If your websites aren't ranking well on Google, many prospective customers won't know you can help them – meaning lost business even before you begin. Using Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) to increase lead generation is an established technique – but are you missing out by not working with a specialist agency?
The Benefits Of Outsourcing SEO
A big plus of outsourcing is not needing to train your own staff to do the job. Instead of spending time, money and other resources on that, you can get up and running fast with an agency that already has the people, expertise, and software to optimise your website for better rankings. It'll also be their primary function, offering a strong degree of accountability. On top of that, a reputable digital agency will have kept up with the latest trends and Google algorithm changes, and so be able to apply that accurate and current knowledge to your company's websites.
Pros & Cons Of Using A Marketing Agency For Your SEO
There are some benefits to doing your SEO work in-house – but there are also a lot of reasons to use a digital marketing agency. So, how does the evidence stack up for using a specialist business development partner?
- Pro: Dedicated team – If you're using existing staff members for SEO as a ‘bolt-on’ task, they're not available for the tasks they were hired to do.
- Pro: Cost-effectiveness – Outsourced search marketing is likely to be much better value than employing an expert directly.
- Pro: Fresh eyes – A company from outside may ask questions you hadn't considered and spot opportunities that are hard to see from inside your company.
- Pro: Specialist tools – Search engine specialists implement and track tasks using various tools you're unlikely to have already. The money you'd use for these is better spent elsewhere.
- Con: Unfamiliarity with your business – Outsourcing to an agency means you'll need to teach them about your audience, industry and sector.
- Con: Less fine control – Doing your SEO in-house lets you control every specific aspect of a campaign.
In-House Vs Outsourced SEO
Effective SEO is an ongoing process that takes time and produces its best results over the long term. Some of the things you'll need to consider when deciding whether to outsource are:
- Does your existing team have the skillset? – Website building and making it rank highly are different skills. Are you able to place the task in the hands of someone who knows what they're doing in house?
- How strong is your team's online marketing? – From data mining to advertising, for in-house SEO to be a realistic option, you'll need not only the right range of skills but a manager who can put them together. The more experts you need to employ, the better value working with an agency that already has these people on staff will be.
- What about resources? – You need three things: enough space, enough time – and a talented team. Outsource your SEO to the right agency, and you know you're getting that combination from the start.
- Are you up to speed? – What's right today may be ineffective tomorrow. Keeping up with Google's changes and other online marketing trends isn't something you can skimp on. Working with an agency gives you access to their accumulated knowledge and makes it less likely you’ll miss out on important trends.
For most SMEs, we think outsourcing SEO makes plenty of sense. It's a process with long-term goals that needs consistently focused and up-to-date attention. Meanwhile, your existing team stays focused on its core business, without needing to use resources that could be better directed elsewhere.
To discuss how to achieve the best marketing ROI from outsourcing, click here to request a callback.
