If you run a business, you’ve probably considered hiring an agency of some sort. And why wouldn’t you? Agencies have the perfect websites, the sleek boardrooms and the row of awards on the wall.
Yet, after working both sides, agency and independent, I’ve discovered a not-so-hidden truth: a dedicated SEO consultant can often deliver better results, deeper attention, and lower costs.
Let’s delve into why an SEO consultant (sometimes in partnership with an agency) can be the perfect fit for many brands.
Agencies Have Their Place, But They’re Not Always What You Need
The “All-in-One” Promise
An agency’s strongest appeal can be having an expansive team collaborating on your company’s behalf: SEO, PPC, social media, design, content, you name it. If you want full-fledged multidisciplinary team coddling, that might sound appealing. But, with the broad approach, you may find yourself paying for services you don’t need. And all these channel teams inevitably compete with one another, so you may end up concentrating on social media first or tagging on SEO towards the end of site design (sigh).
High Touch, High Cost
Large agencies that charge $10K to $20K a month retainers can fall into the pay-to-pamper category. Expensive lunches, dedicated account managers, possibly even some ritzy Buckhead office space in Atlanta. The kind of office you’d expect to see a foosball table in as you peer through the glass separating the lobby from the work area. But no one’s playing foosball at the moment because no one has ever played a full game of foosball.
Intense Specialization
“A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.”
The product manager kept telling me this at my first in house SEO gig decades ago. The company was one of the “Big Six” hotel brands and had developed an early lead against competitors in paid media marketing. They’d hired me because they didn’t want to risk placing organic search in the hands of their otherwise talented marketing team. I passed the phrase off as a cliché at the time.
Looking back, I can’t count the number of times I’ve seen this phrase play out. I’m talking not just about individual page or site nightmares, but businesses that relied on organic search getting crushed. Often due to a web developer or marketer’s technical SEO oversights.
You can bet an SEO-only consultant who lives and breathes organic search will be more fanatical about the subject than a jack of all trades. He has to be. His reputation is on the line. And he’s competing against agency teams so he’s likely to go the extra mile.
This intense specialization is one of my favorite SEO consultant benefits.
Flexible Pricing
If you’ve ever balked at typical SEO consultant rates, you might be in for a surprise. Among the benefits of hiring an SEO consultant is the freedom of truly flexible pricing. Consultants (the good ones) can actually cost less than an agency while providing more focused attention. Consultants typically work virtually, hiring subcontractors as needed, which keeps overhead low. You’re not paying for a whole org chart, a lot of extra communication you don’t have time to read, or gimmicky entertainment like that foosball table.
SEO consultants are their own manager, supervisor, director, CEO, CFO, and sometimes their own personal assistant, too. The lean business model allows them to deliver high-quality services at a fraction of the cost of top agencies, which can charge $10,000+ per month.
They’re less likely to have staff with hours they need to fill and not being wedded to retainers, can utilize any combination of pricing models. With an SEO consultancy, you’re paying for expertise.
Direct Access to the Expert
If I hire someone to do an important job, I like dealing with the person who is doing the work. Whether lawn care provider or cardiologist. One of best benefits of working with an SEO consultant is direct access to the expert.
Remember that feeling when you call an agency with an urgent question and your main contact has to “run it by the SEO specialist”?
Some clients never meet the person who creates the SEO strategy for them.
By definition, a consultant consults with you. He guides you and makes sure you have all your questions answered.
The consultant doing the work gives you word saladless clarity, accountability and the nixing of bad ideas without the fear of stepping on a department heads’ toes.
Rule-Breaking
In SEO, playing it safe can sometimes mean lagging behind.
When the business you oversee is at stake, who should be at the other end of that Zoom call? Someone who has a rigid contract and pre-defined deliverables across accounts? Or a rule-breaker? You know, the kind of person who adapts.
Now, when I use the word “rule-breaker”, the SEO mind immediately goes to high-risk black hat tactics.
I said ‘rule-breaker,’ not ‘masochist’.
Long-term SEO with a willingness to pivot fast and safely. A small consultancy of SEO-only experts can test new tactics to get results with minimal risk.
Scaling Either Way
Agencies talk about “scaling up.” That’s great when it’s the right move. But not every situation calls for all out rapid fire.
As strange as it sounds, sometimes the best move is to reduce SEO efforts or pause for a bit. Your site might have peaked with certain keyword sets, or you may need to shift budget to other marketing channels temporarily. An SEO consultant with your best interests in mind will let you know if it’s time for a reset.
Helping You Do It vs. Doing It All for You
SEO consultants are great at advising, recommending, and warning you. Sure, you can hand some SEO consultants the keys to your site and let them do everything (assuming they do implementation). But clients crave collaboration from their trusted experts, the “You can do it, we can help” approach (The Home Depot’s beautiful former slogan).
Agencies might try to handle it all, but when your marketing staff needs to truly learn SEO along the way, a consultant is the best teacher. There’s nothing like hearing the VP of Marketing’s “Aha!” after finally getting your explanation of canonical URLs.
For an SEO consultant, every client represents a long-term relationship. Their reputation is on the line every day. This personal stake often leads to communication, a stronger rapport, and a genuine commitment to helping you thrive.
See you at the office foosball table?
