Local SEO
With RankGuarantee™, each service gets its own page in each city you serve, so a search for your service in a Multnomah County town finds a page written for it. How it works.
Multnomah County, OR · SEO Services
SEO Agency in Multnomah County: Rank Where Every Business Is Competing
Before choosing an SEO agency in Multnomah County, study the field: local search in Multnomah County is crowded, at 69 businesses per 10,000 residents. We provide search engine optimization for local businesses on monthly plans that are flat, with no setup fee or contract, and the numbers below are our starting point.
Market at a glance
How Contested Is Local Search in Multnomah County?
Local Search Competition Index
68.9/ 100
Ranked 290 of 1,822 counties with 20,000+ residents and 128 of the 400 markets we cover. The higher the score, the more local businesses are competing for the same searches. See the method
We grade every U.S. county-equivalent with 20,000 or more residents on how many local-search businesses (the lawyers, dentists, contractors, restaurants, salons and agents that customers find on Google and the map) compete for its residents. Multnomah County scores 68.9, which is more contested than most.
What shapes SEO in Multnomah County is more than the score. It is a county with unusually many local-search businesses for its size, and it is a county whose population is flat or shrinking. The eight measures that follow place it among every other county.
- How much the population has changed since 2020 -3.2% Growing slower than 95% of counties
- Median household earnings (2023 est.) $83,290 Ahead of than 83% of counties
- Local-search business locations per 10,000 people 69 Denser than 91% of counties
- How those businesses changed, 2017 to 2022 -5.9% A slower pace than 86% of counties
- Portion with under 5 employees 56.7% Lower share than 61% of counties
- How all employer locations changed, 2017 to 2022 -0.7% Less growth than 75% of counties
- Cities and towns of 2,500+ residents 6 More communities than 85% of counties
- Homes permitted in 2025 per 10,000 residents 20.2 Less building than 62% of counties
Each bar compares Multnomah County among all 1,822 U.S. counties with 20,000 or more residents. Source data: Census Bureau population estimates, County Business Patterns (2017 and 2022), Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates and the Building Permits Survey.
Market profile
Multnomah County Has More Local-Search Businesses Than Most Counties
Multnomah County packs 5,450 local-search employer locations into 789,698 residents, 69 per 10,000 people and more than in 91% of counties. The more businesses compete for the same searches, the more it pays to be precise about services, cities and neighborhoods.
Multnomah County has 789,698 residents, which ranks 84th of 3,143 U.S. counties, with population change of −3.2% since the 2020 Census. Across all industries it has 27,434 employer locations, 34.7 per 1,000 residents.
The larger places in Multnomah County are Portland (628,047), Gresham (110,685), Troutdale (15,717), Fairview (10,782) and Wood Village (4,717). Each is searched by name, so a business that serves several of them needs a page for each service in each town. That is what a local SEO plan from GetPhound builds.
Who else is in the results
Who You Would Be Ranking Against in Multnomah County
The table below measures Multnomah County against the typical U.S. county for fifteen categories that live on Google and the map: how many locations exist, how the count has changed, and how many are tiny.
Line of businessEmployer locationsDensity vs. a typical countyShift, 2017 to 2022Tiny locations (under 5 staff)
Law officesBusiest 779 -13.1% 536
Real estate agents and brokersTiniest shops 608 +12.6% 554
Full-service restaurants 1,158 -6.6% 293
Janitorial services 235 +7.3% 138
Residential remodelers 459 +8.8% 357
Beauty salons 238 -10.2% 180
Roofing contractorsFastest growing 85 +44.1% 43
Dentists 375 -6.7% 111
Accounting and CPA firms 126 -22.7% 68
Physicians offices 364 -26.3% 183
General automotive repair 217 -11.4% 116
Insurance agencies and brokerages 297 -11.6% 215
Landscaping services 227 +3.7% 162
Plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors 172 -5% 84
Electrical contractorsMost room 110 -1.8% 52
Crowding is employer locations per 10,000 residents relative to the median U.S. county of 20,000+ residents (1.0x is typical; the dark tick marks it). Figures are establishments from the Census County Business Patterns (2017, 2022), which says nothing about search volume. How we calculate this
In Multnomah County, the law offices category is the most contested, with 779 locations at 3.4 times the typical density, down 13.1% since 2017. Real estate agents and brokers (608 locations, 3.1x) and full-service restaurants (1,158 locations, 2.2x) also run above a normal county. At the other end, the electrical contractors category (110 locations) is below typical density at 0.6x, which means fewer competing sites to outrank.
Roofing contractors grew fastest, up 44.1% since 2017 to 85 locations, so new rivals keep arriving there. Physicians offices went the other way, down 26.3% to 364 locations. The tiniest competitors are in real estate agents and brokers: 554 of 608 locations (91%) have fewer than five employees.
