting time on discovery calls with firms outside your price range.
- Specialized Facebook Groups for Direct Hiring
Private Facebook groups dedicated to SEO and digital marketing have become surprisingly effective places to find reliable professionals. Groups like “SEO Signals Lab,” “The SEO Project,” and various industry-specific communities give you direct access to practitioners who actively share knowledge and case studies.
The advantage here is that you can observe someone’s expertise before hiring them. Active group members often answer questions, share their strategies, and demonstrate their thinking in public discussions. When you post a job opportunity in these groups, you’re reaching people who are genuinely passionate about SEO rather than just bidding on every project they see.
Vetting is easier too. You can review someone’s comment history, see what advice they give others, and check if respected community members vouch for them. Many experienced SEO professionals prefer these direct connections over marketplace fees and bidding wars. Just make sure you’re in groups that moderate quality, because open groups can attract the same low-quality pitches you’d find anywhere else.
- LinkedIn ProFinder and Direct Outreach
LinkedIn’s ProFinder service matches you with freelancers based on your project requirements, but the real value of LinkedIn for SEO hiring goes beyond that feature. The platform lets you research professionals thoroughly, review their work history, see recommendations from colleagues, and verify their experience through their complete profile.
When you need an SEO expert, you can search LinkedIn for people with relevant job titles, check their posts and articles to gauge their knowledge, and reach out directly. Many established SEO consultants maintain active LinkedIn profiles where they share insights, publish case studies, and engage with industry discussions. This gives you a much clearer picture of their actual expertise than a generic profile on a freelancer marketplace.
The direct outreach approach also means you can negotiate terms without platform fees eating into your budget or their earnings. You can ask for references, request examples of previous work, and have detailed conversations about your specific SEO challenges before committing to a contract. The professional nature of LinkedIn also tends to attract more serious consultants who have reputations to maintain.
- Referrals From Other Business Owners in Your Network
Sometimes the best way to find a reliable SEO expert is simply asking other business owners who they use. Referrals from people you trust carry more weight than any online review or portfolio because you can have honest conversations about what it’s actually like to work with that person.
Reach out to business contacts in your industry or local area and ask who handles their SEO. Find out what they like about their expert, what challenges they’ve faced, and whether they’ve seen real results. Most business owners are happy to share recommendations if they’ve had a good experience, and they’ll also warn you away from people who overpromised and underdelivered.
This approach works particularly well for local businesses looking for local SEO help. Someone who has successfully improved search visibility for other businesses in your city already understands the local market, your competitors, and what ranking factors matter most. You also get the benefit of working with someone who knows their reputation depends on keeping clients in a tight-knit business community happy.
- Niche Job Boards Like SEO Jobs and ProBlogger
Specialized job boards focused on SEO and content marketing attract a different caliber of applicant than general freelance platforms. Sites like SEO Jobs, ProBlogger’s job board, and Inbound.org’s job listings reach professionals who specifically work in search optimization and content strategy.
Posting on these boards costs money, which actually works in your favor. The fee filters out tire kickers and ensures your listing reaches people actively looking for SEO work rather than casting a wide net. You’ll typically receive fewer applications than on free platforms, but the quality tends to be much higher.
These job boards also let you be specific about what you need. You can request applicants with experience in your industry, knowledge of particular SEO tools, or expertise in specific tactics like link building or technical audits. Many applicants include detailed cover letters explaining their approach and relevant case studies, making it easier to identify candidates who understand your needs before you even schedule an interview.
- SEO Agencies That Offer White Label or Subcontracting Services
Many established SEO agencies offer white label services or take on overflow work from other businesses. These agencies have teams of specialists, established processes, and quality control measures that individual freelancers might lack. Reaching out to agencies that advertise white label services can connect you with professional SEO help even if you’re not their typical client.
This option works particularly well if you run a marketing agency yourself and need reliable SEO support for clients, but it’s also viable for businesses that want the benefits of agency-level expertise without the typical agency price tag. White label providers are often willing to work on smaller projects or provide specific services like link building or content optimization as standalone offerings.
Look for agencies that specialize in the type of SEO you need rather than generalists who do everything. An agency focused on e-commerce SEO will serve an online store better than one that primarily works with local service businesses. Most white label agencies are open to discussing custom arrangements, monthly retainers, or project-based pricing depending on your needs and budget.
Finding reliable SEO help doesn’t have to mean endless scrolling through Upwork profiles and hoping for the best. Each platform and approach on this list offers different advantages depending on whether you want an individual freelancer, an agency team, or something in between. The key is matching your specific needs, budget, and working style with the right sourcing method. Start with one or two options that feel like the best fit for your situation, be clear about what you need and what results you expect, and don’t be afraid to ask tough questions before hiring anyone. The right SEO expert is out there, and now you have several solid paths to finding them.
