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SEO optimisation can be the primary contributor to a company’s SEO rankings. With Google’s algorithms constantly changing, there’s no future-proof method to maintain organic rankings.
Because of that, businesses must invest in search engine marketing, which raises the question: Using the digital marketing services of an SEO consultancy, or keeping it within in-house teams?
When it comes to search engine optimisation and online presence, businesses have two main options – working with an external SEO consultancy or building an in-house SEO team. The primary difference lies in whether the SEO work is handled by employees within your organisation or outsourced to a team of experts.
An in-house SEO team consists of employees you hire specifically to optimise your website and manage SEO campaigns. These individuals work directly for your company as part of the marketing department. Their sole focus is improving your site’s search visibility and traffic.
In contrast, partnering with an SEO consultancy or a digital marketing agency means relying on a team of specialists from an external agency. These professionals handle your website optimisation as clients, rather than internal staff members. SEO consultancies work with multiple companies across various industries to optimise their search engine rankings.
Each approach has its own set of pros and cons for aspects like expertise, costs, communication, and flexibility. There’s no universally “right” choice – the best option depends on your business’s specific needs and goals.
Smaller companies often benefit more from outsourcing to an SEO agency, gaining access to elevated skills and experience. Larger corporations can better leverage in-house SEO teams for tighter control and institutional knowledge.
Ultimately, the key is aligning your search engine optimisation efforts with your overall business objectives.
Whether you choose in-house SEOs or an external consultancy, the focus should be generating the search visibility, traffic, and conversions your company wants. Carefully weighing the tradeoffs will determine which path is right for your organisation.
Depending on the digital marketing strategy and company needs, companies must decide whether to build an in-house SEO team or outsource the work to an external consultancy. There are several key factors to consider when making this choice.
Managing SEO in-house gives companies greater control over day-to-day tasks, organic traffic, and various other strategies.
Internal teams can adapt and pivot campaigns faster without relying on an outside provider. In-house staff also have valuable insights into company culture and business goals that external consultants lack.
However, working with SEO specialists means relying on their processes, systems and expertise. Companies have less ability to change directions quickly or dictate how the SEO work gets done.
An SEO company brings its own methodology for conducting audits, doing keyword research, creating content and more.
In-house SEO staff develop deep knowledge of the company’s specific business, industry and target audience, which can sometimes be better for business growth.
However, they may lack specialised skills if they are generalist marketers wearing multiple hats. Training junior staff and keeping veteran SEOs up-to-date also requires significant investment.
In contrast, consultancies possess seasoned experience optimising many different websites across various industries. Their teams have specialised skills covering all aspects of technical and on-page SEO strategies. Consultants stay constantly updated on the latest trends by attending conferences and analysing new algorithm updates.
Hiring in-house SEO staff incurs significant recruitment, salary, training and benefits costs. Companies must also budget for SEO software tools and other resources that consultants typically provide themselves.
However, once the fixed costs of staffing are covered, managing SEO internally grants companies full control over budgeting and resource allocation.
Working with SEO consultancies provides access to elevated expertise and tools without major overhead expenses. Consultancy fees are variable, scalable costs rather than fixed ongoing salaries and benefits.
Yet companies rely fully on the consultancy to dictate budgets and resource needs. Unscrupulous consultants may drag out contracts unnecessarily.
In-house teams enable seamless communication and collaboration within the company. SEO staff can easily coordinate initiatives across marketing, product development, IT and other departments. However, in-house staff may develop insular perspectives without outside points of view. Groupthink and ineffective processes go unchallenged.
Alternatively, working with a consultancy provides an external, objective perspective. Experienced consultants identify inefficient workflows and propose improvements. But communication overhead increases with an external team.
Emails and meetings must be scheduled rather than impromptu conversations. The consultancy may also struggle to collaborate smoothly across internal divisions.
Expanding or reducing in-house SEO teams requires hiring, training and turnovers. Scaling output up or down is a slow, fixed process dictated by staffing constraints. Consultancies offer more flexibility to scale campaigns and capabilities up or down as needed.
Existing contracts can be modified or additional capabilities added from a broad pool of talent. Yet consultancies may struggle to scale specialty services requiring extensive internal knowledge.
In summary, in-house SEO offers better control, internal collaboration, and lower costs at scale – but requires more fixed overhead. Consultancies provide specialised expertise, tools and flexible scaling without major investments.
Companies must weigh these factors against their specific goals, budgets and needs to determine the best approach. Neither option is universally better, but each offers distinct advantages depending on the situation.
The decision between in-house SEO and a consultancy depends largely on the business owner’s needs and the company’s specific goals, needs and constraints.
For organisations that want maximum control and flexibility, or have sufficient resources to invest in staffing, building an internal team can be advantageous. Companies without specialised in-house expertise or needing versatile scaling may benefit more from a consultancy.
There is no universally right or wrong choice – either option can be effective with the right strategies and execution. Companies shouldn’t default to one over the other based on assumptions or norms.
Make an informed decision by critically weighing all the considerations explored here. Analyse your situation, clarify your priorities, and determine whether leveraging in-house skills or external consultants better serves your search optimisation goals.
SEO Efforts are essential for businesses to improve their conversion rates and gain potential customers. However, investing in the right resources and approach requires careful evaluation of the tradeoffs.
If you’re looking for more sales in Perth, but don’t have a clear choice in mind, you can start boosting your sales using Webology.
With a balance of flexibility, expertise and business savvy, we can maximise your search visibility and user experience.
We are the only Australian SEO agency you will ever need!
We are the only Australian
SEO agency you will ever need!
“They were able to get us to page 1 on Google in a few months and keep us there. I highly recommend them to anyone looking to rank on Google and capture leads. The team is highly skilled and responsive”
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info@webologyworld.com.au
+61 4 305 48509
203 Hay Street Subiaco,
