Picture this. You’ve wrapped up your client’s project. As you take a final look at the output, they give you a call requesting SEO services on the side. If you built a new website for them, they also want you to optimize it. If you offered advertising services, they want you to write optimized web copy for their site.

If your team doesn’t specialize in SEO, you’re in trouble. You have two options:

1. Turn the side order down
2. Accept the side order and hand it over to a team of professionals who know what they’re doing

The first option’s honest and direct but not that great for your sales. You won’t be able to build strong client relationships since you can’t offer multi-faceted services.

The second option’s a lot, lot smarter (provided that you find the right outsourcing SEO company). Wait, what’s that term? Outsourcing SEO. This is option two in a nutshell. You’re essentially outsourcing your SEO to another company, i.e., handing over your project to them.

Ideally, this should be a top-tier SEO company. Their experience, expertise, work ethic, skill, and track record should be second to none. As they take care of things for you, you’ll get the output delivered to your doorstep. Pick it up, deliver it to your client as if you created it, and enjoy the round of applause. Sweet, right?

In this blog, we’ll cover all things SEO outsourcing. What is it? Why should you do it? What are the pros and cons? What are the best approaches? Are there any limitations? What should you avoid?

We’ve got you covered. Let’s begin!

Understanding SEO Outsourcing: What Is It?

SEO outsourcing is the process of handing over SEO tasks to another company. If you get an order for content writing but can’t complete it, you’ll hand it over to a reputable SEO company. They’ll write the content and send it over to you. You’ll deliver it to your client under your company’s name.

The third party (original SEO provider) is never mentioned. They create the output, and you deliver it under your brand. It’s like ghostwriting, but, of course, with the quintessential SEO touch.

Let’s quickly glance over which SEO services can be outsourced to another company:

• Content research, writing, optimization, and marketing (articles, blogs, guest blogs, infographics, press releases, product/service pages, web copy, etc.)
• Keyword research
• Link building
• Social media marketing
• Google My Business optimization
• Paid marketing (Google Ads marketing, Facebook advertising, Amazon marketing, etc.)
• Web optimization
• Video optimization

Any on-page, off-page, or technical SEO service can be outsourced. If your company doesn’t have a knack for it, you don’t have to sit and twiddle your thumbs, nor do you have to waste valuable resources, time, and energy training your staff from scratch. Hiring another SEO team can help you focus on your bottom line and keep your clients happy.

Benefits of Outsourcing SEO for Digital Agencies

As a digital agency, you should have a razor-sharp focus on reeling in more sales, increasing customer satisfaction across the board, and achieving consistent, measurable, and sustainable growth.

Outsourcing SEO services is a brilliant way to check off all these boxes. Here’s a closer look at the benefits:

1. Save Money

Training your team may sound tempting. Not only is it tempting, but it’s actually effective! Well-planned, comprehensive, and rigorous training goes a long way in helping in-house teams learn the ropes. However, training is only beneficial for simple, straightforward services.

SEO services are more complex. Remember, your clients want to see results. Sure, your company could whip up some content after week-long training. But is the content carefully optimized to increase traffic, maximize conversions, and boost rankings?

If your services don’t yield results, your client is better off without them. This is a bitter pill to swallow. However, the sooner you ingest and digest it, the better it’ll be for your company’s overall growth.

Outsourcing your SEO to an experienced company will help you save money. How? There are no training costs. You’ll also make more profit since you’ll offer your clients a diverse set of SEO services. You’ll enjoy a high ROI (return on investment) and a stable bottom line.

Conduct a CBA (cost-benefit analysis). The results will help you understand the cost efficiency of partnering with an outsourcing SEO agency.

2. Save Time

You can’t complete SEO services in the blink of an eye. They require time, expertise, and experience, especially if they’re more complex and technical. As a digital agency, you’ll save significant time by outsourcing your SEO to another company.

This time can be invested in tasks your company specializes in. You can focus on what you do best, and your SEO partners will take care of what they do best. Your clients will reap the benefits of this approach.

3. Improve Quality

The power of specialization is undeniable. SEO shouldn’t be handled by in-house teams who lack experience and expertise. Why? The output will be fair-to-middling.

If you want to maintain consistently high quality across your business, outsource your SEO to the crème de la crème of SEO companies. This is a great way to improve your overall quality and keep clients happy.

Today, modern businesses are looking for top-tier SEO services that achieve results. If you’re optimizing social media posts, for instance, you cannot rush the process. You must research the top trends, audience search interest, industry activity, demographic preferences, and so on.

Using these insights, you must create an effective marketing plan that yields excellent results. This cannot be done by in-house teams who don’t possess the knowledge, skills, and tools required for impactful social media marketing.

It’s best left to the pros.

Benefits of Outsourcing SEO for SMBs

If you run a small business, you compete with dozens of established companies in your city, state, or country (depending on your reach).

Your car shouldn’t make a gurgling sound and shut down; it should start slowly and evenly and eventually pick up a nice speed!

