SEO outsourcing: what do you need to know?

Numerous websites outsource their SEO, but why is this so important?

In this day and age, website owners realize that you cannot run a profitable internet business without optimizing their website.

However, it is very expensive to hire top-tier, domestic companies to do this job for you. Starting a new website is a big financial burden as it is. So, people decide to outsource instead.

What is SEO outsourcing?

Outsourcing isn’t a new concept. It has been around for decades and it represents the basis of Western economy.

How did outsourcing start?

Salaries are the biggest cost for any company. As the USA started experiencing economic growth, living standards began to grow at the same time. People wanted higher salaries.

It became an increasing burden for companies that looked for a way to remain competitive and profitable. A solution was presented in a form of foreign developing markets where price of the workforce was significantly lower.

Fast forward to today.

Almost every industry uses outsourced labor. SEO is no different in that regard. Countries such as India, Pakistan, Philippines are among the leading providers of the service. At the same time, they are slowly catching up in terms of education and productivity. High tech industry is no longer exclusive to Western countries.

However, even with all the benefits, outsourcing SEO services can have its flaws.

Pros of outsourcing SEO

Before you decide to outsource your SEO, it is necessary to consider all the information.

First, let’s see all the benefits.

1) Cheaper cost

Outsourcing work on the internet is a bit different than traditional outsourcing. Given that the internet is a global network and you can easily and quickly access data, price discrepancy is significantly lower.

Here, cost of a service reflects quality of work. Nevertheless, companies from developing countries will always be able to give you a discount due to differences in living standard.

I cannot emphasize enough how important SEO is for up and coming organizations. Regardless of your budget, you should always keep in mind that outsourcing will save you a lot of money and it is definitely one of the crucial factors here.

2) Expertize

As I mentioned, the best option for you would be to employ services of a top-tier company. However, most of the people do not have that much money for the initial investment. Instead, they try to perform SEO by themselves. That is a big mistake.

Search engine optimization is a sophisticated, quickly developing profession. You have to stay in the loop and constantly learn new things. To top it all off, methods and processes constantly change. It requires a lot of time to adapt new, efficient procedures. Most of the website owners do not have this time at their disposal.

Outsourced companies seem like a perfect solution. Combination of price and expertize will make them more than worth it.

3) Long-term solution

In comparison to any other promotional method, SEO is definitely a long-term solution. Every internet company should have a separate department which will exclusively deal with this type of marketing.

A lot of people decide to start in-house SEO seeing it as the optimal long-term solution. But, the question of money still remains. If you already wish to pursue strong optimization, it is best if you use an outsourced company and start working with it as soon as possible.

Building a relationship with an ambitious foreign organization will go a long way and it will be the best financial option.

Cons of outsourcing SEO

Now, let’s consider all the potential issues.

1) Uncertainties regarding the company

Employing services of a foreign company is like purchasing a cat in a bag. Unless you have cooperated with them previously, there is no telling what can go wrong.

The very fact that you are not a part of the same society, legal or economic system makes it even harder. As we said, deals on the internet are mostly verbal. That is another thing that needs to be considered.

As if this wasn’t enough, there is always a question of efficiency. Two companies with a same price tag can produce completely different results. You can never tell until you start working with an organization.

This is precisely the reason why many websites have stopped outsourcing; they hired a reputable SEO company for a solid price and were dissatisfied with its results.

2) Cultural barriers

Globalization and the internet have done wonders for local companies. Not only are we able to do business all over the world but we are also able to meet new cultures. Unfortunately, differences in cultures and customs oftentimes lead to issues.

SEO companies are not different in that regard. Even though this is a high tech business reliant upon international cooperation and working with different nationalities, outsourced SEO experts will always have traces of their domestic culture. Generally speaking, this is not a big issue but it may lead to additional tensions.

Luckily, as the trend of global cooperation continues, we expect that these problems will become less and less apparent.

3) Trying too hard to impress

This can be an even bigger problem than lack of efficiency.

In order to get a job (or keep one) an outsourced SEO company is prepared to do various things. Of course, this depends on values and strategy of an organization. But, in many cases they will be prepared to do obsolete or even harmful things just so it can appear that you are making progress and getting links.

If such a thing occurs, not only will you lose money due to inefficiency, but you may also jeopardize long-term health of the domain leading to Google penalty. Again, this is the reason why you have to employ a trustworthy professional as he will have full control of your internet business.

Conclusion

There are a lot of different things to be considered when hiring an outsourced SEO company. Like with other business decisions, there are some risks and some benefits. No matter what you decide, make sure to get all the facts straight beforehand.

Proficient SEO experts can be a great long-term investment and can save you a lot of headaches. That is, if you find the right person for the job.