If you are currently using the internet as a marketing tool, then you already know that SEO is one of the most important weapons in your online marketing arsenal. Without it, your business will be virtually invisible to the casual internet browser. The question is, should you outsource a firm to handle your online marketing strategy or should you keep things simple and conduct your SEO business in-house?
It is a common misconception that in-house SEO is the more cost-effective solution. In terms of Rands and cents this might quite frequently be the case, but once you start evaluating the situation from a return on investment standpoint, the picture begins to look a whole lot different. Search engines change their algorithms often, new rules are constantly formulated and to keep up you will need the resources and time to find, understand and implement the necessary changes to keep your website updated and viable.
An in-house SEO expert can become so entangled in the specifics of your company’s particular strategies and implementation processes that they lose sight of what is going on a larger scale. Outsourced SEO firms, on the other hand, are far more likely to be familiar with current SEO trends. The very fact that they ply their trade in a variety of industries means that they have to stay abreast of protocol and techniques if they intend to compete in the marketplace, giving them a definite advantage over someone who only focuses on one site in one industry.
Furthermore, it is ludicrous to assume that a single individual could embody the great variety of skills that it takes to make a marketing strategy work. By employing an SEO firm to handle your online marketing affairs, you are effectively purchasing many years worth of combined knowledge and expertise – all of which will be focused on making your site a lean, mean conversion machine. An SEO firm is able to do in a matter of days when it could take an individual employee (no matter how dedicated and diligent) weeks to achieve. In business time this equates to money and by outsourcing your SEO you will manage to stay ahead of the curve.
To summarise, here is a handy table:
| In-house pros | In-house cons | Outsource pros | Outsource cons |
| You have complete control. | SEO is a specialized field that you will have to take time to master. | You don’t have to use internal staff resources or alter the focus of your business. | Using an expert SEO company will cost you money. |
| You have the ability to alter things on your website instantly. | You require knowledge of technical aspects like PHP and HTML. | You have instant access to experts in the field who have a wealth of knowledge and resources. | You will still need to work in consultation with the SEO company in order to market your website online in the correct manner. |
| You’ll know the inner-workings of your website. | You will have to purchase a number of expensive tools that take time to master. | An SEO Company will know the lay of the land without you having to learn what they already know to expert levels. | You will still have to explain your internet marketing goals, objectives, deadlines and budgets. |
| You learn more about the way Search Engines function. | You need to stay up to date with SEO trends, which is time-consuming. | SEO firms have entire teams dedicated to content, link building an on-site modifications. | Using an Expert SEO Company will cost you money |
The advantages and disadvantages of both in-house and outsourced SEO are clear to see. In the end it all boils down to this: no matter how good you think you are or how well you think you understand the SEO industry, you will never attain the same results that a dedicated SEO company is able to.
Good SEO pays for itself. After all, you wouldn’t try to fix your own car, remodel your own house or put braces on your own child if you did not have the necessary expertise, so why do it to your website? In these economically challenging times, your website represents the most cost-effective way to promote your business and generate sales – it could very well become the lifeblood of your business.
Let ROI Media perform a free appraisal of your in-house SEO; it’s the easiest way to find out if you are heading in the right direction.
My experience says:
If you have one website.. You loose more time that save dime..
If you have more than one website.. Could be better to do it yourself.