Metaphors aside, your business should hit the ground running. Outsourcing your SEO helps you do just that. Here are some of the benefits you’ll enjoy as a small business that’s just starting off:

1. Grow Your Business Much, Much Faster

You’re not where your competitors are…yet. Hiring the pros for SEO work is an excellent way to climb the ropes quickly and efficiently. You’ll reach the top much faster than other small businesses churning out mediocre SEO services. Since you’ll partner with an established SEO company, your services will be top-tier from day one.

Let’s circle back to the finances. Choose a basic SEO outsourcing plan that’s affordable. It should also come with a money-back guarantee, so your small business doesn’t sustain a blow.

“But won’t I get slipshod, run-of-the-mill outputs if the prices are so low?” Not really. And we’re not talking about dirt-cheap outsourcing SEO services. We’re talking about fair prices.

Today, many established SEO companies have amassed so much trust and prestige that they can afford to reduce their prices for small businesses. They’re already doing great, so they don’t have to slap exorbitant price tags on their services.

Look for outsourced SEO services for small businesses. This will help you stumble upon affordable plans. You don’t have to go all out. Start slow, put your trust in the right company, and enjoy excellent growth. This is your golden ticket to outdoing your competitors and becoming an established company in your industry.

2. Develop a Multi-Faceted Edge

Small businesses with a multi-faceted edge grow rapidly and consistently. They also enjoy stable bottom lines. You shouldn’t just offer one or two services. As you kick start your business, set one clear goal: expansion. As your business matures within a couple of months or years, you must introduce new services.

SEO services are in demand because of their universality. Think about it. As the world becomes increasingly digital, modern businesses are setting up websites and taking digital spaces by storm. Sure, walk-in customers will help you earn a pretty penny. However, web users are twice as active and alert. You’ll generate a beautiful profit if you optimize your website for the finicky Google algorithm.

If a business is smart, they already know this. SEO services aren’t an option for them; they’re a necessity. Your business should be multi-faceted enough to accept SEO projects and do them justice.

Outsourcing your SEO orders to another company will help you develop a multi-faceted edge. More customers will flock to your business if you offer a wide range of services. Aspire to expand as much as possible while retaining a high standard of quality. Outsourcing SEO will help you do just that.

3. Improve Your Brand Identity

Every small business aspires to gain the trust of its customers. This process isn’t quick. It often takes years for small businesses to earn a good reputation.

Outsourcing your SEO services to another established team will help you piggyback off their success. In most cases, these companies also offer SEO services under their own name.

At Search Berg, we offer outsourced SEO services and serve our own clients under our name. Our reviews indicate our success. Make sure you trust a company that boasts thousands of happy customers. This means they’ll make your customers happy and help you earn credibility and trustworthiness in your industry.

Once this happens, you’ve hit the jackpot. You’ll automatically reel in more customers through reviews, referrals, word of mouth, and ratings. The sooner the domino effect is set into motion, the better. Knock down that first card by hiring an outsourcing SEO agency.

Limitations of Outsourcing SEO

It’s all fun and games until…you partner with the wrong company. Outsourced SEO offers a ton of benefits, as highlighted above. However, things can easily go wrong if you reach out to an inexperienced, underqualified, and noncommittal SEO company.

Avoid this at all costs. As stated earlier, make sure you do your research. Look into the company’s track record. Are other clients happy, especially those who outsourced their SEO to this company? Does the company complete projects on time?

This is extremely important. If outputs are delivered late, your clients will be irate. Honoring deadlines isn’t just important; it’s absolutely crucial. While you can take the blow, your clients can’t.

Keep these details in mind when researching and vetting prospective outsourcing SEO partners. Additionally, there are a few limitations of outsourcing SEO:

1. Reduced Managerial Control

If you partner with the wrong company, you may feel like you’re not really getting a word in edgewise. When you’re creating and delivering a service, you’re in charge. Your team is answerable to you, and they take that responsibility seriously.

When you hire a company for SEO, they’re a third party at the end of the day. It’s not your own team; you can’t “manage” them like you’d want to. If you hire an inefficient company, you may feel frustrated at the loss of control. This can happen due to poor communication or non-seriousness.

Make sure you hire a company you can trust. As you give them some leeway to complete the job, you won’t fret about the details; they’ll have everything under control.

2. Possible Delays

Delays are another common limitation of outsourcing SEO. Like the limitation mentioned above, this problem only arises when the wrong company is trusted. They may take longer than expected to complete the project.

In this case, there’s not much you can do. A bad outsourcing SEO agency can drag you down with them. Make sure this doesn’t happen. Speak with their previous clients to determine whether you’re on the right track.

At Search Berg, we maintain complete transparency. Our reviews and ratings are spread out across our own site, Trustpilot, Sitejabber, Clutch, UpCity, Bark, Yelp, and more. Carefully scan them, feel free to speak with our clients, and make an informed decision that’s right for your company.

How to Outsource SEO

You’ve decided to outsource your SEO to an experienced SEO company. What should be your next move? We’ve broken down five simple steps you should follow:

1. Have a Detailed Consultation with the Company

Before you begin, speak candidly, thoroughly, and clearly with the company you’re hiring. There should be no misunderstanding; ensure you’re both on the same page. Inquire into the details of the SEO outsourcing plan.

