Lobit vs. OuterBox vs. Searchbloom vs. an in-house SEO hire.

Sub-headline

You're considering options. So are we. Here's the honest comparison, written by Lobit but with our finger off the scale wherever we can manage it.

Why this page exists

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A note about this comparison

Pure comparison pages are usually trash. They cherry-pick the criteria, weight the table toward the agency that wrote it, and treat the competitor like a strawman. We don't want to do that. Our buyers are sophisticated and will notice immediately.

So this page does three things:

1. Lists the criteria that genuinely matter when you choose an SEO partner for a B2B industrial distributor.
2. Scores Lobit, OuterBox, Searchbloom and "build it in-house" on those criteria using public information (their own websites, Clutch, Glassdoor, G2, SearchEngineLand coverage) plus our own observations from competing for the same prospects.
3. Tells you, in writing, where Lobit is not the right choice. Because sometimes we're not.

The criteria that matter

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What you should actually compare an SEO agency on

1. Specialism fit for B2B industrial / MRO / specialty distribution ecommerce
2. Team model (founder-led vs industrialized)
3. GEO / AI search depth (engineered in vs marketed about)
4. Money-back guarantee (real and written vs marketing line)
5. Pricing transparency (published vs hidden)
6. Pricing level vs scope delivered
7. Geographic time-zone coverage for your business
8. Reference and case study honesty (specific numbers vs vague claims)
9. Contract terms (cancellable vs locked-in)

The comparison table

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Side-by-side

| Criterion | Lobit | OuterBox | Searchbloom | In-house hire |

|---|---|---|---|---|

| Specialism fit for industrial / MRO ecommerce | Sole focus | One of many ecommerce verticals | Generalist ecommerce + SaaS | Depends on the hire |

| Founder leads strategy on every account | Yes | No (above ~$20K/mo, partial) | Sometimes | N/A |

| Team size on your account | 4 senior people | 5 to 15 (mixed seniority) | 4 to 8 (mixed seniority) | 1 person (you hired) |

| GEO / AI search engineered into every retainer | Standard | Optional add-on | Mentioned, not engineered | Depends on hire |

| Written money-back guarantee | Yes, in every contract | None | None | N/A |

| Pricing transparency | Published | Hidden | Hidden | Salary published in job ad |

| Monthly retainer for $15M to $30M distributor | €7,500 to €12,000 (~$8K to $13K) | $15,000 to $30,000 | $10,000 to $25,000 | Loaded comp $120K to $180K / yr + tools |

| Time zone coverage | London + Zagreb (covers US East, UK, EU, AU morning) | US East (mostly) | Mountain Time | Wherever you hire |

| Contract minimum | 6 months, then month-to-month | 12+ months typical | 6 to 12 months | At-will + ramp time |

| Average client lifetime in segment | 24 to 48 months | 18 to 36 months | 24 to 36 months | 18 to 36 months (employee tenure) |

| References available pre-contract | Yes, on a call | Sometimes | Sometimes | N/A |

(Note: competitor data drawn from each agency's public website, Clutch, Glassdoor, SearchEngineLand and industry trade press as of May 2026. If anything is out of date, we'll happily correct it.)

Where each option wins (the honest reading)

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Lobit wins if you...

• Run a B2B industrial / MRO / lab / safety distribution ecommerce site
• Want senior founder-led delivery, not a junior account manager
• Want GEO engineered in, not bolted on
• Want a written money-back guarantee in the contract
• Want pricing 30 to 50% under US Tier-1 for equivalent scope
• Are okay with a Zagreb + London team (most clients are; some aren't)

OuterBox is the better choice if you...

• Run a very large enterprise ecommerce site ($100M+ online) where the buying decision is procurement-led and Tier-1 brand recognition matters more than founder access
• Need a 100+ person delivery team for a multi-year transformation engagement
• Prefer US-time-zone-only delivery and are willing to pay full US rate-card for it
• Do not need a written outcome guarantee

Searchbloom is the better choice if you...

• Want a US-based boutique with strong process branding (the "A.R.T." framework)
• Want SEO + CRO + PPC bundled into one retainer
• Are willing to pay US Tier-2 pricing and don't need a guarantee or GEO depth

An in-house hire is the better choice if you...

• Have a long-term need for an internal SEO leader who knows your product and team intimately
• Can hire and retain a senior ecommerce SEO talent (much harder than people think)
• Are willing to spend 4 to 6 months ramping that hire to peak productivity
• Can supply that person with the technical, content, link building and GEO tooling they need (typically another $30K to $60K / year)

Most distributors in our segment actually do best with both: an in-house lead who owns the institutional knowledge, plus Lobit handling the strategy, technical depth, and GEO work that an in-house team rarely has bandwidth for. The two roles are complementary, not competitive.

The price math (Specific numbers, Hopkins)

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For a $20M online distributor, here's roughly what each option costs in year 1

| Option | Year 1 cost | What you get |

|---|---|---|

| Lobit Scale tier | ~€110,000 (~$120K) | 4-person senior team, founder on the account, full SEO + GEO scope, written guarantee |

| OuterBox typical | $180,000 to $300,000 | 5 to 15 person team, mixed seniority, no guarantee, GEO often optional add-on |

| Searchbloom typical | $120,000 to $250,000 | 4 to 8 person team, mixed seniority, no guarantee |

| In-house senior hire + tools | $180,000 to $260,000 | One person, ramp time, full tooling stack, no team coverage for absences |

| Lobit Scale + in-house mid-level lead | ~€110,000 + $95K = ~$215K | Best of both: institutional knowledge + senior strategic delivery + written guarantee |

The point is not that Lobit is the cheapest option (we're not, and we don't compete on price-alone). The point is that the senior delivery + guarantee + GEO depth combination sits at a price point most US options can't structurally match.

What to ask any agency on the first call

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A short list of questions that quickly reveals fit

1. "Who specifically will lead strategy on my account, and what is their LinkedIn URL?"
2. "Will you put a specific KPI commitment in the contract with a refund mechanism if you miss it?"
3. "Show me a live case study with the brand name and let me speak to that buyer."
4. "What is your specific approach to AI-search citation tracking and llms.txt deployment?"
5. "Can I see your published pricing, or do I have to wait for a custom quote?"

If an agency's answers to those five questions feel evasive, that's the answer.

CTA + P.S.

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Two ways to start

1. Book a 30-minute call. We'll do the comparison live with your specific situation. [Book the call →]

2. Order a one-time audit (€1,500 to €4,500). A week of senior strategist time inside your site, with a 40 to 60 page deliverable. The audit fee is credited against the first retainer month if you decide to engage. [Order the audit →]

P.S.

P.S. - We will tell you on the first call if we are not the right fit and refer you to whichever of OuterBox, Searchbloom or an in-house hire is. Specialism is built by saying no to the wrong client. [Book the call →]

Prefer a call?

Book a 30-minute strategy call. We'll look at your site live, your AI-search visibility, and your top three growth-blocking issues. No pitch deck. Just answers.

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