Hint
Hint is a Quebec City–based digital marketing agency providing SEO, GEO, Google Ads, web analytics, Google Ad Grants, and consulting services to Quebec SMBs, nonprofits, municipal governments, tourism boards, and event operators, with a sister-agency partnership to Récréation for creative production.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersQuébec, Canada
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Hint does
Hint is a Quebec City-headquartered digital marketing agency founded in 2019 by Étienne Salvail that delivers SEO, Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), paid media management (primarily Google Ads across Search, Display, YouTube, Gmail, Discover, Maps, and Performance Max), web analytics configuration, Google Ad Grants management for nonprofits, social media marketing, web development oversight, and strategic consulting. The firm serves small and medium businesses, nonprofit organizations, municipal governments, tourism boards, and event operators across Quebec, with documented case-study engagements including Salon International de l'Auto de Montréal, Tourisme Îles de la Madeleine, Fédération des chasseurs et pêcheurs du Québec, and Ville de Matane.
Underlying technical capability centers on implementation and configuration of third-party platforms rather than proprietary software: Google Analytics 4, Google Tag Manager, Google Search Console, Looker Studio, SEMrush, Meta Business Suite, plus Google Partner-certified campaign work across the full Google Ads ecosystem and Bing Ads / Amazon DSP for expanded reach. Service delivery is bilingual (French/English) and grounded in a documented 6-step SEO+GEO methodology that combines technical optimization, keyword research, structured data, link building, and content design intended to be citable by both traditional search engines and generative AI assistants.
The business model is custom-priced professional services sold through direct client engagement (email and phone), with quotes issued after discovery conversations and engagements structured as multi-year contracts. Hint holds Google Partner (2023) status and operates a mutual referral partnership with sister agency Récréation (also presided over by VP Frédéric Masse), which handles social media content creation and creative work; Hint refers web development and creative-only work back. Distribution is single-country domestic (Quebec / Canada) and excludes reseller, marketplace, or self-serve channels. Headcount is small — five named team members including President, VP, Project Manager, Digital Campaign Specialist, and Growth & Outreach — with no disclosed total employee count or revenue.
Hint firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Hint
- Legal name
- Hint
- Website
- https://hintmarketingnumerique.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Hint is a Quebec City–based digital marketing agency providing SEO, GEO, Google Ads, web analytics, Google Ad Grants, and consulting services to Quebec SMBs, nonprofits, municipal governments, tourism boards, and event operators, with a sister-agency partnership to Récréation for creative production.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Hint industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Digital Marketing Services
- NAICS
- Advertising Agencies (54181), Advertising Agencies (541810), Other Services Related to Advertising (541890)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising Agencies (7311), Services-Advertising (7310)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Creative & Brand Campaign Development (BPAFAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Integrated Full-Service Creative Agencies (MPAAAAAA), Creative Concepting & Campaign Development (BPAFAEAD)
Keywords
Where Hint is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Québec
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Hint business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Digital Marketing Professional Services: Hint generates revenue through billable professional services engagements, including SEO/GEO optimization, Google Ads campaign management, web analytics configuration, web development coordination, social media strategy (via sister agency Récréation), and expert consulting. Each engagement is quoted custom based on scope, with pricing presented as a personalized estimate after initial consultation.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom professional services pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
Hint product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Hint is a Quebec-based digital marketing agency that delivers professional services across seven core offerings: SEO and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), paid digital advertising campaigns (Google Ads, Bing Ads, programmatic, Amazon DSP), web analytics configuration (GA4, Tag Manager, Looker Studio), Google Ad Grants management for nonprofits, social media marketing (delivered with sister agency Récréation), website design and development, and strategic digital marketing consulting. Each engagement is custom-scoped and delivered as an ongoing partnership rather than a packaged product.
