Search Engine Optimisation most commonly known as SEO is one of the biggest concerns and among the most vital elements, most businesses are dealing with today. With the “power” of online presence rising every day, investing in SEO should be a priority.
According to research, a whopping 93% of online experiences begin with a search engine. With this, it’s safe to say that businesses should have common goals: to be heard, found and recognised by the world’s top search engines. To boost your online presence, improving your website ranking can be your best bet. Choosing the right person for the job, for instance, should be an utmost priority.
How do you actually choose the best person for SEO services? Is it best to hire a freelance SEO specialist or an SEO agency? Continue reading to find out more.
Hiring a Freelance SEO Specialist vs. an SEO Agency
It isn’t surprising to see how online presence and credibility became significant in business success. With hundreds and thousands of people embracing today’s digitally-dependent world, improving website ranking has turned out to be every business’ priority. Unfortunately, achieving SEO success isn’t a walk in the park. Investing time, effort and resources are necessary. Among other things, it’s choosing between a freelance SEO specialist and an SEO agency that makes it even more challenging.
To help you come up with a sensible decision, we’ve enlisted 4 considerable factors you might want to look at before contacting a freelance SEO specialist or an SEO agency.
Pricing
In most cases, a freelance SEO specialist offers affordable pricing compared to an SEO agency. This is because they have lesser expenses except for the payment that will cover the services they will provide. Hiring an SEO agency, on the other hand, comes with a bigger price tag. Although working with an agency may seem costly to some people, hiring a team of professional SEO specialists also means getting a higher level of professionalism and achieving excellent results.
Flexibility
A freelance SEO specialist neither belongs to any agency nor does it work in-house. Thus, they have the flexibility of time allowing them to provide longer attention to each client. Hiring a freelance SEO specialist will allow you to get the job done faster than with an SEO agency.
An SEO agency, however, works with multiple clients all at the same time. Hence, they are likely familiar with common problems that may occur in the process. Unlike hiring a freelance SEO specialist that often involves project-based contracts, working with an SEO agency is a long-term commitment. Most reliable agencies offer package services that cover not only Search Engine Optimisation but also other digital marketing solutions.
Skills and Expertise
Since they aren’t working with a team of digital marketers, a freelance SEO specialist depends solely on his own. Unlike with an SEO agency that has access to advanced technology and latest marketing strategies, a freelance SEO specialist only uses the skills and expertise he has gained from his previous projects.
Search Engine Optimisation can either make or break your business. As such, you have to hire someone that has the knowledge and experience in the playing field. An SEO agency can help you with this matter. In most cases, a reliable SEO agency has experienced working with various clients of different sizes and industries, giving them the ability to handle your needs and expectations appropriately.
Teamwork and Strategy
Unlike working with a freelance SEO specialist, hiring an SEO agency gives you access to a team of professional content writers, social media marketers, designers, project managers, customer support specialists and more. This provides you an assurance that every angle will be handled properly by professionals.


Choosing Between a Freelance SEO Specialist and an SEO agency
With these points in mind, we urge you to keep an open mind. In terms of experience, however, an SEO agency may have a slight advantage. On the other hand, freelancers may also be able to provide such work quality too. Comparing these two requires both factors that are qualitative and quantitative. Ultimately, choosing between a freelance SEO specialist and an SEO agency is a matter of preference.
Looking for a reliable SEO agency? SMMILE has got you covered.
Feel free to drop us an email at hello@smmile.com or call our hotline at +65 8687 8143.

Smmile is a Digital Marketing Agency in Singapore with over 10 years of experience in the industry.