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SEO Agency Vs. In-House SEO: Which Is Better?

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In today’s blog we explain the approach to SEO. We also compare SEO in-house with SEO agencies and present the advantages and disadvantages. In the end, you should be well informed about the differences. So you can decide for yourself which alternative is suitable for you.

There are many different types of SEO services, including link building, content marketing, social media marketing, and keyword research. SEO Belfast helps websites rank higher in search engine results pages.

WHY SEO?

SEO  is one of the greatest quality features of modern websites. If you want to be visible on the Internet, you have to ensure that you are found by Google and Co. A potential customer rarely looks for a specific provider. Rather, the problem or question is entered into the search engine. The way in which the search engine deals with this input determines what you have to consider when doing SEO. After all, you want to be one of the first hits to make your website more effective.

For search engine optimization are different measures. They relate to individual pages and the  content that fills them. However, there are also measures for the structure of the website and so-called off-site optimizations. A certain amount of know-how is therefore required. The question now is where the responsibility for your SEO is better off. In-house or an SEO agency?

SEO IN-HOUSE: THE ROLE OF AN SEO MANAGER

If SEO is to be operated in-house, an SEO manager must be appointed or employed. This person then coordinates all SEO-relevant actions. She plans an SEO strategy and creates  keyword analyzes. This process creates an understanding of what your target group is looking for on the Internet and which competitors are clicked particularly often. In this way, specific changes to the website (structure, content, links etc) can be planned. It is important to always be up to date. The changes in searched keywords and search algorithms have a huge impact on the effect of SEO.

SEO AGENCY: LET SEO BE DONE FOR YOU

As an alternative to the in-house solution, it is possible to hire an SEO agency, such as whitehat-seo.co.uk. Your agency then carries out the above-mentioned tasks on an ongoing basis. Almost always all SEO services are offered. This includes both technical SEO and on- and off-page optimization. 

Agencies usually cover everything from the right link structure to the creation of keyword-relevant content. The services in the SEO area also include the support of website relaunches. This service comes with its advantages and disadvantages. We present these in the following and compare them with the in-house solution.

SEO IN-HOUSE VS. SEO AGENCY

Advantages of in-house SEO

  • Easy communication: a permanent employee is part of your company. She knows exactly who is responsible for a particular topic in marketing or in the product. As a rule, all agreements are less formal and more direct. That increases the efficiency.
  • Inside view: Permanent SEOs only have their own website in view. You are part of the company. This gives them a better understanding of your company’s customers, products and culture.
  • Commitment: A permanent SEO manager looks after your website as her only project. The success of your manager is therefore directly linked to the success of your website. This ensures the right incentive structure.
  • Costs: As a rule, an agency is not as cheap as a permanent SEO specialist.

Disadvantages in-house SEO

  • Employee development: We have already described above how important it is to keep your finger on the pulse of SEO. From this follows a constant need to develop your SEO manager. With the in-house solution, you bear the time and money required.
  • Tunnel vision: Even if it is part of the charm of an in-house SEO manager, company affiliation can develop into a problem. A lack of impressions of other companies, working methods and industries can lead to operational blindness. The quality of your website will suffer as a result.
  • Handover: Positions are always filled. This happens for a variety of reasons and is fine per se. However, there may be friction losses during the handover. Know-how can be lost. Projects can stall. Search engine optimization can suffer from staff changes.

Advantages of SEO agency

  • Knowledge management and further training: Agencies live from their specialist knowledge. You therefore invest a lot in your employees and constantly ensure that your knowledge is up-to-date. So your SEO is continuously looked after by professionals.
  • Tools: For qualitative search engine optimization you need different tools. Tools for search engine analysis and keyword research are necessary. Due to their specialization, agencies can afford to access these tools.
  • Broad know-how: Agencies employ a large number of creative minds who, in total, cover every aspect of SEO. This includes technical SEO and offsite optimization as well as content creation.
  • Time budget: Due to the small time budget, a whole position is not always worthwhile. An SEO agency also handles smaller task packages. In case of doubt, the scope of the SEO tasks can always be increased.
  • Battle-tested: Agencies have many customers. This creates insights into a wide variety of industries and company processes. The experiences are felt positively in the quality of the measures and the cooperation.

Disadvantages of SEO agency

  • More complex communication: An external provider will always be less accessible to you than a permanent SEO manager. It is just as difficult for an agency to communicate queries or suggestions if there is only one contact person in the company. Much depends on mutual accessibility.
  • Less understanding: Despite all technical and industry knowledge, an agency will probably never develop such a thorough understanding of the company, product and customer as an in-house SEO.
  • Choosing the right agency: The large number of agencies can make it difficult to find the right provider. Particular caution is advised against charlatans who come along with incorrect half-knowledge. An outdated approach to search engine optimization can significantly reduce the success of the measures and even cause damage.

CONCLUSION

Both models have their pros and cons. The expertise of the right SEO agency can work wonders and make new approaches possible. With good coordination with the agency, SEO can be of great benefit. Belonging to your own company also has its value.