Every business wants to show up at the top of a search engine. You want people to find your website when they look for answers.

To make this happen, you need a strong plan. This is where search engine optimization (SEO) comes in. But here is the big question: should you hire an outside group, or should you build your own in house SEO team?

At VH-info, we help many SaaS companies with their link building. We see businesses try both ways. Some hire SEO agencies, while others build a dedicated team inside their company. Both choices have good points.

But building an internal team gives you full attention to your own website.

In this guide, we will talk about what in-house SEO really is. We will look at the costs, the work involved, and how to build a great team. We will also see how VH-info can support your SEO efforts by handling specific tasks like link building while your team handles the rest.

Let’s get started.

What is In-House SEO?

In-house SEO means you hire people to work directly for your company. These team members are your employees. They do not work for other clients. Their only job is to grow your online presence.

When you have an in house SEO setup, the SEO work happens inside your office (or remote team). You do not pay an external agency to manage your strategy. Instead, you have an SEO manager or an SEO specialist who sits with your marketing and sales teams.

This person or team takes care of everything. They do keyword research to find what your target audience is looking for. They fix technical SEO problems on your site. They also handle content creation and on-page SEO.

Because they work only for you, they learn your brand very well. They know your business goals better than anyone else.

In-House SEO Vs. Agency: Which Approach Is Right For You?

Choosing between an internal team and SEO agencies is a big decision. Both can get you organic traffic. But they work in different ways.

Let’s look at the differences so you can make the right choice.

Comparing Costs and Budget Flexibility

Money is always important. When you hire an agency, you usually pay a monthly fee.

You get a team of experts for that price. You do not have to pay for their insurance, vacation days, or computers. Building an in house SEO team costs differently. You have to pay salaries to your SEO professionals. You also pay for SEO tools, training, and benefits.

For small businesses, an agency might look cheaper at first. But as you grow, paying an agency for more and more hours can get expensive.

If you have a big website and need a lot of work, paying a salary to an SEO specialist might save money in the long run. Plus, you have control over the budget. You can decide where to spend money, like putting more into link-building services with VH-info while your team writes content.

Control, Communication, and Agility

When you have an in house SEO team, you have full control. You can walk over to their desk or send a quick message. You get answers fast.

If you want to change your marketing strategy, you can tell them immediately.

With agency work, things can take longer. You might have to wait for a weekly meeting to talk to them. An agency has other clients, too. They cannot always drop everything for you. Your internal team works only for you. This makes communication much easier.

Depth of Brand Knowledge

An external agency works with various industries. They know a lot about SEO, but they might not know your specific product perfectly.

Your in house SEO team lives and breathes your brand. They talk to your product team. They know your customers. They understand exactly what makes your business special. This helps them create content strategies that really speak to your target audience.

They can align SEO strategies with your company’s big vision because they are part of the company.

Key Benefits of Adopting an In-House SEO Strategy

Why do many companies switch to in-house SEO? There are some very clear benefits.

Complete Focus on One Website

An SEO specialist at an agency might manage five or ten different accounts. Their time is split.

They cannot spend all day thinking about your site. When you hire an in-house SEO expert, you get 100% of their time. They focus completely on your online visibility. They can dig deep into your data. They can find small opportunities that an agency might miss.

This dedicated team cares about your success because it is their success too.

Better Collaboration With Other Departments

SEO touches many parts of a business. It needs web development to fix the code. It needs the marketing team for social shares. It needs the sales team to know what customers ask. An in-house SEO person is part of the entire team. They can join meetings with developers.

They can work with writers on content marketing. This teamwork helps things move smoothly. For example, if you are launching a new product, your SEO manager can work with the product team from day one. This makes sure the launch gets good search results.

Faster Implementation of Changes

The internet changes fast. Google Search Console might show a sudden drop in traffic.

Or maybe a competitor launches a new page. You need to act fast. With in-house SEO, you can make changes quickly. You do not need to send an email to an agency and wait for approval. Your SEO specialist can fix technical issues or update content right away.

This speed is a huge advantage. It helps you stay ahead in search engine rankings.

Is In-House SEO Right For Your Business?

Is building a team a good idea for you? Not every company needs a full team right away.

Factors to Consider Before Making the Switch

Think about your specific needs. Do you have a lot of content to manage? Is your website very large? If your site is small, you might not need a full-time person yet. Also, think about link building. This is a hard part of SEO.

Even with an in house SEO team, many companies still partner with experts like VH-info. Why?

Because link building needs many relationships and time. Your internal team can focus on content strategy and on-page SEO, while we handle the heavy lifting of getting links. This is a smart hybrid way to work.

Assessing Your Company’s Readiness For an Internal SEO Team

Are you ready to manage an SEO career path for someone? Hiring an expert is just the start. You need to lead them.

Ask yourself:

• Do we have the budget for a full-time salary?
• Do we have the SEO tools they need?
• Can we give them support from web development and writers?

If you can answer yes, then you might be ready. You need to be prepared for the hiring process. Finding the right people with the right skill set takes time.

Steps to Build A High-Performing In-House SEO Team

If you decide to go ahead, you need a plan. Here is how to build a great team.

