How we rank

An editorial assessment, not a statement of fact

Scores are generated using our proprietary methodology, which evaluates publicly available information. The resulting score reflects our editorial assessment and should not be interpreted as a statement of objective fact, a certification, an endorsement, or a guarantee of performance. Reasonable people may weigh these factors differently.

The computed score

Each agency gets a score from 0 to 100, recomputed whenever its data changes. It combines these components with the weights shown. Reviews receive the highest weight because review volume and rating data are available for most agencies and can be measured consistently across listings.

Every agency is scored by the identical formula; there are no per-agency adjustments or exceptions. Both components are the evidence itself: an agency with no Google review presence scores low on them. A low score there is a statement about absent public evidence, not a judgment of quality.

Listings are shown in computed-score order, highest first.

What we curate, what we compute

Two distinct judgments produce a page. First, we decide editorially which agencies belong in a category: a listing appears on a category page only when the agency prominently and credibly practices that discipline as a named service. Second, within a category every listing is ordered by the same computed score above, applied uniformly. Membership is our editorial call; the order is computed, uniform, and not for sale.

This makes the directory curated, not comprehensive. We don't try to list every agency, only the ones that clear the membership bar, and coverage grows as we vet more. An agency that qualifies but isn't listed yet simply hasn't been added; request inclusion and we'll review it.

Nothing here is for sale

The High Pass takes no payment from the agencies it lists. An agency cannot pay to be listed, to rank higher, to change its score, or to remove a competitor. Listing and claiming are free, and the order on every page is produced only by the computed score described above.

Claiming a listing

Listings are compiled from public sources. An agency can claim its free listing to verify it, correct it, and document it with the detail buyers actually need: positioning, services, pricing posture. Claiming does not change the computed rank. The score is built only from public evidence, so nothing an agency tells us about itself can move its position. Every agency gets the same edge: control of its own listing, and a profile that works harder for the buyers who find it.

We do not do the opposite either: unclaimed listings are ranked on exactly the same public evidence. They are never artificially pushed down, shown fabricated negatives, or hidden to pressure anyone into claiming. A sparse profile simply looks less complete next to a claimed one; it does not rank lower for being sparse.

Corrections

Occasionally we may temporarily adjust a listing's position to correct a data issue, resolve a duplicate listing, or fix a ranking error. Such adjustments are separate from the computed score and are used only to keep the ranking accurate.

The buyer's version

This page explains how we rank. The same logic, written for the buyer making the decision, lives in our guides: how to choose a marketing agency and how to spot a bad one.