Hiring the right SEO partner can be the difference between scaling your brand and wasting thousands of dollars. The process is full of traps—costly mistakes, wasted months, and agencies that overpromise but underdeliver. After hiring 15 SEOs for my agency and for various brands, I've developed a proven framework to help you choose correctly the first time. This guide outlines your real options, what you can expect from each, and the seven traits that distinguish high-performing SEO partners. If you're shopping for SEO support, these insights can save you significant time and money, empowering you to make the right choice for your brand.

The High Cost of Hiring the Wrong SEO Partner

Choosing the wrong SEO agency or consultant is a common and costly mistake. Brands lose tens of thousands of dollars and often waste months chasing results that never arrive. In the last week alone, I've seen brands fall into this trap four or five times.

Here's what's at stake if you get this wrong:

• Lost money: You can blow through $10,000, $20,000, or even more before realizing your partner isn't delivering.

• Lost time: The months spent waiting on empty promises could be used for real growth.

• SEO setbacks: Bad work can hurt your rankings, forcing you to undo damage before you can even start fresh.

• Lost trust: It makes you second-guess every future marketing decision.

Why Getting It Right the First Time Matters:

Bad SEO doesn't just stagnate your results—it can set you back even further. When you add wasted time to the bill, the frustration doubles. Making the right hire isn't a luxury; it's the only smart way to invest in growth.

Quick Recap of Risks

• Heavy financial losses

• Wasted time

• Damaged rankings

• Frustration and distrust

Let's break down your real options for hiring an SEO partner.

Your SEO Hiring Options: Freelancer, Agency, or In-House

Setting Clear Goals and Expectations, brands have three main routes for hiring SEO help: freelancers, agencies, or bringing someone in-house. All have their benefits and drawbacks. However, regardless of the route you choose, it's crucial to set clear goals and expectations. Your choice should reflect your brand's budget, goals, and current stage. This alignment can prevent misunderstandings and disappointments, ensuring a successful partnership.

Freelancer SEO

Freelancers excel at project-based work—think of them as special teams for specific SEO tasks. If you need a technical SEO audit, want to clean up your website's theme, run a domain migration, or launch a short-term link-building campaign, freelancers make sense.

Typical Freelancer Projects

• Technical cleanups

• Domain migrations

• Guest posting or PR-based link building

• One-off content projects

Freelancer Benefits

• Usually lower cost than agencies

• Direct communication with the person doing the work

• Flexible for short-term or defined projects

Freelancer Drawbacks

• Limited scalability

• Usually lack established systems and support teams

• Not always a fit for ongoing, long-term SEO growth

While some brands retain freelancers on a long-term basis, most utilize them for specific, temporary needs. For more consistent growth or complex needs, an agency or in-house hire may be a better option.

SEO Agency

SEO agencies bring more structure, resources, and established systems to the table. Pricing varies, but most good agencies charge between $3,000 and $6,000 a month. That gives you a whole team—often seven to ten specialists—compared to hiring a single in-house SEO at a similar or higher cost.

Quick Breakdown: Agency vs. Freelancer

Agencies shine when you want fast results and need to tackle multiple SEO elements in parallel. They already have systems in place for link building, audits, and content strategy—all ready to execute without requiring any setup on your part.

Agency Benefits

• Rapid onboarding and campaign rollout

• Access to systems and tech that freelancers can't match

• Scalable, reliable processes

Agency Drawbacks

• Higher cost for small projects or brands

• Can feel impersonal or "productized" if not tailored

• Some agencies rely on templates and do not adjust for your specific market

Many agencies drop the ball by being too rigid. Still, the right partner brings speed and organization you can't get otherwise.

In-House SEO

In-house SEO is common among large, mature brands—especially those in the B2B sector or with nine-figure operations. These brands have complex funnels and enough cash flow to justify a dedicated person (or team).

In-House Benefits

• Total focus on your brand

• Deep understanding of your business, product, and goals

• Close integration with marketing and product teams

In-House Drawbacks

• High cost: US-based SEOs with experience usually cost $70,000+ a year

• Hard to evaluate their skills if you aren't an SEO expert

• Slow ramp-up—hiring takes months, and results can lag if the wrong person is chosen

Tip:

Only hire in-house if you're ready to invest in an authentic experience and have a detailed role in mind. If you're an e-commerce or local brand doing under eight figures, agencies and freelancers usually offer better value.

My agency spent three months conducting numerous interviews to secure the right senior SEO. Many experienced-sounding candidates weren't driving real results, so it's easy to overpay for the wrong person.

The Seven Traits of a Good vs. Bad SEO Agency

Not every agency is equal. Some deliver real growth. Many just burn time and money. Keep these seven indicators in mind to spot the difference.

1. Real Case Studies and Client Interviews

A good SEO agency will have a library of detailed case studies and video client interviews. These aren't just testimonials—they're proof, delivered straight from the clients, often on camera.

What to look for:

• Written and video testimonials with real brand names and interviews

• Specific outcomes (traffic, sales, rankings)

• Up-to-date case studies, not just a single success from 2014

For reference, my agency's client case studies and interviews set the standard for transparency.

Red Flags:

• No detailed case studies

• Only vague, text-based testimonials

• Old or irrelevant reference projects

2. Transparent Deliverables and Communication

You should always be aware of what's happening on your account.

