Got a great website but lacking the SEO smarts to get found on Google? SEO requires some serious digital marketing expertise. From technical audits to link building to content creation, it’s a lot for one person to handle.
Sure, you could learn it all and do it in-house. But that takes time – something most businesses don’t have enough of these days. The solution? Outsource those SEO tasks to a team of experts. Why work harder when you can work smarter?
What is SEO Outsourcing?
If you run a business, chances are you’ve heard about the importance of SEO or search engine optimization. SEO increases your website’s visibility in search engines like Google so more of your ideal customers can find you. But actually, doing all that technical and creative work is pretty challenging, especially if you’re not an SEO expert.
That’s what SEO outsourcing is all about. It simply means hiring an outside agency or freelancer to handle some or all of your SEO work rather than doing it completely in-house.
For example, you might outsource:
Whatever SEO tasks you need help with, an experienced provider can take them off your overflowing to-do list.
It lets you get back to focusing on your core business while leaving search engine optimization to the experts. Their knowledge and resources offer huge benefits over struggling to DIY SEO.
Why Businesses Choose to Outsource SEO
There are many great reasons to outsource your SEO efforts, including:
1. Cost Savings
Hiring in-house SEO experts is expensive when you factor in salaries, training, tools, etc. Outsourced services cost less since you pay only for the specific work you need.
2. Increased Efficiency
Your staff likely isn’t optimized for SEO projects. Outsourcing lets them focus their time and energy on revenue-generating tasks.
3. Faster Results
Experienced SEO providers like Crowdo already have proven systems and technology so you see results faster. No need to reinvent the wheel.
4. Latest Expertise
SEO changes fast. Outsourcers stay on top of every Google update and the newest strategies. Tapping into their expertise gives you an edge.
5. Improved Quality
Specialized SEO pros do better work faster than non-specialists. Outsourcing ensures high-quality execution.
6. Scalability
In-house resources limit how much SEO you can tackle. Outsourced teams easily scale up or down to fit your evolving needs.
7. Mitigated Risk
Ethically widening the distribution of your SEO by relying on multiple partners reduces overoptimization risks. Relying solely on in-house SEO increases the risk of overusing techniques.
Clearly, outsourcing gives you an SEO advantage in terms of costs, productivity, flexibility, and results. No wonder so many businesses are choosing to outsource technical and specialized SEO tasks.
Benefits of Outsourcing SEO Services
SEO outsourcing has a lot of compelling advantages, but what exactly are the benefits your business can gain?
Access to Expertise
It’s by far one of the biggest benefits of working with an outsourced SEO agency. Such teams are comprised of extremely knowledgeable and skilled professionals who live and breathe search engine optimization.
For example, they have expertise in:
Technical SEO – Auditing sites for indexation issues, fixing technical problems, and improving site architecture and performance for search engines.
Content Optimization – Creating targeted content that effectively uses researched keywords to help pages rank.
Link Building – Ethically building high-quality backlinks from other sites to increase authority.
Local SEO – Optimizing for local searches by strengthening listings, reviews, citations, and relevance signals.
Campaign Management – Developing multi-channel SEO strategies and coordinating execution across different activities.
These are just a few examples of the specialized capabilities an outsourced SEO provider brings to the table. Their teams know how to assess your site, identify opportunities and deploy proven tactics to boost you in the rankings – expertise that takes years to develop.
Cost Efficiency
Hiring skilled in-house SEO experts is very expensive when you factor in salaries, benefits, training costs, and more. And chances are you’ll still need more than one employee to execute effectively.
Outsourced services cost significantly less since you only pay for the specific work you need when you need it. No overhead for unused staff downtime. You get the same experts for a fraction of the price.
Most outsourced providers also use advanced SEO software and tools. Buying or building similar technology just for your company would be extremely costly. Why invest all that money when you can leverage your provider’s tech instead?
Improved Efficiency
Here’s a scenario many business owners face – your current staff is already overloaded but you know you should be investing more into SEO. What do you do?
