In-House vs. Outsourced SEO Teams: Who Wins?

SEO isn’t a one-and-done deal.

It requires ongoing effort and expertise.

So, should you build an in-house SEO team or outsource the work to an SEO agency or freelancer?

The right choice depends on several factors. You need to consider your budget, goals, and specific business needs.

In this guide, we’ll break down the pros and cons to help you decide on the best approach for your business.

We’ll cover:

• What an in-house SEO team is
• The pros and cons of building an in-house SEO team
• What an outsourced SEO team is
• The pros and cons of building an outsourced SEO team
• How to choose the right approach

Rather watch instead? Check out our video version here.

What Is an In-House SEO Team?

An in-house SEO team is a group of employees dedicated to managing your search engine optimization (SEO) strategies. They work directly for your company.

This can include SEO strategists, content creators, technical SEO experts, and off-page SEO specialists. Together, they work to improve visibility in search results and drive organic traffic.

Small in-house SEO teams can range from 4 – 10 people, with larger teams consisting of multiple departments.

Advantages of In-House SEO Teams

There are several benefits of building an in-house SEO team:

Deep Understanding of Your Brand

One of the most significant advantages of having an in-house SEO team is that they know your brand inside out.

They know your products, services, and what makes you unique.

This insider knowledge helps them create SEO strategies tailored to your needs and goals.

For example, an in-house content writer will know your brand voice and messaging. Every piece of content they produce will reflect their knowledge of your brand.

Quick Communication and Collaboration

Communication is generally faster and more seamless when you’re working with an in-house SEO team.

If you need to discuss a new strategy or make an adjustment, you can easily hold a meeting or have a quick chat.

That’s not something you can expect when working with an SEO agency or freelancer.

Quick reminder for all companies that hire freelancers:

Don’t expect freelancers to work beyond scope, hop on calls randomly, and communicate with 5 team members without giving them PTO, insurance, and other staff benefits. Freelancers aren’t in-house employees.

— Rochi Zalani (@rochi_zalani) October 7, 2022

This immediate access can foster better collaboration within your SEO team and other departments in your business.

Greater Control and Flexibility

Having your SEO team in-house gives you more control over your SEO strategies. You can directly oversee their work, set priorities, and make adjustments as needed.

It also helps you adapt quickly to changes and events inside and outside your business.

For example, if there’s breaking news or a trending topic that aligns with your industry, you can quickly get your in-house content writer on it.

You can immediately brief your writer and have them craft a blog post that same day.

That rapid response can position your brand as a thought leader. It can also help you get media mentions and backlinks from high-authority publications.

Alignment with Company Goals

An in-house team is fully aligned with your company’s goals and objectives. They are invested in the success of your business because it directly impacts them as employees.

Freelancers and agencies are juggling multiple clients. Their focus is divided, which can sometimes lead to cookie-cutter strategies.

Long-Term Focus

In-house teams tend to have a long-term perspective on SEO strategies. They are part of your company for the long haul and are committed to your success.

This long-term focus can lead to more consistent SEO efforts. They’re not driven by short-term contracts or project-based work like some external SEO agencies might be.

Better Integration with Marketing Strategies

An internal SEO team can work closely with the rest of your in-house marketing team. They can collaborate with your social media, PR, and email marketing teams to create a cohesive strategy.

For example, your social team can be more involved in the content creation and promotion process. This can impact your ability to rank high in search results.

The more engagement your content receives on social, the more likely you are to attract backlinks. According to a recent study, link builders who use social media attract 22% more links than those who don’t:

This integration between teams can increase the impact of your SEO work and overall digital marketing strategy.

Disadvantages of In-House SEO Teams

While having an in-house SEO team offers several advantages, it also comes with challenges.

High Costs

Cost is one of the most significant disadvantages of having an in-house SEO team. Building and maintaining an in-house team requires a substantial financial investment.

According to Glassdoor, the average salary for an SEO Specialist in the U.S. is $68,005 per year:

You also need to account for the costs involved in the hiring process. According to Indeed, companies can expect to pay between $4,000 and $20,000 to hire a new employee.

And you’ll need to equip your team with the necessary tools and software. These costs can quickly mount up.

Overall, building a small SEO team (4 people) will cost between $200,000 and $360,000+ per year.

Limited Expertise

SEO involves a lot of different tactics. Each discipline requires its own set of skills.

In a recent survey, SEOs ranked the most difficult SEO tasks:

These tasks are pretty diverse.

A small in-house team might not have the expertise needed to tackle every aspect of SEO effectively. For example, you might be great at creating content but lack technical SEO skills or experience with link building strategies.

This can really limit the overall success of your SEO efforts.

Scalability Issues

As you grow your business or take on more agency clients, your SEO needs will evolve.

