Pittsburgh SEO Consultant, Firm or In House Employee - Which is best for Your Small Business?

During this economic downturn, SEO services are gaining in popularity due to the relatively low start up cost and the high return on investment provided when compared with television, print and radio. If you are like most companies, to remain competitive, you are shifting your marketing budget to invest more on SEO services and less on television, radio and print advertising. This post will help you determine what type of SEO provider to hire and how to qualify the SEO consultant, firm or potential employee.

Which is Best a SEO Firm, In House Employee or Consultant?

Most small businesses will find working with a SEO consultant provides the most value for your money. A consultant typically costs less than a SEO firm or fulltime employee because he or she has minimal fixed costs. Conversely, most small businesses will find it cost prohibitive to hire an SEO firm or an in-house search strategist. SEO firms have fixed cost they must build into their pricing: rent, utilities, employee salaries, health insurance, and more. Hiring an SEO expert to work in house usually proves difficult to do because of the high salaries they command and the severe shortage of true SEO talent. If you are lucky enough to find a talented and experienced SEO expert who wants a fulltime job, be prepared to pay him or her upwards of six figures in compensation.

Qualifying Questions to Find an Experienced SEO Consultant

A business should be selective when looking for a Pittsburgh SEO consultant. The internet marketing and SEO fields are being diluted by web designers and developers claiming to have expertise with search engine optimization and traditional marketers who have been downsized looking for a quick income supplement. When interviewing SEO consultants, it is important to ask how long he or she has been actively performing search engine optimization. Look for a consultant with a minimum of five years ongoing SEO experience. Make sure the consultant provides case studies and proof of search engine ranking results for current clients. Be leery of SEO consultants who claim their client results are confidential. This may signal that he or she has no positive results to share, or worse yet, no results at all. Keeping abreast of the multitude of variables in the search engine ranking formulas requires dedication, years of trial and error experimentation, daily research, and true commitment and passion.

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