SEO is essential for web traffic generation. Because it requires certain knowledge and is a long-term strategy, many web managers may prefer to leave it to SEO professionals.

Therefore, in this article, we will explain the points and considerations you should know before entrusting SEO tasks to a company.

Benefits of Hiring an SEO Company

While some companies handle SEO internally, achieving results with SEO requires time and effort, leading many companies to outsource it. Of course, there are costs associated with outsourcing, but there are also benefits to entrusting the work to professionals.

You can save time and effort

SEO strategies involve multiple components, each requiring different knowledge. Achieving results in SEO takes several months or more, and it’s a long-term effort. Even after seeing results, you need to continue maintenance to avoid dropping in rankings again, making it a daunting task alongside other duties.

Especially for companies with little SEO knowledge or track record, it often involves trial and error, further delaying progress. By outsourcing to professionals, you can entrust SEO tasks entirely, saving time and effort.

Accessing the latest SEO information becomes easier

SEO agencies are professionals who constantly monitor the latest trends in SEO strategies, adapting to Google’s updates. 

Therefore, they are likely to have up-to-date information, which you can access through information sharing and asking questions.

While keeping up with SEO information and learning continuously on your own can be challenging, outsourcing to SEO agencies makes it easier to acquire SEO knowledge and information.

More effective than doing it yourself

Since SEO agencies are professionals, it’s generally more effective to rely on them than to tackle SEO on your own, especially if you lack experience. Even with some SEO knowledge, achieving results can be difficult without practical experience.

Many SEO agencies have successful strategies based on past performance and experience. Therefore, by outsourcing to them, you can benefit from their proven methods, making it easier to achieve results.

>> [A Must-Read for SEO Specialists] What Are the Benefits and Drawbacks of SEO Measures?!

Things to check before outsourcing SEO tasks

Before entrusting SEO tasks to a service provider, there are certain things you should check internally. To ensure results after outsourcing and to equip yourself with preliminary knowledge, make sure to check the following points beforehand.

Keyword selection

Firstly, you need to consider which keywords you want to rank for.

If you entrust the task to a service provider without selecting specific keywords, they might recommend keywords that seem easy to rank for but may not necessarily lead to conversions for your company. Therefore, it’s crucial to carefully consider what keywords your target users search for and convert on.

Of course, you also need to consider the nature of keywords, such as broad keywords or mid-tail keywords. However, if you’ve decided on the minimum keywords you want to target, it might be a good idea to consult with the service provider to finalize them.

>> How to Create SEO-Friendly Content [From Keyword Selection to Writing]

Keyword trends

Keywords also have trends, so for long-term SEO strategies, it’s essential to analyze keywords with a long-term perspective. Check whether the keywords you want to target have temporary or long-term demand, whether they show an upward trend over the course of several years.

To understand keyword trends, utilizing Google Trends is indispensable. Google Trends allows you to see trends by narrowing down conditions such as country, region, category, and timeframe. Make sure to check the trends of keywords relevant to your target needs.

Budget

Once you’ve determined the keywords you want to target for higher rankings, the next step is to consider your budget. Without having a rough budget in mind, you might risk being presented with excessively high costs or end up spending on keywords that yield low effectiveness.

After setting your budget internally, check the market rates and adjust your budget accordingly. Therefore, it’s important to conduct preliminary research, such as market rates, before outsourcing to an SEO agency.

>> How to Choose an SEO Agency

SEO Services Provided by SEO Agencies and Price Range

Now, let’s take a look at the actual SEO services provided by SEO agencies and their respective price ranges. While the specific services may vary by agency, we’ll break it down into the following four categories and explain the typical services provided and the price range for each.

-Internal optimization 

-External optimization 

-Content SEO 

-SEO consulting

Internal Optimization

Internal optimization involves optimizing the internal structure of a website to make it more favorable to search engines.

Specific Actions for Internal Optimization

Here are the specific actions typically taken for internal optimization

-Submitting sitemaps 

-Optimizing site structure 

-Implementing breadcrumb navigation 

-Improving internal linking 

-Optimizing header tags (titles, meta descriptions, h-tags, etc.) 

-Optimizing images 

-Resolving duplicate pages

Search engine crawlers navigate through the site, reading programming languages like HTML, to assess page content. If the desired keywords are not included in the source code or if the site structure makes it difficult for crawlers to navigate, the site may receive lower evaluations from Google.

Therefore, internal optimization involves optimizing the site to make it easier for crawlers to navigate and pages to be evaluated more favorably.

>>Learn more about internal optimization SEO here

Price Range

For internal optimization, the typical price range is between 100,000 to 200,000 yen. If you’re looking to quickly improve your rankings, it might be worthwhile to consider outsourcing only internal optimization.

External Optimization

External optimization involves strategies to earn evaluations from external sites for your own site. Primarily, this includes acquiring backlinks.

Content of External Optimization

The main practice of external optimization is acquiring backlinks from external sites to your own site. Backlinks serve as indicators of a site’s popularity and are one of Google’s evaluation criteria. The quantity and quality of backlinks determine a site’s evaluation and ranking.

Previously, having a large number of backlinks was considered favorable. However, with the increase in sites artificially increasing their links, Google has changed its evaluation criteria to prioritize quality. Therefore, external optimization focuses on acquiring backlinks from high-quality sites.

Price Range

For external optimization, pricing varies between fixed monthly fees and performance-based fees. The typical price ranges are as follows.

