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Top 10 Reasons to Outsource Your SEO in 2024 (And How to Do It)

Reading time: 17 minutes
outsourced seo agency success

In the fast-paced digital landscape, staying on top of SEO trends and best practices can be a monumental task. Many businesses struggle with this challenge, often finding their in-house efforts falling short of their goals. SEO outsourcing can be the answer to these common pain points. 

You're putting in the hours, but your website's rankings are stagnating. Despite your best efforts, organic traffic isn't seeing the growth you projected. The complexities of SEO, from keyword research to technical optimizations, can leave your team feeling overwhelmed and defeated.

Consider these scenarios:

  • Your internal team lacks the specialized expertise required for advanced SEO tasks.
  • Consistent, high-quality SEO results are elusive, with fluctuations in search rankings.
  • Keeping up with ever-changing SEO algorithms and trends feels like an impossible task.

This is where finding an SEO outsourcing service steps in as a viable solution. By entrusting your SEO needs to specialized professionals, you can focus on your core business activities while reaping the benefits of improved search rankings and increased organic traffic.


What are SEO Outsourcing Services?

SEO outsourcing services involve hiring external agencies or experts to manage tasks such as keyword research, on-page optimization, content creation, and link building. This approach enables businesses to improve search rankings, increase organic traffic, and enhance visibility without the need to manage SEO in-house.

How to Outsource SEO

Checklist on a whiteboard

Outsourcing SEO can be a game-changer for your business, but knowing how to do it effectively is crucial. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you navigate the process seamlessly:

Step 1: Identify Your SEO Needs

Before you start searching for an outsourcing partner, it's essential to understand your specific SEO requirements. Are you looking to improve your on-page SEO, enhance your backlink profile, or optimize your site's technical performance? Clear objectives will guide your selection process.

Step 2: Research Potential SEO Partners

Look for agencies or freelancers with a proven track record. Check their case studies, client testimonials, and online reviews. Make sure they have experience in your industry and understand your unique challenges.

Step 3: Evaluate Their SEO Strategies

Ask potential partners about their SEO strategies. Do they focus on white-hat techniques, or do they cut corners with black-hat methods? Ensure their approach aligns with your business ethics and long-term goals.

Step 4: Request Proposals and Conduct Interviews

Request detailed proposals from shortlisted candidates. Evaluate their proposed strategies, projected timelines, and cost estimates. Conduct interviews to assess their expertise, communication skills, and cultural fit.

Step 5: Set Clear Expectations

Once you've chosen your SEO partner, set clear expectations regarding deliverables, timelines, and performance metrics. Define how you'll measure success and establish regular check-ins to discuss progress.

Step 6: Monitor and Adjust

SEO is an ongoing process that requires constant monitoring and adjustment. Stay involved and communicate regularly with your outsourcing partner to ensure the strategies are yielding the desired results.

By following these steps, you can ensure that your SEO outsourcing efforts are effective, transparent, and aligned with your business goals.

Top 10 Reasons to Outsource SEO

Most marketing teams have so much to do and not enough time to do it. This is often especially true for search engine optimization (SEO). Some people hear the word "outsourcing" and think that means your in-house team is never involved – this may be a mindset shift for you, because that should never be 100% the case

Busy work

SEO outsourcing will save you time and drive results, but a disconnected SEO team is a recipe for disaster. In fact, the best SEO "outsourcing" involves a tight partnership between your in-house team and an SEO agency, ensuring organizational goals and marketing team KPIs and campaigns are aligned with SEO efforts, as well as sourcing in-house industry expertise when appropriate.

​SEO can be particularly complex because of changing algorithms, fierce competition, and a general lack of understanding of the field. It can also take a while to achieve the desired results. However, those results can pay huge dividends over time.

Juggling expectations about time, money, and human resources devoted to this service can be one of the most difficult challenges for anyone trying to win at SEO, which is why companies often choose to bring in outside help to get things done quickly and at lower costs.

There is often some apprehension and worry when it comes to outsourcing any aspect of a business. This is because it means you will need to instill your trust in a third party. The concern is understandable, but that just means that any company considering this move should only use qualified and proven providers. 

With that, let's get into the top 10 reasons to outsource your SEO.

