Outsourcing SEO to a team of experienced professionals is a dependable way to enhance your digital presence and attract significant traffic to your website.
However, finding an SEO partner that aligns with your business and consistently meets your expectations can be challenging.
To maximize the returns on your SEO investment, it’s essential to set clear objectives, carefully select the right partner, and nurture a collaborative relationship that evolves with changing business needs and market dynamics.
In this post, we’ll discuss strategies for building and maintaining a successful partnership with your outsourced SEO team.
Let’s get started.
What Does It Mean To Outsource Your SEO?
Outsourcing SEO involves hiring a third-party expert or agency to manage various aspects of your SEO efforts, such as keyword research, link building, local SEO, content strategy and marketing, and technical SEO.
This process can be more complex than other marketing or business functions.
Why?
SEO is a diverse field that demands experience and a strategic approach to achieve tangible results. Many freelancers specialize in specific aspects of SEO, rather than offering expertise across all areas.
This leaves you with two main options:
- Hiring a specialist to manage specific components you prefer not to handle yourself.
- Hiring a managed SEO agency that takes care of everything from start to finish.
For example, if you’re skilled in content creation but find technical SEO challenging, it might be more cost-effective to hire a technical SEO expert. However, this means you’ll still need to manage all other aspects of SEO on your own.
Why Should You Consider Outsourcing Your SEO?
Outsourcing your SEO can help you reach your SEO goals and grow more quickly.
Additionally, if you find that your competitors are outperforming you on search engine results pages (SERPs) despite your best efforts, bringing in experts can give you a competitive edge and enhance your overall performance.
How To Outsource Your SEO: 5 Tips To Make It Effective
1. Lay The Groundwork For SEO Before Outsourcing
Before partnering with an SEO provider, it’s crucial to ensure that your SEO efforts align with your broader business objectives.
For instance, if your goal is to expand into new geographic markets, your SEO strategy should prioritize localizing content and optimizing for regional search terms. On the other hand, if your aim is to boost online product sales, the focus should be on optimizing product pages, enhancing user experience, and targeting high-intent commercial keywords.
Setting these objectives early on will not only shape your SEO strategy but also help you choose an SEO partner whose strengths and experience match your business needs.
After aligning your business goals with your SEO ambitions, it’s important to assess the current state of your website. Establishing benchmarks will provide a baseline for measuring progress and offer your outsourced team a clear understanding of your site’s current performance.
You don’t need to perform a comprehensive website audit yourself. Instead, you can use tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console to quickly gather top-level data on organic traffic, keyword rankings, and conversion rates.
2. Choose The Right SEO Partnership Model
Once you’ve defined your SEO goals and assessed your site’s current performance, it’s time to find the right SEO provider.
There are three main types of providers to consider, each offering unique advantages based on your specific needs:
- Independent Contractor or Freelancer: Ideal for smaller projects or businesses with limited budgets, freelancers offer flexibility and a personalized approach. However, they may not provide the broader capabilities or manpower of larger agencies.
- Full-Service Digital Marketing Agency: These agencies offer a range of services, including SEO, social media management, PPC, and email marketing. They are a good fit for businesses seeking a comprehensive digital marketing strategy, ensuring all components are integrated and aligned.
- Specialist SEO Agency: Focused exclusively on SEO, these agencies often stay on the cutting edge of trends and algorithm updates. They offer deep knowledge and tactical expertise that generalist agencies may not have.
No matter which type of provider you choose, there are key qualities to look for in any SEO partner:
- Expertise: Seek out an SEO company with a proven track record of successful campaigns. Review their case studies, client testimonials, and credentials to assess their technical skills and project management capabilities.
- Industry Experience: Ideally, your SEO partner should have experience with businesses in your industry. This familiarity helps them develop strategies tailored to your specific market.
- Transparency and Communication: Clear and consistent communication is essential for a successful partnership. Look for a provider that values transparency and provides regular, honest updates on campaign progress.
- Flexibility: The SEO landscape is always evolving. Your provider should be aware of competitor activities and stay up-to-date with the latest industry developments. They should be adaptable and ready to innovate as needed.
- Cultural Fit: A strong working relationship with your SEO provider is crucial. Ensure their values and company culture align with yours to enhance collaboration and project flow.
- Focus on Results: Your SEO partner should be committed to achieving your business goals, whether it’s increasing traffic, improving keyword rankings, or boosting conversions.
As a marketer or business owner, you can’t afford to invest in the wrong agency. So, how can you find the best fit for your business?
- Make a List: Create a spreadsheet of potential agencies, contractors, or freelancers from your research. Segment them based on experience, services offered, portfolio, and other relevant factors.
- Go Beyond Search Results: Seek recommendations from industry peers, online
- communities, and forums like LinkedIn, Twitter, and Reddit.
- Check Competitor Pages on LinkedIn: See if they manage their SEO in-house or work with a specific agency. While agencies may not take on similar clients, this can give you a good starting point.