-Fixed Monthly Fees: 1 to 15 million yen per month 

-Performance-based Fees: 1 to over 100 million yen per month

>>Learn more about acquiring quality backlinks (SEO external optimization) here

Content SEO

Content SEO aims to increase website traffic by disseminating content on the site.

Content of Content SEO

Google aims to display useful information to users, so by disseminating valuable information to users within the site, you can aim for higher rankings.

Content SEO primarily involves two aspects: content creation support and writing support. The specific implementation includes;

Content Creation Support

• Keyword selection
• Competitive analysis
• Article structure creation

Writing Support

• Instruction on SEO writing
• Editing and guidance for content writing

Price Range

The cost of Content SEO varies depending on the number of articles and the price per article. Generally, it ranges from a few thousand yen to around 100,000 yen. It’s recommended if you want to increase traffic through content creation.

SEO Consulting

SEO consulting refers to comprehensive consulting support to achieve results with SEO.

Content of SEO Consulting

In SEO consulting, you can receive support for everything from site planning to content creation, so the implementation covers a wide range of areas.

This includes analyzing the company’s website, implementing measures to improve search rankings for targeted keywords by analyzing search engine algorithms, and conducting internal and external optimization as well as content SEO.

In the case of SEO consulting, it’s essential to clarify what is included in the scope of work, as the implementation covers various aspects. If the scope of work is unclear, there is a risk of misalignment with expectations, leading to potential disappointment in results.

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Price Range

The price range for SEO consulting varies depending on the size of the website, but it’s typically around 100,000 to 500,000 yen per month. It’s recommended if you want professionals to handle all aspects of web marketing.

SEO Agency Pricing Structure

When outsourcing SEO to an agency, there are mainly two pricing structures.

-Fixed Fee 

-Performance-based Fee

Since the costs differ depending on the pricing structure, it’s essential to confirm them thoroughly in advance.

Fixed Fee

The fixed fee model involves paying a set amount every month. While there are no additional costs if results are achieved, it also means you’ll still incur fixed expenses even if there are no results, making it slightly riskier.

As the agency handles all SEO-related tasks, you may have dedicated consultants assigned to you. Monthly consultations can help you acquire SEO knowledge more easily.

Performance-based Fee.

With the performance-based model, fees are only incurred when results are achieved, but there’s often an initial fee of several tens of thousands of yen.

While the investment risk is lower compared to the fixed fee model, in performance-based arrangements, priority may be given to keywords with higher potential for success, potentially leaving less focus on the keywords you truly want to target.

Things to Know Before Hiring an SEO Agency

When entrusting SEO strategies to an SEO agency, there are essential points to be aware of to prevent disappointments. Understanding these considerations beforehand is crucial to avoid failures when relying on SEO agencies.

Beware of Black Hat SEO Practices

Some SEO agencies engage in black hat SEO practices. Black hat SEO involves unethical techniques to artificially boost the ranking of low-quality content by exploiting loopholes in search engine algorithms.

A common black hat SEO method is acquiring backlinks through self-promotion. By unnaturally gathering backlinks from external sites to the site they want to elevate in rankings, they make shallow content appear more prominent.

Engaging in black hat SEO can lead to penalties from search engines, and once penalized, it can be challenging to have the penalty lifted.

Although Google’s algorithm updates have made it more difficult for black hat SEO practices to achieve high rankings, there are still agencies employing these methods, so caution is necessary.

SEO Takes Time to Show Results

SEO is not conducive to yielding immediate results, requiring an extended period for effectiveness. It’s essential to understand that even with professional assistance, results may not manifest quickly.

Even if site improvements or content creation are executed in a short period, Google’s crawlers need time to evaluate the site. Especially with content SEO, it often takes more than three months to see results.

Moreover, implementing a single strategy does not significantly impact rankings or site evaluation. Search engines evaluate sites based on various factors, necessitating a long-term approach to SEO strategies.

Guaranteeing Top Rankings Is Not Possible

The most crucial thing to understand when outsourcing SEO strategies to an agency is that no agency can guarantee top rankings. Conversely, agencies claiming to guarantee top rankings should be viewed with suspicion.

Furthermore, even if top rankings are achieved, Google’s algorithms are constantly updated, which means rankings may fluctuate due to these updates. It’s important to realize that entrusting professionals doesn’t ensure consistent top rankings, so maintaining the site with SEO knowledge and up-to-date information is vital.

While it’s natural to expect some level of results when hiring professional agencies, it’s essential to understand that nothing can be guaranteed. While it’s possible to mitigate risks by opting for performance-based models, selecting a reputable and trustworthy agency is paramount.

Summary

While there are benefits to outsourcing SEO strategies to agencies, it’s also crucial to understand the associated risks. Conducting research before engaging an agency and gaining basic SEO knowledge can facilitate smooth collaboration and help avoid potential issues. Start by avoiding disreputable SEO agencies and seek out those with a proven track record of reliability. After engaging their services, adopt a collaborative approach to SEO, working together to improve strategies for the future.

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Author Profile

International Web Consultant Paveena Suphawet

A trilingual professional in English, Thai, and Japanese, she has numerous achievements in international SEO. She studied the latest IT technologies at Assumption International University, Thailand, and majored in International Business at the University of Greenwich, UK. Following her tenure at ExxonMobil’s Thai branch, she became a key member of Admano from its establishment.

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