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4 Advantages of Working with an SEO Freelancer

You know you need to optimize your business’s website for search engines, but you’re not sure where to start. You could hire an in-house expert, but that can take a long time and be expensive. There’s also a ton of different agencies and companies offering SEO services, but the SEO industry feels a bit murky or even sketchy at times. You might want to consider working with an SEO freelancer if you’re feeling a bit lost at sea with trying to incorporate SEO into your business. Let’s dive into some of the advantages.

Advantages of working with an SEO freelancer

The top four advantages of working with an SEO freelancer are:

  1. Affordability
  2. Expertise
  3. Adaptably
  4. Accountability

Working with a freelancer is a very affordable alternative to hiring an inhouse SEO or working with an agency. According to the Society for Human Resource Management, it can cost $4,700 to hire a new employee (before salary and benefits). A few thousand dollars can get you a lot more than a warm body in a seat if you’re working with a freelancer.

And large SEO agencies often charge exorbitant rates for “expert services” while delegating everything to junior level employees. Freelancers and boutique agencies are able to charge less while providing comparable, or even more expertise than large companies. Having an inhouse SEO expert can be great, but it might not make sense for your business even if you have plenty of budget. Your project might require special skills or flexibility that the big box agencies can’t offer. Most freelance SEO experts are incredibly adaptable by nature. Being a one person show requires a dedication to clients that others simply can’t match. Freelancers offer the benefits of an inhouse expert with the flexibility of working with a contractor.

Most importantly, freelance SEOs are accountable. Firing a freelancer is much easier than an employee and they know it. The feast and famine cycle of freelancing often incentivizes better quality work. SEO freelancers largely rely on word of mouth to generate business – and as such, they need to protect their reputations by doing great work and showing integrity.

The SEO job market has shifted

Generative AI won’t kill the SEO industry, but the current job market just might. Five minutes on LinkedIn will show you that countless SEO professionals have either been laid off or quit during the 2022-2023 return to office (RTO) push. More and more experienced SEOs are shifting to freelancing or running their own company. If you’re looking for top talent, it could be difficult to hire inhouse (especially in office). And large agencies might seem attractive, but the turnover rate of their staff is bound to put your business at risk.

Different types of SEO freelancers

There’s a lot of different types of SEO freelancers available for hire. They vary in experience level, expertise/focus and even business model. Some simply operate as independent contractors and others (like this author) form companies (like Nuaveu) to help market their services. Some freelancers focus more on consulting while others “do the work” too. When looking for an SEO consultant or freelancer is important to consider what type aligns with your business the best.

Conclusion

An SEO freelancer offers an affordable, and flexible alternative to hiring a full-time SEO or signing with an agency. By working with a freelancer, you can enjoy more accountability and more value from your hard-earned marketing budget.

Some might assume that freelance SEOs lack technical expertise or don’t have access to the best tools, but this isn’t always the case. Choosing a freelance SEO with inhouse and agency experience can help avoid these challenges.

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