{"id":7133,"date":"2022-12-01T13:19:28","date_gmt":"2022-12-01T13:19:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/12\/01\/in-house-vs-agency-seo-work-the-pros-and-cons\/"},"modified":"2022-12-01T13:19:28","modified_gmt":"2022-12-01T13:19:28","slug":"in-house-vs-agency-seo-work-the-pros-and-cons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/12\/01\/in-house-vs-agency-seo-work-the-pros-and-cons\/","title":{"rendered":"In-house vs. agency SEO work: The pros and cons"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Roughly half of the Twitter DMs I receive are attempts to sell me \u201chigh-quality guest link posting.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>The other half are lifelong agency SEOs looking to move in-house, asking me how to make the move and to review their resumes.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>While I started my career in a link building agency (the real trenches of SEO) and have the utmost respect for agencies, I\u2019d like to share insights into how I feel about in-house vs. agency life.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Disclaimer<\/strong>: This is my experience and not reflective of everyone\u2019s truth. If you\u2019ve decided to make the switch in-house, I recommend speaking to those who made the move, as this article is just one data point.<\/em><\/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\/12\/01\/in-house-vs-agency-seo-work-the-pros-and-cons\/#The_benefits_of_agency_life\" >The benefits of agency life<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/12\/01\/in-house-vs-agency-seo-work-the-pros-and-cons\/#Exposure_to_many_clients_and_verticals\" >Exposure to many clients and verticals<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/12\/01\/in-house-vs-agency-seo-work-the-pros-and-cons\/#Learning_incredible_project_management_skills\" >Learning incredible project management skills<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/12\/01\/in-house-vs-agency-seo-work-the-pros-and-cons\/#Early_mentorship_and_a_repeatable_playbook\" >Early mentorship and a repeatable playbook<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/12\/01\/in-house-vs-agency-seo-work-the-pros-and-cons\/#Company_incentives_to_send_you_to_SEO_events_or_allow_you_to_speak\" >Company incentives to send you to SEO events or allow you to speak<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/12\/01\/in-house-vs-agency-seo-work-the-pros-and-cons\/#A_more_developed_career_ladder_for_SEO\" >A more developed career ladder for SEO<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/12\/01\/in-house-vs-agency-seo-work-the-pros-and-cons\/#Fewer_meetings_because_youre_a_consultant_and_an_easier_transition_to_consulting\" >Fewer meetings because you\u2019re a consultant and an easier transition to consulting<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/12\/01\/in-house-vs-agency-seo-work-the-pros-and-cons\/#The_benefits_of_being_in-house\" >The benefits of being in-house<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/12\/01\/in-house-vs-agency-seo-work-the-pros-and-cons\/#Better_quality_of_life\" >Better quality of life<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/12\/01\/in-house-vs-agency-seo-work-the-pros-and-cons\/#More_opportunities_for_consistent_deep_work\" >More opportunities for consistent, deep work<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/12\/01\/in-house-vs-agency-seo-work-the-pros-and-cons\/#Not_having_to_care_if_your_clients_fire_you\" >Not having to care if your clients fire you\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/12\/01\/in-house-vs-agency-seo-work-the-pros-and-cons\/#Going_into_tech_andor_SEO_product\" >Going into tech and\/or SEO product\u00a0<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/12\/01\/in-house-vs-agency-seo-work-the-pros-and-cons\/#Improving_your_chances_of_getting_hired_in-house\" >Improving your chances of getting hired in-house<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/12\/01\/in-house-vs-agency-seo-work-the-pros-and-cons\/#Change_the_number_of_clients_to_the_number_of_sites_you_owned\" >Change the number of clients to the number of sites you owned<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/12\/01\/in-house-vs-agency-seo-work-the-pros-and-cons\/#If_you_were_a_team_manager_say_it\" >If you were a team manager, say it!<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/12\/01\/in-house-vs-agency-seo-work-the-pros-and-cons\/#Name_drop\" >Name drop<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/12\/01\/in-house-vs-agency-seo-work-the-pros-and-cons\/#Dont_be_nervous\" >Don\u2019t be nervous<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_benefits_of_agency_life\"><\/span>The benefits of agency life<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Truthfully, I wish every SEO started their career at an agency. Like a boot camp, the <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/transition-in-house-marketing-agency-387654\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">pace of agency life<\/a> early in your career will be very formative.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Being in-house your entire life (especially at just one or two companies) can give you a tunnel-vision view of the world.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The exposure to sites of different sizes and the SEO savviness one can get inside an agency are unparalleled.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Experience is a superpower in SEO, so while now in life I (clearly) enjoy in-house life, I highly recommend SEOs work at agencies, even if just for a few years.<\/p>\n<p>Here are other advantages of working in an agency:<\/p>\n<p>Exposure to many clients and verticals.Learning incredible project management skills.Many senior people mentoring you in what you do.Quickly learning a repeatable playbook of best practices for each vertical.Company incentives (i.e., sending you to SEO events or allowing you to speak).A more developed career ladder (i.e., an opportunity to be Director or Sr. Director).Fewer meetings and easier transition to consulting.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Exposure_to_many_clients_and_verticals\"><\/span>Exposure to many clients and verticals<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>One of the biggest shortcomings I see in SEO hires is a lack of experience working across sites of different sizes with different resources.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Even if you can spend your entire SEO career at a highly competitive SEO-driven company (e.g., Tripadvisor, Cond\u00e9 Nast), that won\u2019t necessarily translate well into doing SEO for a new SaaS company with limited resources and no bespoke or custom tooling.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In an agency, you get to use a variety of the clients\u2019 homegrown tools and off-the-shelf SEO tools your clients may already be bought into, so you\u2019ll know the right tool for the job.