The Toronto-Waterloo ecosystem ranked #13 globally in Startup Genome’s 2026 report — up seven positions year over year — with 3,400+ active startups and an ecosystem that grew 30.6% in 2025. That density of SaaS companies, fintechs, and enterprise tech firms has produced a local SEO talent pool that punches well above Canada’s weight.
The skill requirements for Toronto SEO practitioners have also shifted materially. Research published in 2025 confirmed that generative engines systematically favour earned third-party media over brand-owned content, which changes how visibility is built and measured. The ten professionals below understand that gap. Flying V Group builds SEO and GEO strategies for Toronto businesses that need both. Contact us to see what that looks like for your market.
Toronto’s Top SEO Experts for 2026
1. Sean Fulford — Flying V Group
Best for: Toronto businesses that need SEO and GEO integrated into a single revenue strategy
Sean Fulford is Flying V Group’s VP of SEO and GEO, with nearly a decade of experience across Fortune 500 enterprises, multi-location franchises, SaaS companies, and growth-stage SMBs.
Core Specialties / Community and Track Record
We’ve worked with Bain Consulting, John Hancock, and a range of mid-market professional services and ecommerce clients. Most agencies optimise for rankings. We optimise for P&L impact. Flying V Group is a full-service digital marketing and advertising agency; our work spans paid, social, organic, and web.
Ideal client: SaaS companies, professional services firms, and growth-stage businesses that measure marketing by revenue contribution.
2. Jonathon Tokarz — NAV43
Best for: Data-driven SEO for SMBs to enterprise clients in the GTA
Jonathon Tokarz is the Director of SEO at NAV43, a Toronto agency specialising in SEO, PPC, CRO, and CRM automation. With over 8 years in search optimisation — starting as an intern and working up to lead the SEO department — he was quoted in Search Engine Land’s 2025 PPC predictions article and regularly speaks at industry events.
Ideal client: Toronto SMBs and mid-market companies that want a data-driven agency approach across SEO and paid channels.
3. Daria Tokareva — Intrepid Digital
Best for: Content-led SEO strategy with strong AI search awareness
Daria Tokareva is Director of SEO Operations at Intrepid Digital, with over a decade of experience across Seologist, OneCore Media, and Delta Growth. She published research in December 2025 on how generative AI is driving a 61% CTR drop on informational queries when AI Overviews appear — a level of genuine engagement with AI search dynamics that puts her ahead of practitioners still optimising primarily for traditional rankings.
Ideal client: Brands that need SEO strategy adapted for AI-first discovery in content-heavy or research-driven categories.
4. Eugenia B. — TouchBistro
Best for: B2B SaaS SEO with a focus on product-led organic growth
Eugenia B. is SEO Manager at TouchBistro, a Toronto restaurant management platform. Managing SEO for B2B SaaS requires aligning keyword strategy with product roadmaps and competing for the same budgets as paid teams — experience directly relevant to Toronto’s large SaaS cohort.
Ideal client: Toronto SaaS and technology companies looking for SEO expertise calibrated to product-led growth.
5. Layla Powell — Walmart Canada
Best for: Large-scale retail and ecommerce SEO
Layla Powell is an SEO Consultant at Walmart Canada, managing organic search across millions of indexed pages with complex product taxonomy and promotional cycle conflicts. Her background also includes content marketing and SEO at HomeStars, covering both enterprise and SMB-scale environments.
Ideal client: Toronto ecommerce businesses managing SEO at significant page volume and category complexity.
6. Jerry Zheng — Jerry Zheng Consulting
Best for: SEO integrated with brand and product marketing
Jerry Zheng is an independent SEO consultant in Toronto focused on connecting organic search to brand positioning and content production workflows. His cross-functional approach suits Toronto’s startup ecosystem, where SEO rarely operates in isolation from product and growth teams.
Ideal client: Toronto startups that want SEO embedded within their product and brand marketing strategy.
7. Alexandra K. — Publicis Canada
Best for: Agency-side SEO within a large integrated marketing environment
Alexandra K. is an SEO Strategist at Publicis Canada, managing SEO strategy across multiple client verticals within one of the world’s largest marketing networks — a discipline that translates well to enterprise clients with complex multi-channel structures.
Ideal client: Large Toronto brands that need SEO coordinated within a multi-channel marketing programme.