A word of caution: this counts businesses, not searches. We have no search volumes or traffic for any keyword, and we do not claim any; a crowded category is a sign that more sites are competing, not a forecast of results.
Similar markets
Multnomah County Next to Its Closest Look-Alikes
These six counties are the nearest matches to Multnomah County in our 400-market set when we compare size, income, local-search competition, small-business mix and growth together.
| County | Score | People | Population change since 2020 | Local-business change since 2017 | Share under 5 employees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Multnomah County, OR (this market) | 68.9 | 789,698 | -3.2% | -5.9% | 56.7% |
| St. Louis County, MO | 73.3 | 987,059 | -1.7% | -2.4% | 57.7% |
| Baltimore County, MD | 69.2 | 844,703 | -1.2% | -3% | 58.2% |
| Monroe County, NY | 62.8 | 748,482 | -1.4% | -3.2% | 57.6% |
| Allegheny County, PA | 73.7 | 1,224,825 | -2.1% | -2% | 54.8% |
| Erie County, NY | 64.5 | 946,147 | -0.8% | -4.7% | 56.9% |
| Onondaga County, NY | 61.9 | 467,873 | -1.8% | -7.4% | 56.2% |
These are the six markets among our 400 that match this one most closely on size, income, local-search competition, small-business mix and growth. Sources are listed above.
St. Louis County, MO is the closest match, scoring 73.3 against Multnomah County's 68.9. Onondaga County, NY is the furthest from it, scoring 61.9. Allegheny County, PA has 54.8% of its local-search locations under five employees against 56.7% in Multnomah County. If you already invest in SEO in one of these markets, the comparison shows how similar the competition is, not what your results will be.
Housing demand
New Homes in Multnomah County: Below the 2023 Peak, Turning Up This Year
Units authorized by building permits. Data: the U.S. Census Bureau's Building Permits Survey (annual files by county, plus a year-to-date comparison of identical months). A permit is an authorization, not a finished home.
Multnomah County authorized 3,607 housing units in 2023 and 1,594 in 2025, about 56% fewer; 2025 still works out to 20.2 units per 10,000 residents, less than in 62% of counties. For January through August, permits are running at 1,385 against 1,028 a year earlier (+34.7%).
The construction-linked categories already most contested in Multnomah County are real estate agents and brokers (3.1x typical) and residential remodelers (1.9x typical). Because SEO builds gradually, the best time to start is before demand arrives; pages already indexed and ranking are the ones new households meet first.
Communities
Where People Live in Multnomah County
The largest places in Multnomah County by resident count. A local SEO plan can build pages for any of them, one per service you offer in each.
| City or town | Population (2023 estimate) | Slice of the county |
|---|---|---|
| Portland (part) | 628,047 | 80% |
| Gresham | 110,685 | 14% |
| Troutdale | 15,717 | 2% |
| Fairview | 10,782 | 1% |
| Wood Village | 4,717 | 1% |
| Lake Oswego (part) | 2,506 | 0% |
Source: Census Bureau Population Estimates. The list covers cities, towns and census-designated places; where a city crosses into a neighboring county, only the part inside Multnomah County is counted.
Run your own numbers
Work Out What SEO Has to Earn for You to Come Out Ahead
Whether SEO is worth it in Multnomah County comes down to your numbers, not an average. Enter your own figures to see the customers per month that cover a plan, and the total over the period you pick.
Our process
Our SEO Process in Multnomah County
Research & audit
We dig into your services, the cities you serve and who you compete with, audit your website, and put together a six-month roadmap. It is included in your monthly rate.
Page by page
RankGuarantee™ builds a landing page for each service in each city you serve, and your website gets technical clean-up and on-page improvements.
Beyond the website
We work on your Google Business Profile, citations and reviews, add Strategic Content Assets, and structure your pages so AI search can use them.
Measure and add more
You get monthly reporting from Search Console and Analytics with your account manager, and we add pages and content where the data says to.
What is in the plan
What Our SEO Services Cover in Multnomah County
Google Maps SEO
Profile optimization, citations, weekly posts, rank tracking and review management, so you are in the map pack when Multnomah County customers search nearby. More on Map SEO.
Optimization for AI search
Clear, structured pages and consistent business details give AI tools facts to draw on. A mention in an AI answer cannot be guaranteed by anyone; this improves the odds.
On-page and content
Technical fixes, on-page optimization and written content that answers real customer questions, published every month on every Organic Growth plan.
SEO services, an SEO agency, an SEO company, local SEO, organic search, search engine optimization: different words for the same work of getting Multnomah County businesses found on Google, Maps and AI search. Want ads as well? We manage Google, Bing and Meta (Facebook and Instagram) too, and you keep one account manager and one monthly report.
What it costs
Simple Monthly SEO Pricing in Multnomah County
No setup fee and no contract on any plan. Your monthly rate covers onboarding: keyword research, a full website audit and a six-month strategy. Talk it through with our CEO.
