If your business isn’t on the first page of Google for relevant topics, you might as well be invisible to your target audience. Of course, you recognize how important search engine optimization is to your marketing. Still, you might hesitate to work with an SEO partner because you’re just not sure that it’s worth it.
Many companies wonder if handling SEO in-house would be more cost-effective. Discover why outsourced SEO is usually the best way to get quick results for a lower investment.
4 Reasons Why You Likely Need an SEO Partner
An SEO partner offers numerous advantages over handling SEO on your own. Consider four of the top benefits.
1. Lower Costs
At first glance, agency fees might seem high, but they pale in comparison with the cost of hiring employees at a full-time salary with benefits. Don’t forget that you’ll have to invest in training and professional tools as well.
Contracting with an agency removes all of that overhead and commitment. Even if you’d like to gradually expand your in-house digital marketing team, a dedicated SEO partner gets the ball rolling with a quicker return on investment than doing everything internally.
2. Expertise
Google is continually updating its algorithm, so managing SEO is not like learning a recipe that you can master once and repeat on autopilot. Instead, the work is more like a professional sport where you have to constantly monitor your opponents’ strategies and adjust to new conditions.
Can you really get a new in-house team up to speed with competitors quickly? You’ll probably spend months, if not years, trying to catch up with the market.
An SEO partner provides you with the expertise to immediately start raising your online visibility. You gain instant access to a wealth of marketing industry knowledge and the ability to execute on it.
3. Agility
If you opt for in-house SEO, how do you maintain consistency when you want to scale down activity during a slow season, but ramp up again before demand spikes? You might have to cut hours or let a team member go during lulls.
Unfortunately, downsized employees likely won’t be available when you need them again. As a result, you lose all that knowledge and training and have to start over with someone else.
An SEO partner can adjust when you have to scale back and can be ready in no time when you need to kick things into high gear. Plus, you avoid losing time on staffing decisions and can pivot swiftly.
4. Team Bandwidth
When supervising an in-house team, the work can bleed over into other departments, compromising your core focus. SEO can become just another thing you have to deal with and might drift to the back burner.
You probably don’t have the time to put another thing on your plate, which is why working with an SEO partner is ideal. You can keep your attention on the things your team does best and leave the bulk of digital marketing to the experts.
These same benefits apply if you’re a creative agency that wants to offer SEO solutions without overhead. You can partner with a competent firm, such as Digital Neighbor, and resell white-label SEO services to bring more value to your clients.
Your Options for Outsourced SEO
Once you decide to outsource your SEO, you have a few options for your choice of partner.
Consultant
An individual consultant can be an appealing option because you only need to bring in the expert for advice that you’ll implement. The challenge here is that the consultant has a brief, snapshot view of your organization and is unlikely to provide long-term solutions.
Successful SEO requires playing the long game and demands constant attention. A consultant might deliver quick wins, but your total ROI will be lower than with a true SEO partner that offers the same expert analysis and more.
Specialized Agency
Specialized agencies only focus on particular aspects of SEO marketing. While you can usually count on high-quality advice and service, this alternative can get expensive, as you have to hire a different company for each specialization.
For example, effective SEO requires a range of efforts in the following areas:
- Local SEO through Google My Business
- Paid media advertising
- Web design and development
- Content creation
- Branding
With specialized agencies, you have to find a different partner for each service, which becomes costly and time-consuming.
All-in-One Agency with White Label SEO Solutions
An all-in-one SEO partner is your “Goldilocks” (i.e., just right) solution. This type of agency covers everything most small and mid-sized businesses need.
One way these firms do this is with white-label SEO services. A boutique agency partners with other contractors and experts, so you don’t have to go searching for each digital marketing service. You have all of your solutions with one party, saving time and money.
3 Things to Look for in an SEO Partner
Now that you know you need an all-in-one agency as an SEO partner, how do you pick the right company to work with? Check out these three tips.
1. Proven Track Record
The only way to be sure that an agency is any good with SEO is to see the results they’ve already produced. Check their website, or talk to past clients about tangible results. Case studies should show clear wins from working with the agency.
2. Strategic Approach
In the past, marketing used to be a lot more about guessing and trial and error. The digital era offers the capability to track and test campaigns better than ever.
Does the agency you’re considering use strong analytics and measurable goals to help you determine when you’re having success? Book a free and friendly consultation with a prospective SEO partner to learn how strategic their approach is.
3. Compatible Culture
Your SEO partner is more than just a contractor. The squad should be your constant collaborator.
Find an agency you can easily communicate with, express your frustrations to, and celebrate your victories with. A real SEO partner is neighborly and commits itself to your success.
If you’re eager to see results ASAP, our team at Digital Neighbor is ready to be your SEO partner. We’re a focused and friendly group with a proven track record of success. Let’s chat about designing a winning digital marketing strategy for you!
