What does an SEO consultant do?
Are you struggling to get your web pages ranking organically? An SEO consultant can help you with your organic SEO.
If your business is just starting, and you aren’t quite sure what content is needed on your site, you need to analyse the SERPs, explore what keywords users are searching for, the intent behind what’s ranking, and so much more.
This process takes a lot of time, money and effort – that’s why many businesses opt for SEO consultancy services instead. But what exactly can you expect from the role? Let us explain.
What does an SEO consultant do?
Well, the role is varied but largely focused on boosting the visibility of your website in the eyes of search engines and users.
Likely duties of an SEO consultant
- Undertake keyword research to identify what users are searching for
- Devise an SEO strategy and content plan to implement
- Broaden lead generation and sales by boosting organic traffic
- Advise on on-page optimisation, like optimising tags, metadata, anchor text, etc.
- Liaise with guest sites to outreach articles and build your backlinks
- Carry out technical SEO audits to ensure your website’s health isn’t compromising performance
- Analyse and provide monthly reports to keep you informed on rankings
- Stay in tune with algorithm and industry updates to keep their practices up to date
Do you really need an SEO specialist?
This depends on your marketing knowledge and your ambitions for your site. Of course, should you already be quite internet savvy and have enough time and resources to keep on top of your website, then maybe no – you’ll be fine without.
However, should any of the following reflect your current situation, you may benefit from hiring an SEO consultant:
- “I’m a small business just starting out without much experience in website development or SEO. Nor do I have heaps of spare resources to dedicate to keeping my site fresh.”
- “I’m a business with a website that’s performing OKAY – however, my industry is saturated and I’m struggling to stand out from the crowd.”
- “My website is brand new, with little domain authority, and the keywords I want to rank for are being dominated by established sites that are boosted by profiles with strong referring domains.”
- “My website was previously doing well – however, recent algorithms have taken the wind out of its sales and it’s now on a downward spiral.”
This list is by no means exhaustive, but it does cover some of the key reasons why many businesses employ some form of technical SEO services to hoist their website out of obscurity.
Choosing the right SEO expert for your business
Already in the process of looking for an SEO consultant? Well, the key things you should be looking out for will largely orbit around your core business objectives and the industry you operate in. Ideally, you’ll hire an SEO that’s aligned and experienced in getting results on both points.
Plenty of SEO services could be useful for your website, depending on what you’re hoping to achieve. However, the core types are:
- Technical SEO (the back-end technical stuff that your website needs to pass to send good trust signal to search engines)
- Content SEO (content planning and on-page SEO practices to ensure your website’s content is optimised)
- Local SEO (optimisation techniques to boost your visibility in local search results)
- Mobile SEO (honing in on mobile search traffic to improve your rankings on mobile devices)
Jamie Beatty, an Organic Lead here at Embryo, has given a bit of food for thought about choosing the right SEO expert:
“As a business, when choosing the right SEO expert, it’s so important to look for someone with a comprehensive understanding of your industry and who is completely transparent and honest when it comes to setting expectations for growing your business.
These are the individuals that usually have the best track records of successful SEO strategies that have been able to hit a client’s key objectives”.
SEO consultants vs SEO agencies
During your hunt for an SEO consultant, you’ll likely be weighing up whether to go for an independent consultant or an agency.
Or hiring in-house, perhaps, if you have the budget for another full-time team member.
There are pros and cons of opting for either. Here’s an overview:
| SEO Consultant | SEO Agency | |
| Proven expertise | Likely have a specialism in very specific areas – such as website formats, SEO types, and industry knowledge. | Team of experts, meaning the allocation of a consultant (or consultants) that are best aligned with your business profile. |
| Communication | Often will be in charge of managing their own communication so you will liaise with them directly. | Depending on the size of the agency, as well as having access to the SEO consultant, your account may also be looked after by account managers or client services representatives. |
| Price | For the most part, independent consultants will charge a cheaper hourly rate than an agency. | Higher overhead costs and teams to maintain, so likely a higher fee attached. |
| Scalability | Limited resources split across multiple clients so likely restricted in terms of capacity. | Ability to handle larger scale projects due to the size of the team and in-house resources available. |
| Track record | Relies heavily on word of mouth and digital presence to ensure their reputation brings in continued business. | Often have a portfolio of past successes, case studies, and award-worthy campaigns to give them a competitive edge. |
Boost your organic SEO with Embryo
If you need help with improving your website’s performance, then we’d love to talk.
At Embryo, our team of SEO experts and content marketers is behind some of the most effective organic SEO strategies, helping businesses show up in the SERPs where your customers are on the lookout for your services.
Got a question? Simply ask.
FAQs
Answered by Dan McCartney
Should I always expect some form of business growth under an SEO consultant?
Yes. If not then they haven’t carried out the correct strategy for you.
Will an SEO consultant take the time to understand my business goals?
They should, and all of their work should be geared towards making you more money through hitting your business goals.
How long does SEO take before I start seeing results?
On average allow for a minimum of 3 months, however by making changes at speeds you can see results sooner than that.
Will an SEO consultant need access to my website?
An agency won’t ever need to own your website but will need access to it. This is the same for all of your accounts eg Google Ads account for PPC.