- Attend SEO-Related Virtual Events: Connect with industry experts who can offer quality referrals, even if they can’t take on your SEO work themselves.
3. Vet The Shortlisted Agencies/Freelancers:
Now that you have a list of potential SEO providers, it’s time to delve deeper into each option to find the perfect fit.
Before we go into specifics, remember that any agency promising guaranteed results, such as a #1 ranking or a significant conversion boost within the first month, is likely a scam. In general, if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
1. Review Service Offerings: Determine whether the agency or freelancer specializes in specific areas of SEO, such as technical SEO, or offers comprehensive services. Unless you need specialized expertise, consider opting for providers that offer a full range of SEO services.
2. Assess Experience: Consider how long they have been in the SEO industry and how many projects they have handled during that time. If they cannot provide clear answers with proof, it might be a red flag, and you should consider removing them from your list.
3. Evaluate Case Studies and Portfolios: Look for evidence of their work with businesses similar to yours. Prior experience in your industry can shorten the learning curve and enable them to implement strategies tailored to your specific needs.
4. Conduct Interviews: Written claims can be misleading, so arrange a one-on-one interview with the agency or consultant to discuss how they plan to achieve your SEO goals. Ask questions like: “How would you approach my SEO challenges?” “Can you provide examples of successful SEO campaigns you’ve managed?” “How do you handle keyword research and selection for a business like mine?”
5. Read Testimonials: Look at what past clients have said about them. Honest feedback can give you insight into what it’s like to work with them. A few negative reviews are not necessarily a deal-breaker; what matters is how they respond to and handle criticism.
6. Check for Industry Awards: Industry-relevant awards can add an extra layer of credibility to your search and indicate recognition for quality work.
This thorough evaluation will help you identify the best SEO provider for your needs and ensure a productive partnership.
4. Enhance Collaboration With Your SEO Partner
Once you’ve partnered with your new SEO provider, it’s crucial to establish clear lines of communication from the outset.
Start by agreeing on a structured communication plan, outlining the frequency of interactions and the preferred methods (e.g., email, phone, video calls). Setting a regular schedule for updates and meetings ensures that both parties stay informed and can make proactive adjustments to the SEO strategy.
Consider using a collaborative project management tool where both your internal team and SEO partner can view, track, and update task progress. Tools like Trello, Slack, or Asana facilitate real-time updates and streamline communication. Some SEO providers may also offer a customized reporting dashboard as part of their service.
It’s helpful to view your SEO partner as an extension of your team rather than a separate entity. Encourage open exchanges of ideas, involve them in relevant internal discussions, and ensure they have access to the necessary tools and data within your organization.
The goal is to create a collaborative environment with minimal friction. This approach allows your SEO team to continuously refine their strategy to better meet your business needs and prevents unnecessary delays in your campaign’s progress.
5. Leverage Your SEO Partner’s Expertise
To maximize the returns on your outsourced SEO investment, it’s essential to fully leverage the specialized knowledge your SEO partner offers.
Your service agreement should include detailed, scheduled reports that focus on key SEO metrics such as keyword performance, traffic trends, and backlink acquisition.
These reports aren’t just about presenting data; they should be the basis for strategic discussions and, if necessary, adjustments to the campaign. If you have questions about specific metrics or trends, or if you’re unclear about the rationale behind a particular strategy, use these review sessions to seek clarification.
A good SEO partner will readily explain their methodologies and be open to constructive questions. Challenging assumptions is a healthy part of any collaborative project.
Additionally, the more you and your team learn about SEO dynamics from your provider, the better you’ll be able to integrate SEO principles into your broader marketing and business strategies.
This knowledge transfer not only enhances your current investment but also prepares your team for future digital marketing challenges.
How Much Does Outsourcing SEO Cost?
The cost of outsourcing SEO varies, as it depends on factors such as the expertise of the agency or freelancer and the project’s scope.
On average, SEO consultants in the US charge around $144.68 per hour. Agencies typically charge a higher rate—approximately $147.93 per hour—due to their larger talent pool, extensive expertise, and access to advanced SEO tools.
When Should You Outsource SEO?
You should consider outsourcing your SEO when you encounter any of the following situations:
- You or your marketing team are overwhelmed and need additional support.
- Your growth has plateaued, and you need fresh perspectives to revamp your current strategy.
- You want to scale your efforts but lack the necessary expertise and resources.
- Your SEO efforts are unclear, and you’re not seeing positive outcomes.
- You aim to target new markets.
- You’re an SEO professional or agency facing an influx of client demand that exceeds your current capacity.
- Your team is skilled but lacks specialized expertise in SEO.
Final Thoughts
Outsourcing SEO enables you to leverage expert, data-driven search strategies while allowing you to focus on your core business activities.
However, maximizing the return on your outsourced SEO investment can sometimes be challenging.
Fortunately, by following the tips outlined in this post, you can streamline the process and ensure a productive and stress-free partnership.
Original news from SearchEngineJournal