We also recommend making a list of all the SEO services you think you’ll have to outsource to this company in the future. Here’s what we mean by this.

Let’s say you’re signing up for link building outsourcing services for now. In a couple of months, you may get orders for content creation, social media marketing, etc. Does your SEO provider offer these additional services? If they don’t, you’ll have to opt out.

Switching SEO outsourcing providers isn’t recommended. You cannot repeatedly invest the same time and energy into researching new companies with each order. Make sure you find an outsourcing SEO agency that provides the totality of SEO services. This will help you stay on track in the long run.

Inquire into their experience and areas of specialization. Additionally, ask if they’ve partnered with companies in your industry before. What have the results been? Dig deeper to obtain a complete picture of how committed and equipped your outsourcing provider is.

Communicate your expectations and ask clearly and candidly if they can be met. Make sure you inform them that you do not tolerate delays of any sort. Your projects must be completed on time, and the quality should be consistently high each time, with zero exceptions. You’ll keep your side of the bargain as you verbalize your requirements.

2. Agree Upon a Set of Measurable Targets

There’s one reason why you’re outsourcing your SEO services: results. You’re not aiming for average results, you’re aiming for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) results.

Your clients cannot be misled. Their traffic and conversions should increase, their SERP rankings should improve, and their sales should climb.

If these results are not achieved, your clients won’t do or say anything to your SEO provider; they won’t even know who they are! Instead, your clients will come knocking at your door demanding answers.

You don’t want that hassle, especially if you’re paying a company to deliver your promises to your clients. Agree upon a set of SMART results and discuss what would happen if they’re not achieved. Ask if there’s a money-back guarantee. If you’re not financially protected, choose another provider.

3. Closely Monitor the Project Once It Kicks Off

If you’ve chosen a monthly plan, which you should (don’t opt for quarterly or yearly commitments right off the bat), make sure you closely monitor the project. Request weekly reporting to stay on top of things.

When Should I Outsource My SEO?

There’s no “right time” to outsource SEO. You can begin as you launch your business or even five or ten years later. Make sure you find the right company. Once that’s taken care of, it’s smooth sailing. You’re in good hands.

Who Can You Outsource Your SEO To?

You’ve decided that you want to outsource your SEO to another company. But wait, which company should you opt for? Here are the three most common options:

1. SEO Agencies

SEO agencies are your best bet. They’re multi-faceted, i.e., they offer a wide, wide range of SEO services. Opt for a full-service agency that covers every digital marketing need imaginable. They should also be flexible. Are they willing to jump on a phone call or schedule a prompt meeting to discuss your needs urgently? In most cases, reputable full-service SEO agencies offer 24/7 client support, so you don’t have to worry about being left hanging.

2. Freelancers

This is a bit hit-and-miss. You may get lucky and find a dependable freelancer, or you may shoot yourself in the foot. Take some time to go over the freelancing options on sites like Upwork, Toptal, and Fiverr. Since freelancers aren’t trained, experienced professionals, you may have to invest some extra time and energy into helping them learn the ropes. Most businesses don’t have the time for this. Weigh the pros and cons and make the right decision for your business.

3. Consultants

SEO consultants plan, implement, and manage a company’s SEO needs. They possess specialized skills, so you’re in good hands. However, consultants aren’t comparable to a full-service SEO agency. That is still your best option. However, you can start by hiring a consultant and seeing how it goes. As your business grows, consider switching to a full-service SEO agency.

Important Tips for Outsourcing SEO

Now that we’ve covered the basics of outsourcing your SEO, let’s dig a little deeper. As you kick things off, keep these important tips in mind:

• Always check your potential SEO partner’s case studies or portfolio. Have they worked on similar projects? Is their work in line with your expectations?
• Explore the provider’s website. This is a great way to gauge the quality of their work. If their website is poorly designed and developed, you’re hiring the wrong company. Their site should be seamless, well-designed, fast-loading, and optimized.
• Is your provider open to customizing your package? One-size-fits-all SEO packages are a big no. Steer clear from off-the-shelf approaches. Instead, look for flexible, customizable packages that can be adapted based on your company’s unique, changing requirements. Look for fluidity, not rigidity.

How Much Does Outsourcing SEO Cost?

The prices vary from provider to provider. Your company’s size, requirements, starting point, and expectations will determine the final cost of the plan. At Search Berg, we keep the prices low and fair to accommodate small businesses. Shortlist 4–5 companies you’re interested in. Compare their prices to get an idea of what’s right for you.

Summary

In this blog, we provided an A-Z view of outsourcing SEO. We walked you through the benefits of signing up for outsourced SEO services, some important considerations and limitations of this approach, and the process of outsourcing your SEO to a provider.

As an outsourcing SEO agency with experience and expertise, we build hundreds of packages for clients yearly. If you’re looking for professional outsourcing SEO services, get a free consultation today. Let’s unlock excellent growth for your business. It all starts with your clients. At Search Berg, we’re at their beck and call.

Recommended Read: Free SEO Phone Consultation: Questions to Ask