Enterprise SEO Agency vs. In-House SEO Team: What to Consider

Do you know 93% of online experiences begin with a search engine?
That’s why SEO is a critical investment for any enterprise organization like yours.

SEO is the key to unlocking organic website traffic and driving qualified leads. But if you have complex websites, how do you achieve the best SEO return on investment?

For this, let us discuss two options:

1. Building an in-house SEO team
2. Or partnering with an enterprise SEO agency

What is an Enterprise SEO Agency and In-House SEO

• Enterprise SEO: Enterprise SEO is an outdoor advertising and marketing agencies that provide organizations with SEO services. With their help, you can accomplish goals like higher keyword rankings, more website traffic, and visibility.
• In-House SEO: Creating an in-house SEO team at your company is known as “in-house SEO.” This team can range from a single SEO expert to a larger group of professionals dedicated to specific SEO areas.

Responsibility of the SEO Team

Search Engine Optimization is all about getting the visibility of your website by search engines like Google. The more your website ranks, the more likely your customers grow. Here are the points that the SEO team makes to achieve the ranking.

Image Source- Quora

Building Strong SEO Strategy:

The SEO team figures out the type of your business and what types of customers you want on your website.

So, the second step is to make the users interested in your products and services.

In addition, the team ensures the management of your business growth by managing sales and productivity.

Related: How to Create an Effective SEO Marketing Strategy for 2024

According to Semrush, organic search drives over 53% of all website traffic. 

Competitive Research:

The SEO team regularly researches your customers’ behavior and learns about what they are doing on your website. This helps them predict the next actions of users, such as buying, saving items in a cart, and others.

Plus, the SEO team can determine the competitive level of your website, allowing them to enhance site maintenance.

Technical SEO and Maintenance: 

The SEO team checks website structure, security, and how mobile-friendly the website is. This makes the user experience smooth and good search engine ranking.

Creative Content Creating

Based on their research, the SEO team generates ideas for content that attracts visitors searching for your products or services.

The content includes blogs, website writing, on-page blogging, off-page blogging, product descriptions, and many more.

The team also optimizes the existing content on your website to make it more appealing to search engines.

What Is the Difference Between Inhouse and Agency SEO

In-house SEO and agency SEO are two approaches to optimizing your website for search engines. The key distinction lies in how you execute the SEO strategy:

In-house SEO:

You build your own SEO team within your company. These employees become specialists dedicated solely to improving your company’s website ranking in search results.

Pros:

• In-depth knowledge of your company and its goals.
• Greater control over SEO strategy and implementation.
• Seamless communication and collaboration with other departments.

Cons:

• Building and maintaining a qualified team can be expensive.
• Requires consistent training to stay updated on SEO trends.
• Might lack the diverse skillset offered by a larger agency.

Agency SEO:

You outsource SEO efforts to a specialized agency. This agency works with various clients across different industries.

Pros:

• Access to a wider range of SEO expertise.
• Often more cost-effective than building an in-house team.
• Agencies stay current on the latest SEO trends and best practices.

Cons:

• Less familiarity with your specific company and industry.
• Potential for communication gaps and misalignment of goals.
• Less control over your SEO strategy compared to an in-house team.

Benefits of Hiring an Enterprise SEO Agency

Enterprise SEO gives many benefits to businesses. Let’s know why partnering with enterprise SEO is the perfect solution for your company.

• Expertise on Tap: Enterprise SEO agencies boast a team of seasoned professionals across various SEO disciplines. From keyword research gurus to technical SEO specialists, you gain access to a wealth of experience and the latest industry knowledge.
• Scalability According To Your Match: SEO agency provide services according to your business needs and growth. This helps you manage the sales and productivity of your company without any hassle.
• Proven Result: The reputable SEO agencies have proof of a successful SEO campaign. This allows you to maintain the trust of the agencies and manage your e-commerce business accordingly.

According to Moz, companies investing in SEO agencies have seen an overall business growth of 78%.

• Cutting-Edge Technology & Tools: Enterprise SEO agencies have access to the latest SEO tools and technologies. They leverage these resources to conduct in-depth competitor analysis, identify valuable keywords, and track your website’s performance with pinpoint accuracy, ensuring you stay ahead of the curve.

