For every SaaS company, a high return on investment is the number one priority. And marketing takes up a huge part of that investment.

Search Engine Optimization is a complex call so the company has to make tough decisions. Do I need to set up an in-house SEO team or outsource to any SaaS SEO agency?

That is why we wrote this article. You need to look at these factors before deciding to hire an in-house SEO team or outsource to a SaaS SEO Agency.

Hire Talented Professionals

To hire an in-house SEO team, you need to look at the talent. No marketing professional is a jack of all trades. In the SaaS SEO sector, it’s impossible to know everything about anything.

So it would make more sense to outsource your SEO work to a SaaS SEO Agency. This is because these agencies have invested their time in developing teams that have professionals for specific tasks. 

Expenses are also important

There are always cost implications whether you settle for an In-House team or hire SaaS SEO Agency. Depending on the budget you have set you can take the decision. But remember SEO professionals do not come cheap.

An expert will always cost you above $50,000 or more a year. And keep in mind that it isn’t a one-person job. You have to spend about $250,000 a year for a small in-house SaaS SEO team. Other expenses in training the team and buying tools are separate.

You should also not think of hiring some amateur at a cheap salary and train to make him/ her professional. Because the data shows “it costs more to hire an amateur than it does an expert”.

On the other side, when you hire a SaaS SEO Agency, you only have to pay monthly fees only for the services which is much lesser than the cost of sustaining full-time employees. SaaS Agencies SEO fees may start from $2000. It is in the best interest of the client to compare figures to see the most-effective way.

Focus on Strategies

A short-term SEO strategy does not require a long-term approach. You don’t have to hire a team whom you will not need after some time. Maybe according to the need of the hour you need to shift your marketing strategy from organic to paid. Will you hire paid ad experts then? 

Putting together teams of SEO experts might be a smart choice. But it is more useful to concentrate on strengthening other areas of your business while letting a SaaS SEO agency handle your SEO.

A good SaaS SEO Agency has probably worked on campaigns similar to yours. What you would have spent months on can be achieved in a short period of time.

In-House SaaS SEO Team Strong Points

Company Culture

If you have an in-house team, it will easily resonate with your company’s needs and objectives. The team’s vision will be achieving company goals and propelling the company forward.

Easy Oversight

Having your own SEO team gives you an eye over the bits of your SaaS SEO strategy. Communication is no more barrier in this case. Companies can control some factors of their online marketing. You can also spot and solve problems faster when you have an in-house team.

Quick Results

Some projects are time-critical. Sometimes you will need to deliver results quickly. This is where an in-house SaaS SEO team will come into play.

You can communicate what your team needs to achieve faster. By the team understanding how time-sensitive the task is, messages are passed faster, and changes take less time to effect.

That way, you can achieve business targets within the shortest time possible. Follow-up with an outsourced SaaS SEO Agency can cause a strain, especially on expected times.

How does outsourcing win?

Check out the advantages of outsourcing your SEO needs below.

Focused Marketing

If you know that someone is totally focused on SaaS SEO with years of experience, you do not need to hire an in-house SaaS SEO team for your business.

You can hire that agency because they know what works and what doesn't in the SaaS industry.

Competitive Edge

If you are in a high-competition industry, outsourcing your SEO needs might work better. This is because an outside company can see things from a different angle. They can develop better strategies to put you ahead of your immediate competitors.

Lower Costs

One of the major aspects of outsourcing SaaS SEO is the lower cost. Compared to the cost of an in-house team, SaaS SEO expert agencies deliver a better ROI. 

Once you outline the expectations of a campaign, the SaaS SEO agency will take over everything else.

Keeping up with the updates

An SEO agency is better placed to keep track of any algorithmic policy changes. Because it is continually dealing with different sets of clients, an agency is likely to have a team that specializes in keeping track of new policies.

In SEO, updates can make a huge difference in ranking. 

Better Talent

SaaS SEO Agencies are meant to give the best output to their clients. They have the resources to train and retain their talent. 

They are a team of SEO Experts and it helps when dealing with challenging marketing campaigns that need a wider pool of same-field professionals. 

Like-minded experts can lead brainstorming sessions that can come up with new ways of market your SaaS product.

Better Reporting

SEO results aren’t just checking your site’s ranking on the web pages. To maintain top rankings, you have to keep reviewing reports, spy on competitors to find out what works and what to change.

This is a task that may require a different skill set. 

So this can be taken care of by a professional all the time.

Drawbacks of In-house SEO teams

Employee Maintenance

SEO is very important for your business but keeping an in-house team will surely increase your wage bill. If we keep the salaries aside, you have to keep investing money to train the team on newer SEO techniques and tools. 

Tools and strategies cost money in acquisition and training.

So it is better to hire a SaaS SEO Agency to minimize these costs.

Drawbacks of outsourcing SEO

Unfortunately, great options can also have disadvantages

Contracts

Whether you are satisfied with the work or not you have to follow the terms written on the contract i.e. Please provide a 60 days notice before ending the contract.

Communication Gap

An agency deals with other clients also. The turnaround time may get affected if you want something to get done quickly.

Final Conclusion- Takeaway

Deciding between hiring a SaaS SEO agency or an in-house team is clearly a strategic decision. It will take a while before settling on the best approach. To make sure you are not making any mistakes by leaning more towards one end, you can try both at varying times.

Do you need help with your SaaS SEO campaigns? You can reach out to us so that we can assist you better.