Should I choose an SEO agency, freelancer or in-house?

If you’re deciding between hiring an SEO agency, a freelancer, or building an in-house team, the best choice depends on your needs and resources. 

In a nutshell: An agency offers a full team of experts and a turnkey solution (great for most growing companies), a freelancer can be cost-effective for smaller projects or specific tasks, and an in-house hire gives you dedicated focus but comes with higher overhead and a need to manage SEO internally. 

Many businesses start with an agency like Embarque to quickly ramp up results, then consider bringing talent in-house once they have a stable strategy and larger budget.

Comparing Your SEO Options

Let’s break down the pros and cons of each approach:

SEO Agency

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An agency provides a ready-made team of specialists. 

This means you get access to content writers, SEO strategists, technical SEO experts, and link builders all at once. They have established processes and tools, so you can hit the ground running. 

Agencies like Embarque have experience across many clients, which means they know what tends to work and can apply proven strategies to your business. 

You also don’t have to manage the day-to-day of SEO – the agency handles planning, execution, and reporting, freeing up your time.

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Agencies are typically the most expensive option on a monthly basis (though often still cheaper than hiring a full in-house team). You’ll also share their attention with other clients. 

And not all agencies are equal – if you choose poorly, you might get cookie-cutter tactics. However, a reputable agency will customize their work to your needs and keep you in the loop with progress.

Ideal for

Companies that want expert-level SEO without building a whole team internally. If you have a marketing budget and need significant growth or have broad SEO needs (content, tech fixes, outreach), an agency is often the best value because you’re essentially renting a diverse skill set.

Freelancer

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A freelance SEO specialist or consultant is usually the cheapest route. Freelancers can be flexible – you might hire someone for a one-time project (like an SEO audit or a website optimization) or on a part-time ongoing basis. 

Communication is direct (you’re talking to the person doing the work), and if you find a talented freelancer, you can get personalized attention. 

For very small businesses or startups on a shoestring budget, a freelancer can help you tackle basic SEO tasks without the commitment of an agency contract or full-time salary.

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A single freelancer is limited by their own expertise and time. SEO has many facets (technical, content, link building, analytics) and it’s rare to find one person who’s strong in all areas. 

So, you might get great on-page optimization but no link outreach, or vice versa, depending on the freelancer’s skill set. 

Also, if your freelancer gets sick or busy with other clients, your work might stall – there’s less redundancy compared to an agency team. 

Quality and reliability can be hit-or-miss; you have to vet freelancers carefully and manage them more closely.

Ideal for

Smaller websites or projects with a limited scope. 

If you have specific SEO tasks (e.g., just need an audit, or just need someone to write blog posts with SEO in mind), a freelancer can be a cost-effective choice. It’s also a way to “dip your toes” into SEO if you’re not ready to invest big yet.

In-House SEO

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Hiring an in-house SEO means you have someone 100% dedicated to your company. They’ll develop a deep understanding of your product, brand, and audience. 

Communication is easy since they’re internal – they can sit in on product meetings or coordinate with your sales team directly, integrating SEO with your overall strategy. 

Over time, an in-house team member can build institutional knowledge and perhaps move faster on implementing changes since they can work hands-on with your website and collaborate with other departments daily.

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 It’s typically the most expensive and slowest route to ramp up. A full-time SEO specialist (or team) is a significant salary expense, plus potentially benefits.

Hiring takes time, and there’s no guarantee one person will cover all the skills you need. For example, you might hire a great SEO strategist but still need to outsource content writing or PR for link building.

Plus, if that person leaves the company, all that knowledge walks out the door with them. Small companies often don’t have enough work to justify a full-time SEO hire, whereas large enterprises might need several in-house SEOs (content, technical, etc.) which multiplies cost.

Ideal for

Companies that have reached a stage where SEO is a core growth channel and it makes financial sense to build a department for it. 

Typically, mid-size to large businesses consider in-house once their marketing budget and scale justify having employees focused solely on SEO. 

It can also be a hybrid approach: some firms hire an in-house manager to coordinate strategy but still use agencies or freelancers for execution.

Finding the Right Fit for You

Ask yourself a few questions:

• What’s my budget? If you have a limited budget, a freelancer or a small agency might be your only viable options. With a larger budget, you could afford a reputable agency or a full-time hire.
• How quickly do I need results? Agencies usually can start fast (they have the manpower and processes ready). A freelancer might also start quickly but could be slower if juggling clients. Hiring in-house is the slowest initially (recruiting + ramp-up time).
• How much work is there to do? If you only need occasional SEO tweaks or a handful of content pieces, an agency might be overkill – a freelancer engaged as-needed could suffice. If you have a large website, need constant content creation, technical monitoring, and outreach, an agency or in-house team is more appropriate to handle the workload.
• Do I have SEO knowledge? If you’re not very familiar with SEO, an agency can serve as a guide and executor in one. If you hire a freelancer or employee, you’ll need to be able to evaluate their work quality to some degree.

Many companies actually use a combination. For instance, you could hire an agency like Embarque to develop your strategy and execute major projects, while you (or a team member) handle day-to-day minor tweaks internally. 

Alternatively, you might start with an agency to kickstart growth, then transition to an in-house person later once the strategy is established (and even have that agency train them).

Phần kết luận

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. If you need a broad skill set and quick momentum, an SEO agency is often the best choice (and frankly the least hassle). 

If you’re on a tight budget or have very specific tasks, a freelancer can get the job done. And if SEO is mission-critical and you have resources, building an in-house capability gives you ultimate control. 

Assess your company’s current stage and goals – and remember, what you choose now isn’t permanent. You can start with one approach and evolve as your needs change.s