Outsourcing SEO: Is It Right For Your Business?

Should you outsource SEO, or stick to in-house activities for growing your online presence?

There is no right answer to this question in general – but there is one for your company.

Arguably the biggest advantage of having an in-house team is the understanding your employees will develop for your specific business needs. You won't have to worry as much about back-and-forth explanations, and save yourself precious time.

However, the downside comes with cost. Investing in an in-house SEO team will be expensive compared to outsourcing it, due to salaries, benefits, and so on.

Regardless of where it comes from, search engine optimization is a big investment. It ranges from the employment of one full-time specialist to an entire team of professionals working day in and out to ensure that your company is getting the level of brand awareness you seek.

There is much at stake: According to the Search Engine Journal, almost 91% of pages receive no organic search traffic from Google. Furthermore, the percentage of all trackable website traffic that stems from organic search sits at 53%.

Hence, the decision of whether to outsource SEO services is not to be taken lightly. To shed light on the matter, we'll outline the questions you need to ask yourself to make an informed decision.

What is SEO?

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of getting your page to rank higher (preferably at the top of the first page) in a search engine, such as Google or Bing.

The higher your page, the more visibility your business gets, and the more leads you generate.

How difficult is it to get your page ranked higher with SEO digital marketing?

To give you an idea of the volume of your competition, there are over 2 million posts per day by WordPress users alone. It doesn't matter if you're a Fortune company or a funded startup: Try getting ahead of that without a strategy.

Furthermore, SEO changes constantly, so it can be frustrating to undertake. You need to keep up with the latest changes in the popular search engine algorithms.

Your decision on hiring an SEO agency will largely hinge on how much control you want and what your budget is.

If you have both a large budget and a preference for control, you can afford to stick to in-house SEO. If you're flexible and low on the budget, your best option may be to outsource SEO.

But that's not a hard-and-fast rule.

Consider the following questions:

Where do you currently stand with your SEO?

Have you already had success with in-house SEO, and are you confident you can continue your streak? Or will you have to start it from scratch?

If your answer to the second question is yes, you need to decide whether you are willing to invest the time, effort and money to train your employees in SEO.

• The basics can take up to three months to learn, while more advanced tactics can take up to eighteen months to learn.

• The average salary of an SEO specialist in the US is around 50,000 USD, with the higher end going up to nearly 70,000 USD.

• Popular SEO platforms such as SEMrush and Ahrefs can set you back at a minimum of 100 USD per month.

If you think that's not optimal for your business, professional SEO services are the way to go.

How important is your brand identity?

Will your SEO outsourcing company be able to sufficiently understand your brand identity and goals? Are you willing to give a thorough explanation of your guidelines, goals, success metrics, and business personality, and go through some back-and-forth?

You must ensure the SEO marketing company is trustworthy and has sufficient, diverse experience under their belt – not to mention capable of understanding your business goals.

Which leads us to the next question: How fast do you need the SEO? Do you want it now, or are you willing to wait for your SEO consultant to understand your business needs?

Tip: Ask for samples of their content for other clients so you can get an idea of how well they will be able to find your brand voice.

How broad is your industry?

If your industry is niche, you may have a harder time finding SEO specialists who can deliver on an SEO strategy tailored for you.

For reference, some examples of niche businesses include Lefty's (gardening tools, kitchen goods and school supplies for left-handed people), Bonobos (men's pants), and Hopsters (a brewpub that lets you make your own beer).

It will be easier to find SEO services that cater to broader industries, such as healthcare and banking.

Do you need help with all of your SEO, or just part of it?

Doing SEO in-house or outsourcing to a freelancer may be the more cost-effective solution if you require help with only one part of SEO.

If you need help with all or many parts of SEO, a qualified SEO marketing company would be the way to go.

Conclusion

So, by now, you've got a decent idea of whether you need to outsource SEO.

If your answer is yes, lucky you – BluEnt's digital marketing experts are right at your fingertips to help you drive more traffic and earn more revenue.

We offer you on-page analysis, strategic planning, content marketing, business listings, and more.

Ready to get your page ranked higher with an SEO strategy? Contact us now!

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