The argument has been raging since the internet made it possible to shop and work from remote corners of the world - to outsource or not. Given the nature of SEO, it is only natural that there is much debate on both sides as far as SEO outsourcing is concerned. While many people fight outsourcing tooth and nail, others advocate it rigorously. So, what is the truth - should search engine or SE optimization be outsourced? What are pros and cons of outsourcing? Would you be saving money by doing SEO in-house? Are the benefits of in-house optimization worth it?
First off, it is necessary to understand what search engine optimization involves.
SEO content writing
SEO link building
Analysis of competition and assessing the work that needs to be done to pip the competition
Keyword research to ensure visibility when the most important keywords are researched
Title optimization and HTML tag optimization
SEO monitoring and calibration
A look at the above processes is sufficient to understand that SEO is not child's play. In fact, it requires quite a bit of expertise. More importantly, it requires single-minded commitment to the goal of achieving high rankings. Add to this the fact that SE algorithms are constantly in a state of flux and you can easily see that dedicated, long term efforts are a must for success in search engine optimization.
Pros of outsourcing search engine optimization:
By outsourcing search engine optimization to a reputed firm, you can easily take advantage of a wealth of experience and expertise without a moment's delay. Thus, medium and small sized companies can take advantage of a level playing field when competing with large companies, as SEO does not consider the size of companies when deciding ranking of pages.
If you know next to nothing about computers and the internet in general, the easiest way to beat the learning curve and top search engine rankings is to outsource SEO.
The SEO outsourcing partner is committed to achieving results. Thus, the outsourcing partner may be held responsible for results - or the lack of it. In-house outsourcing may not produce the same results as they may not have an equal sense of responsibility.
Reputed SE optimization companies are well aware of white hat and black hat SEO strategies. Black hat SEO strategies can get a website blacklisted by search engines - even if these strategies were employed by mistake. By outsourcing SEO to a reputed company, such mistakes could be avoided.
Reputed SEO companies monitor changing search engine algorithms continuously. They also make use of several metrics to measure the success of current SEO strategies and make changes as and when needed to ensure SEO success.
Outsourcing is highly cost effective when compared to in-house SE Optimization.
Cons of outsourcing search engine optimization:
SEO must be outsourced to expert professionals, failing which desired results may not be achieved. Also, it is necessary to avoid black hat SEO strategies.
If you are dealing with an anonymous company, there is always the risk of employing someone with little or no accountability.