Agency vs. In-house: 3 Case Studies on Hiring SEO Agencies and Value for Money

It’s a never-ending debate for digital marketers and business owners: should SEO work be outsourced via an agency, or handled internally? There are compelling arguments for both sides of the argument – from cost effectiveness to quality control. In this blog post, we take a closer look at the pros and cons with three real-world case studies of businesses that have had success working with an SEO agency – exploring their initial goals, key decision factors and reviewing value for money when evaluated over time. If you’re considering outsourcing your SEO work but unsure if it’s right for you and your business, then this post is definitely worth reading!

The eCommerce Store Case

The first case study is an e-commerce store that had identified a few key areas it wanted to improve: organic visibility, brand recognition and customer acquisition. After deciding to go with an agency, they chose one based on their track record and the fact they could get started quickly – enabling them to take advantage of seasonal opportunities such as holiday sales and Black Friday deals. The agency implemented numerous technical changes to the website, alongside creating content for specific keyword terms and building quality backlinks for improved off-page SEO.

It wasn’t long before the results began to show. Organic traffic increased significantly and there was a corresponding rise in conversions from those visitors – resulting in increased revenue for the business. Looking back at their decision, this company identified their budget, timeline and desired results as key factors in deciding to work with an SEO agency.

B2B software business case

The second case study is a B2B software business that’s focused on SEO for lead generation. Here, the company faced a number of obstacles – from a lack of internal resources and expertise to technical issues such as missing meta tags and page redirects. As the company had existing relationships with some agencies, they decided to go down the outsource route in order to get up-to-speed quickly and begin implementing solutions immediately.

After working with an SEO services company for just under 6 months, this partnership has already achieved some tangible successes – from improved organic rankings (and visibility) to more qualified leads being generated through targeted content marketing campaigns. The company recognized the importance of collaborating closely with their agency and highlighted this as one of the key factors in achieving success.

Real Estate Agency Case

Finally, we have a real estate agency that was looking to improve visibility on local search engine results pages (SERPs). To meet this objective, they required an experienced SEO team who could manage all aspects of their online presence – from website optimization through to content marketing. After shopping around for agencies, they decided to go with one based on their knowledge and experience within the sector.

It’s still early days in terms of performance but initial results are promising: organic traffic has increased significantly year-on-year and the company is beginning to be seen as an authority in its field. The key takeaway from this case study: when working with a digital marketing agency, it pays to go with one that has proven success in your specific industry.

Conclusion

It’s clear that hiring an SEO agency can bring a multitude of benefits – and improved visibility is often the most desirable outcome. However, budget, timeline and desired results are all important factors when making the decision whether or not to outsource your SEO work. The three case studies explored in this blog post demonstrate how businesses have successfully achieved their digital marketing goals by outsourcing their SEO work – building on existing relationships and selecting agencies based on knowledge and experience within the sector. In conclusion, if you’re considering partnering with an SEO agency then these cases provide valuable insights into what it takes to succeed in the ever-evolving world of digital marketing.