Scaling an in-house team to meet your changing needs can be difficult. It takes time and resources to hire and train new employees.

This can limit your ability to capitalize on new opportunities.

Risk of Complacency

In-house teams can sometimes become complacent.

They might stick to familiar SEO strategies instead of trying new approaches that could deliver better results.

It’s not that they’re not motivated. They just miss the external perspectives that can keep things fresh and innovative.

It can be hard to keep up with SEO trends and opportunities without outside insights.

Resource Constraints

Every in-house SEO team has limits.

There’s only so much time, budget, and manpower you can dedicate to SEO.

These limitations can impact the team’s ability to execute effective SEO strategies.

When in-house SEOs are given huge organic growth targets…

…but don’t get given the resource or budget to achieve them.#SEO pic.twitter.com/hpBlnkF6Ph

— Mark A Preston (@MarkPreston1969) January 17, 2024

They might have to prioritize some tasks, which can lead to missed opportunities.

Dependency on Key Individuals

In-house SEO teams often rely heavily on individuals.

If a key team member leaves the company, it can create a significant gap in knowledge and skills. Finding and onboarding a suitable replacement always takes time.

This can disrupt your SEO efforts and cause setbacks.

What Is an Outsourced SEO Team?

An outsourced SEO team is a group of freelancers or an agency hired to manage and optimize your SEO efforts. This team works remotely and typically has multiple clients.

When you outsource SEO, you can choose from different levels of service. That could include a full-service approach or specific tasks. For example, you might only need help with link building or technical audits.

Advantages of Outsourced SEO Teams

Outsourcing your SEO offers several advantages. You can boost your online visibility without the complexities and expense of maintaining an in-house SEO team.

Cost-Effective

Outsourcing can be much more cost-effective than building an in-house team.

This can make a big difference for small to medium-sized businesses and agencies that may not have the budget to support a full-time SEO team.

According to a recent survey, budget cuts and lack of resources were two of the biggest barriers that in-house SEO teams face:

Image Source

With an outsourced team, you only pay for the services you need. You don’t have to cover the cost of salaries, benefits, and training.

Access to Expertise

You can access professionals that specialize in particular aspects of SEO.

Freelancers and agencies can bring a wealth of knowledge. They often have a ton of experience working with a variety of industries and businesses.

So they know what works.

4. Fully trained out of the box 📦

When outsourcing, you’ll generally be hiring experts to do one particular thing, over and over.

They’ll be competent specialists with their own SOPs from day 1.

— Joe Davies (@fatjoedavies) November 6, 2022

Outsourcing lets you access this expertise immediately. You don’t have to train staff and build up your internal capabilities.

Scalability and Flexibility

Outsourcing SEO is much more flexible. You can easily adjust the level of service depending on your needs.

According to a recent UpCity study, small business owners ranked greater flexibility as the most significant benefit of outsourcing:

If you take on a big new contract, you can quickly ramp up your SEO to meet your needs. And if you experience a quiet period, you can cut back.

An outsourced SEO team can accommodate your needs without the hassle of hiring or downsizing staff.

Focus on Core Business Activities

Outsourcing your SEO lets you focus on your core business activities.

You can hire a professional to handle the intricacies of schema markup or a technical SEO audit.

This will free you up to concentrate on client relationships, strategy, and other aspects that have a real impact on your business.

Obviously it “depends”, but I’m getting increasingly convinced that outsourcing as much as possible is the way to go.

Focus on the 20% that makes you unique. Identify what that is.

Anything that is something all companies do – bookkeeping, SEO, PPC, etc – you outsource.

— Pe:p Laja (@peeplaja) May 17, 2021

Access to Advanced Tools and Technologies

There are lots of free SEO tools that you can use.

But you need to pay for more advanced tools if you’re serious about your SEO strategy.

“we have an in-house SEO tool”

– a free version of Yoast SEO updated 3 years ago

— Ilias Ism (@illyism) April 11, 2024

When you hire a freelancer or agency, they will usually have access to advanced tools and technologies that can enhance your SEO efforts.

These tools can be expensive to purchase on your own.

Reduced Risk of Burnout

Running an SEO campaign isn’t easy. It’s time-consuming and demanding.

By outsourcing, you reduce the risk of employee burnout. Your external partner helps to handle the workload.

This could just be for specific time-consuming tasks like content creation and keyword research.

Outsourcing allows your team to maintain a healthier work-life balance and be more productive.

Disadvantages of Outsourced SEO Teams

Outsourcing isn’t the perfect solution. It solves some problems, but it also creates new challenges.

Less Control

One of the main drawbacks of outsourcing your SEO is having less direct control.

When working with an external team, you must trust their expertise and approach.

