Tech

SEO Agency vs. In-House SEO: What’s Best for You?

By Ellie — ON Jun 30, 2025

The majority of a business’s success or failure is determined by its search positions; 53% of all online traffic begins with an organic search. However, as your site grows, SEO can become an intricate blend of keywords, content, technical fixes, and link building. And that brings about a tough decision: Build an in-house SEO team you control day-to-day, or hire an external agency with deep expertise and scalable horsepower.

Both choices have their advantages and disadvantages; it all depends on what goals, resources, and competencies you have within your company.

Here, we’ll sort out all your doubts, comparing costs, skills, and strategic fit, so you can decide which direction will move your business forward.

What Is SEO? And Why Should You Care?

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) refers to optimizing a website and online content to achieve a high ranking on search engines’ results pages, such as Google, Bing, or Yahoo. Better positions lead to increased organic traffic, enhanced brand visibility, and higher conversion and revenue potential.

Organic search produces over 50% of global website traffic.

SEO encompasses technical optimization, content creation, link building, and optimizing user experience.

As online competition grows, good SEO can be a game-changer for a business, regardless of its size.

Why is SEO important? Simply put, because when potential clients search online looking for services or products, you must turn up on page one, ideally within the top three positions. SEO will get you there.

In-House SEO Explained

In-house SEO involves hiring one or more SEO professionals directly within your company. These professionals will work exclusively on your site and online assets, and they will collaborate with your marketing, content, and development teams.

Roles within an In-House SEO Department:

SEO Manager/Strategist
SEO Analyst
Content SEO Specialist
Technical SEO Expert
Link Building Specialist

How In-House SEO Operates

Direct control over SEO strategy and implementation
Close alignment with other departments
Continuous, dedicated focus on your website

What is an SEO Agency

An SEO agency is a third-party organization that provides SEO services to multiple clients. Its team of experts has various specializations and uses their experience across industries to optimize client websites.

Types of SEO Agencies

Full-service digital marketing agencies with SEO departments
Specialized SEO agencies focus solely on SEO.
Freelance SEO consultants or boutique firms

How Agencies Work

Contract-based or retainer models
Provide audits, strategy, implementation support, and reporting
Can scale resources based on client needs

Core Differences: SEO Agency vs. In-House SEO

We will review the key differences between hiring an SEO agency and establishing an in-house SEO function, including their characteristics, advantages, and disadvantages.

Depth vs. Breadth

SEO Agency: Agencies employ professionals skilled in various aspects of SEO, including technical SEO, content creation, link building, and analytics. They gain experience working with a variety of industries and customers, enabling them to handle sophisticated SEO projects and stay current with the latest trends.

For example, RankLab offers comprehensive SEO services tailored to any enterprise’s needs, ensuring strategies stay current with constantly changing search algorithms.

In-house SEO: Your in-house team knows your company, brand, and target public. They tailor SEO strategies appropriate only for your brand. You will have to trust their knowledge, depending on the capability of the person you hire, and this can limit their potential if their numbers are limited.

Investment vs. Retainer

SEO Agency: You pay a monthly retainer or a one-time project fee, and this typically includes an entire team and use of expensive SEO software. This makes them cheaper on an hour-to-hour basis, at least for smaller and medium-sized businesses.

In-House SEO: Hiring and maintaining an in-house staff includes wages, benefits, training costs, and purchasing SEO tools. This includes a high upfront expense and ongoing costs, which add up quickly.

Direct Oversight Versus Managed Services

SEO Agency: You hire an SEO firm, so you will periodically have reports and comments, but less hands-on day-to-day management. How much you know will rely on communication with the firm.

In-House SEO: You directly control and have hands-on access to your SEO department. This enables you to speed up decision-making and adjust strategies quickly in response to changes within your company.

External Adaptation vs. Internal Integration

SEO Agency: These agencies manage many clients at once and quickly adjust themselves by utilizing new trends and algorithm changes of other industries with proven strategies.

In-House SEO: Your in-house team will rapidly respond to changes within your organisation, such as a new product launch or a campaign, but may struggle to catch on to broader changes within the SEO sector.

Shared or Exclusive Time?

SEO Agency: Agencies have numerous clients, so your SEO campaign has their attention split, though you will usually have a dedicated manager.

In-House SEO: Your SEO department is solely dedicated to working on your firm’s SEO with complete attention and dedication toward helping you succeed.

External Burden vs. Internal Investment

SEO Agency: The agency will employ, train, and educate their experts on SEO best practices so that you won’t have any worries about this.

In-House SEO: You will have to employ, train, and constantly educate personnel, all of which consume time, effort, and money.

Adjusting Services rather than Expanding Teams

SEO Agency: These agencies can easily scale up or down your SEO services as per your requirements, providing excellent flexibility.
In-House SEO: Expanding your team involves bringing on more staff members, which requires time and money. Shrinking staff can also be complex.

Agency-Provided as Against

SEO Agency: You pay for high-priced SEO tools and their advantages as part of their services without having to pay license costs.

In-House SEO: Your firm must buy and maintain these SEO tools itself, which can be costly.

External Liaisons versus Internal Integration

SEO Agency: Communication is done by account managers and scheduled reports, which can sometimes be less urgent.

In-house SEO: Your SEO department interacts with other teams, including marketing, content, and development, allowing you to quickly and easily cooperate.

Continuous Iteration versus Deep Immersion

SEO Agency: These firms focus on creating measurable outcomes with SEO and adapting strategies based on performance and industry best practices. These organizations might not have a deep interaction with your brand vision.
In-House SEO: Your team is fully immersed in your corporate culture and long-term plans, allowing you to have highly customized and integrated SEO plans aligned with your brand’s development.

The Verdict: Which is Right for You?

The decision between hiring an SEO firm and establishing an in-house SEO department is never a one-size-fits-all approach. It depends on a few key determinants:

Budget: A flexible retainer arrangement from an agency could be a preferable option if you have a restricted or unpredictable budget. You could consider an in-house setup if you have a large, committed budget to sustain a team of dedicated professionals and their respective overheads.

Expertise Requirements: Do you need an enormous scope of specialized SEO skills short-term, or does a deep level of knowledge about your niche become paramount? Agencies provide breadth, whereas in-house provides depth.

Control and Coordination: How much direct control and coordination do you need over your SEO efforts? In-house allows you maximum control.

Time Horizon: Do you require rapid turnaround and ramp-up, or can you tolerate a slower, integrated long-term build? Agencies tend to achieve faster early traction, while in-house builds foster sustainable growth.

Company Culture: Is company culture favorable toward having specialized functions outsourced or building strong internal departments?
Scalability: Is your SEO load constantly shifting dramatically, or is it pretty constant? Scalability is higher with agencies.

Resources Available: You have sufficient company resources and expertise to employ, train, and sustain an in-house SEO department.

Conclusion

The decision between selecting an SEO firm and an in-house SEO team relies on what a firm can afford, what it wants, and what it needs. Agency offerings of specialization, flexibility, and affordability are countered against in-house offerings of management, integration, and brand expertise. A blend of both within a firm seems preferred in many firms, using their expertise as well as external knowledge.

It’s all about assessing your business goals wisely, understanding what you need to compromise on, and selecting the solution that aligns with your growth strategies. SEO is a long-term play, and having a good team will make a massive difference if you aim for sustainable online success.