SEO Outsourcing Service: Will It Work for Your Business?

SEO outsourcing is a service you’re probably going to hear about more frequently as the digital landscape is getting increasingly competitive. The reason is that Search Engine Optimization has become a critical component in connecting businesses with their target audiences, and merely having a website is no longer enough to do so. Your online visibility depends on making your website discoverable by your target audience as easily and as fast as possible. Otherwise, it will be buried deep under the vast sea of online content that is being produced every day. That’s where SEO comes into play. 

However, the journey to SEO excellence is becoming more complex and demanding every day, requiring expertise, resources, and an unwavering commitment to staying ahead in the ever-evolving world of algorithms, keywords, and technical expertise. Here, the key to success lies somewhere between employing an in-house team or outsourcing it to an external agency. Both options come with their own set of benefits based on the nature of the business and its website. 

In this blog post, we are going to explore how collaborating with an external SEO agency works and see if it makes sense for your business. But first, let’s begin by defining some key terms.

SEO helps your website rank higher among search results

What Is SEO? How Is It Done?

Search Engine Optimization is a multifaceted process that aims to improve a website’s visibility in Search Engine Results Pages (SERP). In simpler terms, SEO helps your website rank higher among search results, leading to increased organic (non-paid) traffic. The primary goal of SEO is to attract more visitors who are already interested in your products or services, ultimately boosting your online authority, credibility, and revenue.

The optimization usually takes place on multiple levels:

• • Technical SEO centers around optimizing various methodical aspects of a website, such as site architecture, sitemaps, page speed, mobile-friendliness, user experience, SSL encryption, and server error management. 

• • On-page SEO focuses on optimizing content elements directly on your website, including keywords, content quality and readability, meta tags, and descriptions. 

• • Off-page SEO looks at the external factors affecting your website’s reputation and authority on the internet, specifically through gaining quality backlinks from reputable websites, social media, guest blogging, and local SEO strategies to boost your site’s authority. 

If the above aspects are properly addressed, and in an ongoing manner, search engine algorithms will index and reward your website with a higher ranking for specific keyphrases/keywords. 

Search engines like Google have significantly increased the frequency of their algorithm updates, as indicated in the diagram below. This can be attributed to a twofold motive. First and foremost, Google’s commitment to delivering the best search results propels them to continually refine their algorithms. Secondly, an unfortunate reality in the digital realm is the deployment of questionable tactics aiming to secure higher rankings for content that may not rightfully deserve such positions. Google is tirelessly striving to address this issue by identifying these instances and re-ranking or even penalizing them. This dynamic landscape underscores the point that SEO is not a one-time endeavour but an ongoing, adaptive process to maintain and improve rankings amidst evolving algorithms and tactics.

Google updates its algorithms more frequently (orange lines) (Moz)

What Does SEO Outsourcing Mean? 

SEO outsourcing is the act of delegating all or a number of the above-mentioned strategies to an external team of specialists or to an agency specialized in the practice. Hiring an SEO agency offers several advantages over doing it in-house:

• • Expertise and Specialization

SEO agencies bring a significant advantage to their clients simply because of their teams. Unlike hiring an individual with multiple skills, agencies have a team of professionals, each of whom excels in a specific area, such as keyword research, on-page optimization, link building, technical SEO, and content creation. By hiring an SEO outsourcing service, businesses gain access to this broad spectrum of expertise that would be challenging and costly to assemble in-house. In-house teams often struggle to match the breadth and depth of knowledge and experience that an agency can provide. 

• • Full Access to Premium Tools and Resources: 

Effective SEO implementation requires access to a myriad of premium tools and resources, which have little ROI when used in-house for just a few websites. For example, keyword research, content gap, backlink profile analysis, in-depth website audit, and rank tracking, all have their own set of tools that usually come with hefty subscription fees which pushes them out of the reach of most small-medium businesses. 

• • Early Detection of Search Engine Algorithm Changes and Their Impact: 

The SEO landscape is constantly changing due to Google’s evolving algorithms and emerging technologies. As indicated in the above diagram, in recent years, the frequency of changes in Google’s algorithms has increased substantially (i.e., more orange lines). 

Now, SEO agencies have a diverse portfolio of clients across multiple industries and have to stay up-to-date with those changes. They constantly monitor Google’s algorithm changes and the SEO performance of their clients and usually catch the early implications of the changes firsthand, on the spot. 

This early detection gives them the upper hand in mitigating the risks and maximizing the immediate positive outcomes compared to an in-house individual who is usually not dedicated to the SEO mission. 

• • Consistency and Scalability:

    Agencies have a track record of delivering results for multiple clients. They provide their clients with measurable data and insights on a regular basis. They have access to more resources than most in-house teams. Thus, they can easily scale their services to accommodate a major SEO ranking’s growth if needed.

Is SEO Outsourcing a One-Size-Fits-All Service?

The quick answer would be NO. Outsourcing search engine optimization can assist many businesses, but it’s not always the case. For example, when it comes to e-commerce businesses with a large number of products, there is a major advantage in having an in-house team that constantly takes care of the SEO of the sites that their revenue success depends almost solely on their daily online presence. 

The clear justification arises from the fact that there is a very large amount of content/pages to address, new products are introduced constantly, ranking must be monitored daily to ensure purchase levels, and thus, they need to build an in-house centre of SEO knowledge. Such businesses can maintain better control, cost efficiency, and agility in adapting to the evolving online market by keeping SEO efforts in-house.

Strategies to Achieve Better Results with an SEO Agency

While there are numerous benefits to hiring external SEO services, it is also important to be aware of the guidelines that can help make this decision a success:

• • Clearly Defined Goals and Expectations:
    
    Begin by outlining your specific SEO goals and expectations. Whether you aim for higher search engine rankings, increased organic traffic, or enhanced user engagement, having a clear direction ensures that both you and the agency are on the same page from the outset.

• • Ability to Understand Your Business
    
    SEO agencies need to invest time in understanding your brand, industry, and values to be able to perform. Without this understanding, the SEO would not yield results. Very often, we see organizations that come to us very puzzled and frustrated. They are ranked on page 1 or 2, but they are not getting traffic, or they receive inquiries from prospective clients that are totally not relevant to their industry. After an audit, we usually find out that incorrect keywords were targeted.

• • Effective Communication
    
    Working with an external agency needs an effective line of communication. The communication will provide monthly detailed reports, explain changes, and clarify ranking fluctuations. Feel free to ask questions about the results. A trustworthy agency will gladly clarify your doubts, explain SEO mechanics, and outline improvement plans.

To Wrap Up

To gain fast and reliable SEO results, partnering with an external SEO agency is a strategic move to boost your online presence. However, success with SEO outsourcing hinges on a well-thought-out service and a range of approaches to ensure optimal SEO results.