Should I Outsource SEO to an Agency?

Increasing search traffic to your website is a great goal, but that's only a piece of your SEO strategy. The harder task comes with attracting relevant search engine traffic. You need to ensure visitors convert to new leads if you are to increase sales.

If your marketing team is not well-versed in search engine optimization (SEO), then you may be looking into outsourcing your SEO to an agency. 

Should I Outsource SEO?

Some business owners “wing it” to save money only to be overwhelmed by the ever-changing SEO landscape and Google algorithm changes. It’s a trap many businesses fall into.

Do it Yourself

On the surface, plugging long tail keywords into your website sounds straightforward. However, this approach is outdated and Google may penalize you for overusing keywords or trying to manipulate their algorithm - AKA keyword stuffing.

So staying out of danger is only part of the battle. What about the other 200 search engine ranking factors needed to send good ranking signals and generate traffic? Are you performing any of those or just treading water?

Again, SEO requirements change regularly, so trying to keep up with industry changes AND run your business at the same time is not an easy endeavor.

7 Signs It's Time to Hire a Digital Marketing Agency

A few helpful tips to keep in mind before you outsource SEO:

1. Your Goal Should be New Leads NOT Rankings

An SEO strategy is only effective when it helps to attract potential buyers and convert those visitors into leads. So, ranking in Google search results and traffic generation is only part of the equation.

Lead Generation

It's imperative that you outsource to SEO professionals that will focus on generating new leads not just new traffic. Again, what good is website traffic it's not your target audience and they are not converting on your lead offers?

You'll want to work with an SEO outsourcing company with a big track record. Simply, outsourcing SEO to any agencies won't guarantee success and is risky. BTW - don't get sold on non-relevant, low converting, low volume, Google rankings that won’t always help attract "your" prospective customers. It's a big red flag for the agency’s lack of knowledge.

2. SEO is an Ongoing Effort, not a one-time Job

Since Google's search algorithms are changing daily, it's not enough to just clean up some of your web copy and call it a day. Many professional agencies provide ongoing SEO service, measurement, and research. This will ensure that your company's content never falls behind in search results. 

When you outsource SEO, look for a company knowledgeable in all facets of digital marketing, particularly social media platforms. The SEO professional should first review and analyze your website then develop an ongoing organic search plan.

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3. Should I Outsource SEO to the Philippines or Locally?

If you were trying to survive in the wilderness, you'd probably want Bear Grylls by your side. You can apply this principle to your SEO... why not hire an agency skilled in SEO?

Now I'm saying cheap SEO outsourcing to India or the Philippines is necessarily bad. However, I would however say proceed with caution. We've spent thousands of hours cleaning up backlink profiles for clients that first outsourced offshore.

Offshore outsourcing is extremely risky and can go horribly wrong. There are literally thousands of self-proclaimed “expert” SEO agencies to outsource to in India, Philippines, and even on Fiverr. I'm here to protect you from making a big mistake. They ALL purchase poor quality links from private blog networks (PBNs).

4. Promote Someone to your Marketing Team

If you still don’t want to outsource, promoting someone permanently to your marketing team is a great option. This person would always be close, growing with your company’s services, products, mission, and culture.

This is a timesaving solution that eliminates the need to constantly brief an SEO agency about your company’s philosophy and vision. This option makes it easy for you to always oversee your company’s growth and have a hand in the process.

Next Steps...

It's important to determine your growth goals first before performing or hiring anyone for SEO services. Without setting clear objectives for website traffic, leads and conversions, you'll just wander in a sea of outsourcing vendors. So, educate yourself, ask questions and don't buy services - partner with agency for results!