“We have nine months of runway. Should we even start SEO?”
Start small: we build only the pages closest to a sale, so first signups come early. If buyers don't search for your problem yet, you hear it from us in week one.
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Industries · Startups · SEO
SEOfor startups
Since 201565+ in-house team6 cities
Search work sized to your runway, counted in signups, demos and pipeline.
A strategist calls you in one working day.
/ 01 SEO for startups
Short runway?Start where buyers already search.
A startup cannot publish for a year and wait, so its SEO has to sit close to the sale. PromotEdge does SEO for startup founders.
We fix the technical basics, build the few pages buyers search for just before they buy, and turn what founders know into content. So search brings you signups, demo requests and paying customers.
SEO (search engine optimisation) gets you found on Google and in AI answers without paying per click. It pays back slowly, so plan it around your runway, the months your cash will last.
Sometimes the honest answer is "not yet". SEO works only when people already search for the problem you solve. If they don't, or your product is still changing, start with paid search, LinkedIn outreach or partnerships.
We work with founders in SaaS (software on subscription), D2C (direct to consumer), fintech and edtech. See marketing for startups and SEO services for more.
- 2015working with Indian brands since
- 65+in-house team: strategy, creative, media and tech
- 4pillars under one roof: strategy, advertising, digital, on-ground activation (BTL)
- 6cities: head office in Kolkata, teams in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Guwahati and Bhubaneswar
/ 02 Services
Services forstartups.
Marketing for startups
The wider plan for early-stage founders.
SEO audit and technical fixes
Check what Google can find and index on your site.
GoogleFounder-led content
Posts under your name, from half-hour interviews.
AI search visibility
Be quoted when buyers ask ChatGPT, Perplexity or Google's AI.
GoogleGoogle Ads for first signups
Paid search on pages that already convert, while SEO builds.
Google AdsGoogleLinkedIn outreach
Reach buyers directly while search is young.
LinkedInAnalytics and tracking
Count signups, demos and pipeline by source.
GoogleGo-to-market strategy
Decide who to sell to first, and why.
/ 03 Checklist
Brand basics checklist
Tick what you already have. The rest is where we can help.
The basics
11 items
- Logo and brand guidelinesOne set of logo files and a one-page guide to colours and fonts.
- Domain and business emailyourname.com and name@yourname.com, not a free mail address.
- A website that works on phonesFast, secure, with Call and WhatsApp buttons.
- Google Business ProfileCorrect name, hours, photos and category.
- WhatsApp BusinessCatalogue, quick replies and an away message.
- Social media handlesThe same name on each platform you use.
- Business cardsName, role, phone, email and website.
- Letterhead and invoiceYour legal name, address and tax details, with your logo.
- Company profile or brochureOne document you can send on WhatsApp.
- SignageMatches your logo and your Google listing.
- Photos and short videosReal work, real people, real premises.
For startups
5 items
- Search Console and analytics set upGood practice: count signups and demos by source from day one.
- A clear consent notice on signup and demo formsDPDP Rules, 2025: a separate, clear notice that states the purpose.
- A pricing page that answers real questionsGood practice: buyers near a decision search for price first.
- AI crawlers allowed on your public pagesOpenAI: sites opted out of OAI-SearchBot are not shown in ChatGPT search answers.
- Comparison pages that are fair and datedGood practice: say where a rival fits better, and check each quarter.
/ 04 What usually gets in the way
What gets in the wayand the way through.
“An investor asked what SEO brought in. We showed rankings.”
Report signups, demo requests and pipeline (the deals your sales team is working on). We tag every form and trial by source.
“Someone told us to publish 5,000 AI-written pages to rank fast.”
Build pages in bulk only when each carries real data a buyer needs, and test a small batch first. Google calls the rest scaled content abuse.
“When we ask ChatGPT for tools like ours, our name never comes up.”
Let AI crawlers read your site, then publish plain facts they can quote. Assistants repeat what the open web says clearly about your category.
“We changed our positioning last quarter. Half our site still says the old thing.”
Build only a few pages, and keep a page register with an owner and a review date for each. AI tools can scan the site for an old plan name; a person fixes it.
Is your runway short? Tell us the months you have, and we'll tell you if SEO fits yet. Tell us your runway
/ 05 How we work
Your first 90 days,then every month.
- 01
Week 1: does SEO fit your stage?
We check how many people search for your problem, how buyers find you and your runway. If SEO is the wrong first channel, you hear it now.
- 02
Weeks 1 to 3: fix the basics
We set up Google Search Console (Google's free tool showing how your site appears in search) and check Google can index your key pages. An older site starts with an SEO audit.
- 03
Weeks 2 to 6: pages near the sale
Five to ten pages, each matching one buying search: pricing, use cases, integrations and fair comparisons with rivals. Each page gives its answer in the first two lines.
- 04
From week 3: founder-led content
We interview you for half an hour every two weeks and turn it into posts under your name, through our content marketing work.
- 05
From month 2: AI answers
OpenAI says sites that opt out of OAI-SearchBot won't be shown in ChatGPT search answers, and Perplexity asks sites to allow PerplexityBot. We check both reach your pages, in our AI SEO work.
- 06
Every month: one report
Organic signups, demo requests, qualified pipeline and revenue from your CRM (software holding your leads and deals). What can't be measured can't be achieved. Our analytics and tracking set-up makes it traceable.