Outsourcing helps free up your team to focus on their core roles and goals. It goes beyond just time savings. Because SEO is not part of their expertise, they’ll likely execute slower than specialists would. Outsourcing improves bandwidth efficiency.
It gives internal staff more margin to drive strategic initiatives and campaigns that move the revenue needle for your company. They can focus on what they do best and not struggle with unfamiliar SEO tasks.
The benefits cascade across departments when you outsource SEO. It’s a smart optimization for your whole organization.
Which SEO Services Can Be Outsourced?
Once you decide to outsource your SEO, the next step is determining which specific services to hand off. SEO encompasses a wide variety of moving parts, more than most companies can handle internally.
Nearly any SEO task can be outsourced, depending on your needs and budget. But some common services businesses choose to outsource include:
Content Creation
Content remains king when it comes to SEO success. The problem is consistently producing quality blog posts, guides, and other website copy can overwhelm internal teams. Outsourced content production saves time while fueling your content engine.
Most SEO agencies offer some level of content creation or can connect you with trusted freelance writers. It includes:
- Blog articles
- Product descriptions
- Service pages
- Linkable assets like ebooks, templates, quizzes
The right partner will first research your keywords and topics to optimize content, then produce engaging, insightful, and keyword-rich blogs and website pages. This well-written content helps search engines better understand your business and keep visitors deeply engaged.
Link Building
Gaining backlinks from external websites signals to Google that your content provides value. More sites linking back to you can directly influence rankings. However, ethical link building takes effort – researching prospects, creating outreach emails, publishing link-worthy assets, and networking with other sites.
Link building is extremely time-consuming to DIY, but it’s also the specialty of SEO providers. They possess effective cold outreach templates, automation tools to identify the best link opportunities, and established relationships with publishers. This experience makes them more likely to earn high-quality backlinks at scale for your domain.
Outsourcing link-building lifts the burden plus amplifies your domain authority and SEO visibility.
Technical SEO
Is your website even visible to Googlebot for indexing? Without proper technical SEO, the answer is probably no. Technical audits assess site architecture, URL structure, page speed, structured data markup, and more. Then, technicians fix errors, improve accessibility, and optimize performance.
Unfortunately, most average businesses lack technical SEO expertise. Attempting this yourself means slow progress through trial and error. The smart route is partnering with an experienced SEO company possessing the latest technical knowledge. They can audit and refine the infrastructure of your website for much faster indexing and rankings improvement.
Local SEO
If you serve a particular geographic region, optimizing your local SEO helps nearby searchers find your business. It requires enhancing your Google My Business listing, earning great reviews, building local links and citations, and even optimizing content for local intent keywords.
The complexity of local SEO keeps many local businesses from fully tapping into this demand. Outsourcing to Local SEO specialists makes your brand more visible to local searchers right when buying intent is highest.
How to Choose the Right SEO Outsourcing Partner
You know you want to outsource some SEO tasks, but who do you choose to handle that work? There are many good options for outsourced SEO help – independent freelancers, boutique agencies, large full-service agencies, offshore companies, and more.
How do you select the best fit? Let’s see the pros, cons and key considerations so you make the right choice.
Freelancers vs Agencies
One of the first decisions is whether to work with a solo freelancer or a full agency. Both options have their unique advantages.
Freelancer Pros:
- Lower costs for basic services
- Flexible packages and rates
- More personalized attention
- Often, specialists in a niche
Freelancer Cons:
- Limited bandwidth for large projects
- Slower execution without a full team
- Less infrastructure support
Agency Pros:
- Bigger teams provide more bandwidth
- Specialists available across different services
- Established processes improve the quality
- Robust infrastructure and tools
Agency Cons:
- Higher minimum budgets
- Projects spread across multiple people
Generally, solopreneurs and small businesses may appreciate a freelancer model more, while larger enterprises needing expansive capabilities partner well with full agencies. But agency collaboration works for early stage companies too. And freelancers certainly can still provide premium services.
