By now, anybody who wants to succeed in online business knows the importance of Search Engine Marketing (SEM). The big bad world of the Internet can be a trying place for the meek and docile. You need to aggressively and assertively promote your company and products everywhere on the Internet where you think your target customers hang out. This needs total dedication and hard work from your part or from the SEM company that you hire. Every online business knows that SEM is an important aspect to building brand image and managing company reputation. Most online businesses have embraced SEM techniques, and they either have an in-house SEM team that works on their marketing campaigns, or they outsource their SEM requirements to professional search engine marketing companies. This leads us to these questions: “Which is better, outsourcing your SEM or doing the SEM yourself?” and “What should I keep in mind when choosing a search engine marketing company?
The answers to both questions are the same. If the cons outnumber or outweigh the pros of outsourcing, then, it’s better to stick to your in-house team. If the pros outnumber the cons, it’s better to outsource your SEM. Therefore, let’s study the cons and pros before we come to a conclusion.
First, the Cons
The first thing that comes to mind when discussing the cons of outsourcing your SEM is the cost. SEM is a long process, and there is no SEM technique in the world that can promise you immediate results at the press of a button. Finding the right SEM marketing strategy for your brand and company will take a lot of time and research. By outsourcing, you will be entering into a long term relationship with a SEM company, which also means that you need to allocate a budget for your SEM on a regular basis. By doing the SEM yourself, you can cut costs as you will be paying your employees anyway to do their jobs. If you outsource, the feeling that you’re paying for the employees of a different company while your own employees can do the job at a lesser cost will weigh on your mind.
Having your in-house team work on your SEM gives you control. Outsourcing your SEM to another company might not give you the facility of total control over the proceedings. This can lead to incompatibility issues at both sides. When you do the SEM yourself, you are in total control, and you’ll know when to apply the brakes and when to let go. When you outsource, there is no guarantee that the SEM company that you hired will be dedicated in improving only the traffic and rankings of your company. Your SEM company might have a list of companies like you that have outsourced their SEM to them. So, what are the chances that your investment is given the priority it deserves? In addition, what if the SEM company is also partnered with your competitors? In that situation, where will the loyalty of the SEM company lie?
Like mentioned earlier, SEM is a long process, and if you outsource your search engine marketing to a SEM company, leaving or breaking the relationship after a period is very hard. This is because the SEM company would have already built your company’s image and reputation on the Internet, and when you break the relationship, the transfer of knowledge might be hard as most SEM techniques that were used will be in the minds of the employees of the SEM company. Thus, when you break the relationship, you’ll end up having to start all over again.
The Pros:
When you enter into an agreement with a SEM company that you want to outsource your search engine marketing, you’ll be doing this only after fully analyzing the prospects that such a move offers you. SEM is not a single point strategy, and it requires a lot of time, brain, and skill investment to come out with viable SEM strategies. When you outsource, you’ll end up paying the workers of another company, but, when you calculate your Returns on Investment (ROI), the costs are more often than not, justified. Talking to the SEM company on your budget concerns before signing the agreement will enable the SEM company to work out a strategy that meets your needs and budget. Remember, as with competition in your field, the competition among SEM companies is also huge. Therefore, getting a SEM company that can work and deliver results for you is very easy.
The loss of control is minor in comparison to the benefit of dedication that a SEM company offers to your search engine marketing needs. SEM companies have professionals that have years of experience in the ways of the Internet. These guys have a hands-on knowledge of all SEM methodologies that might take years for your in-house SEM team to learn. Nothing can replace the expertise that these people have on the subject. C’mon, this is what these guys do for their bread and butter, while you might have a thousand other ways to earn yours. Think of it this way; everybody knows where the fishes come from. Does that mean everybody goes into the ocean to catch fish when they feel like eating one? The fishing is best left to the fishermen, who know where the fishes hang out in the ocean and what sort of fish tastes better and fetches a better price in the market. Similarly, you might be able to do SEM yourself as you might know the basics of SEM, but your SEM is best left to professionals who know where, when and how to promote your brand and business.
There are always ways to ensure that your business interests are protected when you outsource your SEM. There are many tools like Google analytics, for example, to measure the progress your traffic is making after you outsource. There is no way that a SEM company can cheat you out of your investment because you’ll be monitoring your progress anyway, and if you feel that your ROI is low, you can always opt out before it’s too late. Most businesses start seeing more traffic after outsourcing their search engine marketing. Therefore, the chances of you losing money on that front are pretty slim. The only difference is that the better SEM companies drive better traffic to your website, that’s all.
In summary, the positives of outsourcing your search engine marketing far outweigh the negatives. Your time is better spent improving the quality of your products/services. Leave the job to dedicated professionals and let them take care of bringing in more people to buy your products and services. Here are some additional articles on the pros and cons of outsourcing from SEMPO and iMediaConnection.
Article Author: , an SEO & Social Media Analyst at Search & Social. Ryan is an active member of many social media communities, and has worked to understand the intricacies of social interaction and engagement from the inside out.