In part one of this discussion on in-house SEO, we took a look at whether or not SEO should be made a priority. To be frank, any company with an online presence should be thinking about optimization, as the long-term benefits are proven and measurable. If you want to manage your branding and reputation in the online space, SEO should factor into your overall strategy.

In this post, we are going to take a look at whether or not to build an in-house team or outsource your optimization.

The Advantages Of Outsourcing

Despite initial impressions, cost may not necessarily be one of the advantages of outsourcing. The more experienced the team or expert, the more you are going to end up paying for optimization services. In fact, the expenses related to outsourcing your SEO may not differ that much from developing an in-house team.

The major advantage of outsourcing is that you can pull from a greater pool of talent. You can find people that are good at what they do and are highly specialized in marketing and optimization. However, they will likely cost more.

The Disadvantages Of Outsourcing

No one knows your company’s priorities and goals better than you do. While it is possible to communicate your values and give specific instructions to your outside hires, there is a perceived loss of control when people outside your company are managing your online reputation.

In a way, it seems easier to keep an in-house team accountable than to demand immediate action from outside hires.

However, most SEO companies do have a vested interest in making sure their clients are satisfied. When you succeed, they succeed also. Notwithstanding, they do have their own interests as well, and if an urgent need arises with another client, their attention will likely go where the greatest urgency is.

The Advantages Of In-House Teams

At first glance, the advantage of in-house SEO appears to be greater control. The amount of time, effort and resources that are going into optimization are more trackable. If your SEO team is in-house, you can keep them on a shorter leash and be more hands-on.

Nevertheless, the greater benefit of in-house work is often a certain intangible; you might call it passion, fulfilment, or a sense of contribution. When people are assigned to carry out duties that they want to do, tasks that they’re passionate about, work that enables them to feel like they’re making a difference to the success of the company, effectiveness is sure to skyrocket.

The Disadvantages Of In-House Teams

SEO does require some creativity, and unless there are ongoing challenges to rise to and proper resource allocation, an in-house team can lose sight of its purpose.

If you hire employees that have not had a chance to develop their expertise, their wells will eventually run dry. Even if they don’t, that can be the perception. These situations can be avoided with the help of outside consultants, as well as directed creative freedom. With that in mind, the cost of firing and re-hiring is often not worth the loss in time or money.

Conclusion

Although outsourcing SEO can be more expensive, the value-per-dollar proposition often makes it worthwhile. In other words, you may actually end up saving money by working with people that know what they are doing and can do it more efficiently. However, SEOs have to be chosen carefully, as there is a significant gap between good and bad SEO practices.

Working in-house allows you to hire people that enjoy their work, and people that are passionate about what they do tend to be more effective, too. Conversely, you have to budget for higher level SEO positions if you want to mitigate creative drought. In-house teams can also sometimes feel pressured from multiple departments within the company, which is going to require immense patience and understanding.

Another worthwhile alternative is to make use of both outsourced and in-house options, leveraging the strengths of each.

Regardless of which path you take, the last thing you want to do is to ignore the importance of SEO altogether. The online world is competitive, and proper marketing will give you an edge.

Editor’s Note: This is the second article in an in-house SEO series. Please read part one here.