In-house SEO or an SEO agency: Which is better for your business

The differences between in-house SEO and an SEO agency

In-house SEO involves a company having a specific team or person accountable for executing and overseeing their SEO strategies. Conversely, an SEO agency is an external firm that provides SEO services to businesses.

Here are some of the differences between in-house SEO and an SEO agency.

Expertise:  Generally, SEO agencies have a group of specialists who possess a wide range of skills and experience in different aspects of SEO. Conversely, in-house SEO teams may have restricted resources and knowledge.

Cost: Hiring an in-house SEO team can be costly, as it requires salaries, benefits, and training costs. On the other hand, SEO agencies propose diverse pricing plans that could be more economical for small and medium-sized businesses.

Flexibility: In-house SEO groups can grant higher adaptability and command over SEO approaches as they are more acquainted with the company’s objectives, culture, and merchandise. SEO agencies may require more time to understand a company’s unique needs and challenges.

Scalability: SEO agencies can provide greater scalability by quickly increasing resources and adapting to changing SEO trends and algorithms. In contrast, in-house SEO teams may struggle to keep up with the constantly evolving SEO landscape.

Choosing between in-house SEO or an SEO agency depends on a company’s needs, resources, and goals. Some companies might take advantage of the know-how and adaptability of an SEO agency, while others may prioritize the command and cost-effectiveness of an in-house team.

What is an SEO Agency

The concept behind it is to generate user traffic to your website using technical keywords or informative articles so users with similar interests to your offerings can check out your business and convert it into a sale.

Benefits of working with an SEO agency

Working with an SEO agency can offer several benefits, including.

SEO agencies are cheaper

SEO agencies offer competitive and affordable pricing for clients since they’re covering the training needed for their employees, and you’ll only be paying them for their services. The most competitive companies offer different prices for specific services.

In comparison, building an in-house SEO team can make up a significant expense to your resources. When you hire a full-time specialist, you’re not only covering the wages, but you also cover the following: 

• Mandatory and company-exclusive benefits
• Vacation leaves
• Incentives and performance bonuses
• Additional equipment and tool access fees

While actual costs may vary per company and service, you need from an agency. Generally speaking, SEO agencies are more cost-effective than an in-house team.

SEO agencies are industry experts

There’s no surprise that most SEO agencies employ experts and see SEO on a holistic level. They have the technical know-how to understand your needs and plan to meet and even surpass your expectations. Additionally, being an expert means being efficient. You can also expect that the turnaround times for productivity are quicker than an in-house team.

SEO agencies are a package deal

Search engine optimization is not always a one-person work. Unless you get a competent and all-rounder expert, you need a team of professionals working in harmony to handle various parts of the overall strategy, which is something that a good SEO agency provides.

Working with agencies requires a pre-assembled team to handle your campaigns and streamline performance.

What is in-house SEO

In-house SEO is carried out by an inside team of marketing specialists employed by your company to handle daily marketing and SEO activities. Internal SEO audits, on-page optimization, technical SEO issue resolution, content development, link building, competition analysis, and keyword research will be the responsibility of this personnel.  Titles in an in-house SEO team may include SEO Specialist, SEO Manager, and SEO Director. The number of workers and their titles on your team will vary based on the size of your firm and sector. 

It is vital to remember that SEO responsibilities are frequently assigned to members of a larger marketing team. For example, you may add a Marketing Specialist to your team to assist with SEO efforts. 

Benefits of building an In-house SEO team

There are two sides to everything in this article, and there are good reasons why some companies can gain an edge against the competitive SEO landscape without relying on an agency. See why building an In-house team can be better than an outsourced agency.

Cross train marketing teams affordably

In this way, you’re saving up on contract and operation costs and giving your employees another skill for their career growth, making them invaluable assets. Overall, you can always maximize your employees if you have more than enough to run an SEO campaign. It’s just a matter of getting one industry expert to train and effectively manage your employees. 

Greater visibility

Managing your operations is one of the things that could help you steer your campaign in the right direction. While an agency understands your needs and reports, you don’t have complete visibility on what’s happening behind the scenes and make changes when necessary. 

With an in-house team, you have a bird’s eye view of everything that works on the campaign. This gives you the much-needed care to check in with your employees and offer guidance.

Perfect collaboration with other departments

In an SEO Campaign, Sales, Web Development, and Marketing go hand-in-hand. While agencies are proficient in their area, not everyone can work well with your team, predominantly if they’re hailing from another department.

On the other hand, an in-house team boasts a different story. Being trained on how your business culture works and the environment it lives in in-house SEO teams can quickly establish good working relationships with other departments involved in a specific part of the overall SEO campaign. With this relationship, they can better understand what needs to be done and incorporate your brand’s vision into their work. 

You can trust your employees

This is not to imply that agencies can’t be trusted with results. But most SEO agencies handle multiple clients, and you only get a share of their attention and service. But an in-house SEO team works wonders in a business trust; you are ensured that all of their efforts are made for the success of your SEO campaign, and that translates to quality results over time.

Conclusion

Overall, both in-house SEO and an SEO agency can genuinely work effectively if you understand what SEO is, your goals, and your expectations, and by then, you can choose whether to work with an agency or build a team by yourself.