Product overview
Hint is a digital marketing agency offering a unified suite of services organized around seven core offerings: SEO & GEO (search and generative engine optimization), Campagnes numériques (Google Ads and paid media), Analytique web (web analytics), Google Ad Grants management, Médias sociaux (social media marketing), Conception de sites web (web development), and Expertise-conseil (strategic consulting). These services are designed to work synergistically — SEO/GEO and analytics underpin all other services, Google Ads and social media drive paid and organic reach, web development provides the technical foundation, and consulting ties strategy together. The agency collaborates with sister agency Récréation for creative and social media production. Services are delivered as custom-tailored strategies rather than standardized software products.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- SEO & GEO (Search Engine and Generative Engine Optimization) Combined SEO and GEO service improving client visibility on traditional search engines (Google, Bing) and generative AI tools (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity) through technical audits, keyword research, content strategy, link building, and structured data implementation. Designed for Quebec businesses and organizations seeking organic visibility.
- Campagnes numériques (Google Ads / Paid Media) Full-service paid advertising management covering Google Ads (Search, Display, YouTube, Gmail, Discover, Maps, Performance Max), Bing Ads, programmatic campaigns, and Amazon DSP, including bilingual ad copy, A/B testing, audience segmentation, and conversion tracking. Targeted at clients needing rapid, measurable lead or ticket sales generation.
- Analytique web (Web Analytics) Web analytics configuration and reporting service covering Google Analytics 4 implementation, Google Tag Manager setup, custom event and conversion goal tracking, and custom dashboards via Looker Studio, Tableau, Swydo, or Klipfolio. Aimed at organizations that need to measure and demonstrate digital ROI.
- Google Ad Grants Management End-to-end management of Google's Ad Grants program for nonprofits, including TechSoup Canada accreditation support, eligibility validation, campaign setup, keyword optimization, CTR compliance (maintaining >5% CTR), and monthly performance reporting. Helps nonprofits access up to $10,000 USD/month in free Google advertising.
- Médias sociaux (Social Media Marketing) Social media management service delivered in collaboration with sister agency Récréation, covering community management, content creation, campaign ideation, paid social advertising, platform configuration, account analysis, consulting, and training. Targeted at businesses seeking turnkey social media execution.
- Conception de sites web (Web Development) Website and landing page design and development service delivered with partner agency Récréation, including CMS selection, SEO and GEO optimization, conversion-focused content, and integrated analytics ecosystem. Built for clients needing new or redesigned web properties tied to marketing strategy.
- Expertise-conseil (Digital Marketing Consulting) Strategic consulting engagements covering website redesign advisory, SEO, email marketing automation, analytics audits, and overall digital strategy, supported by tools such as Google Analytics 4, SEMrush, Looker Studio, and Meta Business Suite. Targeted at organizations needing senior-level strategic direction.
Quantifiable outcome
- 104.8% increase in conversions for Fédération des chasseurs et pêcheurs du Québec (FédéCP) Google Ad Grants campaign
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Hint
Customer profileNamed customers20 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Hint technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration15 records
AI capability3 records
Feature4 records
Hint partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- GooglecoreHint is a certified Google Partner (2023 badge displayed on website). The agency holds expertise across Google products including Google Ads, Google Analytics 4, Google Tag Manager, Google Search Console, Looker Studio, and Google Ad Grants. This partnership enables Hint to manage client campaigns across Google's advertising and analytics ecosystem.
- RécréationcoreRécréation is Hint's 'sister agency' (agence sœur) specializing in social media content creation, content strategy, and creative design. Hint collaborates with Récréation for all social media management services — Récréation handles content creation and community management while Hint manages the broader digital marketing strategy (SEO, paid search, analytics, web development). Frédéric Masse, Hint's Vice-President, is also President of Récréation, indicating strong co-management and aligned ownership.
- TechSoup CanadacoreTechSoup Canada is the registration and validation platform that enables Canadian nonprofits to access the Google Ad Grants program ($10,000 USD/month in free Google advertising). Hint guides its nonprofit clients through the TechSoup Canada accreditation process as part of its Google Ad Grants management service.
