To outsource SEO, or to hire an in-house specialist? That’s the big question every business owner is asking. Before you decide, consider these five points in favour of outsourcing SEO services.
It’s no surprise you’re reading this article – search engine optimisation has quickly become one of the most crucial components of marketing a business. Prioritising SEO ensures that your business is put on the digital map and helps to connect more customers with your brand.
More business owners are becoming privy to what effective SEO can provide for their brand. With this increased awareness, comes an influx of people wondering what it means to implement SEO and how on earth they go about doing so.
In simple terms, there are three SEO options for the average business owner
- Do nothing
- Do it in-house
- Outsource SEO – hire a specialist to take care of it
Considering you’ve taken the time to click through to this article, we’re going to assume that you are considering engaging in some sort of search marketing, and you can narrow your options down to #2 and #3.
SEO in House vs. Outsourcing
Search engine optimisation services can either be completed in-house, by someone with experience in the field or outsourced, to a dedicated company or firm that specialises in SEO. Both are legitimate and reliable ways to implement search marketing strategies, and neither is incorrect.
Whether you decide to go with in-house SEO or outsourced SEO will depend mainly on your preferences, budget, and how much you’d like to be involved. A large company that has the budget to hire or train an employee and would like full control over the campaign may benefit from an in-house SEO model. More flexible companies that do not have the structure to hire an employee, and are not reliant on a full marketing team, will benefit from outsourced SEO.
The reality is, the best option for every company will differ. However, studies have shown that an SEO agency will provide businesses with a much more comprehensive approach.
Outsourced SEO typically means relying on a team of experts that live and breathe search engine optimisation.
Rather than working with someone who may have experience in digital marketing, an outsourced agency will employ a range of specialists that have honed-in effectively on the skills it takes to execute exceptional optimisation on a website.
Things to Consider When You Outsource SEO Projects
While many companies may opt to either hire in-house SEO or attempt search engine optimisation strategies themselves, outsourcing SEO offers an opportunity for an expert outside of the company to conduct search engine marketing.
The benefits of working with a dedicated SEO agency are plentiful, but there are a few things every business should consider before engaging with a consultant. The most common reasons for outsourced SEO to backfire include:
- Hiring the wrong consultant
- Setting the wrong targets
- Not planning a comprehensive and adaptable strategy
- Not having a clear vision of what you’d like to achieve with SEO
And with that, here are five things every business owner should consider before outsourcing SEO:
1. Cost to Outsource SEO
Before you begin searching for a company, consider the costs of SEO and how much you’re willing to spend. Consider outsourced SEO as an investment for your business; how much you’re ready to invest will reflect what you’d like to get out of it. While engaging with outsourced SEO reseller will prove to be much more cost-effective than onboarding a new employee, SEO is not a service that can you can bargain down. When executed well, SEO is not a cheap undertaking.
For many business owners, the idea of spending a large amount of money on an online service can seem daunting. It’s important to remember that outsourced SEO is not an overnight project – reseller services require maintenance, consistent content marketing, strategic optimisation and patience to see long term results. When you pay for SEO services, you’re paying for so much more than search engine rankings.
Some companies can afford to shell out $4,000 a month for quality SEO services. For others, it’s a complicated investment decision that requires careful consideration.
Conduct some research and sit down with your team to discuss how much money you’re willing to allocate to SEO. Having a clear-cut budget in mind will provide a sturdy foundation for what you’re hoping to get out of the service.
2. Brand Identity
When you outsource your SEO projects, it’s essential to consider if the structure of the strategies and services match your brand identity. Your brand identity will include carefully selected goals, ideas, values, and statement of purpose. Over the years, you’ve likely implemented several actions to meet those goals and establish your brand within your industry. Your brand identity plays a fundamental role in what your company stands for and how customers interact with your products or services.
Hiring an agency means working with someone entirely unfamiliar with your business, to begin with. This company will be responsible for the way your business presents online; the consultant must develop an in-depth knowledge into your business, it’s goals, and what the campaign requires. Before outsourcing your SEO, take the time to consider companies that will understand your brand identity and carefully portray what your company is about with their search engine optimisation efforts.
3. Goals when you Outsource SEO
Before outsourcing SEO services, get familiar with the goals you’re hoping to achieve and how you’d like to meet them—failing to recognise and set the right goals before an SEO campaign is the number one reason for search engine marketing disappointing clients.
What is it that you’d like to achieve? More followers, increased traffic, more customers? Make these goals clear before entering into any partnerships. Goals should be measurable, specific, and realistically set.
4. Company Needs
Work out what your business requires before outsourcing your SEO services. Do you specifically online reputation management, local search visibility, or technical SEO?
Several aspects and elements go into the development and implementation of an SEO campaign. Recognising what it is that your company needs before engaging with an agency will save you both a lot of time and energy.
If you need help with several aspects of optimisation, such as content creation, authority building, keyword research, and technical SEO, find an agency that provides a holistic approach to your SEO management. Making sure that your needs are met is the first step to a successful and comprehensive SEO strategy.
5. Your Partner SEO Agency
Finally, assess the company you’re about to hire. After taking the time to consider all of these five points, you should have an accurate and concise idea of what you’re looking for. The tricky part is now working out which local SEO reseller to trust with this information.
When you outsource SEO, you’re taking a leap of faith on the SEO company doing what they have promised – delivering results. They can send you all of the nice-looking reports in the world, but if they don’t provide tangible deliverables, your hard-earned money will go to waste.
This wasted money and energy is the sole reason for so many business owners being sceptical of SEO services. Outsourced SEO has earnt a lousy reputation because of spammy companies that have exploited small businesses. However, it is possible to find an agency that is passionate, honest, reliable and will take the time to learn about your business. The trick is to find the right outsourced SEO services.
Within this process of consideration, carefully screen each prospective agency. Assess their ability to communicate with you, their transparency, and what their previous clients have said about them. Building and fostering a long-term and communicative partnership with your outsourced SEO provider will ensure that you are both working towards the same goals.
Should I Outsource SEO?
Ultimately, that decision is up to you, and whatever you decide is right for your business. If you are a smaller, more flexible company, with a limited budget, we recommend outsourcing your SEO work to an external firm.
If you are a large company that can afford an addition to your marketing team; then it may be worth considering an in-house SEO team. Having an SEO specialist added to your marketing team means relying on someone in the office to intimately implement strategies that are best suited to the needs of the company. With an in-house team, your company can be more adaptable, have the freedom to tweak strategies, and offer constant feedback and updates on their optimisation efforts.
Tips on How to Outsource SEO
- Find a reliable, trustworthy, and reputable firm to work with
- Consider the big picture of your marketing, not just SEO
- Set measurable and realistic goals
- Agree on & develop a comprehensive strategy
- Track progress regularly with monthly meetings
Wrapping Up
Choosing between in-house and outsourced SEO is an important decision for any company. The biggest deciding factor will be your budget, your company structure, and your company’s ability to facilitate a team of SEO experts. For a free, no-obligation SEO consultation, get in touch with Safari Digital below to discuss your business and organic search marketing objectives.