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Learning_incredible_project_management_skills\"><\/span>Learning incredible project management skills<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>A lack of project and stakeholder management skills can often cripple your career.<\/p>\n<p>I suggest SEOs focus on these <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/essential-seo-skills-388876\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">soft skills<\/a> if they ever want to move in-house.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a survival skill most agency SEOs pick up as they juggle client work and relationships.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Early_mentorship_and_a_repeatable_playbook\"><\/span>Early mentorship and a repeatable playbook<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>In an agency, assuming SEO is a commonly sold service, there might be a lot of senior SEOs with vast experience around you.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Generally speaking, every vertical has best practices that are fairly repeatable and usually work.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Having this wealth of knowledge and experience around you can quickly uplevel you and compensate for your own lack of experience.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In-house, you might be the only SEO trying to figure it out while teaching yourself.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve often found completely self-taught SEOs to be a little undisciplined if they never received feedback early in their careers from other SEOs.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Company_incentives_to_send_you_to_SEO_events_or_allow_you_to_speak\"><\/span>Company incentives to send you to SEO events or allow you to speak<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Public speaking can be an incredible platform to build your SEO career. It\u2019s also great for networking and discussing SEO tactics privately with other SEOs.<\/p>\n<p>Quite frankly, they\u2019re also quite fun if you\u2019re social like me!\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>But being in-house, it is rare that companies will pay for you to do public speaking or attend SEO events. There\u2019s simply little incentive to do so.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Agencies need new business, so sending employees to events and putting themselves in front of companies looking to learn about SEO makes fiscal sense.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a great way to build your agency\u2019s brand and bring in inbound leads.<\/p>\n<p>Within some organizations, sending SEO employees to speak is sometimes seen as a double negative. Not only is it costly, but the talent is also likely to be poached and they won\u2019t be able to easily anonymize their data.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>No company wants their secrets openly shared with the world to live indefinitely on SlideShare, where competitors can easily see them.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The best companies I\u2019ve been in allowed for a single conference each year. Generally, you need to speak about the work of other companies to qualify for speaking engagements.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_more_developed_career_ladder_for_SEO\"><\/span>A more developed career ladder for SEO<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>If you\u2019re the only SEO in your company or one of a few, and SEO is not a major lever, it is unlikely SEO will have a well-defined career ladder.<\/p>\n<p>For example, you might need to champion the creation of a senior position like Director of SEO \u2013 and, likely, it might never happen.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Due to the number of SEOs and the customer-facing aspect of agencies, I feel that agency SEO roles at Director and VP levels are much more common than in-house.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The key exception I\u2019ve seen is for SEO-driven companies, such as Booking, Yelp or Tripadvisor.<\/p>\n<p>Most in-house SEO roles top out at \u201cLead\u201d or \u201cHead of SEO.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Some circumvent this by taking on other teams, like SEM. But more commonly, companies will give an SEO team to a paid search lead than give paid search to SEO.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>When millions of dollars of budget are on the line, prudent budget spend is generally optimized for rolling search teams under a single search lead.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Fewer_meetings_because_youre_a_consultant_and_an_easier_transition_to_consulting\"><\/span>Fewer meetings because you\u2019re a consultant and an easier transition to consulting<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>I have<strong> a lot<\/strong> of meetings. In my experience with an agency and my own consulting friends, many can have just ~2 meetings maximum per day.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>As an SEO lead in a multinational company, it is not unusual for the most senior SEO to be in 5-6 hours of meetings a day. This is especially common as you start taking on more projects or products within the company.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It is also much easier to transition from being an agency SEO into consulting because you:<\/p>\n<p>Have the playbook.Know how to pitch clients.\u00a0Understand the nuts and bolts of running a business that sells SEO.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Consulting is an attractive proposition if you have the best clients. I know many of the best SEOs who easily generate incomes of several hundred thousand a year with just a few clients.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve seen lifelong in-house SEOs struggle with this transition. In contrast, it seemed second nature for my agency SEO friends to begin side hustles and eventually transition into working full-time for themselves.<\/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=\"The_benefits_of_being_in-house\"><\/span>The benefits of being in-house<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/tips-become-in-house-seo-387526\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Becoming an in-house SEO<\/a> has various advantages which I really enjoy. Some of them include:<\/p>\n<p>Having a better quality of life (for me, at least).\u00a0More opportunities for consistent, deep work.Not caring if clients fire you.Going into tech or SEO product.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Better_quality_of_life\"><\/span>Better quality of life<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>I know some agencies have a high quality of life. But by their nature, I have always found the work to be more reactive depending on who the client is.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve also witnessed some clients being abusive to agencies, as they can be an easy scapegoat when things go south.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It is almost always painful for me to join a new company. There\u2019s a level of needing to \u201cprove yourself\u201d initially.