A strong agency will:

• Show you precisely what's being done, when, and why

• Explain deliverables and set clear timelines

• Share KPIs and expected results

A weak agency is a black box:

• You're unsure what they're working on

• Reports are unclear, or they don't arrive at all

• No clarity on ROI or progress

If you're paying for SEO and aren't sure what you're getting, that's a big red flag.

3. Direct Access to Talented Team Members

A trustworthy agency allows you to communicate directly with the individuals performing the work. In my agency, more than half the team sits in the client's Slack, answering questions and acting as true partners.

Avoid agencies where:

• You only ever speak to a sales rep or account manager

• The actual SEO work is sent offshore, out of sight

• It's impossible to get a straight answer about what's happening

Brands paying thousands each month should expect expert-level service and direct conversations with skilled SEO pros, not mediators.

4. Honest Pricing and Contract Terms

The right agency provides clear, fair contracts. Look for:

• Monthly fees $2,500–$3,000 or more, matching the complexity of your needs

• Month-to-month contracts preferred over year-long lock-ins

• Transparent, specialized focus (e.g., only e-commerce, only Shopify, etc.)

Red Flags to Avoid:

• Agencies that work with every type of business—B2B, local, e-commerce, SaaS

• Agencies charging under $2,000 a month; most deliver poor results at this price point

• Long-term contracts at low prices ($1,500 locked in for a year)

It's easy for these agencies to trap you in a contract, drag out the work, and deliver little for months. Real specialists know their value and focus on a tight niche.

5. Custom Pricing vs. Packaged Services

A results-driven agency offers custom pricing and services tailored to your specific needs. You receive a plan tailored to your exact growth stage, revenue, and SEO strengths or weaknesses.

• Custom plan: One price, one strategy, fully tailored to your brand and goals.

• Packaged plan: "Pick one: Silver, Gold, Platinum!"—inflexible, same as every other client, little thought about what drives results.

Custom pricing lets agencies focus resources where they see the most significant ROI, rather than just delivering a set number of links or blog posts each month.

Custom vs. Packaged Examples

• Custom Model:

$4,000/month for an apparel brand focused on technical cleanup and niche link building.

• Packaged Model:

$2,000/month for "4 blog posts, 5 links, 1 technical audit," whether you need those items or not.

Always ask how their service model works before you sign.

6. Product-Driven Approach, Not Just Checklists

Growth-focused agencies build systems that evolve with your brand. The content and links they create scale with your needs and respond to ongoing changes.

Checklists, on the other hand, mean ticking boxes:

• "Optimize five pages—done forever."

• "Write ten blog posts—then stop."

You want ongoing optimization, not set-it-and-forget-it plans.

7. Speed, Responsiveness, and Clear Results

Strong agencies act quickly and keep you informed. They don't hide behind the myth that "SEO always takes at least 6–12 months." With the right systems, you can see results much sooner.

Myth-busting callout:

SEO can take months to reach full potential, but you should see evident progress much faster with a proactive partner. Don't accept vague promises or delays as usual.

Bad agencies move slowly, blame delays on "the nature of SEO," and cash your checks until you get frustrated and walk.

How to Match Your Brand to the Right SEO Partner

Hiring an SEO is not a one-size-fits-all. Make your decision based on your business model, budget, and your current stage of growth.

Consider Your Industry and Business Model

• B2B companies with complex sales cycles and unique offerings often benefit from having in-house SEOs for the personal touch.

• E-commerce brands (especially on Shopify) often get the best value from specialized agencies.

• Local businesses rarely hire in-house staff; agencies and freelancers tend to work better in this context.

Working with an agency or freelancer deeply experienced in your space has a direct impact on your results.

Evaluate Your Budget and Growth Stage

• Freelancer or solo consultant: Good for budgets under $2,000/month or project work.

• Agency: Most effective for brands willing to invest $3,000–$6,000/month for proper growth and speed.

• In-house: Worth it only if you have sustained high revenue (typically eight figures or more) and a need for on-call SEO knowledge.

Use this simple flow to decide:

Define Your SEO Goals Before Hiring

Before you hire anyone, get clear on what you want to achieve:

• Specific targets (more traffic, higher rankings for certain pages)

• Timeline for improvement

• Types of deliverables you expect (content, links, technical fixes)

Checklist for Preparing to Hire SEO Help

• List your main SEO goals and KPIs

• Gather your site's current analytics and traffic stats

• Set a clear budget and timeline

• Decide whether you want project work or ongoing growth

• Research agencies/freelancers specializing in your business model

When you know what you want, it's much easier to find (and hire) the right partner.

Take Action: Next Steps and Resources

Ready to scale your business with the right SEO agency? Suppose you're an e-commerce brand on Shopify making between seven and nine figures. In that case, you can book a call with my agency for a personal strategy session.

For proof of our work and what's possible, review our case studies and client interviews, which showcase real results for real brands.

Stay up-to-date with the latest strategies by subscribing to my SEO newsletter or following me on Twitter and LinkedIn for daily insights and expert tactics.

Don't risk your hard-earned growth on the wrong partner. Use these tips to find an SEO team that delivers real results and helps your brand climb to new heights.