Should you hire a freelancer or an agency for SEO and marketing?
Either can work. A freelancer often means one skilled person you deal with directly, usually with lower overheads but less cover when they are away. An agency usually brings a wider range of skills and someone to step in, though you may talk to an account manager rather than the person doing the work. Whichever you choose, the questions that matter most are the same: who owns the accounts, and what gets reported.
How they compare
| Freelancer | Agency | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost structure | Usually one person's time, often with lower overheads | Usually a team's time, plus the cost of running the agency |
| When someone is away | Work can pause for illness or holidays unless they have a backup | Usually someone else can step in |
| Range of skills | Often deep in one or two areas; may bring in others for the rest | Often several skills under one roof, such as websites, search and lead tracking |
| Who you talk to | Usually the person doing the work | Often an account manager; ask who actually does the work |
| Continuity | Depends on one person's availability and plans | Depends on staff turnover and the agency's own priorities |
When a freelancer often fits
- The job is narrow and well defined, such as fixing a website or writing service pages.
- You want to work directly with the person doing the work.
- You, or someone on your team, can handle the rest of the marketing.
When a team often fits
- The work spans several areas at once, such as the website, search and lead tracking.
- You need cover, so the work does not stop when one person is away.
- You want one party, an agency or a freelancer with a trusted network, coordinating the whole picture.
Questions that matter either way
Ask both the same things; the related answer on what to ask before hiring an SEO or GEO agency has the full list. One question matters most when choosing between them:
- If you are ill or away, or we stop working together, who takes over, and how is the work handed back?
A middle path
Size is often less important than fit. Some owners start with a freelancer for one clear job and move to a small team when the work grows; others keep the parts only they can do, such as talking to customers and asking for reviews, and hand off the rest. The related answer on how much marketing to do yourself helps decide where that line sits.
Related answers
- What should you ask before hiring an SEO or GEO agency?
- How much of your marketing should you do yourself?
- Should a small business hire a local marketing agency or a remote one?
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