Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is undoubtedly one of the most important considerations for a business when looking to get more traffic through to their website. As the better your website is optimised and the better your SEO strategy means the higher you’ll appear in search engine results pages, ultimately leading to higher traffic numbers. So when devising or revising an SEO strategy, businesses often consider whether it is best to go with in-house SEO or go with an SEO agency.
Each option has its own advantages and disadvantages and ideally, a combination of both would be the perfect scenario. However, if it is a matter of one or the other it’s important to align the benefits of each to figure which is the best fit for your business. Let’s take a look at the arguments for both options to help you determine the right option for your SEO needs.
In House SEO Advantages
- An In-house dedicated team means you’ll have specialists working exclusively on your website. The focus and priority for your team will be your website whereas an agency would be working on multiple other clients, therefore the focus will not always be your website. Having a team in-house also means that they can help with other ventures such as if a company is planning on expanding, new websites etc.
- Control – having a team in house also has the benefit of having full control over your SEO project. You can have constant input and feedback on the project/strategy as it develops as well as what has been done and when it will be completed.
- Understanding of how your business works – a team that works directly for your business understands the day to day operations and needs of the business on a more deeper level than an agency who won’t be involved on a daily basis
In House SEO Disadvantages
- Expensive – SEO in today’s rapidly changing business environment is no longer a one person job. To be able to achieve great results when it comes to SERP rankings, increasing traffic and overall leads/revenue you need a dedicated team of SEO professionals who each have their own expertise. You need to ensure you are focusing on all aspects of Online SEO as well as offline and more technical related requirements. It is unlikely you will find one person with all these skills, therefore would need to look more at an in-house team which can become expensive.
- Uncertainty – Your project is dependant on the team you hire, the strategy they have put in place may not perform as opposed to outsourcing to an SEO agency where they have experience in tried and tested methods which are implemented by SEO experts.
- Slow growth – It takes a while in house to revamp a whole SEO strategy, with agencies they generally move faster due to setting strategy for multiple clients as well as having more resources to pull something together quickly and get the job done.
giphy.com
SEO Agency Advantages
- Expertise – Using a good SEO agency you can rest assured that they are handing your work over to a team who are specialists and connoisseurs in the work that you require. Previously working on various other clients they would most likely have already come across issues that you are facing and solved them. Therefore being able to immediately and fix these problems.
- Experience – Working for multiple clients can be seen as an advantage when it comes to using an agency. Although an in house team will have a better understanding of the business, an agency will have experience on working on multiple different clients so picking one who may have experience in your business sector means you get a fresh outlook from an outside perspective. As well as a strategy you know will deliver results for you.
- Lower costs – SEO agencies don’t come cheap however and agency that delivers promised results for your business, overall is typically considerably cheaper than having an in house team
- Results driven – Agencies are generally more results driven as that is their promise when taking on clients and trying to win new clients. This means they can’t afford not bringing in results and keeping their promise as they will have a risk of being cut. In house teams who are on a fixed salary and a contract need to be paid whether their works brings in results or or not.
- Knowledge – As agencies are competing with other agencies and their business is based on providing the best in SEO services. They stay well versed and ahead of the game when it comes to SEO best practises. Whereas in house can easily fall into a habitual pattern of work that never grows or changes, leading to your strategy becoming stagnant.
SEO Agency Disadvantages
- Virtual service – Working with an agency means it can sometimes be difficult to meet face to face and organise meetings due to busy schedules on both time. This can at times feel like a virtual service you are also not in the same office where you can have instant input and feedback. However, this is something that can be overcome by setting monthly/weekly catch ups depending on how much contact you would like with your agency.
- Waiting your turn – As agencies have many other clients your work is normally planned in for a specific time, therefore, the turnaround for some work can be slower when compared to in house. As your work will be planned in advance if you make your agency aware of when you will need it to be prioritised accordingly.
- Uncertainty – There’s a bad rep for agencies with many businesses having a bad experience and not receiving work or results that were promised. Going with an agency with a good reputation and testimonials from other clients will reduce this risk significantly.
giphy.com
Ultimately there is no right or wrong answer to which SEO solution is right for your business. Businesses are different with different needs, however, if your priority is getting results fast, getting measurable results and growing over time an agency might be the better option. Additionally, in today’s evolving landscape it is critical to stay current with the latest SEO methodology which can be time-consuming when it comes to in house, this is where an agency can be a powerful resource as they can also help guide and mentor your team with SEO best practices. If you’re looking for an SEO agency, get in touch with Ricemedia today.
