Rachel SmithThe Indianapolis market is crowded with SEM agencies, making the selection process highly competitive. You know you need visibility to grow, but throwing money at Google Ads without a strategy is just burning cash.
Local coffee shops in Fountain Square need different strategies than tech startups in the Wholesale District, but both need a partner who turns clicks into customers.
We’ve dug through the noise to find the agencies that actually deliver.
How much does SEM cost in Indianapolis?
If you’re hiring a local agency here, pricing isn’t one-size-fits-all. It’s similar to choosing between a house in Carmel and a condo in Broad Ripple, with the investment changing based on your needs.
For a small business just needing a little local boost, you might look at around $1,000 a month.
However, if you are an e-commerce brand trying to dominate a national niche, monthly retainers can easily climb north of $5,000.
Hourly consulting generally sits between $100 and $300, depending on whether you’re working with a junior associate or a veteran strategist.
1. Circle Social Inc.
Website: https://www.circlesocialinc.com/
Address: 9465 Counselors Row # 200
Contact: +1 800-396-9927
Hours: Mon – Fri: 9 AM – 5 PM
Circle Social Inc. operates deeply within the healthcare sector with a serious focus on data. Their standout offering is the CORE-M process, a consulting framework that aligns clinical operations with marketing to drive actual patient admissions, not just clicks.
They back this up with insights from billions of dollars in client data, which allows them to predict trends rather than just react to them.
I recently spoke with a clinic director who partnered with them, and they mentioned that the “patient-centered” approach completely changed how they viewed their intake process.
Instead of just throwing up ads, Circle Social helped them map the entire journey from that first Google search to the final admission.
However, exclusively serving healthcare verticals can be a con because their strategies are tightly optimized for regulated, clinical environments and lack a cross-industry perspective.
| Pros | Cons |
| Uses insights from $3B+ in healthcare data | Exclusively serves healthcare verticals |
| Industry-experienced Team | |
| High ethical focus | |
| Specialized CORE-M consulting framework |
Customer Reviews
They have tremendous amounts of integrity
Nick and Jared have tremendous amounts of integrity and are always honest, even when it’s not what the customer wants to hear. Have worked with them extensively and always been impressed.
- Drew Powers | Google Review
Their work speaks for itself
I have worked with Circle Social at two separate behavioral health companies, their work speaks for itself in lead generation and their customer service is second to none. Any time someone asks me for a reccomendation on digital marketing they are my immediate suggestion.
- Matthew Schaefer | Google Review
2. IndeedSEO
Website: https://indeedseo.com/seo-company-in-indianapolis
Address: 1163 Apt A Bexley Dr, Greenwood
Contact: +1 323-982-7665
Hours: Available 24 Hours
IndeedSEO boldly claims to be the top choice for local firms, but they actually back it up with serious technical rigor.
Instead of just throwing links at a broken site, they prioritize fixing structural issues like crawlability first. So, if your growth has plateaued due to messy site structure, this is where they really shine.
Plus, they dig for hidden keyword gaps competitors miss, rather than just chasing the same expensive terms. Basically, if you need a team obsessed with the nuts and bolts of visibility, they’re a solid bet.
However, a major downside is that pricing isn’t transparent without a consultation, making it difficult to instantly gauge if they align with your current cash flow or marketing budget.
| Pros | Cons |
| Focuses on high-quality authoritative backlinks | Pricing isn’t transparent without consultation |
| Fixes complex technical/structural site barriers | “ |
| Comprehensive local SEO specifically for Indy | |
| Free estimation helps assess costs upfront |
3. Circulus Digital Media
Website: https://circulusdigitalmedia.com/
Address: 1950 N Meridian St
Contact: +1 317-956-8591
Hours: Mon -Fri: 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM
Circulus Digital Media stands out as a locally owned network with a specific mission to “democratize advanced media.” Basically, they give smaller businesses access to the heavy-hitting data usually reserved for corporate giants.
Plus, they leverage partnerships with over 90 data providers to target your ideal customers with serious precision. Their omnichannel approach focuses on cutting the waste, ensuring your brand appears on the right screens at the right time.
It’s also refreshing that they act as an extension of your team to bridge the gap between complex tech and local results.
While they serve businesses nationwide, keep in mind that their physical offices are strictly limited to Indiana and Texas. This is a definite downside if you prefer face-to-face strategy meetings but operate your business outside those specific regions.
| Pros | Cons |
| Exclusive local network ownership | Physical offices limited to Indy and Texas |
| Access to 90+ industry data partners | |
| “No waste” omnichannel approach | |
| Ad quality monitoring systems included |
Customer Reviews
The entire team is knowledgeable
Circulus Digital Media has been our partner for several years in the digital advertising and marketing space. We count on them and their expertise to help us achieve our goals by reaching the appropriate consumer and driving meaningful engagement. The entire team is knowledgeable and focused on helping us achieve the very best results. We enjoy that they are constantly monitoring and providing feedback on our efforts so that we can maximize our return on investment.