- Agences partenaires de développement web (web development partners)minorHint collaborates with web development agencies for website redesign projects. In the Ville de Matane case study, Hint is described as working alongside the 'agence Web responsable de la conception' (web agency responsible for design), with Hint providing SEO-GEO strategic guidance and technical implementation.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Hint competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Directive Consulting: US-based B2B-focused digital marketing agency specializing in SEO, paid media, and revenue运营 with a similar full-service digital performance offering. Comparable to Hint in service mix and consultative delivery model, though B2B-anchored rather than Quebec-public-sector focused.
- Lemonade Stand: Canadian digital marketing agency providing SEO, paid search, social media, and web design for SMB and mid-market clients. Comparable to Hint as a Canadian digital services peer with overlapping service lines and similar target verticals.
- DAC Group: Toronto-headquartered digital media and marketing agency with strong Canadian footprint across SEO, paid search, analytics, and programmatic. Comparable to Hint as a North American digital marketing services peer with multi-channel paid search and analytics capabilities.
- Adviso: Montreal-based digital performance marketing agency offering SEO, SEM, analytics, and strategic consulting for Quebec and Canadian clients. Closely comparable to Hint in geography, service mix, and client verticals (enterprise and government).
- Bloom Digital Media: Canadian digital agency offering web, SEO, paid media, and analytics for mid-market and enterprise clients. Comparable to Hint as a full-service digital marketing services firm operating in the Canadian market with similar service lines.
Broad incumbents
- Wpromote: US-based full-service digital marketing agency offering paid media, SEO, analytics, and creative across multiple verticals. Comparable to Hint in core services (Google Ads, SEO, analytics) but operates at national scale rather than regional.
- Jellyfish: Global digital marketing agency owned by Brandtech Group, offering paid media, SEO, analytics, and creative across enterprise clients. Comparable to Hint in service mix but at substantially larger scale with broader geographic reach and deeper analytics practice.
- Tinuiti: Large US-based digital performance marketing agency covering paid search, SEO, programmatic, analytics, and marketplace media. Comparable as a multi-channel digital marketing services peer, but at significantly greater scale and broader geographic reach than Hint.
Emerging players
- Recharity: Canadian agency specializing in Google Ad Grants management for nonprofits — directly overlapping with Hint's dedicated Ad Grants service line and TechSoup Canada accreditation workflow. Highly comparable for the nonprofit vertical specifically.
Others
- Récréation: Quebec-based creative and social media agency that is Hint's sister agency, sharing leadership overlap (Frédéric Masse). Included as an adjacent/ecosystem participant that illustrates the integrated creative + performance model Hint leverages.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Hint social profiles
Digital presenceHint financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Hint leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Hint funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Hint M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Hint
What does Hint do?
Hint is a Quebec-based digital marketing agency that delivers professional services across seven core offerings: SEO and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), paid digital advertising campaigns (Google Ads, Bing Ads, programmatic, Amazon DSP), web analytics configuration (GA4, Tag Manager, Looker Studio), Google Ad Grants management for nonprofits, social media marketing (delivered with sister agency Récréation), website design and development, and strategic digital marketing consulting. Each engagement is custom-scoped and delivered as an ongoing partnership rather than a packaged product.
Is Hint a public or private company?
Hint is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Hint founded?
Hint was founded in 2019. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Hint based?
Hint is headquartered in Québec, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Hint make money?
One revenue line is on record: digital Marketing Professional Services.
Who are Hint's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Directive Consulting, Lemonade Stand, DAC Group, Adviso and Bloom Digital Media. Broad incumbents are Wpromote, Jellyfish and Tinuiti. Recharity is listed as an emerging player. Récréation is listed as an others.
Does Hint have an API?
No public API is recorded for Hint.
What industry is Hint in?
Hint's product category is Digital Marketing Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAFAAAB, Creative & Brand Campaign Development, with a secondary code of MPAAAAAA, Integrated Full-Service Creative Agencies. Its NAICS code is 54181 and its SIC code is 7311.