Evaluate the scope of needs, bandwidth requirements, and budget when deciding between going solo or getting a team. Agencies make sense for outsourcing numerous integrated services while tapping freelancers lets you start small.
Key Considerations for an SEO Partner
Regardless of whether you choose an agency or freelancer model, there are several must-have qualities to look for in an SEO provider:
Transparency & Ethical Practices
Unfortunately, in the past, some low-integrity SEO companies employed “black hat” tactics to try gaming search engine rankings through deceptive link schemes, keyword stuffing, scraped content, and other spammy tactics. But these eventually incur penalties from Google.
Ensure your partner focuses on sustainable white hat SEO through technical improvements, content marketing, ethical linking, and user experience optimization. Transparent monthly reporting also builds trust and accountability for results.
Flexibility & Scalability
As your business grows, so will your SEO needs. Look for an agency that provides flexible packages and services that scale up without friction. Custom monthly contracts give better control than rigid annual contracts.
Ideally, they offer a breadth of core services while also coordinating specialized outreach experts so future needs are covered seamlessly under one roof.
Strong Communication & Customer Service
SEO outsourcing depends on close collaboration for success. Make sure your partner prioritizes communication through regular meetings, detailed reporting, and dashboards. You want confidence they’re driving strategies forward even while you focus on core operations.
Quick response times and high-touch customer service also reduce frustration, so you get more value.
These criteria narrow down the overwhelm to find an outsourced SEO partner that best matches your brand’s requirements and culture. Your due diligence sets up the relationship for mutually beneficial long-term success.
Steps to Successfully Outsource SEO Services
You’ve done your research and found an SEO agency that looks promising. Good! Now, what’s next to ensure your arrangement goes smoothly?
Define Your Goals and KPIs
Before rushing into tactical execution, smart SEO agencies will first want to align on strategy. Be prepared to clarify your current situation, overall objectives, and how you define success.
This high-level understanding allows agencies to recommend proven programs tailored to your KPIs, whether that’s increasing organic traffic, generating more leads, or boosting revenue.
Common SEO goals are to:
- Improve keyword rankings for target terms
- Increase monthly organic visitors
- Grow email list sign-ups
- Boost lead conversion rates
- Expand referral traffic
- Increase sales revenue
Defining KPIs gives you or your agency a way to gauge performance. If goals are the destination, KPIs are the road signs showing if you’re on track.
For example, if boosting organic traffic is the goal, you’d monitor KPIs like:
- Ranking positions for priority keywords
- Monthly organic visitors
- Pages indexed in search engines
- Click-through-rate from rankings
The KPIs you measure steer the focus of initiatives. Dial in on the core site metrics that matter most to your business before constructing an outsourced SEO program.
Create a Scope of Work
Now that high-level goals are established detail the scope of services required to hit those marks. Document what specific SEO tasks you expect from your outsourced team and the cadence of those assignments.
For example, over a 6-month contract you might need:
- Technical audit
- Site migration
- Monthly content production
- Weekly outreach for links
- Quarterly progress reports
Having an itemized Scope of Work benefits both parties by:
- Determining required budget & rates based on services
- Allowing contractors to assess bandwidth
- Setting clear expectations about deliverables
You might think in broad strokes first, then break into more detail later. Either way, defining scope early prevents surprise expenses or confusion down the road about who handles what.
Establish Standard Operating Procedures
Consistent quality and positive user experience are necessary for SEO success. Make sure your outsourced team establishes and adheres to SOPs when creating assets or modifying your website.
For example, detailed documented guidelines might cover:
Content Creation
- Target word counts
- Content structure
- Image requirements
- Metadata formats
- Writing style guide
- Editing process
- Content promotion
Technical SEO
- Access protocols
- Code commenting
- URL structure standards
- Redirect installation rules
- Server configurations
- Pre-launch diagnostics
Link Building
- Outreach templates
- Link prospecting processes
- Link analysis parameters
- Anchor text guidelines
- Link reporting
Documenting these SOPs maintains consistency even as you scale traffic, grow content libraries, or onboard new outsourced staff. It also streamlines handoffs between internal team members.
