It may not be easy to determine if an agency is an intermediary for SEO services or has in-house experts. When an agency outsources SEO work from freelance experts, it means that you are not directly communicating with the one helping you with your search engine optimization. You are dealing with the agency, which is merely an intermediary. In contrast, an agency with in-house SEO services allows you to talk directly to the SEO professional who is in charge of helping you.
While there are freelancers who have superior SEO skills, the presence of an intermediary between the two of you may lead to some problems. When you hire an SEO expert, it needs that you work closely with him to get the best results.
Here are some potential problems when hiring an agency that outsources its SEO services.
No Direct Communication
You will not be directly communicating with the expert who is working on your search engine optimization. The same is true for him. All communications will have to pass through the agency. If you have questions, the agency will relay it to the SEO expert. The SEO will then answer your question through the agency. This can be time-consuming and may delay some actions.
No One-on-One Instruction
It pays to work closely with the expert working on your SEO. You can even ask for a meeting by teleconferencing or personal consultation. Furthermore, you can be taught some procedures like the use of analytics to monitor the progress of your search engine optimization.
All of the above cannot be done with an agency that outsources its SEO services. With an agency with in-house SEO services, you can be empowered with the knowledge you can derive from meetings and constant communication.
Lack of Consistency
While you can memorize all the terms and conditions of the contract you signed with the agency, you may not know what’s in the agreement between the SEO expert and the agency. This can create inconsistency in the quality of service you are getting. What if the SEO doesn’t renew his contract with the agency?
By all means, you need to determine if an agency is outsourcing the SEO services being offered to its clients. Avoid these agencies and go for agencies with in-house SEO services. There, you can be in good hands.
