How to Get Started with SEO Outsourcing
Are you struggling to develop or maintain an effective SEO strategy? If so, you’re not alone! As a business owner, you’re used to juggling countless responsibilities, leaving little time for the ongoing demands of SEO. That’s where outsourcing can help.
Done right, outsourcing your SEO to a skilled freelancer or dedicated agency allows you to achieve meaningful results without stretching your internal resources. Let’s explore what SEO outsourcing actually is, why it might be the right move for your business, how to handle it strategically, and the key benefits you can expect.
What is SEO outsourcing?
SEO outsourcing involves hiring an external agency or consultant to manage your search engine optimisation strategy. These experts handle everything from tracking progress to making informed decisions that drive better results.
Even if you have an in-house marketing team, they may lack the time, specialised knowledge, or advanced SEO tools needed to execute key components like content creation, link building, and technical audits. As SEO is both time-consuming and constantly evolving, choosing to outsource SEO services ensures you benefit from the latest tools, data, and scalable strategies to boost your online visibility, without putting your internal resources under strain.
What SEO services can you outsource?
Certain SEO tasks can be incredibly complex and time-consuming, but the advantage of SEO outsourcing is that you can delegate all or just some of these tasks to experienced SEO professionals. This gives you more control over your budget and overall digital marketing strategy.
Here are some of the SEO services you might want to outsource:
On-page SEO
Optimising your website’s content and structure is a fundamental part of any effective SEO strategy, and it’s something you can easily outsource. A skilled SEO team can enhance your site’s visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs) by ensuring proper keyword placement in content, titles, and meta descriptions. They can also improve site navigation, optimise internal linking, and enhance the overall quality and relevance of your content.
Off-page SEO
SEO experts can also manage activities that take place off your website to boost your site’s authority and visibility. This often includes building high-quality backlinks through guest posting and digital PR, increasing brand exposure, and managing relationships with influencers and bloggers. These efforts help build trust, improve search rankings, and drive more traffic to your site.
Technical SEO
Technical SEO is one of the most challenging aspects of SEO, and therefore one of the most valuable areas to outsource. Delegating these complex tasks to experts means that issues like broken links, crawl errors, indexing problems, and slow page speeds are properly addressed. A technical SEO team can also help optimise your site for mobile users and ensure it’s fully accessible to search engines.
Local SEO
An SEO team or consultant can help improve your local SEO visibility. This includes optimising and managing your Google Business Profile, generating and responding to local reviews, and creating content that targets region-specific keywords and search terms used by your local audience.
International SEO
If you’re targeting global markets, outsourcing your international SEO can help you tailor your site to target different countries, languages, and regions. This may involve translating and localising your content, optimising for international search engines, and making sure your website performs well in terms of speed and user experience across different locations.
Why should you outsource SEO?
If you’re looking to build a strong and results-driven SEO strategy without overstretching your own resources, or you simply lack the tools and expertise to improve your search rankings, outsourcing is a smart solution. Working with experts who have a proven track record of success can give you the edge within your industry, improving rankings, link building, conducting keyword research, and boosting organic traffic with ease. Here’s why you might want to consider outsourcing your SEO.
Cost efficiency
Outsourcing SEO is often more cost-effective than building an in-house team. You won’t need to invest in tools, software, or ongoing training, nor worry about the overhead of salaries or employee benefits. Most SEO agencies offer flexible, tailored packages, so you only pay for the services you actually need. This makes it easier to manage your budget while still achieving high-impact results.
Access to specialised expertise
Imagine having access to your own SEO specialist whenever you need them. With outsourcing, that’s exactly what you get. As SEO is constantly evolving, keeping up with these changes can be difficult and time-consuming, but with an outsourced team, they can stay on top of Google algorithm updates, best practices, and new strategies so you don’t have to. They’ll be able to apply a wealth of information and industry insight to your website and SEO strategy.
Ability to scale easily
As your business grows, your SEO needs to be able to keep up, and that’s where outsourcing can provide real value. You might start with only a few services, but as your needs evolve, a reliable SEO provider can easily adjust to meet your changing goals. For example, you may want to expand into content creation, launch a PPC campaign, or scale your link-building strategy. A quick discussion with your SEO outsourcing team can help you pivot and grow efficiently without missing a beat.
Faster results
Partnering with SEO experts means you can expect faster, more efficient outcomes. Instead of spending hours, or even months, trying to implement changes yourself, an experienced outsourcing team can handle them in a fraction of the time. Unlike you, they won’t be juggling other aspects of the business. Their sole focus is on developing and optimising your SEO campaigns to deliver results.
How to outsource
If you’ve chosen to outsource your SEO, success depends on more than just choosing the right partner, though this is a big part of it. You’ll need a clear process to ensure the best outcome for your SEO strategy and your business. Here’s how to get started.
Identify the SEO tasks to outsource
Start by listing the SEO tasks your in-house team can confidently manage, and those that are better delegated. Assess your team’s strengths to determine which tasks make sense to outsource. This might include time-consuming activities or areas that require specialised expertise, such as keyword research, optimising for search intent, or managing international SEO efforts.
Define clear goals and KPIs
Ask yourself what it is you’re trying to achieve. Having clear goals in mind can help to give your SEO strategy some much-needed direction and help your outsourcing team align their work with your business objectives. For example, you may want to increase organic traffic, rank higher for research-intent keywords, or generate more qualified leads. Whatever your priorities, make sure they’re measurable and supported by relevant KPIs—such as traffic growth, keyword rankings, or lead volume—so progress can be tracked and success clearly evaluated.