- Andy Mattingly | Google Review
We could not ask for a better partnership for our digital media needs!
Since partnering with Circulus Digital Media several years ago, our impressions, CTR, leads, conversions and ROI have improved dramatically to levels never previously experienced. The Circulus team is truly an extension of our internal marketing team, proactively providing counsel, support and new ideas to take our brand and performance to continuous growth. We could not ask for a better partnership for our digital media needs!
- Doug DeLor | Google Review
4. Proof Digital, LLC.
Website: https://proofdigital.com/
Address: 6151 Central Ave Suite 120
Contact: +1 317-537-0488
Hours: Mon – Fri: 9 AM – 5 PM
Proof Digital skips the vanity metrics to focus on building “humming marketing engines” that drive actual ROI and business growth. They blend modern tools like SEO and PPC with traditional sales psychology, ensuring they capture customers whenever they’re ready to buy.
On top of being a certified Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE), they hold solid credentials like Google Partner status.
Their model is interesting because they mix full-time strategists with a network of independent, specialized experts to keep overhead low.
That said, their heavy reliance on part-time and contract staff is something to consider.
For businesses scaling quickly, this variable workforce can sometimes lead to fragmented communication or a lack of long-term brand continuity compared to a fully dedicated in-house team.
| Pros | Cons |
| Flexible hybrid workforce model | Relies heavily on part-time/contract staff |
| Certified Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) | |
| Business-growth marketing approach | |
| Documented case studies (e.g. 480% sales increase) |
Customer Reviews
Proof Digital staff is nothing short of fantastic to work with.
Our company has been working with Proof Digital for the past two years, let me say that the Proof Digital staff is nothing short of fantastic to work with. We have utilized their expertise with our website design and maintenance, as well as print materials. I would highly recommend Proof Digital services to anyone.
- Tim Alberda | Google Review
Proof Digital has been at our side to usher in the new versions.
We have been working with Proof Digital and Stacie’s team for several years. We have been through a number of changes in our business and our website accordingly. Proof Digital has been at our side to usher in the new versions. On rare occasions we have had a glitch in our own system and their team has been quick to respond, research and repair for us. We have counted on them to help us navigate and they have done so very professionally.
- Doug Smith | Google Review
5. Light Matter Promotions
Website: https://www.lightmatterpromotions.com/
Address: 1525 B, 1525 Prospect St
Contact: +1 866-254-3623
Hours: Open 24 Hours
Light Matter Promotions takes a very direct approach to the biggest pain point of hiring an agency: the cost versus the return.
They explicitly market their services as a cost-effective alternative to hiring an in-house employee, offering a full team of five experts for significantly less than a single salary.
Their boldest claim is that they offer “guaranteed results,” which is something most agencies are terrified to say out loud.
I had a chance to look into their “team vs. employee” cost breakdown, and it’s a compelling argument for small businesses watching their cash flow.
Instead of paying for benefits and downtime, you just pay for the work. They also have a quirky specialization in niche industries like cigar lounges and the Metaverse, showing they aren’t afraid to get creative.
While the timelines can vary based on the project scope, the financial logic of their offer is hard to ignore for budget-conscious brands.
| Pros | Cons |
| Explicit “Guaranteed Results” claim | Project timelines are variable/undefined |
| Cost-effective team vs. employee model | |
| Free website audit valued at $300 | |
| 25+ years of industry experience |
Customer Reviews
Their expertise has truly elevated our online presence.
Light Matter Promotions has been an absolute game-changer for our business! Brandon and Alicia are not only incredibly knowledgeable but also some of the most personable people we’ve had the pleasure of working with. From the get-go, they made us feel comfortable and understood our needs perfectly. Their expertise in SEO, social media management, and website design has truly elevated our online presence.
- J&G Tax | Google Review
Their marketing efforts are proven to grow your business
I have worked with Light Matter Promotions for 8 years on various well attended events. Their planning and management is top notch. Their professionalism shines through in their work, with powerful marketing campaigns to targeted audiences they always draw a crowd. They have provided me with excellent web service on a complex project. Their marketing efforts are proven to grow your business or upcoming event. Whether it is banners, web design or event marketing, they are the best around.
- matt zielinski | Google Review
