SEO is a demanding task. This may leave you wondering if you should hire an SEO agency or an in-house specialist. Although their purposes are the same, both of these options have both their advantages and their drawbacks. To determine which is best for your business you need to take some time to weigh your options.
The Benefits of Hiring an SEO Agency
There are numerous reasons why you should consider hiring an SEO agency. These include:
- Your SEO company will have a wide array of knowledge. This means they’ll know more than how to research keywords. They’ll also be familiar with digital advertising, mobile viewing, and general tech so they can help you find ways to continue to grow.
- They’ll be experienced with working with a wide array of websites so they’ll have a vast array of SEO knowledge that they can apply to your website. This will prove invaluable when Google makes any sudden changes.
- You’ll have a team working for you that can remain on top of the latest algorithmic changes.
- Typically an SEO agency has an array of services for you to choose from. This is valuable when you discover that your website needs to implement a new key feature. These agencies are more flexible so they can handle it when these things arise.
- You may find that this option is less expensive than hiring someone in-house. This is because you’ll have to pay more for experience plus you’ll need to provide them with things like benefits, bonuses, and pay raises.
- It’s possible to escalate issues (e.g. a contractual disagreement, not receiving an answer from your main point of contact) up a chain of command. You can also fire them because you simply don’t get along with them or if they don’t deliver what they promise, meet a deadline, or provide you with the type of work they’d promised.
The Drawbacks to Hiring an SEO Agency
You’ll find that there are an equal amount of drawbacks to hiring an SEO company. These include:
- You’ll only have a virtual relationship with your SEO company. This means you can only contact them through email, phone, or Zoom which may make it difficult to brainstorm ideas with them or implement any immediate changes.
- Deciding to find a local SEO agency to work with will limit what’s available to you. In doing so you’ll discover that not every agency has the same amount of knowledge and experience. Ultimately, you may not have all of your needs met.
- Since you’re one of many clients you won’t have the full, undivided attention of an SEO company. While they’ll make time for you they won’t always be able to provide you with VIP treatment or answer every question right away.
The Benefits of Hiring an In-House Specialist
Now that you know both the advantages and the drawbacks of hiring an SEO company it’s important to look at some of the benefits of hiring an in-house specialist. These include:
- Unlike an SEO company, an in-house specialist will be solely dedicated to working on your website. This means they’ll have more time to create a great strategy for your website.
- They’ll truly understand what your business offers its customers because they’ll be involved with your company’s inner workings.
- While an SEO agency isn’t invested in your company, an in-house specialist will have an understanding of your business and its long-term goals. This allows them to deliver work that truly meets your company’s vision.
- You’ll be able to physically meet and create a relationship with the person you hire since they work in your office. This is important because a lack of face-to-face interaction can be a major hindrance to your company’s success.
- They’re there to answer your questions right away. This enables them to help you find new ways to make SEO work for your business.
The Drawbacks to Hiring an In-House Specialist
Of course, there are also drawbacks to hiring an in-house specialist, including:
- They’ll cost you more than if you were to hire an SEO agency. This is especially true if you’re looking for a well-rounded individual – someone who can combine analytical rigor with knowledge in both practical and creative ways.
- You’ll expect the person to be able to do for you everything that an SEO company would do. Unfortunately, you’ll pay a lot for this type of experience and knowledge.
- Your projects will be entirely dependent on the talent and skill of the expert you hire. However, for your SEO strategy to be successful, they’ll need to be well versed in all of these things. If not, your website’s SEO will suffer.
- You won’t be able to benefit from the various specialties an SEO team can offer since you’ll only have one person’s skill set to work with.
Making the Best Decision for Your Website
Today you can no longer afford to ignore SEO. Your business’ success relies on you receiving more visitors than your competition does. SEO is a low-cost way of achieving this but you need to decide what your goals (both personal and financial) are so you’ll know whether you want to hire an SEO company or an in-house specialist.
Once you’ve carefully weighed your options in light of your website’s success you’ll see that it’s best to hire an SEO company. For the best results, the SEO agency you hire should be the Local SEO Tampa Company in Tampa, FL.