Whether to build an in-house SEO and GEO team or hire an agency depends on how much ongoing work there is, how specialised it is, and how closely it must be tied to your product and developers. In-house teams know the business deeply and move fast on content; agencies bring breadth, specialist skills and experience across many sites. Many companies do best with a hybrid: one or two in-house owners who know the business, supported by an agency or specialists for technical audits, strategy and peaks of work.
The trade-offs
| In-house team | Agency | |
|---|---|---|
| Knowledge of the business | Deep and continuous | Builds over time; depends on access |
| Breadth of skills | Limited to the people hired | Technical, content, PR and data specialists available |
| Experience across sites | One site | Patterns seen across many clients and industries |
| Speed on content and small fixes | Fast | Depends on process and priority |
| Access to developers | Direct | Through your team |
| Cost structure | Salaries, tools and training; fixed | Fees; flexible, can scale up or down |
| Continuity | Risk when people leave | Risk when the contract ends; ensure you own the work |
Questions that decide it
- Is there enough ongoing work for a full-time person? A small site may need a few days a month; a large one needs a team.
- How technical is the site? JavaScript frameworks, migrations and international setups need specialist experience that is hard to hire for one role.
- How fast does content need to move? Frequent updates tied to product launches favour in-house writers.
- Do you have someone to own the results? Even with an agency, someone inside must own priorities and decisions.
- What can you afford for at least a year? Both options need time to show results.
Common models
| Model | Suits |
|---|---|
| Fully in-house | Large sites with continuous work and budget for several specialists |
| Fully outsourced | Small companies without marketing staff, with a clear internal owner for decisions |
| Hybrid: in-house owner plus agency | Most growing companies; the owner knows the business, the agency brings depth |
| In-house team plus project specialists | Teams that need occasional audits, migrations or training |
If you hire in-house
- Hire for the six skills described in marketing team skills for AI search, and train for the gaps.
- Give the role direct access to developers and a say in site changes.
- Budget for tools and ongoing learning; the field changes quickly.
If you hire an agency
- Brief it properly; see briefing an agency for GEO work.
- Agree metrics tied to business outcomes, and a monthly report you understand.
- Make sure you own content, accounts, data and reports.
- Name an internal owner who can approve changes and get developer time.
- Be wary of guarantees of rankings or AI mentions.
Signs the current setup is not working
- Reports full of activity but no link to enquiries or revenue
- Technical issues identified months ago still not fixed
- Content published without expert input or sources
- No one inside the company can explain the strategy
Frequently asked questions
Is it cheaper to do SEO in-house?
For large, continuous workloads, often yes. For smaller workloads, one salary may cost more than an agency and still lack specialist depth.
Can one person handle SEO and GEO?
For a small site, one capable person with specialist support for technical work can. As the site and markets grow, the work usually needs more roles.
How long should an agency contract be?
An initial six months with monthly reporting and a clear exit clause is reasonable, given how long results take.
Sources
- Google Search Central, “Do you need an SEO?”