Build Your In-House SEO
Thinking about hiring internally? Here's what to consider.
Free Hybrid Model ConsultationYou hired an SEO manager. Then what?
The job description promised everything.
Strategy. Execution. Results.
Six months in:
Hiring one person doesn't equal a team.
And SEO touches every function: dev, content, design, product.
The hybrid model exists for a reason.
In-House vs. Agency vs. Hybrid
There's no one-size-fits-all answer. But there is a best fit for you.
$100-180K (Melbourne senior)
$36-96K/year
$60-120K combined
Fast decisions, slow execution
Medium decisions, medium execution
Fast decisions, fast execution
One person's knowledge
Team of specialists
Best of both worlds
Limited by headcount
Scales with budget
Flexible
Deep understanding
Needs ramp-up time
Shared knowledge
Depends on dev/content access
External deliverables
Mixed execution
Single point of failure
Dependency
Distributed
Building Internal Capability
A phased approach to building your in-house SEO function.
Define & Hire
Define role clearly. Hire for strategy OR execution (not both). Pair with agency.
Define & Hire
Define role clearly. Hire for strategy OR execution (not both). Pair with agency.
Knowledge Transfer
Transfer knowledge. In-house owns roadmap. Agency executes specialized tasks.
Knowledge Transfer
Transfer knowledge. In-house owns roadmap. Agency executes specialized tasks.
Build Content Process
Build content process. In-house manages content SEO. Agency handles technical + links.
Build Content Process
Build content process. In-house manages content SEO. Agency handles technical + links.
Evaluate & Adjust
Evaluate. Expand in-house? Reduce agency? Find sustainable balance.
Evaluate & Adjust
Evaluate. Expand in-house? Reduce agency? Find sustainable balance.
Scale or Stabilise
If growing, add specialists. If stable, maintain hybrid. Adapt to business needs.
Scale or Stabilise
If growing, add specialists. If stable, maintain hybrid. Adapt to business needs.
What to Keep vs. Outsource
A practical guide to dividing responsibilities.
You have senior talent with time
You need specialised expertise
You have dev team buy-in
Changes backlog forever
You have content resources
Content team at capacity
Almost never
Almost always (specialised)
You have data team
You need external benchmarking
Simple, single-location
Multi-location complexity
Building an internal team?
Free consultation on structuring your hybrid SEO model.