If you want to grow your business, search engine optimization (SEO) is an absolute must. With about $2.75 for every $1 invested, SEO can drive more ROI than other marketing strategies. In fact, SEO ROI can be as high as 12x the amount spent on paid marketing.
The problem is, most business owners simply don’t have the time and expertise necessary to handle everything that comes with a strong SEO strategy. Effective search engine optimization requires planning, technology, and analysis in order to yield major results. From keyword research and content development to page optimization and internal linking, there are so many aspects to think about.
The only logical solution is to hire an agency or specialist to do your search engine optimization tasks.
In this post, we’re looking into some of the advantages of using SEO outsource services and how to do it successfully.
What is SEO Outsourcing?
SEO outsourcing is involving a third-party consultant or company to help manage the entire SEO optimization process and maximize your results. The process may include the following tasks:
- Off-site optimization, which involves researching opportunities for link-building outreach, strategizing outreach (such as submissions, email, etc.), and tracking the newly generated links.
- On-page optimization, which includes researching relevant keywords, building internal links, making sure that the content on a page is structured adequately for search engines.
- Mobile SEO, which involves optimizing your website for mobile devices to comply with mobile-friendly updates from Google.
- Local SEO includes ensuring that your business has listings in most of the prominent locations, optimizing your website and content using specific local keywords, such as state or city names, and link building with relevant local business organizations, groups, and directories.
- Technical SEO is a component of on-page optimization referring to improving a site’s code (responsive design, caching information, optimizing HTML, and optimizing images).
When Should You Consider SEO Outsource Sevices?
You should outsource SEO if you have trouble:
Learning the different types of SEO. Effective SEO is much more than simply inserting keywords or starting a blog. A good SEO agency will look to enhance your online visibility, increase inbound traffic, create a strong local presence, boost social media engagement, build your brand image, and more.
Finding the time to manage your SEO campaigns. SEO involves a great deal of work, so it can be difficult to achieve results when you are doing everything yourself. By outsourcing your SEO, you will be able to significantly boost the output of your SEO efforts.
Experiencing progress. An expert SEO company knows exactly what works and can help you create an effective strategy that will result in consistent traffic. Working with an outsourced team saves you from potentially expensive mistakes and allows you to get faster results.
Benefits of SEO Outsource Services
There are a number of reasons to use outsourced SEO services, including the following four important advantages:
Save money. Establishing and training an in-house SEO team can be not only time-consuming but also quite expensive. You will need to pay your SEO team salaries but also provide them with computers, software, employee benefits, etc. Using outsourced SEO services allows you to get professional SEO expertise without breaking the bank.
Save time. Outsourcing your SEO will also save valuable time that you would otherwise be investing in learning SEO concepts. If you hire someone to manage your SEO campaigns, you’ll have the time to focus on running and expanding your business.
Get results faster. Getting the best results. If you outsource your SEO you will experience fast results as your SEO provider would be an expert in the field.
Get professional SEO reporting. The best SEO experts will keep an eye on the right SEO performance metrics and provide monthly reporting to show the progress being made and how it is impacting your business.
Options to Consider When Outsourcing Your SEO
When it comes to outsourcing your SEO, there are multiple options you can choose from:
Freelance SEO Experts
However, considering the fact that the digital marketing industry is changing at a very rapid pace, it can be difficult to find someone who keeps up with the emerging updates and requirements. Other downsides of this option include lack of proof of talent and poor communication.
SEO contractors
Working with an SEO contractor is very similar to working with a freelance expert. However, the relationship you’ll make with the contractor will be long-term due to the fact that freelancers usually procure occasional work from you.
The downside of working with an SEO contractor is that they might have multiple clients and you may have to wait longer to get your tasks completed.
SEO company
When you’re working with an SEO company or SEO agency, you are working with an entire team of professionals, not just an individual expert. Working with a team means that you will be presented with multiple plans and ideas to make your project as successful as possible.
The only weakness of working with an SEO company is that they’re specialized only in SEO-related tasks. If you need non-SEO tasks, you’ll need to hire someone else.
Full-service agency
When working with a full-service agency, you will collaborate with a team that offers complete digital marketing services, development solutions, and web design, not just SEO. A full-service agency will take care of your content marketing, social media, email marketing, and many other tasks.
How to Hire the Right SEO Agency or Expert
Now that you know all your options, here are a few tips that will help you choose the right SEO outsourcing solution.
1. Determine your objectives
The first thing to do before partnering up with an SEO company is to determine a specific goal you want to accomplish. Do you want to get more quality backlinks? Or maybe you are trying to reduce your bounce rate? Is your objective to increase page speed? Giving answers to these questions will help you determine what SEO firm or expert you want to work with.
2. Think about what services you need
Determining your goals will also help you figure out exactly what services you will need. Will you need comprehensive services that include everything from keyword research to link building and everything in between? In that case, it may be best to work with a full-service agency. If, on the other hand, your requirements are minimal, an SEO freelancer might be a better option.
3. Decide your timeframe
SEO is a long-term strategy that requires patience. If you want to outsource your SEO, be prepared to wait for a few months before you see any significant results. That being said, if the SEO agency you’re considering promises overnight results, stay away. They are probably using shady, black hat SEO tactics that might have you banned from Google.
If you are looking for fast results, it might be wiser to invest your marketing budget in something else, such as social media ads or PPC.
4. Look into several SEO companies
When shopping around for SEO outsource services, look for an experienced agency that can demonstrate outstanding results. Be sure to check their online reviews and case studies to see exactly how the SEO company can help you.
Once you narrow down your list, schedule a consultation call with each one of the companies and ask the following questions.
- What sets you apart from the competition?
- What does your process look like?
- What tools do you use?
- Who have you helped?
- How long will it take to see results?
- What are your metrics?
- How often do you report?
5. Choose the best option
Once you select the SEO agency you are going to work with, it is very important to set clear expectations and establish open communication. Be sure to be specific about your SEO goals at the beginning of your relationship. In addition, make sure to determine the type of services you will get, the timeline for deliverables, communication protocols, success metrics, as well as the frequency of meetings and reporting.
Determining these things right from the start sets you up for a healthy business relationship and long-term success.
Final Thoughts
A strong and effective SEO strategy can help your business rank high in SERPs and attract more traffic to your website. Using outsourced SEO services is an excellent way to start the process. The right SEO company will make sure you get noticed, capture customer interest, and gain a significant competitive edge.