Common questions
SEO in Multnomah County: Frequently Asked Questions
How much do SEO services cost in Multnomah County?
You pay a flat monthly fee. RankGuarantee™, our local landing page engine, is $495 a month on its own. Organic Growth plans, which bring in Google Maps work, AI search optimization, content and more landing pages, run $1,495 (Silver), $2,495 (Gold) and $3,495 (Platinum). There is no setup fee and no contract.
How soon will I see results from SEO in Multnomah County?
No honest SEO provider can give a fixed timeline. Rankings build over time and depend on the competition, your site and the work we can publish. Law offices is the most contested category in Multnomah County at 3.4x typical, so it is the one to be patient with. We plan in six-month cycles and show you the movement monthly, and you can cancel anytime.
Is Multnomah County a competitive market for SEO?
More than most. Multnomah County scores 68.9 on our Local Search Competition Index, ranking 290th of 1,822 counties with 20,000+ residents and 128th of the 400 markets we cover. Law offices leads on density, at 3.4 times the typical county. 56.7% of local-search locations are tiny, with fewer than five employees, and tiny shops commonly have thin websites to outrank. That makes city-and-service pages and strong reviews more important, not less.
Which local businesses compete for search in Multnomah County?
Across the fifteen categories we track, the largest by employer locations in Multnomah County are full-service restaurants (1,158), law offices (779) and real estate agents and brokers (608). Measured against a typical county, the most contested are law offices (3.4x) and real estate agents and brokers (3.1x). A big or crowded category does not decide whether SEO works for you; it shows how many other sites you would be sharing the results with.
Which cities in Multnomah County would you build pages for?
Whichever you serve. Multnomah County has 6 places of 2,500 or more residents, led by Portland, Gresham, Troutdale, Fairview and Wood Village. RankGuarantee™ builds local landing pages for each service in each city you serve (25 new pages a month on the $495 plan, 25 to 100 on Organic Growth), so the plan follows your service area, not the county line.
Do you do local SEO and Google Maps optimization?
We do. Each Organic Growth plan covers Google Business Profile optimization, citations and review management, along with on-page and technical SEO, strategic content and AI search (GEO) work. Map results matter most for searches such as "near me", and much of what people search for in Multnomah County depends on them.
Will SEO help my business appear in AI answers like ChatGPT and Google's AI Overviews?
It may. Our plans include AI search (GEO) optimization: well-structured pages and consistent business details give AI tools more to work with. We cannot promise a mention in an AI answer, and neither can anyone else, but the work that earns rankings also builds the content those tools use.
Should I do SEO or Google Ads in Multnomah County?
Usually a mix of both. Ads can send calls within days and charge per click; SEO takes longer but keeps working with no per-click charge. If you need leads now, start with ads (we manage Google Ads, Bing and Meta too) and use SEO to build the asset that lowers your dependence on them.
Do you require a contract, and what does the monthly fee cover?
No contract, no setup fee, cancel anytime. The monthly fee covers onboarding (keyword research, a website audit and a six-month strategy), the landing pages and content in your plan, page management and rank tracking, and one account manager who sends you a report every month.
Nearby
Outside Multnomah County: The Closest Counties
Do your customers live outside Multnomah County? These counties are the closest, measured from center to center:
- Clark County, WA: about 16 miles from here, 521,150 people, Local Search Competition Index 65.1
- Clackamas County, OR: roughly 29 miles away, 423,173 people, competition index 79.6
- Washington County, OR: roughly 33 miles from here, 598,865 people, Local Search Competition Index 69.1
- Hood River County, OR: around 37 miles out, 23,745 people, index score 84.1
- Skamania County, WA: roughly 40 miles out, 12,640 people, Local Search Competition Index 25.3
- Columbia County, OR: around 42 miles out, 53,880 people, Local Search Competition Index 41.9
How it was made
How We Built This Multnomah County Page
Each figure on this page comes from public U.S. Census Bureau data, worked out identically for every county, so Multnomah County can be compared with any other market. Client account data is not used, and we publish no search volumes, traffic or client rankings, because results vary by business.
- Data refreshedOctober 16, 2026
- DataPopulation Estimates (2023), County Business Patterns (2017, 2022), income estimates from the Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates program (2023), Building Permits Survey (2021 to 2026 year to date), Gazetteer files.
- How it worksThe Local Search Competition Index and the numbers derived from it are explained on the method page. See every market in the index.
- CorrectionsSee something wrong? Email hello@getphound.com and we will compare it with the original Census data.
Get in Touch
Ready to Grow Your Multnomah County Business With SEO?
Share what you sell and where in Multnomah County you want customers. We will walk through the plan that fits. Reach us at 610-825-4363 or hello@getphound.com for a strategy session with our CEO.