Most companies would benefit from having an experienced SEO in-house – no way around that fact.  The main issue is, of course, cost.  There are many situations where a company could benefit from third party SEO work and a company taking over many tasks, but even in my company helping dozens of clients every week, we understand when there are times when it may require a person in-house doing work 5 days a week and keeping their eye on only one brand and one business. So what are some of the more apparent ways of knowing to go “in or out” right off the bat?

In-House:

  • You can factor into your budget at least $30,000 a year for an entry-level SEO, and $50k-$60k+ for an experienced one (and this will change along with the industry).
  • Your business thrives primarily from your online presence.
  • You are confident you have a business that warrants at least 40 hours a week an individual can spend on projects.
  • You’ve tried using third parties already and they haven’t made much headway, even though they are sincerely doing a good job.

Third Party:

  • You feel like you have a good grip on your marketing but could use the expertise and manpower of another company to work on a finite amount of projects.
  • Your current budget wouldn’t allow for the position (possibly part-time at least which is feasible).
  • You don’t want a surplus of business – you have a level of comfort that you’re looking for which has a cap.
  • You don’t have established marketing yet and want to partner with a company until you get large enough to make in-house viable.
  • You acknowledge that the process of finding the right person in-house can be challenging, daunting, and sometimes misleading (unfortunately).

We’ve seen situations where businesses are looking for the right person in the office to give them dedicated passion and work, but they simply don’t have the means of being able to scout them out and properly interview them.  What are some questions you can ask?  Refer to one of our previous blogs “What to Ask an SEO Company” and you can see very similar questions you can ask an in-house SEO prospect.  There are often businesses that aren’t that large that have in-house and third parties working together to cover all aspects of their digital marketing.

If you find the right SEO company, there are plenty of things you have to look forward to:

  • The experience and collaboration of multiple experienced SEO experts.
  • Likely a more refined “tried and true” approach, where the company will already know much more about what works instead of burning time and resources with marketing experimentation.
  • A lower cost than in-house and higher chance of time well spent.
  • Access to more tools and resources (in some cases).

A solid in-house SEO, on the other hand, brings the following to the table:

  • The dedication and attention to only your business.
  • Accessibility, like walking right up to your SEO and asking questions or seeing what they’re working on.
  • Unequivocally more time spent on your account.

Of course, there’s a third route – training someone you already employ to handle your SEO.  If someone is closely related to the tactics and work associated with digital marketing, they could certainly give it a shot and see if there are results.

It’s an interesting decision many businesses are making more and more nowadays with the intensely competitive nature of online marketing.  Most companies do start with SEO companies to take over operations, and from there they will decide if in-house is a proper transition depending on communication, cost, and results.

Want help deciding which is better for your company?  Perhaps you do want to go in-house, but need help with the interview process?  Feel free to contact the experts at Market My Market – whatever route you take, we’d like to partner with you to assist.  We understand the importance of SEO marketing to enhance your digital success. Contact our team of experts at (800) 954-9441 to learn more about our services and receive a free quote.