  1. Get Back Valuable Time

    This is the first and most basic benefit of outsourcing your SEO efforts. Optimizing your site pages and content to rank higher on search engine result pages (SERPs) takes a lot of time, especially if those handling it are not highly experienced. Having seasoned professionals assume this role for your SEO campaigns will save your company much-needed time.

  2. Cost-Effective

    SEO is difficult and complex. It usually isn't worth the time and cost to train an in-house full-time employee on SEO – they may not have the right skillsets to begin with, or the training itself may take months. Plus, they may not have enough time in their day to actually do SEO once they learn it. Marketing teams tend to be so busy as it is.

    If you want it done right you will need someone with years of experience or a team of diverse professionals that specialize in specific areas of SEO and digital marketing campaigns. Outsourcing SEO services will provide your company with an entire team of experts for considerably less than it would cost to house them within your own walls.

    An SEO company or SEO agency can provide a large amount of value for comparatively little cost. Remember that SEO pays dividends over many years. Getting SEO wrong from the start can be far more costly than the cost to get it right.

  3. Faster Results

    Especially if you already have a fair amount of organic traffic, a digital agency or SEO service provider can take what you have and put a full digital marketing strategy behind it, i.e. a keyword strategy, lead generation and content marketing strategy, and the like, so that you can start seeing results quickly from the content and traffic you already have. Many times developing and implementing a proper SEO strategy on a site with otherwise decent traffic and content can lead to relatively fast results.

    By outsourcing SEO, you can also count on work beginning immediately, instead of facing the usual delays that come from pre-planning and planning before execution in-house. After all, less experienced professionals will still need time to learn and work things out before they even start, whereas proven SEO professionals face little to no learning curve.

    What's more, your SEO efforts should be continually measured, tested, and improved over time – that's why it's called Search Engine Optimization. Doing a minimal SEO effort in-house and then dropping it over time is a sure-fire way to see results plummet.

  1. No Learning Curve

    If your company is just starting out with SEO, chances are the people who take on the task will spend quite a bit of time simply learning the ropes, taking away time from content optimization and generation of material in general.

    SEO experts are, well, experts. They know their way around SEO and all its common challenges. This means they won't waste time having to learn anything new. They are ready right off the bat.

  1. Stronger Marketing Strategy

    Many companies do "SEO" by simply writing content and hoping that it will generate organic traffic and leads. While hope itself is great, it has little to do with proper SEO.

    A high-quality SEO company will help you develop a competitive strategy in these areas:

    • Keyword strategy
    • Content strategy across various channels (blog, YouTube, social, etc) and types (guides, tutorials, topic clusters, webinars, etc)
    • Thematic content creation calendar
    • Local SEO strategy, if applicable
    • Content marketing (getting leads and business from your content creation)
    • Link building (getting backlinks from valuable domains)

    A full-fledged digital marketing agency can take what you have and put a digital marketing strategy behind it, meaning ensuring that your SEO efforts are connected to your video creation efforts, social media efforts, email campaign efforts, etc, while ensuring that your SEO efforts aren't negatively impacting your conversion optimization (CRO) efforts, the overall user journey, and user experience. Some SEO companies that specialize in SEO can actually have a detrimental impact on your overall digital marketing because they don't consider the impact of their efforts on aspects such as user experience, conversions, and the like – SEO should not operate in a silo.

  2. Ensure White Hat SEO Practices

    A good SEO company will ensure white hat SEO practices, meaning the "good" types of practices that will improve your SEO, rather than harm it, which is what "black hat" SEO methods can do. For example, a black hat SEO tactic would be getting backlinks from spammy websites and directories that will actually end up harming your SEO and domain authority score.

  1. Gain Acess to Powerful SEO Tools and Expertise 

    SEO firms generally have access to the bleeding edge of SEO tools, which can be expensive or difficult for marketers to justify a full suite in their budgets. What's more, it can take years to fully learn and harness the power of these tools, such as SEMRush, Moz, and Ahrefs, not to mention more enterprise SEO tools such as seoClarity and BrightEdge.

    SEO is also a part of a larger set of services offered by digital marketing agencies. Not only do you gain access to SEO expertise but also expertise in related disciplines. This means that when your company outsources SEO services to a digital agency, it gains access to a whole team of digital experts, tools, and resources to help with your needs.