Sometimes, that might not align perfectly with your preferences. For example, their content might not fully capture your brand’s voice.

Communication Challenges

Working with an outsourced team can present communication challenges. This is especially true if you’re working with an SEO team overseas.

Differences in time zones and communication styles can make collaboration more difficult.

You can’t expect an outside contractor to be on-call like an employee.

Potential for Misalignment with Business Goals

An external SEO partner might not have the same deep understanding of your business as an in-house team. They might not know your industry, products, and services as well.

This can sometimes lead to strategies that don’t fully align with your business objectives.

Trust and Reliability Concerns

Choosing the right SEO provider is crucial.

There are plenty of agencies and freelancers out there. Unfortunately, many providers don’t deliver great results.

According to a recent Backlinko survey, only 30% of small business owners would recommend their current SEO provider:

There’s a risk that your SEO partner will use unethical black hat SEO practices or fail to achieve meaningful results.

The best way to avoid this is to outsource specific deliverables. Instead of handing over your entire strategy, outsource specific tasks like blogger outreach or competitor analysis.

Less Personal Investment

Outsourced SEO teams can be just as professional and dedicated as employees.

But they might not have the same level of personal investment in your business as an in-house team would.

Agencies and freelancers work for multiple clients.

In-house teams are directly tied to the company’s performance. That means they can sometimes be more motivated to go above and beyond to achieve success.

Cost Variability

Overall, outsourcing is usually more cost-effective than building an in-house SEO team.

However, some providers offer much more value for money than others.

Pricing can vary widely between agencies and freelancers. And the cheapest option isn’t always the best.

You need to do your research and choose a provider that balances cost with quality.

The easiest way to destroy any hopes of solid SEO for your e-commerce brand is to outsource it to someone on Fiverr.

In the SEO space, you get what you pay for.

And a Fiverr “specialist” will almost certainly get your website penalized, and destroy its ranking ability.

— Keval Shah | Ecommerce SEO (@SEOKeval) October 7, 2022

Why We Recommend Outsourcing SEO

For most businesses and agencies, SEO outsourcing is the way to go.

You can tap into a pool of seasoned professionals who have worked on lots of projects across multiple industries.

This diverse experience means they bring fresh ideas and proven strategies you might not have considered. They also know the most effective and efficient ways to complete SEO tasks.

Let’s say you run a marketing agency. Your strengths might be branding, web design, and social media management.

You know SEO is important, but it’s not your main area of expertise.

By outsourcing SEO, you can partner with specialists who excel in areas where you might lack knowledge and experience. They can handle the nitty-gritty of keyword research, link building, and other technical tasks, allowing you to focus on your core strengths.

And you only pay for the SEO services you need. This way, you can access top-tier talent without the long-term commitment and expense of maintaining an in-house team.

When you take on new clients or land a big contract, you can quickly scale your outsourced team to meet the demand.

When In-House SEO Might Be the Right Choice

While outsourcing is suitable for most companies, there are definitely situations where keeping SEO in-house might be the better option.

If your business operates in a highly specialized industry, an in-house team can develop a deep understanding of your niche.

For example, you might operate in the medical device industry. This is a highly specialized field that requires deep technical knowledge. Your SEO team needs to understand regulatory requirements, medical terminology, and the specific needs of healthcare professionals.

An in-house SEO team can develop a deep understanding of your niche over time. They can create content and strategies that align with your specific market and audience.

The Best Approach: Both

However, even for a highly specialized industry, there are ways to balance in-house and outsourced SEO.

A hybrid approach is the best way to leverage your own expertise and keep things scalable.

You can develop a core in-house team to handle your overall strategy while outsourcing specific tasks to external experts.

In-house SEO’s – it’s OK to let an external SEO’s provide some recommendations. We have the benefit of seeing a *lot* of different sites, situations, traffic/search data – I’ve seen some companies get tremendous results with smart internal/external SEO collaboration.

— Dan Shure (@dan_shure) September 17, 2020

For example, your in-house team might focus on keyword research and on-page optimization while you outsource technical and off-page SEO to external specialists.

This way, you get the best of both worlds. You combine deep brand knowledge and quick communication from your in-house team with the specialized expertise and scalability of outsourcing.

The only agency model that scales:

Insource:
👉 Sales
👉 Strategy
👉 Technical
👉 Reporting

Outsource:
👉 Link Building
👉 Content
👉 Video
👉 Design

— Joe Davies (@fatjoedavies) June 24, 2024

In-House or Outsourced SEO: What’s Best for You?

You don’t have to immediately start outsourcing everything. Instead, take it slow and start by outsourcing specific tasks.

Test the waters and see how it fits with your existing processes.

You can gradually expand the scope of outsourcing as you see the benefits. This helps you manage your budget and allocate resources where they have the most impact.