Thinking To Outsource Your SEO Marketing Projects?

Search Engine Optimisation is an integral part of digital marketing as it helps the business enterprise to create a dynamic and productive online presence. It helps them to stay relevant, grow and survive in the highly competitive global and domestic marketplace. The process to outsource SEO projects entails hiring an IT consultant or third-party service provider, or an agency, to handle the marketing of your business enterprise.

SEO Marketing strategies are constantly updated according to the latest market trends. Latest techniques and strategies are implemented by reputed outsourcing companies to ensure that the business enterprise has an outstanding online presence. 

Outsourcing SEO marketing projects entail hiring an IT consultant or third-party service provider, or an agency, to handle the marketing of your business enterprise. Their team integrates technology to market your product or services according to your specific requirements, either on-site or from an external location. 

Even though there are multiple benefits of outsourcing your SEO marketing projects, still it can trigger a lot of problems and loss of money. Outsourcing SEO marketing projects can cause tremendous loss of control of work, organizational issues, and lack of visibility and can take away considerable time, money, and energy. Certain legal issues and tax challenges may arise if proper agreements are not made.

1. What is SEO?

SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is the practice of optimising websites and content in order to boost their visibility and ranking on search engines like Google. This involves techniques such as keyword research, optimising website structure and content, building backlinks, and improving user experience.

The purpose of SEO is to make it simpler for search engines to comprehend and index your website, leading to increased organic traffic and improved user engagement. However, it’s essential that SEO be done ethically, without engaging in any practices which could be seen as manipulative or spammy.

2. Risk Of Outsourcing SEO project 

2.1. Loss of direct control and intervention 

One of the major risk factors when thinking to outsource your SEO marketing projects is the absence of control over your digital marketing campaign. If the in-house team is handling your marketing, then you have full control over its strategies and their implementation. 

However, as your marketing projects are outsourced to an external agency, you are bound to experience an overwhelming lack of control. The degree of control also depends on the geographical distance of the vendor. Operating from a larger distance, inspection, quality control, and monitoring become quite tedious.

Difficulty in collaboration can have a negative effect on the performance and efficiency of the marketing endeavour. You give freedom to the outsourcing agency to execute marketing campaigns without any direct inputs and interventions from your end. You are not directly in the loop of operations as you are only sitting back and waiting for the outcome. Thus if your agency is not experienced enough, the quality of your marketing campaign can be seriously compromised. 

Hence, it is very important to hand over the responsibilities of your marketing campaign after in-depth planning. Ensure that the agency you have decided to outsource SEO projects to is trustworthy and exhibits transparency in operations. Set timelines and fixed schedules for meeting and track metrics so that you are aware of every stage of implementation.

2.2. Gaps in communications

Virtual communication through emails or video conferencing tools does not suffice as it is not possible to bridge the gaps. More difficulty in communication arises, especially in offshore outsourcing, due to gaps in the time frame and scheduling process. As a result, it is difficult to quickly resolve issues. For example, if you outsource SEO marketing projects from a remote team in Malaysia, multiple time scheduling issues have to be considered. You will need to clock in early to adjust to their working hours, or they will have to coordinate in the night to communicate with you during your working time frame. 

Slack in communication creates problems in the transfer of information. Also, a software error can result in a waste of time since you will have to wait for the entire day to catch up. Thus, virtual communication alone can make outsourcing cumbersome and inefficient. To bridge any communication gap, it is vital to devise clear and standardised formats for easy communication. 

2.3. Hidden costs unpredicted expenses 

The main aim of outsourcing marketing projects is to gain a competitive advantage. Outsourcing is considered to be cost-effective, helps to save overhead expenses, and enhances profitability. 

But its hidden costs and unforeseen expenses can pose grave risk factors. For example, you may need to pay a high premium cost to the service provider to receive efficient and high-quality work. Also, you may have to pay extra costs for relocation or hardware and software maintenance, after-hour services, and troubleshooting. These unforeseen expenses can disturb your original budget and increase the total cost of the project.

