{"id":6701,"date":"2022-11-02T13:59:38","date_gmt":"2022-11-02T13:59:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/02\/enterprise-seo-agency-vs-in-house-seo-team-what-to-consider\/"},"modified":"2022-11-02T13:59:38","modified_gmt":"2022-11-02T13:59:38","slug":"enterprise-seo-agency-vs-in-house-seo-team-what-to-consider","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/02\/enterprise-seo-agency-vs-in-house-seo-team-what-to-consider\/","title":{"rendered":"Enterprise SEO agency vs. in-house SEO team: What to consider"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Every time I start a new job, I get asked, \u201cWhat does the relationship look like between you, the in-house enterprise SEO Director, and the SEO agency? When can we pull back on our budget for our SEO agency?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This is a problem in the <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/guide\/what-is-seo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">SEO<\/a> industry.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The tweet below illustrates the symptomatic problem within the industry.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<p>Choosing between an in-house SEO or SEO agency is like wishing everything you touched turned to gold, but instead, it\u2019s just getting Cheetos powder on it.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 annaleacrowe (@annaleacrowe) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/annaleacrowe\/status\/1583533699085127680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">October 21, 2022<\/a>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The central problem is understanding that it\u2019s not enterprise SEO agencies vs. in-house SEO teams. It\u2019s not a competition.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Enterprise SEO involves complex problems dependent on many other resources and departments. It\u2019s time to let go of the surface-level thinking of us vs. them.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This isn\u2019t an article about the pros and cons of using an SEO agency, consultant, or in-house SEO. It\u2019s about my personal experience of creating a blended approach to using both an SEO agency and an <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/tips-become-in-house-seo-387526\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">in-house SEO professional<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re an enterprise company investing in SEO, choosing between an in-house SEO and an SEO agency depends on how fast you want to run. Let me explain.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_81 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/02\/enterprise-seo-agency-vs-in-house-seo-team-what-to-consider\/#Why_the_%E2%80%98enterprise_SEO_agency_vs_in-house_SEO_teams_concept_is_broken\" >Why the \u2018enterprise SEO agency vs. in-house SEO teams\u2019 concept is broken\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/02\/enterprise-seo-agency-vs-in-house-seo-team-what-to-consider\/#Investing_in_enterprise_SEO_agencies_and_in-house_SEO_teams_is_expensive\" >Investing in enterprise SEO agencies and in-house SEO teams is expensive<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/11\/02\/enterprise-seo-agency-vs-in-house-seo-team-what-to-consider\/#The_power_of_working_together_with_enterprise_SEO_agencies_and_in-house_SEO_teams\" >The power of working together with enterprise SEO agencies and in-house SEO teams<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_the_%E2%80%98enterprise_SEO_agency_vs_in-house_SEO_teams_concept_is_broken\"><\/span>Why the \u2018enterprise SEO agency vs. in-house SEO teams\u2019 concept is broken\u00a0<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<\/div>\n<p>You either worship the altar of promised ROI predictions from SEO agencies or the realistic, logical in-house SEO that tells you SEO can\u2019t promise ROI.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Whatever side you\u2019re giving the Voldemort treatment to doesn\u2019t matter.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s an example of how in-house SEO teams and agencies can meet in the middle \u2013 and give the C-suite what they want.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>When hiring their first in-house SEO lead, executives often make the mistake of searching for a unicorn that\u2019s equally proficient in technical and content.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>If you find one, lucky you. But it\u2019s more likely you\u2019ll need a give and take.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/why-outsource-seo-2-386887\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">SEO agencies<\/a> should be an extension of your in-house SEO team to fill in the gaps your in-house team is missing.<\/p>\n<p>Ask yourself: Do you need a screwdriver? Or a Swiss Army knife?\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>So, instead of promising ROI predictions based on keywords, an in-house SEO team can provide the agency with a full accounting of what true SEO looks like behind the scenes with product, engineering, and content.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Together, the agency and the in-house team can provide a blueprint for investment, scale, and return.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><!-- START INLINE FORM --><\/p>\n<div class=\"nl-inline-form border py-2 px-1 my-2\">\n<div class=\"row align-items-center\">\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-3 col-xl-4 pe-md-0 pb-2 pb-lg-0\">\n<p class=\"inline-form-text text-center mb-0\">Get the daily newsletter search marketers rely on.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-7 col-xl-6  pe-lg-0\">\n<div class=\"form-nl-inline\">\n<div class=\"row g-0\">\n<div class=\"form-group col-12 col-lg-8 mb-0\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-4 col-xl-4 mb-0\">\n<div class=\"d-none\">\n<p>Processing\u2026Please wait.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"btn btn-dark inlineButton w-100 rounded-0 font-weight-bold\">SUBSCRIBE<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-2 col-xl-2 ps-1\">\n<p class=\"text-center mb-0\"><a class=\"nl-terms\" href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/termsofuse\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">See terms.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- END INLINE FORM --><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Investing_in_enterprise_SEO_agencies_and_in-house_SEO_teams_is_expensive\"><\/span>Investing in enterprise SEO agencies and in-house SEO teams is expensive<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Many enterprise companies have marketing budgets but often believe SEO is \u201cfree\u201d and don\u2019t prioritize resources.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This is a mistake.<\/p>\n<p>This mentality leaves the in-house SEO team to live up to unrealistic expectations and burnout.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Previously, I worked at a well-known enterprise company with a portfolio of 15 global brands as a <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/enterprise-seo-director-first-90-days-386743\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Director of SEO<\/a> to find out I was the only person actually doing SEO. In my first 1on1 with my boss, I was tasked to create a roadmap for when we could let go of our SEO agency to bring SEO in-house.