  2. Optimize Your In-House Team

    Burnout is a real problem. Overworking people and forcing them to do menial tasks repeatedly can and will have an emotional and psychological impact on their state of mind and productivity.

    After a while, SEO work can, in fact, become monotonous. Keyword research requires long hours combing through pieces of content about the same topic and running through huge lists of phrases, investigating their search volume, and how they perform. Over and over again.

    When you have a full team handling the work, you resolve the issue by rotating them every so often. But what happens when the team is small or composed of only a single individual?

    Sparing your in-house marketing team from this type of work by outsourcing SEO solutions will make them happier, and it will let you assign them to other tasks. There are several other areas of digital marketing that also require your team’s attention. By removing the tedious demands of SEO from their plate, they're free to focus on those other things, further optimizing the use of your in-house resources.

  3. Keep Up With Trends and Tools
    Marketing trends

    Proper SEO requires the use of several different tools and an understanding of shifting trends. For example, Google changes its search algorithm around 500 times per year. In most cases, the changes are minor but still important.

    SEO agencies are always keeping up with changes in the industry and all the new tools available. They have to. This is their bread and butter. By outsourcing your company gains access to a constantly updated source of information.

  4. Get An Objective Perspective

    It can be easy for people wearing a company shirt to lose themselves in passion for the brand. This is not a bad thing, but it can lead to some problems when evaluating work objectively. When you are too close to something, recognizing cracks and flaws becomes more difficult.

    This is probably one of the most understated benefits of outsourcing your SEO services to an agency: you will have people committed to sincerity. Someone from your in-house team may choose to or be consciously unable to perceive mistakes in his work because his job depends on it; Whereas agencies need to be impartial and get results because it is their reputation at stake.

    This means you will be able to get thorough, efficient, and detailed assessments of what is going on from objective third parties.

    Outsourcing / nearsourcing SEO services does not need to be a risky proposition or a wild gamble. It can be a positive turning point for any company, as long as they take the proper time to investigate and evaluate available providers.

    Weigh all the options, make an informed decision, and watch your costs decrease and your results soar.

    Are you worried about outsourcing SEO or any other digital marketing service? We understand. Feel free to get in touch with us with any questions or concerns. We’re here to help!

    Original article written by Joe Yaker

Should You Outsource SEO?

Deciding whether to outsource your SEO can be a pivotal choice for your business. Here are some scenarios where outsourcing SEO makes sense and some pros and cons to consider.

When to Consider Outsourcing SEO
Resources
  1. Lack of In-House Expertise: If your team lacks the specialized skills required for effective SEO, outsourcing can bridge that gap.
  2. Resource Constraints: Managing SEO in-house can be time-consuming and resource-intensive. Outsourcing allows your team to focus on core business activities.
  3. Inconsistent Results: If your in-house efforts are yielding inconsistent or unsatisfactory results, professional SEO services can offer more reliable outcomes.
  4. Keeping Up with Trends: SEO is a constantly evolving field. Specialized agencies stay updated with the latest trends and algorithm changes, ensuring your strategies remain effective.
Pros of Outsourcing SEO
  • Expertise: Access to a team of SEO specialists with extensive knowledge and experience.
  • Cost-Effective: Outsourcing can be more economical than hiring a full-time, in-house SEO team.
  • Scalability: Easily scale your SEO efforts up or down based on business needs.
  • Time-Saving: Free up your internal resources to focus on other strategic initiatives.
Cons of Outsourcing SEO
  • Communication Challenges: Coordinating with an external team may require more effort.
  • Less Control: You may have less direct control over the SEO strategies being implemented.
  • Dependency: Relying on an external partner means your SEO success is tied to their performance.

How to Outsource SEO Services Effectively

To make the most out of your SEO outsourcing efforts, it's crucial to follow best practices that ensure a productive partnership and measurable success.