Choose the right agency
There’s a lot to consider when selecting the right SEO partner, and it may take time to find the right fit for your business. Depending on your needs, you may explore working with an SEO agency, a freelancer, or a contractor. Each one has its own set of benefits. Let your business goals guide your choice. For example, if you have a smaller, one-off project like a site audit or keyword research, a freelancer may be a better fit, or if you’re looking to develop a link-building or content creation strategy, a dedicated agency could be more beneficial.
Explore case studies, reviews, and testimonials to see how they’ve helped other clients, research their processes, reporting tools, and communication style. Most importantly, make sure that they understand your industry and can tailor an SEO strategy that aligns with your objectives.
Confirm your strategy
Once you’ve chosen your SEO provider, you can work together to finalise your SEO strategy. Your provider will typically review or audit your current SEO plan, share their findings, and suggest an approach that aligns with your goals and KPIs. This process should clarify timelines, deliverables, and key focus areas such as content, keywords, and link-building strategies.
Track performance
A reliable SEO partner will provide regular, transparent reporting on key metrics and campaign results. This ongoing visibility allows you to monitor progress, assess performance, and make informed decisions. Your provider should be proactive in offering insights and willing to adjust the strategy if it’s not delivering results or your business goals evolve.
How to choose an SEO partner
Choosing the right SEO partner is critical to the success of your future campaigns. But it’s not just about ticking boxes or comparing price points, it’s about finding a team that understands your business, communicates clearly, and can apply their SEO expertise to your specific goals. Here’s how to choose an SEO partner successfully.
Look for a flexible approach
When it comes to SEO, there’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all approach. SEO is fluid, always evolving, and strategies must be able to keep up with algorithm updates and shifting search trends. An experienced SEO team should know this and should be willing to tailor their skills and services to match your goals and the demands of your industry. Consider asking:
How they handle changes: How do they manage unexpected shifts in your marketing or algorithm updates?
Are they open to collaboration? Any SEO outsourcing agency should be open to working with your in-house team or even other agencies you might be currently working with.
Ensure strong customer support
SEO isn’t a quick fix; it’s a long-term investment in your business. So, you’re going to need a partner who is responsive, approachable, and easy to work with in the long term. Things you need to clarify:
How often will you have calls and updates? Monthly reporting is the most common approach, but if you need or want more frequent touchpoints, can they facilitate this?
Who will your main contact be? This person needs to understand your business and your goals thoroughly. Having a sole point of contact can also help build a strong relationship between you and your provider, which is key for transparency and confidence.
How will they report issues and keep you in the loop during your contract? Nothing should be hidden from you, especially campaign results.
Consider detailed reporting
When choosing an SEO company, their ability to communicate with you is essential. This also applies to reporting and having access to transparent and easy-to-understand metrics and insights, so you can track ROI and their performance. Consider the following:
Ask for sample reports so you can see what insights might look like and how they’ll be presented.
To measure growth accurately, you’ll need more than big numbers. Look for actionable insights that highlight what’s working, areas that need improving, and what they plan to do next.
Find out how often they’ll send these reports and updates. Will they go through these insights and reports with you via video call or email? What works better for you and your business?
Focus on customisable packages
No two businesses are the same, and neither are their SEO needs. Also, don’t forget that your SEO requirements may change over time. That’s why it’s important to choose an SEO partner that offers customisable and flexible packages so you’re only paying for what you really need. Here’s what you need to find out from any potential provider:
What’s included in each tier or package: Make sure you understand the pricing clearly and check for any hidden costs.
Can you mix and match services? For example, you might want keyword research without ongoing link-building. Confirm if packages can be tailored to exclude unnecessary services.
Are you locked into contracts for a certain time, or are they flexible? Your freedom as a business is important; find out the minimum terms of any package before you sign on the dotted line.
Is it better to work with them on a one-off audit or project before you commit to anything long-term? Starting with a smaller, low-risk engagement can help you assess how well you work together before making a long-term commitment.
Conclusion
Outsourcing SEO is a great option for businesses that want to enhance their digital presence and focus on growth but don’t have the tools or knowledge to apply this to their SEO strategy effectively. By partnering with the right freelancer or agency like Marketing Signals, you can tap into endless support, save time, and continue to scale your SEO efforts as your business evolves.
FAQs
Should I outsource to a freelancer or an agency?
This depends on your specific needs, your budget, goals, and the scale of your strategy. While freelancers are cost-effective and can help with smaller projects, agencies often have full teams of dedicated SEO experts all under one roof. This makes them a better choice for those looking for long-term SEO support.
How much does SEO outsourcing cost?
The cost can vary. There are multiple factors that can influence the price, such as your specific needs and the price of packages or tiers that are determined by your chosen SEO partner. Always make sure to ask what’s included in each package before you commit to anything long-term.
What are the downsides of outsourcing SEO?
Feelings of a loss of control when a business hands over its SEO strategy are common when outsourcing. Poor communication or low-quality results are also potential downsides; however, this is why choosing the right SEO outsourcing partner is key.
Can I outsource just part of my SEO strategy?
Yes. You can outsource any specific tasks, such as on-page optimisation, keyword research, or technical SEO, to your SEO provider. It all depends on where you need support. Many agencies or freelancers offer flexible packages or one-off services, so you’ll only ever pay for what you need.
