What’s the difference between SEO consulting and done-for-you SEO?

The difference boils down to who executes the work. SEO consulting is when you hire an expert to advise, strategize, and possibly train your team – but your team implements the recommendations. Done-for-you SEO means you’re hiring a service (often an agency) to handle the execution for you – the strategizing, content creation, technical fixes, link building, etc. In other words, an SEO consultant might tell you what to do, whereas a done-for-you SEO team will actually do it for you. Both approaches have their merits depending on your resources and needs.

SEO Consulting (Advisory Services)

SEO consulting typically involves an experienced SEO professional (or team) who provides guidance and insight. This could be structured as a one-time project (like an SEO audit and strategy roadmap) or ongoing coaching/consulting sessions.

What you get

Analysis of your site, identification of opportunities and issues, a strategic plan, and advice on execution. For instance, an SEO consultant might deliver a report saying, “Your site has slow page speeds and thin content in X area; here’s how to fix it and the types of pages you should create.” They may also offer workshops or training to your in-house staff so that they can carry out the plan effectively.

Who does the work

Your team does. The consultant is hands-off in implementation; they might check in and adjust strategy, but they won’t be writing blog posts, editing HTML, or doing outreach. Think of it as getting a blueprint from an architect – you still need builders to construct it.

Pros

It’s great if you have a capable marketing or web team but need expert direction. You gain a lot of SEO knowledge internally through the process. It can also be cost-effective – you’re paying for expertise by the hour or project, not a full-scale service. Also, consulting is often flexible; you could hire a consultant for a quick site audit or a 3-month engagement to kick off a strategy, without a long-term contract.

Con

Execution is on you. If your team is already stretched thin or lacks certain skills (like technical SEO know-how or content creation capacity), you might struggle to implement the consultant’s recommendations in a timely manner. There’s also a risk of “strategy sitting on a shelf” – you get a fancy report but don’t execute it fully, yielding limited results. The consultant’s value is only realized if you act on their advice.

Done-For-You SEO (Full-Service Implementation)

Done-for-you SEO is typically offered by agencies or specialized providers. You essentially outsource the entire SEO function to them. They craft the strategy and execute it end-to-end.

What you get

A turn-key solution. The agency will likely start with an audit/strategy anyway, but then they’ll move straight into action – fixing technical issues, producing SEO-focused content, optimizing your pages, building links, etc. You’ll receive regular reports on progress, and they’ll handle day-to-day SEO tasks. For example, Embarque’s done-for-you SEO service provides a dedicated team (content writers, SEO strategists, technical experts) that takes care of everything from keyword research to publishing content to outreach for backlinks.

Who does the work

The agency’s team does. Your involvement can be as little as attending update meetings or reviewing content for accuracy/brand voice. It’s like hiring a construction company to build the house – they’ve got the carpenters, plumbers, electricians all in-house; you check in to see the progress.

Pros

Convenience and expertise combined. If you lack in-house SEO skills or time, this is a stress-free route – experts are literally doing the work for you. 

It’s results-driven; a good agency will be targeting agreed KPIs, and you can watch the work translating into outcomes without managing each step. 

It can also ramp up faster – an agency might deploy multiple specialists at once (while a single consultant or in-house hire has limited bandwidth). Essentially, you get an entire SEO department on day one.

Cons

Cost is higher than consulting since you’re paying for labor and deliverables, not just advice. You also relinquish some control; you’ll need to trust the provider’s methods and timing. 

Communication is key – if the agency doesn’t deeply understand your business, they might produce content that doesn’t sound like you (though the good ones will make an effort to match tone and strategy). 

Finally, any time you outsource, there’s a bit of onboarding overhead to get the external team up to speed on your unique value prop and audience.

Which Should You Choose?

It depends on your situation:

Choose SEO consulting…

if you have the internal capacity to implement and just need expert direction. For example, maybe you have a marketing team who can write and a dev who can fix technical issues, but none of you are SEO specialists – a consultant can identify what to do, and your team can run with it. 

It’s also a good choice if you’re on a tighter budget or simply want to test the waters of SEO with a smaller engagement.

Choose done-for-you SEO…

if you want results without the headache of execution. 

This is ideal for companies that either don’t have a marketing team or whose team is swamped with other tasks. It’s a “hands-off” solution – after initial discussions, the agency will drive the process. Also, if speed is a factor, an agency might achieve progress faster (since they can dedicate multiple resources). 

Many businesses opt for done-for-you when SEO is critical to growth but they don’t want to spend months hiring or training an in-house team. Embarque, for instance, often acts as an outsourced SEO department for clients – delivering strategy and execution in tandem.

In some cases, it’s not an either/or. 

You might start with a consultant to audit your site and lay out a plan, then hire an agency to execute that plan (or vice versa – use an agency to get quick wins, then bring in a consultant to refine your long-term strategy or assist your new in-house hire). 

Some agencies even offer hybrid models, providing strategic consulting to your team while also handling more complex implementation pieces.

Summary

SEO consulting = you’re buying expertise and advice; you implement. Done-for-you SEO = you’re buying an outcome-oriented service; they implement. If you have the team but need guidance, go consulting. If you need the heavy lifting done for you, go with a full-service SEO package. Both can yield great results – just align the choice with your resources, timeline, and how much you want to be involved in the nitty-gritty.w