Tell us what’s not working. We’ll send you an honest one-page growth plan, free.
Search pays back slowly, so a startup needs the few pages nearest a sale. Google's rules reward real value, not page count.
SEO for startups in depth
The rule that matters
Google's spam policies call many pages made mainly to manipulate rankings, and not to help users, scaled content abuse. AI-made pages without added value are an example. Its AI features page says AI Overviews need no extra requirements. A page must be indexed and eligible to show with a snippet.
Source: Google Search Central, Spam policies for Google web search, last updated 28 Aug 2026 (https://developers.google.com/search/docs/essentials/spam-policies), read 10 Oct 2026. Google Search Central, AI features and your website, last updated 10 Dec 2025 (https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/ai-features), read 10 Oct 2026
How buyers decide
Our view: a buyer at another business searches the problem, then "best tool for X" and "X vs Y". Then they ask a peer or an AI assistant, and book a demo. They drop out when pricing is hidden, the page is slow on a phone or the claims cannot be checked.
What you can do, and what is not ours
You can set up Search Console, write down why your product exists and give us half an hour a fortnight. We cannot promise page one or decide what you should build. If buyers don't search for your problem yet, SEO is the wrong first channel, and we will say so.
How we would deliver, and why each step
We check fit in week 1, because runway wasted cannot come back. We fix the basics next, because Google must read a page before it can rank it. Then come the few pages nearest a sale and founder posts. Each month we report signups, demos and pipeline.
Bodies to know
Startup India: the government platform for the startup ecosystem, run by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).
IAMAI: the Internet and Mobile Association of India, which calls itself a not-for-profit industry body.
Source: Official sites of each body, read 10 Oct 2026
Our beliefWe use AI to save your team's time. A person still makes the decision.
Not sure how much founder time this needs? Let's plan the first 90 days together. Plan the 90 days
/ 06 Cost
What affects the cost of SEO for a startup.
We don't publish a price list. After a 30-minute strategist call, a written quote follows within 2 working days.
What affects the cost
- Your site and pages. A new site needs fewer fixes, and five pages cost less than twenty-five.
- Founder time. An hour a fortnight from you means less writing.
How we quote
- We talk about your product, runway and buyers
- We check search demand and tell you if SEO fits your stage
- A written quote follows within 2 working days. You approve it first
What you get in the quote
- The fixes and pages for the first 90 days, one by one
- What the monthly report shows
How it is billed
| Way of working | When it fits |
|---|---|
| First 90 days | We confirm the timeline in the quote |
| Monthly retainer | Minimum 3 months, 30 days' notice to stop |
Ask each agency one question: what number will you report to our board?
/ 07 What happens next
What happensafter you ask.
For projects we think we can help, this is how it goes.
- 01
A strategist calls you
In one working day: a 30-minute call with one of our strategists about your business and what is not working.
- 02
You get a 1-page plan
A short, honest plan: what to fix first and what we would do. It is free.
- 03
A quote, if you want one
If you want to go ahead, we send a quote within 2 working days.
SEO usually shows results in 3 to 6 months. Contracts start at 3 months, with 30 days' notice to stop.
Brands and people are named only as public examples. They are not PromotEdge clients or endorsers unless stated.
Keep exploring
Related pages.
The expertise that fits your business, and the places we work.
Goes well with
Related industries
Proof and reading
What people say
In their own words
“An aligned partner is always a welcoming step. Someone who can think deep through lines, understand the matrix of product management. Fortunate enough, PromotEdge has been a partner in progress for me. …”
Bobby SrinivasChief Manager Marketing & Brand Marketing at Utkarsh India“As a progressive and emerging digital marketing company, PromotEdge is doing something right to enhance the experience of companies associated with them. …”
Anish Basu MallikMarketing Executive at Unimark Group“PRAN & PromotEdge have been working together for last 1.5 years. Throughout, the work experience is good and satisfactory. As a client, we found PromotEdge very professional and dedicated towards any project assigned to them. …”
Sharif Rezwan KabirBrand Manager at PRAN RFL Group
Wondering if SEO fits your startup?
Tell us your runway and your buyers.We'll tell you if SEO fits yet.
Straight answers.
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It is when three things are true. People already search for the problem you solve. You can wait a few months for results. And your product is settled enough that this year's pages still describe it next year. If any is missing, start with paid search, outbound sales or partnerships.
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Results usually come in 3 to 6 months. A new site can need longer, because Google knows little about a new domain. In the first weeks you should see your pages indexed in Search Console. Specific, less contested searches move first. We give you a forecast after the first month.
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Yes, with care. Google says generative AI can help with research and structure. Using AI to make many pages without adding value for users may break its spam policy on scaled content abuse. Google also asks you to fact-check AI-written content by hand. Someone who knows your product should check every claim.
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Start with the free ones. Google Search Console shows how your site appears in search. GA4 (Google Analytics 4) shows what visitors do after they arrive. A paid keyword tool helps once you publish every month, but you don't need one on day one.
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Yes. We serve founders in Bengaluru and across India through a servicing team based in cities across India. We meet you in your city at least once every three months. SEO needs access to your site, Search Console and some founder time, not a desk in your office. See SEO in Bangalore.