2018 means that Search Engine Optimisation is a must-have for any business. However, there are a number of different factors and further things to consider when it comes to the method with which you implement it.
Essentially, there are two clear-cut options for implementing SEO strategies;
- Hiring an agency, or;
- Building an in-house team of SEO experts.
Of course, there are benefits and disadvantages of both of these options. There are a number of business-related factors that need to be considered first before being in a position to choose between the two.
It is important to note that for some businesses an SEO agency may be the only option due to the size and current financial, growth and office situation. Additionally, hiring one expert may be the way to go because you already have a great team of SEO-inclined employees who could easily transfer over.
There are many things to consider, such as the above, before embarking on a full-blown decision and interview process to choose between an SEO agency and an SEO expert. I have outlined some of the benefits of both of these options. At the end of the day it is a business choice, however there it is likely that one may outweigh the other.
The benefits of hiring an in-house team
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Specialised
When you hire an SEO team ‘in-house’ you get a very specialised service that is customised only for your business. Everything that the team does is focused on the business and they are able to customise each step to ensure that everything is well aligned with the business goals.
Additionally, the in-house team is able to then advise other teams within the business on completing tasks in a way that best maximises the optimisation power of the given task.
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100% Focus
Because they are working only for the one company, an in-house SEO team is focused purely on the business. They do not need to worry about other clients and they are able to carefully plan and execute campaigns. This means that there is a lot of effort going into the business as they now have the organic search aspects worked on 24/7.
This also ties in with the specialisation and customisation of the work that is completed by the team as there is no crossover with another business.
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Deep business understanding
Because they are constantly interacting with others in the office and also have their time dedicated 100% to the one business when they are at the office, a deeper understanding of the business, its goals and operations is developed.
This deeper understanding can then be applied to the SEO efforts to get the most out of the work done and each campaign. They are able to keep up to date with trends in the industry and make the relevant adjustments.
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Relationships
Building relationships, whether it is an in-house or third-party team, is important. Having the team in-house makes it far easier to develop a strong relationship that then allows for a greater generation of ideas, it is easier to fix problems and any necessary changes can be done without hassle.
It also helps with the above points as everyone is more willing to work hard for the business through a deeper understanding and pure focus.
Benefits of outsourcing
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Affordability
The cost-effectiveness of your search engine optimisation is a big part of the decision-making process when choosing between in-house experts of a third party agency.
Outsourcing your SEO is going to be the most affordable for the majority of businesses due to a lesser need to spend on resources. When bringing a team in-house, the company is either taking away resources from other areas and limiting output, or they have to hire more staff.
Outsourcing ensures that you have the best experts on hand at a very reasonable price.
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Opportunity Cost
This relates to the process of taking employees away from one area of the business to build the in-house SEO team.
It takes a lot of time and effort to train people in SEO and ensure that they understand your business. There is no way of knowing how quickly they will learn or the skills they will develop in time making it inefficient or creating an imbalance of skills.
The cost of setting up a new space with new employees is not only financial but the opportunity cost comes into play as this takes time away from other employees.
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New Perspective
Outsourcing your SEO is a great way to get a new perspective on things within the business. They are going to generate new ideas in the content and add a new element of creativity to your businesses online presence.
They are also likely to ask a lot of questions which can generate ideas and all of this is extremely beneficial for any business as new developments and growth opportunities are highly sought after.
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Multiple Efforts
Because search engine optimisation requires constant attention, you need to have an experienced and well-resourced team at hand. If you think that it is possible to run your company’s SEO campaign between one or two people then you mind find yourself under a lot of pressure.
There needs to be a team that is constantly working, producing new content, updating links and ensuring that the website is working properly in order to perform well organically.
Much of the question comes down to the affordability and logistical side of things when deciding between outsourcing and building an in-house SEO team. For large firms, it may be worthwhile however for the majority of businesses it is far simpler to outsource SEO to an agency as they can be assured that everything will be done to the highest standard.
SEO agencies are the best at what they do and are constantly updating their methods to keep up with trends and changes in algorithms.
Passionate about writing and sharing my experiences with others. I have a keen interest in marketing and the growth of digital.