It is crucial to give proper attention to every aspect of implementation and discuss money estimates that are provided by the outsourcing partner. 

Before outsourcing from any service provider, it is important to have transparent communication with the outsourcing partner and discuss every detail and money estimate. Also, compare the vendor pricing with the in-house implementation and development costs, including miscellaneous expenses, to get an approximate idea of the vendor charges.

2.4. Exposing your business assets

If you outsource your SEO projects from any agency, it will eventually create security issues. There is a possibility that vendors might leak your valuable information or disclose trade secrets. Privacy concerns and security issues increase when you hire someone from another country. It is important to pay attention to safeguarding intellectual property and data, including codes, patents, copyrights, trade secrets, and more. To minimise the risk of a data breach, it is best to enter an NDA (non-disclosure agreement) with your service provider. 

2.5. Consistent delays 

If you are still in two minds on whether to outsource SEO projects or not, remember: the service provider may be unable to meet deadlines and take more time to complete the marketing projects. The delays and inadequate timelines can prove detrimental to business. These problems arise due to miscommunication, a glitch in communication, and more.

It is only when you are more organised and have a prompt communication system that you can get significant improvement both in terms of deliverable times and execution times. These kinds of operational risks and challenges can be handled with constant check-ins with the service provider. 

2.6. Geo location 

Communication is undoubtedly becoming easier with rapidly growing technology. Distance is no longer considered a risk factor. But, in reality, For example, the geolocation of the service provider matters, especially if you are outsourcing the marketing project for physical goods.

Transportation costs increase with distance. Also, you will need to travel a longer distance for inspections and frequent check-ins. This will not prove to be a cost-friendly and feasible practice every time. You require more time and effort to rectify quality or resolve supply chain issues.

2.7. Poor quality of marketing campaign 

Delivering quality products without delay is an important aspect of a successful marketing project. Your in-house team may be more familiar with the demands and needs of your business enterprise. But the outsourcing provider may not be acquainted with the in-depth details of your business and may not extend total commitments. The service provider may not be able to provide comprehensive strategies for your marketing campaign. 

The risk of quality failure, especially in a physical product, hampers your business growth. To minimise this risk, it is essential to prepare detailed product specifications and insist on independent quality control inspections.

2.8. Risk in choosing the service provider 

Selecting the right vendor is a challenging task. It is imperative to select an appropriate and efficient service provider that has the required expertise and skillsets for the outsourcing job. Otherwise, with every minute of unsolved issues, you are at great risk of losing money and hampering the quality of your marketing campaign. 

It is important to assess a few things, such as 

• Is the service provider experienced in solving and handling complex marketing issues?
• Is he keen on your marketing project?
• Is he in a different time zone? 
• Are there some common working hours? 
• Is he flexible enough to attend to urgent issues? 

3. Expand My Business for tackling outsourcing challenges

Expand My Business’ is equipped to fulfil all outsource SEO projects needs of your business enterprises as it helps to create outsourcing of SEO marketing projects effectively, smoothly and efficiently. We have a pool of over 1000+ verified partner agencies and vendors who can offer dedicated solutions to digital marketing and SEO services.

These companies have the needed experience, and IT infrastructure required for executing a successful and productive outsourcing task.

4. Conclusion

Outsourcing is one of the best ways to run your marketing project efficiently and smoothly without escalating costs. However, outsourcing your SEO marketing projects has its own risks and challenges. It is important to minimise dangers and avoid any instances of errors.

The efficiency of the outsourcing service depends upon the type of service you’re hiring. A mismanaged and inefficient team can lead to disturbed deadlines, redundant expenses, and low performance.

Also, the business has to give the outsourcing agency access to important information regarding your business. Thus, any misuse or malpractice can be very risky and lead to irreparable loss.

FAQs

Team EMB

Our team of expert writers is committed to bringing insights on topics ranging in the fields of technology, marketing, and business. With a wide-reaching range of services on our platform, we help businesses achieve digital transformation end-to-end.