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Yet over time, I find the familiarity and friendships I\u2019ve built within a company allow me to have a high quality of life I am not confident I could find in an agency with new companies, teams and stakeholders all the time.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This level of peace and comfort usually happens at around the 1.5-year mark, when you\u2019ve had some wins and finally feel \u201csettled.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>My quality of life is pretty exceptional, and I have no complaints at most of the large companies I worked for.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"More_opportunities_for_consistent_deep_work\"><\/span>More opportunities for consistent, deep work<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>When you think about just one customer (your company) every day, getting the buy-in needed for meaty, big multi-year projects becomes much easier.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It also enables you to be a real subject matter expert on your products, allowing you to take on exciting and out-of-the-box SEO ideas and not just execute best practices.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>A lot of my agency friends find this lack of variety boring, but I personally love being able to think deeply about a smaller portfolio of products.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Not_having_to_care_if_your_clients_fire_you\"><\/span>Not having to care if your clients fire you\u00a0<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Oftentimes, agencies might have a big client representing a disproportionate share of revenue in the agency. Losing clients like this often can mean layoffs will quickly follow.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This is quite stressful for me because now I have to worry about doing SEO <strong>and<\/strong> keeping all of the clients.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Worrying about SEO results and impact is enough for me, and I don\u2019t like having my job security tied too heavily to a single customer.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Going_into_tech_andor_SEO_product\"><\/span>Going into tech and\/or SEO product\u00a0<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Tech has been a career-changer. I get to do what I love in combination with working on products I use daily and receiving some widely lauded industry perks such as:<\/p>\n<p>Stock packages.Generous benefits.World-class snacks.A fine education in big company vernacular (i.e., \u201ctaking a step back\u201d to produce results that really \u201cmove the needle\u201d).\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>I recognize that I got incredibly lucky with my timing at Square. Most tech companies fail, and it\u2019s a highly tumultuous industry at the moment. But I am deeply satisfied and appreciative of my experience in tech, and it\u2019s an incredible way to build wealth.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Working for a tech company also means there is usually a large product management organization.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>This means you might be able to join and transfer into a more traditional tech ladder and, eventually, a more well-rounded growth leader who perhaps no longer even does SEO.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>If you want to go into product, working for a tech company is likely the easiest way to eventually transfer into this role style (if it doesn\u2019t exist yet).<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Improving_your_chances_of_getting_hired_in-house\"><\/span>Improving your chances of getting hired in-house<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Interviewing for an in-house role?\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The most common mistake I see agency SEOs make is spending too much time discussing new business when in-house companies simply don\u2019t care.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Here are my suggestions:<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Change_the_number_of_clients_to_the_number_of_sites_you_owned\"><\/span><strong>Change the number of clients to the number of sites you owned<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>In-house hiring managers don\u2019t care how much you billed or how many clients you managed. They want to know the results you produced for any particular client. <\/p>\n<p>Focus on quantitative growth numbers, the size of the sites, and the tools you have familiarity with. Remove anything related to selling\/closing clients.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"If_you_were_a_team_manager_say_it\"><\/span><strong>If you were a team manager, say it!<\/strong> <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Mention how many people you hired and\/or managed. Hiring is one of your most important jobs as a leader, so if you\u2019re a great people manager, let them know.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Name_drop\"><\/span>Name drop<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Big companies like knowing you worked for other big companies, especially if they\u2019re competitors or companies like them. <\/p>\n<p>If you had an attractive client base, let them know, and it will help your resume stick out to the hiring manager.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Dont_be_nervous\"><\/span>Don\u2019t be nervous<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Remember, the company wants to fill this role the most. It is in their best interest to like you. <\/p>\n<p>If the company treats you poorly, this is not the right company for you, and you should move on.<\/p>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/in-house-vs-agency-seo-work-pros-cons-389844\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">In-house vs. agency SEO work: The pros and cons<\/a> appeared first on <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Search Engine Land<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Roughly half of the Twitter DMs I receive are attempts to sell me \u201chigh-quality guest link posting.\u201d The other half are lifelong agency SEOs looking to move in-house, asking me how to make the move and to review their resumes.\u00a0 While I started my career in a link building agency (the real trenches of SEO) and have the utmost respect for agencies, I\u2019d like to share insights into how I feel about in-house vs. agency life. Disclaimer: This is my experience and not reflective of everyone\u2019s [&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-7133","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\/7133","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=7133"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7133\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7133"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7133"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7133"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}