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The caveat \u2013 \u201cbring SEO in-house,\u201d meant I was the only person to execute SEO.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>At this company, that meant partnering with UX to design the website and working with web dev on our page speed, all while executing on-page and link building, not to mention writing content.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>I took on this challenge to make a business use case with a <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/enterprise-seo-budget-plan-387117\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">budget for SEO<\/a> that allocated funds toward scaling my internal SEO team and hiring an SEO agency.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s how.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Annual estimated cost (USD): <\/strong><br \/><strong>Enterprise in-house SEO team vs. SEO agency<\/strong><strong>Low\u00a0<\/strong><strong>Medium<\/strong><strong>High<\/strong><strong>In-house<\/strong>$90,000$320,000$760,000<strong>Agency<\/strong>$120,000$600,000$1.5 million<em>Numbers are pulled based on my personal experience in-house and working with agencies.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>When looking at the side-by-side comparison, it may seem like building an in-house SEO team is cheaper, but an agency can execute faster.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>60% of my time is spent getting leadership and cross-department buy-in to SEO as an in-house SEO professional. With an SEO agency, SEO work is still getting done.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Take a look at this outline of tasks broken up between an enterprise SEO agency and an in-house SEO team:\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>In-house<\/strong><strong>Agency<\/strong><strong>SEO Strategy<\/strong>Creates SEO strategy focusing on processes and cross-department collaboration and shares with the SEO agency.\u00a0Agency aligns with the in-house SEO team strategy and supports with data and execution of tactics.\u00a0<strong>Forecasting<\/strong>Provides forecasting and ROI based on in-house resources.Merges keyword forecasting with in-house forecasting to create a middle agreement.<strong>Monthly Report<\/strong>Shares metrics, definitions, and KPIs that align with overall business goals.\u00a0Creates monthly reports utilizing data from in-house tools.\u00a0<strong>Technical Audit<\/strong>Reviews technical audit and begins prioritization.Provides technical audit.<strong>Technical Roadmap<\/strong>Prioritize technical audit findings, creates Jira tickets, and partner with the web dev team for execution.\u00a0Reviews and aligns on the technical roadmap and troubleshoots questions from the web dev team.<strong>Content Audit<\/strong>Reviews content audit and begins prioritization.Provides content audit.\u00a0<strong>Content Gap Analysis<\/strong>Reviews content gap analysis and begins prioritization.Provides content gap analysis.\u00a0<strong>Keyword Mapping<\/strong>Reviews keyword mapping and partners with Product Marketing to ensure it aligns with the brand and business goals.\u00a0Provides keyword mapping.<strong>Content Calendar<\/strong>Prioritize content audit findings, create content briefs (if the agency does not provide them), and partner with the editorial team for execution.\u00a0Reviews and aligns on the content calendar and troubleshoots questions from the Product Marketing and\/or Editorial team.<strong>Content Briefs<\/strong>Reviews and approves content briefs, and assigns to the Editorial team, then edits and submits to the web dev team for publishing.Provides content briefs.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>One of the biggest challenges enterprise companies face is how fast the company grows. If you\u2019re a global brand, SEO is expensive and time-consuming.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>As your brand evolves, your marketing and SEO tactics need to accommodate the scale of your company.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This means prioritizing an in-house SEO team and an SEO agency that can work together at scale.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_power_of_working_together_with_enterprise_SEO_agencies_and_in-house_SEO_teams\"><\/span>The power of working together with enterprise SEO agencies and in-house SEO teams<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>There is great power in combining forces.\u00a0Think of Woody and Buzz, Apollo and Rocky, Clarice and Hannibal.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Enterprise SEO takes a lot of time and money to execute properly. And oftentimes, you\u2019ll have to fight for the resources you know you need to meet the business goals.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The culprit lies in this stigma of choosing between an SEO agency and building an in-house team. There is no choice. The answer is both.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Remember, SEO is not here to tell enterprise companies what to do with their web presence.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Our goal as SEO professionals is to show them the opportunities and together, with a combined effort from the agency and in-house team, you can build a plan for investment and scale.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/enterprise-seo-agency-vs-in-house-team-389121\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Enterprise SEO agency vs. in-house SEO team: What to consider<\/a> appeared first on <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Search Engine Land<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Every time I start a new job, I get asked, \u201cWhat does the relationship look like between you, the in-house enterprise SEO Director, and the SEO agency? When can we pull back on our budget for our SEO agency?\u201d This is a problem in the SEO industry.\u00a0 The tweet below illustrates the symptomatic problem within the industry.\u00a0 Choosing between an in-house SEO or SEO agency is like wishing everything you touched turned to gold, but instead, it\u2019s just getting Cheetos powder on it. \u2014 annaleacrowe (@annaleacrowe) [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"h5ap_radio_sources":[],"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6701","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-best-seo-blogs"],"featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"author_info":{"display_name":false,"author_link":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/author\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6701","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6701"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6701\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6701"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6701"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6701"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}