SEO remains one of the greatest forms of online marketing.
If you want to get your name out there, in this era of digital everything, having Search Engine Optimisation fully and correctly implemented on your website, and kept up to date, is a must.
But for those who are just getting going with their campaign, figuring out who will be doing all of the hard work is one of the greatest and most important considerations to make.
Whether you have a budding e-commerce shop or if you are just keen on having more local exposure, having an SEO plan in place is going to likely be the difference between success and failure.
There are two options when it comes to how you are going to have your SEO done.
The first option is to do it in-house while the other is to hire a professional SEO agency to do the work for you. Both options have their pros and their cons, depending on a variety of factors. When it comes to In-House vs Outsourced SEO, it can help to have a little information to guide your decision-making.
Pros and Cons of In-House and Outsourced Seo
Right off the bat, in-house SEO comprises having a team of experts to handle your campaign. In this instance, the team will only work on your SEO and they will have a great advantage in that they will have first-hand knowledge of your business and what it is that you want to achieve with your campaign since they work in-house and can ask questions. They will be able to stay on top of your new marketing goals and singlehandedly create a unique campaign that can be altered as needed.
Outsourcing SEO is a different thing altogether. Instead of having a team in your company, working closely in your offices, you will rely on an outside team who won’t only be working on your campaign, but those of other companies as well. The upside to this is that you won’t be bound by an employment contract but you will have to make peace with the fact that the company won’t be working exclusively with you.
Outsourced services are generally offered by agencies that provide SEO and related digital marketing services. These agencies offer clients various packages, which can be based on the goals or the location that the company has in mind. These packages can often be customised for the client, although such customisation will depend on the agency.
Both options have their pros and their cons, and to ensure that you are making the most appropriate choice for your business, you need to know both sides of the argument for each option.
The Pros and Cons of In-House SEO
Having a team working on your SEO is no different from having a team doing your marketing.
Many big corporations and large companies opt to have an in-house team. Such an option often gives the company the opportunity to put all of its energy and focus on the campaign that is running and this greater input often results in an increased online presence and a greater return on investment.
In-house SEO is more common than you think.
And there are many reasons why a company will choose to go in-house with this most important task. Some companies have been put off of hiring an SEO agency due to a bad past experience or because they no longer believe that they are enjoying a proper return on their investment. They could also opt to avoid SEO agencies simply because they don’t quite understand what it is that the company is doing, and so they have no trust in the agency.
Some companies are also just worried about wasting money and feel that if they have a in-house team they will be making a better financial decision
The Pros
Aside from the pro that we have already stated, which is having more hands and control on the campaign, there are many other ways that in-house SEO can benefit a company.
More Time Spent on the SEO
SEO is an exceptional practice, but to make the most of the campaign, it helps to put in plenty of hours of work, something an in-house team can do.
When you have a team working exclusively on your SEO, you can be sure that they will be able to spend about 40 hours a week on your campaign. Full-time SEO employees can focus on various parts of your campaign, touching on each individual task and also giving extra attention to those areas of the campaign in need of extra work.
More Reliability
When you have someone working within the company, doing your SEO, you will naturally be seeing them every day. This helps to build a relationship with them, which in turn can help to make your SEO campaign more reliable. Being able to quickly and easily communicate with your team, and get feedback and recommendations, and even ask questions, is a great asset to the overall success of your SEO.
This close working relationship can also go a long way towards having a better understanding of the campaign being run.
More Control
Having already mentioned this, we’re going to skim over this part. With an in-house team, you will have more control over the work being done on your online presence, which can be overall more appealing to those who like to have a greater hand in what is being done.
The Cons
Although the benefits are great, there are a few downsides to having this SEO team.
Less full knowledge
For SEO to be a huge success, it helps for the team doing the SEO to know something about the industry. Not all SEO experts are going to be fully versed in your field unless you are hiring a niche expert. Experience in SEO alone is not enough to provide you with the kind of in-house team capable of meeting your requirements.
Fewer resources
There is no such thing as a one-man SEO team, because, especially in the case of larger companies, the sheer amount of work that needs to be done can be far too much for one person to handle at a time. Remember, successful SEO comprises good website design, on-page tweaks, content writing, and backlinking, and for larger projects, you could end up under-resourced.
Less budget
Having a full-time in-house team means paying out monthly salaries to each person you employ to do SEO. If you were just hiring an agency, you’d pay a monthly payment possibly equal to that of one employee. This makes the team more expensive.
The Pros and Cons of Outsourcing SEO
This is generally the more common practice, especially for small and medium companies, while larger companies will also often opt for this approach to SEO.
The Pros
More access to resources
SEO agencies only hire people who are highly skilled and experienced. This gives the agency access to more resources, which in turn means your company will start benefitting the moment you begin working with the SEO agency. These agencies also have the tried and tested formulas used to help their clients achieve success.
More industry knowledge
Industry knowledge goes well beyond expertise. SEO is one industry that simply does not stay still. Instead, with Google’s constant algorithm changes, SEO experts are forced to stay on their toes and constantly read up on the latest changes and developments affecting the industry. With a big team, an SEO agency can stay on top of the important must-know information, ensuring that clients get the best service.
More growth
Since SEO companies have skilled employees, dedicated to their individual tasks, you can opt to have your campaign done strictly according to your budget and your timeframe. This means you have the space to grow your online presence rather quickly and even when you are ranking well, there is room to grow further.
The Cons
It’s not all sunshine and roses, there are a few downsides to outsourcing.
Less time
SEO agencies are working for several companies at a time so instead of expecting them to only work for you, you will have to settle with having less time spent on your campaign. The upside though, is that with such a big staff, all working on your project at the same time, you will definitely see results.
Less communication
You won’t be able to simply walk into the SEO office at any given time and start talking about your campaign. You will have to be content with emails and occasional meetings to stay in the know and to make suggestions.
Less control
This is something any business owner might struggle with but when working with a good SEO agency, this lack of control shouldn’t be too much of a worry as your campaign and online presence are going to be in the best of hands, even if you are not watching it like a hawk.
