Awkward Media, Toronto’s SEO Powerhouse Celebrates Staggering 800% Growth
How Awkward Media grew from a Toronto branding studio into a fast-growing SEO company, and the 800% growth that came with it.
Read on USA Today(opens in a new tab)Awkward Media press coverage, from USA Today, International Business Times, LA Weekly and the Outbrain blog
Our press, in short
USA Today, International Business Times and LA Weekly have written about Awkward Media: our growth, our founder’s method, and how we get businesses ranked faster in competitive industries. Our founder, Zarrar Rasool, writes for the Outbrain blog.
Free 30-minute call on Google Meet. We search your service in your market, live, and show you where you stand.
Reviewed by Aone Marcus, SEO Director at Awkward Media · Updated October 2026
What the press wrote about us.
Every article, with the headline as it was published and a link to read it in full.
How Awkward Media grew from a Toronto branding studio into a fast-growing SEO company, and the 800% growth that came with it.
Read on USA Today(opens in a new tab)
Why businesses in crowded, competitive industries are turning to Awkward Media for faster SEO results.
Founder Zarrar Rasool on why the traditional SEO model is outdated, and the method he built to replace it.
Written by Zarrar RasoolZarrar explains bounce rate the way a shop owner would see it, and how to keep visitors from walking out.
Faster rankings. Results in writing.
Growth, speed in crowded markets, and an SEO model that answers for its results.
USA Today
Covered our growth from a Toronto branding studio into an SEO company, and the 800% growth that came with it.
See the rankings behind it
LA Weekly
Covered how we get businesses ranked faster, even in crowded, competitive industries.
See how our SEO works
International Business Times
Covered Zarrar’s case that the traditional SEO model is outdated. Ours puts it in writing: if your qualifying keywords aren’t on the first page of Google within 60 days, we keep working for free until they are.
Read our guarantees
“The traditional SEO model is outdated.”
“We felt like it's time to change the status quo, question everything, and deliver results that businesses deserve.”
Zarrar started Awkward Media in Toronto as a branding agency and moved it into SEO when clients kept asking for marketing to go with their design. He built a separate team for each part of SEO and put the speed in writing.
Top 5% in the world, rated by Mayple.
Google Partner, and awards from Clutch, UpCity, TopSEOs, SEMFirms and more, each won for ranking clients on Google.
See every award
Your next step
If your qualifying keywords aren’t on the first page of Google within 60 days, we keep working for free until they are. Book a free 30-minute call and we search your market live, so you see who you have to pass.
Bring with you
We search your market live
The way your customers do, in the towns you serve.
We show who's above you, and why
On Google, on Maps and in the AI answers.
You leave with a road map
Yours to keep. If we can help, we'll invite you to work with us.
For established businesses doing at least $20,000 a month.
Press FAQ
USA Today, International Business Times and LA Weekly have all written about Awkward Media, and our founder Zarrar Rasool has written for the Outbrain blog. Every article is linked on this page.
In February 2024, USA Today covered Awkward Media as Toronto’s SEO powerhouse, celebrating 800% growth.
In June 2024, LA Weekly covered how Awkward Media gets businesses fast SEO results, even in highly competitive niche industries.
Zarrar Rasool founded Awkward Media in Toronto as a branding agency and moved it into SEO. International Business Times covered his approach in February 2024.
Yes, in writing, on every plan. If you don’t see visible improvement in your key metrics within the first 20 days, we refund $200 on top of returning your payment for that period. And if your qualifying keywords aren’t on the first page of Google within 60 days, we keep working for free until they are.
Yes. Mayple rates Awkward Media a top 5% SEO agency in the world, and we are a Google Partner with awards from Clutch, UpCity, TopSEOs, SEMFirms, Rising Star Reviews and TopSEO Rankers. See them all on our awards page.