Monitoring and Evaluating Results
You’ve optimized your site, created content, built links, and invested in outsourcing SEO experts to elevate your brand. But how do you know whether all that effort is paying off? You should monitor key metrics to evaluate the impact of your SEO outsourcing.
Short-Term and Long-Term Outcomes
SEO success involves both short and long-term tracking:
Short-term metrics demonstrate incremental progress:
- Ranking improvements for target keywords
- Increased organic traffic and leads
- Reduced site errors and crawl issues
- Higher click-through-rates on SERPs
- Better page speed and mobile optimization
Long-term metrics indicate sustainability:
- Overall domain authority growth
- More referral traffic and links
- Lower bounce rates, signaling engagement
- Higher organic revenue and conversions
- Improved brand visibility and recognition
A comprehensive SEO agency provides detailed analytics dashboards and reporting around these key indicators. But you play a role in monitoring and providing feedback as well.
Schedule recurring meetings to analyze outcomes and calibrate efforts. Voice obstacles or new opportunities as they arise. The more collaborative input between your team and your outsourcer, the better optimized the roadmap stays.
Often SEO agencies even advise clients on adding important tracking like UTMs to confirm campaign influence as organic search expands.
While month-to-month progress varies, you should see steady trend lines up and to the right for your top SEO metrics over a 6-12 month period. Just like compound interest, the rankings and traffic gains you accumulate from ongoing optimization build over time.
But SEO outsourcing provides more than just measurable results…
Additional “Intangible” Benefits
Beyond the specific metrics already mentioned, partnering with skilled SEO specialists drives other “intangible” gains:
- Develop In-House SEO Knowledge: Absorb techniques, strategies, and knowledge from your outsourced experts so your team levels up their in-house skills over time.
- Expanded Marketing Channels: Tap into additional traffic streams through YouTube SEO, local SEO, voice search optimization, and more.
- Improved UX: A/B testing advice, speed, and conversion rate optimization all enhance visitor experiences, leading to lower bounce rates. Happy visitors engage more!
- Richer Business Insights: Explore search query data, customer intent signals, and content analytics for unlocking new expansion opportunities.
- Authority Structure: Earn media mentions, ambassador relationships, and industry awards stemming from your SEO influence. This compounds marketing results even further.
Though not directly reflected in your Google Analytics, these “bonus benefits” still drive immense value for your brand both online and offline.
The key is continuing to step back to observe macro progress while keeping momentum through micro wins. Commit to consistency in execution and evaluation for at least 6 months.
SEO specialists as partners reinforce your gaps in strategy and resources so you can scale growth efficiently. Just be sure to keep your eyes on the data so efforts adapt to what’s working – and what’s not.
Main Takeaways
Outsourcing Benefits: Outsourcing some or all of your SEO tasks provides measurable benefits for any business, including cost savings, increased efficiency of your staff, quicker results, and less risk.
Expert Access: Leveraging the expertise of skilled SEO specialists gives you an advantage in technical and content needs to improve your organic traffic and rankings.
Flexible Options: Choose between freelance and agency models based on your budget, needs, and capabilities for handling SEO internally versus outsourcing those tasks.
Ideal Partner Traits: The best outsourcing providers have deep SEO expertise, utilize ethical white hat tactics, provide flexibility to scale, and maintain strong communication with clients.
Keys to Success: Clearly defining goals, detailing project scope, establishing SOPs, continuously monitoring key metrics, and giving efforts time to accumulate results all set your outsourcing partnership up for maximum impact.
Wrap-up
Outsourcing SEO tasks to experienced providers provides powerful advantages for your company’s growth and efficiency. Consider SEO outsourcing as a pillar of your marketing mix to spark total conversions. Let experts optimize your search presence so you can optimize your profits.
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