Image Source- First Page Sage

Drawbacks of Hiring an Enterprise SEO Agency

Cost: High-end SEO companies aren’t expensive. Depending on the complexity of your needs, their services commonly contain month-to-month retainers. This can be a big expenditure for more recent groups or smaller firms with tighter budgets.

Better go for pay for performance SEO wherein you will pay only for what you get from the agency.

• Time Commitment: Establishing a solid rapport with your business enterprise takes time. There can be a mastering curve at the start because the agency becomes familiar with your commercial enterprise, goal marketplace, and emblem voice. This may lengthen the time your SEO efforts take to pay off.
• Focus Dilution: Multi-customer, multi-needs management is the responsibility of enterprise agencies. It’s feasible that your project won’t get the full focus you’re hoping for. Make sure you have an up-front conversation with the agency about communication frequency and project prioritization.

Read more: Why Pay-for-Performance SEO Is the Right Choice

Benefits of In-House SEO

While Enterprise SEO offers you much expertise, building your in-house SEO team can provide you the specific personalization according to your specific business needs and wants.

• Deep Company Knowledge: The in-house SEO team becomes the management team of your marketing department. The team understands your business thoroughly and helps to enhance the visibility of your brand.
• Great Control and Flexibility: With the help of an in-house team, you have full control of SEO strategy and execution. So if you are new to the SEO industry, you can feel free to enhance your visibility accordingly.
• Long-term Cost Saving: When you hire the in-house team then the long-term spending is reduced and as a result, you can save much money.

According to Ahrefs, enterprise SEO agencies typically charge $10,000 to $25,000 per month, but the in-house team costs less comparatively.

Drawbacks of In-House SEO

• Time Commitments: Building an in-house SEO team takes time and effort. This also consumes time by giving training to the newbies. Additionally, staying updated on the ever-changing SEO landscape requires ongoing learning and professional development for your team.
• Potential for Bias: An in-house team might be overly familiar with your brand and target audience. This can lead to internal blind spots and missed opportunities during keyword research or content creation. External perspectives and fresh ideas from an agency can be valuable assets in avoiding bias.

Working Together With Enterprise SEO Agencies and In-House SEO Teams

Combining an enterprise SEO agency and an In-House SEO team will be ideal if you want the best results for your business.

• In-depth Brand Knowledge and Outside Expertise: Your inner team has an intensive grasp of your goal marketplace, voice, and logo. The enterprise’s greater breadth of search engine optimization expertise and experience running with numerous groups complement this.
• Focus and Scalability: While the business enterprise takes on large initiatives or gives specialized expertise as needed, your in-residence team can control ongoing search engine marketing obligations and track results. This makes it possible to mix the organization’s scalability with a centered internal approach.
• Novel Concepts and Ongoing Education: An employer contributes the most recent developments inside the zone in addition to a unique perspective. By doing this, your internal crew can stay contemporary on industry great practices and live out of a rut.

Final Thoughts

Choosing between an in-house SEO team and an enterprise SEO agency depends on your company’s resources and goals. In-house teams offer deep company knowledge and control but take time and money to build.

Agencies provide expertise and scalability but can be expensive and lack focus on your specific brand. The ideal solution might be a hybrid approach, combining an in-house team’s brand knowledge with an agency’s external expertise. This can give you the best of both worlds: focus, scalability, fresh ideas, and ongoing education.

FAQs

What is the ideal SEO team structure?

The ideal team structure depends upon your company size. Small businesses might need a generalist, while large companies benefit from specialists in technical SEO, content, and link building. Strong communication and collaboration across the team are crucial.

What is the difference between in-house and outsourced SEO?

In-house gives you control and deep brand knowledge, but takes time and resources to build. Outsourced SEO offers expertise and scalability, but can be expensive and lack focus on your specific brand.

Why outsourcing is better than in-house?

Outsourcing SEO is ideal for businesses lacking in-house SEO expertise or resources. Agencies offer a wider range of skills, stay updated on SEO trends, and can scale their services to your needs.

What is the role of the in-house agency?

An in-house SEO team implements and manages your SEO strategy. They understand your brand and audience intimately, allowing for focused SEO efforts and content creation aligned with your company goal.

How do I choose a good SEO agency?

To choose a good SEO agency, look for agencies with a proven track record, experience in your industry, and a focus on white-hat SEO tactics. Transparent communication, clear pricing structures, and a good cultural fit are also important factors to consider.