Checklist on a whiteboard
Best Practices for Managing Outsourced SEO Projects
  1. Set Clear Goals: Begin by defining specific, measurable, and realistic goals for your SEO campaigns. This helps in guiding your outsourcing partner and aligning expectations.
  2. Choose the Right Partner: Select an SEO partner with a proven track record, industry experience, and a cultural fit with your team. Check their case studies, client testimonials, and online reviews.
  3. Create a Detailed Agreement: Outline the scope of work, deliverables, timelines, and performance metrics in a formal contract. This prevents misunderstandings and ensures accountability.
  4. Maintain Open Communication: Establish regular check-ins and updates to discuss progress, address any concerns, and make necessary adjustments. Clear and consistent communication is key to a successful partnership.
  5. Monitor Performance: Use analytics and reporting tools to track the effectiveness of the SEO strategies. Regularly review performance metrics to make data-driven adjustments as needed.
Setting Expectations

Define how you will measure success. Common metrics include:

  • Keyword Rankings: Track how your keywords perform over time.
  • Organic Traffic: Monitor increases in organic search traffic.
  • Conversion Rates: Measure the impact of SEO efforts on lead generation and sales.
  • Backlinks: Assess the quality and quantity of backlinks acquired.
Scaling Your Efforts

One of the advantages of outsourcing SEO is scalability. You can easily scale your efforts up or down based on your business needs. Whether you need a full-scale SEO campaign or specific services like link building or technical SEO, a competent SEO partner can adapt to your requirements.

Handling Challenges

Outsourcing SEO comes with its own set of challenges, such as potential communication gaps and less direct control. To mitigate these issues:

  • Regular Updates: Insist on regular progress reports and updates.
  • Performance Reviews: Conduct periodic performance reviews to ensure your SEO partner is meeting expectations.
  • Feedback Loops: Create a system for providing feedback and making iterative improvements.

By adhering to these best practices, you can foster a successful and productive partnership with your SEO outsourcing provider, ensuring your SEO strategies deliver measurable results.

Curious about how outsourcing SEO can boost your rankings and organic traffic? Book a free consultation with our SEO experts today and start your journey toward measurable growth.

The Benefits of Outsourcing SEO for Small Businesses

workflow

Outsourcing SEO can be a game-changer for small businesses looking to enhance their online visibility and achieve their SEO goals efficiently. This guide will walk you through the key benefits, considerations, and best practices for partnering with the right SEO outsourcing company. Outsourcing your SEO efforts can offer numerous advantages, especially for small businesses with limited resources:

Cost-Effective Solution:

  • Pricing: Outsourcing SEO can be more cost-effective than hiring an in-house team. You save on salaries, benefits, and training costs, allowing you to allocate your budget more efficiently.
  • Access to Tools: SEO agencies often have access to advanced tools and software that would be expensive for a small business to purchase on its own.

Expertise and Experience:

  • Effective SEO Strategy: SEO outsourcing companies bring years of experience and expertise. They stay updated with the latest SEO trends and algorithms, ensuring your strategy remains effective.
  • Target Keywords: Experts can identify and target the right keywords to improve your search engine rankings and attract relevant traffic.

Scalability and Flexibility:

  • Scalability: Outsourcing allows you to scale your SEO efforts up or down based on your needs. Whether you need a comprehensive SEO campaign or specific services like a technical SEO audit, outsourcing offers flexibility.
  • White Label SEO: For agencies offering SEO services to their clients, white label SEO can be a seamless way to deliver results without investing in additional resources.
Enhanced Online Visibility and Performance

By outsourcing SEO, small businesses can significantly enhance their online visibility. Here’s how:

Comprehensive SEO Audits:

  • SEO Audit: A thorough SEO audit identifies issues and opportunities for improvement, setting the foundation for a successful SEO strategy.

Improved Rankings and Traffic:

  • Effective SEO Strategy: With a well-crafted SEO strategy, your website can achieve higher rankings on search engine results pages (SERPs), leading to increased organic traffic.
  • PPC Integration: Combining SEO with PPC campaigns can create a holistic online marketing strategy, driving both organic and paid traffic.
Choosing the Right SEO Outsourcing Company

Selecting the right seo outsourcing company is crucial for achieving your SEO goals. Here are some considerations for business owners:

Experience and Track Record:

  • Business Owners: Look for companies with a proven track record of delivering results for businesses similar to yours.
  • Case Studies and Testimonials: Review case studies and client testimonials to gauge their expertise and reliability.

