When it comes to digital marketing, there are a couple rules of thumb to take into consideration when deciding if your business should outsource SEO.
According to Forbes, SEO is a must for small businesses.
However, once you understand its importance, you then have another decision to make. Do you build an in-house SEO team or outsource SEO to a firm or individual?
There are pros and cons to both outsourcing and keeping SEO in-house.
Outsourcing SEO
- Pros:
- You can get access to a team of experienced SEO experts who can help you improve your website’s ranking.
- You can save time and money by outsourcing SEO to a professional agency.
- You can focus on other aspects of your business while the SEO agency takes care of your website’s ranking.
- Cons:
- You may not have as much control over the SEO process as you would if you had an in-house team.
- You may have to share your website’s data with the SEO agency, which could raise security concerns.
- You may not be able to build a long-term relationship with the SEO agency.
Keeping SEO in-house
- Pros:
- You have more control over the SEO process.
- You can build a long-term relationship with your SEO team.
- You can keep your website’s data confidential.
- Cons:
- You may not have the expertise or resources to do SEO effectively in-house.
- It can be time-consuming and expensive to hire and train an in-house SEO team.
- You may not be able to keep up with the latest SEO trends.
Ultimately, the decision of whether to outsource or keep SEO in-house depends on your specific needs and budget. If you don’t have the time, resources, or expertise to do SEO effectively in-house, then outsourcing may be the best option for you. However, if you’re willing to invest in an in-house team, then keeping SEO in-house can be a good way to improve your website’s ranking and reach more potential customers.
As you’ll see, there are many factors that will help you determine which of these options is best for you. You may even find that you’ll need a combination of the two to best meet your company needs.
Keep reading to learn more about which search engine optimization hiring strategy is ideal for you.
When to Build an In-House SEO Team
A Quick Guide to Building an Effective In-House SEO Team
The first business situation we’re going to look at is one in which building a dedicated in-house SEO team makes the most sense.
Large Budget
An SEO expert can earn anywhere from $44,000 per year to $126,000 per year working for a dedicated company. If you have to hire additional team members or staff to manage this team, that number will go up.
For some businesses, this is affordable and makes the most sense. However, budget is often a deterrent for having an in-house team, especially for small businesses or newer companies that just don’t have the marketing budget for it.
Abundant Resources
To initially recruit a team, you’ll need to ensure you have the time, money, and people. The hiring process for any business can be expensive, and it can be more difficult when looking at people for a new department.
You also need to consider the ongoing cost of SEO tools and education for your employees. While there are many free tools available, some of the more effective ones require monthly or yearly subscription fees.
Internet Essential to Running Business
If the internet is essential to running your business, you may need to have a dedicated SEO department. This will ensure that no matter how the algorithms change, your company will be ahead of the crowd.
Extremely Specialized Products or Services
Although rare, there are occasions in which your products or services are so specialized that it would be difficult for an outsourced SEO company to learn enough about them to use SEO to promote them.
In these cases, you may need to hire your own in-house team to ensure they fully understand what you’re selling.
When to Outsource SEO
How To Hire An SEO Expert: 5 Questions To Ask Marketing Candidates To Ensure The Right Hire
Now let’s look at situations in which a company will do better by outsourcing SEO to an expert or an SEO firm.
Smaller Budget
SEO firms and individual consultants can work with even the smallest marketing budgets. Although you won’t get as much out of their services, you will be able to start to see some growth when you invest even $100 per month in SEO services.
Limited Resources
If you don’t have the resources to even hire a dedicated SEO team, it’s going to be hard for you to keep them.
Likewise, if you can’t afford the latest SEO tools and technology, you’ll want to use an SEO firm that does have access to these. Because the firm has numerous clients, they’re able to split the cost between them and use the best tools for your business.
Internet Helpful to Business
Outsourcing SEO is a good idea when the internet helps your business grow but isn’t an essential part of it. If you also rely on word-of-mouth, local advertising, and other marketing efforts, you may not need a dedicated SEO team.
Instead, you’d benefit from outsourcing your SEO. This allows you to continue to focus on other marketing efforts so you can keep bringing in clients from various sources that work best for you.
Easily Understood Products or Services
If someone is able to learn about your products or services after reading over your website or a few articles online, then you probably don’t need an in-house team.
Before connecting to a general SEO firm, consider looking for one that specializes in your industry. For example, someone who focuses only on plumber SEO will know how to best help a plumbing business grow.
When to Combine In-House and Outsourced SEO
As previously mentioned, there are also times when you may want to use a combination of in-house and outsourced SEO. How much of each you use is entirely up to you.
Moderate Budget
With a moderate marketing budget, you may be able to hire someone who manages all of your company’s online marketing, including SEO. This person would then outsource specific SEO tasks as needed.
Some Resources
When deciding if you should have at least some of your SEO team in-house, think about the skills of your current employees. If some can write and others have marketing skills, you may be able to get away with only outsourcing some of the SEO.
You’ll also need to think about which SEO tools you can afford for your business and which ones you’ll want inexpensive access to through an SEO firm.
Internet Necessary for Business
If online sales and lead generation are a necessary but not an essential part of your business, consider combining in-house and outsourced SEO. This means you rely heavily but not completely on your website to make sales.
For example, you may have an IT team in place who works with an SEO consultant to focus on web development and improving your company’s SEO.
Somewhat Specialized Products or Services
Once again, if your business falls somewhere in between specialized and generalized products and services, it may work best to combine these two strategies.
In most cases, this would mean having a person on your marketing team that works with the SEO expert or firm to ensure everything is well-understood and industry standards are being met.
Want More Tech and Business Articles?
Now you know when you should hire in-house SEO, outsource SEO, or use a combination of strategies to achieve your business goals. As you can see, no one strategy will be right for every business.
If you want to read more about technology and business, check out those sections of our blog. There, you’ll find tons of articles to help you take your company into the future.