Despite the fact that the Internet changes quickly, some things remain the same. In particular, SEO remains a cornerstone of attracting the traffic needed to succeed in your online ventures. However, companies are forced to make a decision. Should they perform their SEO internally, or should they hire experts? Here are some of the benefits of both approaches and how companies can decide which choice is right for them.

Benefits of Internal SEO

Internal SEO can allow your company to set your own goals and perform SEO at your own pace. SEO is a long-term strategy, and being too aggressive at first can lead to poor results. In addition, internal SEO may allow your company to save money. By making SEO part of your social media strategy, you may be able to accomplish two tasks simultaneously. These combined efforts can help you accomplish your goals without spending more than is necessary. In addition, a bit of training can go a long way, and companies that train their employees to perform SEO can develop a culture of building strong Internet properties.

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Benefits of Hiring an Agency

Perhaps the most important benefit of hiring an agency is knowing that work will be done appropriately. Established agencies have employees with tremendous amounts of experience, and their methods, which are often kept secret, may be more effective than what you can develop internally. In addition, their past clients serve as valuable data points to help them chart effective strategies for improving your search engine rankings. Agencies also allow you to save time for your employees, which will allow them to focus on tasks for which they may be better suited.

How to Choose

For those with fairly modest SEO targets, it may be best to work internally. For example, a company targeting local keywords may not need to hire a large agency to accomplish their goals. Companies that will create multiple websites in the future may find it worth the time needed to train employees. Those who have broad goals, however, are often best served by hiring an agency. Agencies are able to create plans for targeting keywords, and these plans may be necessary for those with ambitious SEO plans.

Hiring an Agency

When hiring an agency, it is important to ensure that they are capable of meeting your goals. Some agencies are better at performing work for large companies; others are better able to deliver results for small companies. In addition, it is important to have realistic expectations. Targeting popular keywords can be difficult, so may be best to hire an agency that instead focuses on long-tail keywords.

Search engine optimisation remains a cornerstone of online outreach, and those who ignore SEO risk falling behind their competitors. Fortunately, companies have multiple options when it comes to performing SEO, and those who take the time needed to find the right solution for them can benefit tremendously.

This article was written by Emma Reato for Search Factory – a SEO & SEM specialist company located in Brisbane, Australia.