Transparent Pricing and Services:

  • Pricing: Ensure the company offers transparent pricing with a clear breakdown of services included. Avoid agencies that offer vague pricing models or hidden fees.
  • Detailed Proposals: Request detailed proposals to understand the scope of work, deliverables, and timelines.

Customizable Solutions:

  • Tailored SEO Strategies: Choose a company that offers customized solutions based on your specific needs and goals.
  • Flexible Contracts: Look for flexibility in contract terms, allowing you to scale services as required.

By outsourcing SEO, small businesses can benefit from expert strategies, cost savings, and improved online visibility. Partnering with the right SEO outsourcing company can drive meaningful results and help you achieve your SEO goals efficiently and effectively.

Ready to enhance your online visibility and achieve your SEO goals? Contact us today to discuss how our SEO outsourcing services can benefit your small business.

Summary: Reasons Why Businesses Outsource Their SEO

Outsourcing SEO is a strategic move for many businesses, particularly those looking to enhance their search engine rankings and online visibility without stretching their internal resources. Here are key reasons why businesses opt for outsourced SEO services:

Cost-Effective Expertise

One of the primary reasons businesses outsource their SEO is cost-effectiveness. Hiring a dedicated in-house SEO team can be expensive, considering salaries, benefits, and ongoing training. By outsourcing to an experienced SEO agency, businesses can access top-notch expertise at a fraction of the cost. This allows them to deploy specialized strategies without the overhead of maintaining an in-house team.

Access to Specialized Skills and Tools

Outsourcing to an SEO specialist provides access to advanced tools and specialized skills that might not be available in-house. These experts use sophisticated software for SEO optimization, keyword research, and performance analytics, ensuring your strategies are data-driven and effective. Whether you need local SEO services or a comprehensive SEO package, outsourcing ensures you get the best solutions tailored to your needs.

Focus on Core Business Activities

Managing SEO in-house requires significant time and effort. By outsourcing, businesses can focus on their core activities while the SEO consultant handles the complexities of search engine optimization. This is particularly beneficial for small businesses that might not have the bandwidth to manage SEO internally.

Scalability and Flexibility

Outsourcing provides scalability and flexibility. Businesses can easily adjust the level of SEO services based on their needs and budget. For instance, if you need to ramp up your efforts during peak seasons or scale back during quieter times, an outsourcing SEO service can adapt to these changes seamlessly.

Staying Updated with SEO Trends and Best Practices

SEO is a constantly evolving field, with search engines frequently updating their algorithms. By partnering with an SEO firm, businesses ensure their strategies remain current and effective. SEO experts stay updated with the latest trends and algorithm changes, allowing your business to maintain a competitive edge.

Enhanced Online Visibility with Local SEO

For businesses targeting local markets, local SEO outsourcing can significantly enhance online visibility. An SEO agency with expertise in local SEO can optimize your site for local searches, helping you attract more customers from your target area. This is especially important for small businesses that rely heavily on local clientele.

Comprehensive and Integrated Strategies

Outsourced SEO services often include a comprehensive approach that integrates social media marketing and SEO content strategies. This holistic approach ensures all aspects of your online presence are optimized, driving better results and higher ROI.

Proven Results and Case Studies

Reputable SEO outsourcing companies often have a track record of delivering proven results. Reviewing their case studies and testimonials can give you confidence in their ability to achieve your SEO goals. This transparency and accountability are crucial in choosing the right SEO provider.

In summary, outsourcing SEO offers numerous benefits, from cost savings and specialized expertise to enhanced scalability and staying current with SEO trends. For many businesses, partnering with an experienced SEO agency is the most effective way to achieve their SEO objectives and grow their online presence.


About Seth Viebrock

I grew up with the web, starting my first web design company at the age of 16 in 1996. My background started in web development and programming languages, and evolved into digital psychology, AI, UX, SEO, content strategy, CRO, neuromarketing, messaging, sales, business strategy, and other aspects of the web and digital marketing. During my career, I've built websites for famous artists like Justin Bieber and Mariah Carey, led a team as CTO at a social network startup company, co-presented at Stanford and the International Society for Neuronal Regulation Conference on an EEG study in...
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