Most organizations know that good search engine placement will attract more visitors to websites and can increase sales substantially. Whether they have previously used SEO (search engine optimization) outsourcing or whether they have attempted to develop in-house resources, surprisingly few organizations are currently actively trying to capitalize on this opportunity.
In-House rather than SEO Outsourcing
History shows that there are several possible reasons why in-house SEO projects often fail:
No clear purpose, objectives and timeframes
Lack of management training in the fundamentals of internet marketing in general, and SEO in particular
Exclusive delegation of responsibility for SEO success to an in-house web-developer who knows little about marketing
Exclusive delegation of responsibility for SEO success to an in-house marketing professional who knows little about web pages, their usability and their 'spider ability'
Even if some initial success is achieved, it is unsustainable if funding is not provided for staffing, equipping, training and, very importantly, keeping people up to date with the fast moving SEO world as Google and the others try and stay one step ahead of the great 'black hat' sharks.
SEO Outsourcing can work - if care is taken
Organizations with greater financial resources often decide that search engine optimization is not a core competence and seek strategic suppliers for this service. Either way, companies who want to reap the benefits of good search engine placement through the use of third party services face many challenges.
The client organization must retain overall responsibility for the SEO outsourcing project. Failure to establish a clear purpose as well as setting measurable supporting objectives and timeline deliverables will doom the project from the start.
Once an organization is clear on what the purpose and expectations are for the SEO project, the next challenge is to develop a specification of requirements before going to the market to seek a suitable SEO services company. This specification, normally in the form of a living document, is essential preparation before engaging with prospective SEO services suppliers.
Even with a clear purpose and objectives, a well defined timeline and a detailed specification of requirements, the purpose and motivation of any prospective SEO organization need to be assessed. For example, there can be huge differentials in the prices quoted by various SEO companies to deliver a given requirements specification. It is not unheard of for SEO experts to offer a very low price when their primary motivation is to understand your business and your niche with a view to reusing their work by either competing with you or selling the same solution to your competitors.
Clarity of purpose, well defined objective and timeline, a comprehensive specification of requirements including ground rules for management and communications, as well as the careful selection of a reliable and effective supplier can avoid many problems.
These problems include 'scope creep' where the goalposts are continually moving, poor communications between the in-house business person and the jargon-rich supplier who often seems to be speaking a different language, and a gradual breakdown in trust.
The sad reality, particularly with smaller organizations, is that clients are often "too busy to get involved". This is usually why they have decided to outsource SEO services in the first instance.
Even the most professional SEO services company is powerless when it comes to achieving long-lasting, needle-moving results for a client who isn't willing or able to help. New online training courses for managers have started to appear, such as 'Outsourcing SEO Projects' from the author's firm. These courses can go a long way towards mitigating the risks and paying for themselves many times over as they help to ensure the successful SEO project outsourcing.
Noel Coburn
A company director and former executive with Digital Equipment Corporation and Lotus Development Corporation, Noel is a prize-winning MBA graduate and a Member of the Advisory Board to the Center for Breakthrough Thinking in Los Angeles. Both veterans of the IT industry, Noel and his brother John Coburn are joint founders of CoburnBrothers.com, http://www.coburnbrothers.com, the international firm specializing in purpose-directed internet marketing. CoburnBrothers.com are on a mission to ensure that 'information overload' and 'technical jargon' do not deter the owners and managers of otherwise sound businesses from realizing the benefits of internet marketing. Having trained over 2,000 small to medium sized businesses, CoburnBrothers.com develops and markets internet marketing e-training specifically for business owners and executives. For more information please see http://www.coburnbrothers.com/SEO/outsource.htm
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