Defining Your Goals and KPIs

First, what do you want to achieve? “More traffic” is too simple. You need specific business goals.

Maybe you want to rank for specific keywords. Maybe you want more sign-ups for your SaaS product. You need measurable results.

Set clear Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). These could be the number of organic traffic visitors, the number of leads, or your position in search engine results pages. When the team knows the goals, they can build effective SEO strategies.

Identifying the Key Roles to Hire

Who should you hire first? Usually, you start with an SEO manager or a general SEO specialist. This person should know a little bit of everything—technical SEO, content, and strategy.

As you grow, you can hire more SEO professionals. You might need a writer for content creation. You might need a technical expert. Remember, you don’t have to hire for every single task. Link building is often best outsourced to a specialist agency like VH-info.

This lets your SEO team focus on your website while we build your authority off-site.

Creating an Upskilling and Training Plan

SEO changes all the time. Algorithm updates happen often. Your team needs to keep learning. You must have a plan for ongoing training.

Let them go to conferences. Buy them courses. Encourage them to read about SEO trends. An SEO expert who stops learning will fall behind. Investing in their skills helps your business grow. It also keeps your team members happy and motivated.

Essential Tools For Managing In-House SEO

You cannot do SEO work without tools. Your team needs software to see what is happening.

First, you need Google Search Console and Google Analytics. These are free and very important. They tell you how people find your site.

Next, you need paid SEO tools. You need tools for keyword research to find what people search for. You need tools to crawl your site and find broken links. You also need tools to track your search engine rankings.

Common tools help with:

• Checking technical SEO health.
• Spying on competitors.
• Planning content strategy.

Your SEO manager will know which tools are best. You must provide a budget for these. Without them, your team is flying blind.

Common Challenges of In-House SEO and How to Solve Them?

Building an in house SEO team is not always easy. There are challenges.

1. Finding Talent: It is hard to find good SEO experts. The best ones are in high demand. Solution: Be patient with the hiring process. Look for people with good soft skills, not just technical knowledge. You can teach skills, but you cannot teach attitude.
2. Tunnel Vision: Your team might get too focused on your own site. They might miss what is happening in the wider industry. Solution: encourage them to network. Also, working with partners like VH-info brings fresh ideas. We see what works across many SaaS companies and can share that knowledge.
3. Being Lonely: An SEO specialist might be the only one in the company who knows SEO. They can feel isolated. Solution: Connect them with other marketing groups. Ensure the entire team understands the value of SEO so they feel supported.
4. Too Much Work: SEO has many parts: content, technical, links, social. One person cannot do it all perfectly. Solution: Prioritize. Let your in-house SEO person handle the site and content. Outsource specific, time-consuming tasks like link building to VH-info. This keeps the workload manageable and ensures high quality in all areas.

FAQ’s:

Is In-House SEO Cheaper Than Hiring an Agency?

It depends. An agency has a fixed fee. In-house seo involves salaries, taxes, and tools. For small needs, an agency is often cheaper. For large operations requiring full-time attention, an internal team can be more cost-effective over time.

What is the First Role I Should Hire For My In-House SEO Team?

You should usually hire an SEO manager or a well-rounded SEO specialist. This person acts as a generalist. They can handle strategy, some technical fixes, and content planning.

How Do I Decide If My Company Should Bring SEO In-House Or Use an Agency?

Look at your size and budget.

If you need someone to work on your site every single day and know your brand deeply, go in-house. If you need a team of experts instantly without training them, an agency might be better. Many companies do both: an in-house manager who works with agencies for specific tasks.

Do I Still Need External Consultants If I Have an In-House Team?

Yes, often. You might need a consultant for a deeper technical audit.

Or, you might need a specialized agency like VH-info for link building. Link building requires a huge network that is hard to build in-house. Using external help for specific needs makes your SEO campaign stronger.

What Are the Typical Costs Involved In Running In-House SEO?

You have salaries (which vary by location), costs for SEO tools (can be hundreds of dollars a month), training budgets, and overhead like computers and office space.

How Long Does It Take For an In-House SEO Team to Show Results?

SEO is a long game. Whether it is an agency or an internal team, it usually takes 3 to 6 months to see real movement in search results. But an in-house team might implement changes faster, which can speed things up slightly.

What Tools Are Essential For an In-House SEO Specialist?

They need Google Search Console, Google Analytics, a crawler tool (to find errors), and a keyword research tool. They might also need project management software to work with the content marketing team.

Conclusion

Building an in house SEO team is a big step. It gives you full control and a dedicated team that knows your brand perfectly. It allows for faster implementation of changes and better teamwork. However, it also requires time, money, and management.

You have to find the right people, buy the right tools, and keep them trained on best practices.

For many SaaS businesses, the best path is a mix. You build a core in house SEO team to handle strategy, content, and on-page work.

Then, you partner with trusted experts for specialized tasks. This is where VH-info fits in. We support your internal team by handling the difficult and time-consuming work of link building. We provide the actionable insights and authority your site needs to rank.

At the end of the day, the goal is business growth. Whether you choose an agency, an in-house team, or a mix of both, the most important thing is to start. SEO is the best way to build a long-term online presence and get customers to come to you.