8 Reasons Why Outsourcing SEO Is More Affordable

In today’s cut-throat business world, it is very important to have an online presence. But, building and maintaining a website is not enough. You need to make sure that it is visible to your target audience. And this is where SEO comes in.

Search engine optimization is a complex and ever-changing process, and it can be difficult to keep up with the latest trends and best practices. On top of that, it can be time-consuming and expensive to do SEO in-house.

Creating an SEO budget and allocating resources can be challenging for businesses, especially small businesses and startups. Outsourcing SEO can be a more affordable option. When you outsource your SEO to a white label SEO company or an agency, you can save money in many ways.

Here’s a breakdown of 8 SEO costs that will change your mind about building an in-house SEO team and help you see the value in outsourcing SEO:

1. SEO Experts

Many businesses prefer to hire in-house SEO experts. But the cost of hiring an experienced SEO specialist or team can be high. The average salary for an SEO Manager in the US is around $80,000 per year. But that’s not all. When you add in the cost of benefits and other overhead expenses, the total cost of an in-house SEO team can be quite high.

Moreover, the more experienced and qualified an SEO expert is, the higher their salary will be. This may sound like a good thing, but it can be a burden for small businesses and startups.

It is also important to understand that SEO is continuously evolving. In addition, Google makes over 500 algorithm changes every year. So, you need to make sure that the SEO expert you hire is always up-to-date with the latest trends and practices. Otherwise, your website will not rank well on SERPs.

2. SEO Software And Tools

This is the other significant cost associated with in-house SEO. To do SEO effectively, you must have the right tools and software. While tons of SEO tools are available, both free and paid, the free tools usually don’t offer all the features you need.

Paid SEO tools, on the other hand, can be quite expensive. For example, the cost of Moz Pro starts at $99 per month. And this is just one of the many paid SEO tools that you will need to invest in.

The cost of SEO software and tools can quickly add up, especially if you need to use multiple tools for different tasks.

Many businesses believe that they can save money by using free SEO tools. But the truth is, free tools are free for a reason. They don’t offer all the features and functionality that you need to do a thorough job. Tools like Google Keyword Planner and Search Console are great but are not enough to get the job done.

In addition, while building in-house SEO teams, many businesses can make the mistake of not investing in the right tools and software. As a result, they do more work manually, which takes more time and effort.

3. Web Development

To rank well on SERPs, you need to have a fast, responsive, and mobile-friendly website. If your website is not up to par, you will need to invest in web development.

The cost of web development can be significant, especially if your website is large and complex. The cost will also depend on the features and functionality you want to add to your website.

Moreover, these are not some one-time costs that you can just set and forget. As your business grows, you will need to invest in web development to keep your website up-to-date continuously. Google updates its algorithm frequently, and if your website is not up to par, it will not rank well.

4. Content Creation

Content creation is another significant cost associated with SEO. In order to rank well on SERPs, you need to have high-quality, relevant, and keyword-optimized content on your website.

Google’s helpful content update has made it clear that if you want to rank well, you need great content that has been made for people, not search engines. Moreover, it also takes factors like time spent on the page to check the helpfulness of the content.

This includes the cost of hiring someone to create the content and the cost of the tools and software needed to create and optimize the content.

The average cost of content creation is $0.25-$0.50 per word. A 2000-word article will cost you $500-$1000 to create. This can break the bank for small businesses and startups.

5. Visual Content

Having a well-designed website is important, but it is not enough to rank well on SERPs. In addition to great written content, you also need to have high-quality visual content.

Images, videos, and infographics are all important types of visual content that can help you rank well on SERPs. Google’s algorithm takes into account factors like engagement and time spent on the page when it comes to ranking websites.

Therefore, if you want people to spend more time on your website, you need to have great visual content. This includes the cost of hiring someone to create the visual content and the cost of the tools and software needed to create and optimize the content.

The average cost of visual content creation is $500-$2000 per piece. This can add up quickly, especially if you need multiple pieces of visual content. In addition to this, you will also need to buy subscriptions for tools like Canva, Adobe Creative Suite, and Shutterstock.

6. UX Work

UX work is another important but often overlooked cost associated with SEO. As mentioned earlier, if you want to rank well on SERPs, you need to have a fast, responsive, and mobile-friendly website.

The quantum of UX work will depend on the goal you want to achieve with your website. If you want people to spend more time on your website, you need to have a great visual appearance. You must have a streamlined checkout process if you want people to buy something from your website.

Tasks associated with user experience often include improving the site speed and navigation, making the page mobile-friendly, compressing photo and video files, and more. These tasks can be time-consuming and expensive.

The average cost of UX work is $50-$150 per hour. This, again, can add up quickly, especially if you want to achieve multiple goals simultaneously.

7. Local SEO

Local SEO is a different game altogether. It is the process of optimizing your website for local search results. When people search for something related to your business, your website will appear in the local search results.

For example, if you own a gym in Los Angeles, you would want your website to appear when people search for “gyms in Los Angeles.”

Various costs associated with local SEO include creating and claiming local listings, building citations, and generating reviews. These tasks can be time-consuming and expensive. Moreover, these costs vary depending on the competitiveness of your industry and the location of your business.

8. Additional Resources

Last but not least, there are additional resources that you need to consider when trying to do in-house SEO. These costs can often be overlooked, but they are important nonetheless.

Some of the additional resources you need to consider include data feed management services, map pack advertising, and review monitoring. These services can be expensive, but they are often necessary to rank well on SERPs.

Moreover, you will also need to invest in quality management, tools for searching and monitoring plagiarism, etc., to support your in-house content creation.

The bottom line is that doing in-house SEO is not cheap. There are many hidden costs associated with it that can quickly add up. If you want to do in-house SEO, you need to be prepared to invest a significant amount of money.

Outsourcing your SEO needs is a more affordable option. You can get the same services for a fraction of the cost. There are many benefits of outsourcing your SEO, but the biggest one is that it is more affordable.

When you outsource your SEO, you don’t need to invest in all of the additional resources. You also don’t need to pay for expensive software subscriptions or UX work. All you need to do is pay for the services you need. This can save you a lot of money in the long run.