8. Alexandra Mackenzie — OMD Canada
Best for: SEO within a media agency environment
Alexandra Mackenzie is a Senior SEO Specialist at OMD Canada, covering financial services, consumer goods, retail, and technology clients. Working in a media agency builds fluency in how SEO integrates with paid media and audience data that pure SEO specialists rarely develop.
Ideal client: Toronto brands that want SEO informed by media strategy and audience insights.
9. Oluwasegun Adeniyi — Critical Mass
Best for: Enterprise SEO within a global experience design agency
Oluwasegun Adeniyi is a Senior SEO Strategist at Critical Mass in Toronto. His role involves driving organic growth within a design-led agency, producing practitioners who understand how technical SEO, UX, and content intersect rather than treating them as separate disciplines.
Ideal client: Enterprise brands looking for SEO grounded in user experience and design thinking.
10. Can Malay — Accenture
Best for: Enterprise SEO and GEO within a global consulting context
Can Malay is a Senior SEO Strategist at Accenture in Toronto, within a practice that now explicitly covers SEO, GEO, and AEO alongside traditional organic search. Working at Accenture’s scale means navigating technically complex, compliance-sensitive digital environments that few practitioners encounter elsewhere.
Ideal client: Enterprise organisations navigating SEO and GEO at scale in regulated industries.
Why Toronto’s SEO Market Is More Demanding Than Most
A Dense, Competitive Business Landscape
The City of Toronto’s StartUp Here programme counts over 2,000 technology startups across the region, and ISED Canada’s 2025 SME statistics place Ontario at 39.7% of Canada’s national private sector employment. SaaS companies, fintechs, financial services firms, and professional services businesses all competing for the same organic real estate pushes SEO requirements well beyond generic local tactics.
AI Research at the Centre of the Ecosystem
Toronto is home to the University of Toronto’s AI research ecosystem and the Vector Institute — making it one of the world’s leading AI development hubs. The shift toward AI-powered search is better understood here than in most markets, and the practitioners who have kept pace with it are the ones worth hiring in 2026.
Work With an SEO Partner Built for 2026’s Search Landscape
Flying V Group works with Toronto businesses across SaaS, professional services, and ecommerce to build SEO and GEO strategies that generate a consistent inbound pipeline. Contact us to discuss what that looks like for your business.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the best SEO expert in Toronto?
The right choice depends on your business model. Sean Fulford at Flying V Group covers SEO and GEO for businesses prioritising revenue impact; Jonathon Tokarz at NAV43 and Daria Tokareva at Intrepid Digital are strong agency-side options. Enterprise teams should also consider practitioners at Accenture, Publicis, or OMD.
How much does an SEO expert cost in Toronto?
Independent consultants typically charge CAD $150–$250 per hour or $2,000–$5,000 per month. Agency programmes for competitive keywords generally start from CAD $3,500–$5,000 per month, scaling with content volume and technical scope.
Is SEO still worth investing in for Toronto businesses in 2026?
Organic search remains one of the highest-ROI acquisition channels for Toronto businesses in SaaS, financial services, legal, and professional services. AI-powered search now requires GEO investment alongside traditional SEO, but businesses building both are reaching buyers across more surfaces than ever.
What is GEO and why does it matter for Toronto businesses?
GEO structures content so AI-powered engines — Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity — can parse, trust, and cite it. Research published in 2025 found these systems strongly favour earned third-party media over brand-owned content. Toronto businesses that invest in GEO build the citation authority that determines whether AI engines recommend them.
Should I hire a Toronto SEO expert or a national agency?
Local practitioners often have stronger familiarity with Toronto’s competitive landscape and Canadian search behaviour. The most important variable is whether the provider’s track record is relevant to your specific category, not their geography.
Can SEO help Toronto startups compete against larger brands?
SEO is one of the most practical equalising channels for startups, where topical authority matters more than brand budget. StartupBlink’s 2025 data shows 3,332 active Toronto startups competing without large paid media budgets — SEO that earns AI citations builds durable visibility paid channels cannot replicate.
How long does SEO take to produce results for Toronto businesses?
Most campaigns show measurable organic traffic improvements within 3 to 6 months, with revenue impact building through 6 to 12 months. Competitive categories like financial services and SaaS often require 12 months or more. Local citation and Google Business Profile work can produce results within 4 to 8 weeks.
