SEO agency or in-house SEO? Succeeding in the digital world has become more demanding and complex than ever before. At the same time, a good ranking on Google is becoming increasingly important for almost all companies. Sustainably improving rankings and achieving (and maintaining) this top position is the goal of every company.
SEO agencies recognize trends and necessary changes very quickly
The factors responsible for a decent ranking have now grown to over 200. These range from page loading speed and mobile display to links from relevant external sites. Keeping track of this multitude of factors is virtually impossible for a company.
The decisive factors for a top ranking in Google are content, technically flawless preparation of the pages, backlinks, and the user behavior of the site visitors.
SEO measures are not short-term tactics, but long-term, strategic measures. Furthermore, the success of these measures is predictable and requires a great deal of patience and expertise. Very few companies possess this knowledge—especially since, with approximately 1,600 changes to the search algorithm per year, hardly anyone can keep track of everything “on the side.”
Various platforms, such as Ubbersugest, can be used to help you find topics. Entering a keyword displays additional keywords users are currently searching for, along with search volume, CPC, and competition. This helps you structure your content and ensure you don’t miss anything important.
Generate and distribute new content
In order to prepare the content correctly, it must be determined whether it is an editorial text (i.e., topics, stories, interviews, how-to instructions,…) or an infographic (figures and facts).
Every piece of content deserves appropriate images. There are numerous free images on platforms that are freely available for commercial use.
At best, there is a balanced image-text ratio that appeals to the user.
A quick tip: Create your content in a way that appeals to you and is easy to read.
The content can then be shared on all possible social media platforms (Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, etc.) to achieve greater reach. Guest posting is also a great way to spread your content. Note! Of course, you have to produce something new/original.
Influencer Marketing
To further spread the content and increase its popularity, we collaborate with influencers. These can be YouTubers, Snapchat stars, or Instagram celebrities, for example. They are provided with products (usually free of charge) within a certain framework and advertise them on public platforms. Their goal is to win their followers/fans for the product.
For example, Ellie Goulding promotes the water brand Core. She regularly posts on Instagram (which has 14.1 million followers). Whether it’s a picture or a boomerang, the main thing is that the water bottle is visible. Add a nice description and a link to the manufacturer. That’s it.
An SEO agency analyzes the company website in comparison to the competition
A comprehensive competitor analysis and an evaluation of all factors that influence the visibility of the brand and company are the starting point for the concept. Following such a visibility analysis, an agency is able to budget for the measures.
Such an analysis encompasses all aspects of the company’s presentation: design, usability, performance, advertising measures (AdWords, Facebook, Instagram, etc.), communication (social media, newsletters, 1:1 communication via WhatsApp, chatbots, etc.), visitors (analytics, log files), backlinks and link building, etc. The implementable concept then includes monitoring and reporting as well as “quick wins.”
The goal is to improve visibility, long-term business success, etc. – measurable results.
Learning through collaboration with the SEO agency
Having the agency implement these measures offers a company the opportunity to involve employees in this process. This way, employees and colleagues are sensitized to digital marketing practically “in passing.”
Promising approaches ensure an early change in the mindset of the responsible employees. This is precisely why the learning effect for marketing employees in a company is considered very significant.
Targeted measures, adapted to existing budgets
SEO agencies think outside the box, as they have adapted cross-industry expertise to their working methods. In-house experts often tend to be blind to the company’s internal processes. External teams have a head start in implementing new measures, which in-house SEOs have yet to test.
The results of an analysis show how an available budget can be ideally used to achieve the desired goals. This way, the budget is used specifically where it is needed to optimize visibility. Due to their extensive networks and contacts, external agencies often have completely different options for utilizing these resources effectively, even with large budgets.
Is an SEO agency cheaper than an employee?
The previous points already demonstrate the flexibility of an agency. In fact, an agency is also cheaper than an employee:
- Training Level Conferences, training courses, and gaining experience: All of this costs a lot of money. If an in-house employee decides to leave the company, that money is lost.
- Short-term budget reductions. When working with the agency, a budget can be increased or reduced at short notice without having to lay off an employee or worry about employee satisfaction.
- Satisfaction with the results. Collaboration with an external agency can be terminated more easily and quickly if performance is unsatisfactory than with internal employees.
- On-Page vs. Off-Page Measures: While on-page measures can usually be handled well by in-house teams, the expertise for all off-page measures is very limited. Especially when it comes to link building, link audits, and link risk management, the expertise of an external agency is significantly higher. When it comes to Google penalties, which can lead to a complete loss of visibility, you feel better off with an agency that has a proven track record of successfully removing penalties. Therefore, to ensure a swift removal of Google penalties, it is actually essential to use an experienced SEO agency.
Conclusion and summary:
There are many reasons to supplement an internal online marketing team with an external agency.
The advantages of an SEO agency are:
- fast and flexible response to trends
- Comprehensive analysis options and experience across various industries
- Existing budgets are ideally used
- High learning success of internal employees through specialists from an external agency
- Cheaper price
Together with an SEO agency, you can take your online visibility to a new level.
If you are looking for a suitable SEO agency in the USA that has relevant experience with international SEO and the necessary measures to optimize visibility, we look forward to hearing from you.