Pretty much every business, especially in eCommerce, has an online presence. Consumers tend to hit the internet when searching for a business, product, or service. The days of aimlessly driving around or thumbing through a hefty business phone book are gone. For most of us, we’re saying thank goodness.
Phone books are heavy and the print is ridiculously tiny. All driving around does is waste time and gas. To ensure consumers are making it to your website, you need to invest in eCommerce SEO. So, should you go with the best digital marketing agency for SEO or keep everything in-house? There are some ups and downs to both options.
Table of Contents
I. SEO At a Glance
Taking a deep dive into SEO will take a lot of time, so we’re just focusing on the basics. Search engine optimization (SEO) is a set of practices that work to boost your website’s visibility—critical for eCommerce businesses looking to attract shoppers and drive sales.
Think about the steps the last time you searched for a product online. You likely typed in your query, hit enter, and waited a split second for the results page to pop up. This page lists all entries matching your search criteria. Now, consider how far down the list you typically scroll. Do you stick to the first page of results? Chances are, your answer is yes—and you’re not alone. On average, only about 5% of users ever make it to the second page of search results.
Ecommerce SEO uses techniques like keywords, quality content, and authoritative links to improve your website’s rankings. For eCommerce, this could mean showing up when consumers search for products you sell. When done right, eCommerce SEO can move your site into the top ten—or even higher—in search engine results. In short, SEO is a series of strategies designed to put your website in front of your target audience when they’re ready to buy.
II. Keeping Your SEO In-House
A lot goes into a successful SEO campaign. This also isn’t something your staff can learn overnight. SEO is constantly changing, pretty much every time a search engine like Google goes through an algorithm update. In other words, what’s working great today may be close to obsolete by the end of the week. If you let your SEO tasks slide, your website’s rankings will probably follow along. With that being said, there can be some upsides to keeping your SEO needs in-house.
Easily Make Changes
Your in-house SEO team has one job. Their sole purpose is to create effective SEO strategies. Remember how we mentioned search algorithms can seemingly change overnight? When you’re keeping everything in-house, making any necessary changes is a breeze.
Instead of setting up appointments with your service providers, you can head over to your dedicated SEO department. Often, the SEO changes are up and running by the end of the business day. This way you’re reducing the chances of your website sliding down in the rankings.
Your Website Always Comes First
Outsourcing your business’s SEO often means you’re not their only priority. Just like your business has more than one customer, the same applies to the SEO digital marketing agency. They probably have a list of clients all demanding the same thing. Everyone wants their website to show up at the top of the search engine result page. Even large SEO digital marketing agencies aren’t always going to be able to put your website first.
When your SEO team is right down the hall, your business is their only priority. You also can stop worrying about partnering with an SEO digital marketing agency that’s getting overrun by their clients. Yep, some SEO service providers take on more than they can handle. When this happens, it may be weeks or even months before the marketing agency can address your website concerns. By then, you’ve fallen in the rankings and may be losing out on potential clients.
II. Outsourcing Your SEO
Keeping your SEO in-house has advantages. Deciding to go with an SEO digital marketing agency can also have some surprising benefits.
You’re Only Paying for the Service
Keeping your SEO onsite can easily get expensive. You still need to pay your team even when their work slows down. With a digital marketing agency, you’re only paying for the services you need. Maybe you only need to focus on inserting relevant keywords or up your local SEO game. Since you’re only paying for what you need, outsourcing can be more cost-effective than hiring an in-house team.
Access to Industry Knowledge
Think of SEO as a type of continuing education. Every time a search engine algorithm changes so do SEO best practices. SEO is also a broad field. You can’t use the same strategies for every aspect of SEO. While hiring a team of experts is an expensive option, there’s still no guarantee you’re getting industry experts. This is rarely a problem when you partner with an experienced SEO digital marketing agency. You have access to a wide range of professionals all experts in various aspects of SEO.
Faster Turnaround Timelines
We keep mentioning how SEO tends to change at least a couple of times a year or so. This means you don’t have time to wait for an SEO strategy. Since digital marketing services tend to employ experienced personnel, you tend to get faster turnaround times compared to in-house teams. Best of all, you’re not sacrificing quality for a fast turnaround. You get an effective SEO strategy that increases your brand’s online visibility.
IV. Hiring the Best SEO Digital Marketing Agency
You’ve decided to go with a professional service provider instead of keeping everything in-house. Before you start sending projects off to an SEO digital marketing agency, make sure it’s the best one.
Compare pricing, which can vary between agencies, and keep your company’s budget in mind. Make sure the agency has the right experts to address your SEO shortfalls. Something else to consider is scalability. Can you scale the services as your SEO needs change or are you stuck with the same plan? Even though keeping your SEO in-house can have advantages, it’s usually the right move to partner with a marketing agency.
Conclusion
Whether you keep your eCommerce SEO in-house or outsource it to an agency, the ultimate goal is the same: to boost your website’s visibility and attract your target audience. Each option has its advantages.
If you want full control and immediate implementation, keeping SEO in-house may be the right move. However, if you’re looking for cost-effective solutions, expert knowledge, and faster results, outsourcing to a reputable SEO digital marketing agency might be your best bet.
Carefully weigh your business’s specific needs, budget, and long-term goals to make the right decision. Remember, investing in a solid eCommerce SEO strategy is essential for staying competitive in today’s digital-first marketplace.
