Reasons Why You Need to Hire an SEO Expert

20 Smart Reasons Why You Need to Hire an SEO Expert

Search engine optimization, also known as SEO, is a digital marketing strategy that makes your website rank higher on Google so you can attract more qualified leads and grow your brand authority. However, SEO is a complex and ever-evolving field that requires expertise, time, and continuous effort.

Read this article to learn the 20 reasons why you need to hire an SEO expert to grow your business’s presence on search engines. If you’ve considered hiring an SEO agency in the past but are not sure if SEO services are actually worth it, you’ll walk away with a full understanding of how an expertly crafted SEO strategy can help your business flourish.

What Is SEO?

SEO, or search engine optimization, is the practice of improving your website so that it ranks higher on search engines like Google.

When someone searches for something online, search engines use algorithms to decide which websites to show first. When you optimize your website for SEO, you make changes to its content and structure to make it more attractive to these algorithms. The goal is to make your website appear at the top of search results, so more people find and visit it.

Contrary to popular belief, it’s not your entire website that either ranks or doesn’t rank on Google – it’s individual pages. Each page is evaluated on factors like relevance to the search query, the quality and usefulness of its content, keyword optimization, and the number of other websites linking to it. While your homepage might rank highly for one keyword, a specific blog post or product page could rank highly for a different keyword.

What Makes SEO So Important? 

SEO is important because it directly impacts how easily people can find your website through search engines like Google. When done right, SEO helps your website appear at the top of search results, driving more organic traffic to your site without the need for paid ads. This means more potential clients and customers can discover your services or products naturally.

The Benefits of Search Engine Optimization

Hire an SEO Expert ASAP

The benefits of SEO are extensive, starting with increased visibility and traffic to your website. When you use the right SEO strategies, you attract more visitors who are actively looking for what you offer, leading to higher engagement and more potential sales.

Beyond generating more organic traffic, higher search engine rankings also improve your brand’s authority and credibility in the eyes of your target audience. When your website consistently comes up high on search rankings, your audience recognizes you as an experienced and trustworthy professional or brand, which also leads to more revenue over time.

While the results from SEO efforts are not immediate, search engine optimization has a high ROI. For example, TeraKeet estimates that its average ROI of SEO ranges from 550% to 1,220%.

Who Benefits Most from SEO? 

Businesses of all sizes benefit from SEO, but it’s most helpful for founders who want to focus on sustainable and organic growth instead of having to continuously invest in paid ads. SEO strategies take around 3-6 months to start producing first results, but SEO growth continues to compound over time.

A comprehensive SEO strategy will also be beneficial for businesses that want their digital marketing to be more passive. Instead of having to constantly show up on social media, search engine visibility will keep bringing leads and sales right to your doorstep while you focus on other needle-moving tasks in your business.

For example, one of our clients, a financial coach Adam Kol, decided to work with SEO professionals (us!) after investing over $10K in paid ads with little to no return. Our team started from zero, but within 18 months, Adam’s organic traffic exceeded 30,000 clicks monthly. This translated to him starting to get 50+ leads per week while he focuses on other business tasks (or spends his time simply relaxing).

SEO Experts: Who They Are, What They Do & What to Look For

SEO professionals specialize in optimizing websites to rank higher on search engine results pages. They have a deep knowledge of all the digital marketing strategies that go into building successful SEO campaigns, such as keyword research, content creation, and link-building.

When you work with an SEO consultant, they typically start with analyzing your website’s current performance and identifying areas for improvement. They conduct thorough keyword research to understand what terms your potential customers are searching for and optimize your website’s content to match these keywords. They also build high-quality backlinks from other reputable sites to boost your site’s authority. Ultimately, their goal is to enhance your website’s visibility, attract more organic traffic, and drive more conversions.

When hiring an SEO expert, look for someone with a proven track record of success in your industry. The SEO consultant you hire should have a strong understanding of your target audience and the specific challenges you face. Look for transparency in their processes and a clear plan of action tailored to your business needs. Check for positive reviews and testimonials from previous clients to ensure that the SEO company you hire has a solid reputation and can deliver tangible results.

How Much Does It Cost to Hire Someone for SEO? 

The cost of hiring an SEO expert depends on multiple factors, such as the scope of your project and your search engine optimization goals. Different types of SEO services exist. For example, you may hire someone to do a one-time SEO audit to identify and fix any technical issues on your website. Or, you may hire an SEO agency on an ongoing content marketing retainer to create optimized articles and drive more traffic. You can see SJ Digital Solutions’ rates on our services page.

20 Reasons Why You Need to Hire an SEO Expert ASAP

Now that you know what search engine optimization is and the benefits it can bring to your business, let’s dive deeper into discussing why you should hire an SEO expert vs. trying to grow your online visibility yourself.

1. Expertise in SEO Best Practices

SEO experts have in-depth knowledge of SEO best practices, such as the latest Google updates, effective keyword strategies, and optimization techniques for both on-page and off-page SEO.

This expertise is important because search engine algorithms are complex and constantly evolving. Trying to manage SEO on your own without this specialized knowledge can lead to missed opportunities and costly mistakes. You could even unknowingly use outdated tactics that could harm your rankings.

The truth is, learning how to do keyword research, use SEO tools correctly, and optimize the technical aspects of your website takes time. It’s not something that you can learn from one masterclass or checklist. When you hire SEO experts, you invest in a team that has spent years learning the ins & outs of search engine optimization so you can start generating conversions and revenue on autopilot.

2. Save Time

Hiring an SEO expert saves you valuable time that you can dedicate to other essential aspects of your business. Developing a strong SEO strategy is a time-intensive process that involves finding relevant keywords, creating authoritative content to target those keywords, and publishing your new content on your website.

In addition to on-page optimization, you also need to pay attention to the technical SEO aspects of your website, such as writing optimized meta descriptions and building authoritative links. If you’re not an SEO expert, learning how to do this will take you many hours and may not even bring the results you’re looking for.

Working with an SEO consultant allows you to stay in your zone of genius, whether it’s serving clients or developing a new product, while your SEO team ensures that your digital marketing is executed efficiently and effectively without draining your time and resources.

3. Save Money

Hiring an SEO expert saves you money in the long run because the results of SEO compound over time. Initially, you might see gradual improvements in search rankings and traffic, but as your website gains authority and more backlinks, your content will start to bring more and more leads and sales. According to statistics, an effective SEO strategy produces an average ROI of 275%.

At the same time, trying to DIY instead of hiring an SEO specialist may actually cost you money in the long term. Without the right expertise, DIY SEO can lead to mistakes such as targeting the wrong keywords, implementing an outdated online marketing strategy, or neglecting technical aspects of your website. All of these can result in low keyword rankings and wasted resources.

4. Increase Website Performance

Working with an SEO expert turns your website into a valuable asset instead of just a necessary expense. SEO agencies help you identify and eliminate technical issues, such as broken links or poorly structured sitemaps, to improve your website performance. They can also create relevant and engaging content in a way that search engines can easily understand and index.

These improvements help your website rank higher in search results, but they also make it more user-friendly. This leads to increased engagement, lower bounce rates, and more conversions from your audience. For one of our clients, an education blogger Sarah Chesworth, a simple website fix allowed her to 3X her organic traffic over the course of just one month!

5. Establish Authority With Link Building

Link building is a technical aspect of SEO that involves acquiring high-quality backlinks from relevant and reputable websites. Link building works by having other websites link to your content, signaling to search engines that your site is a credible and valuable resource. For many business owners, especially if your website is not established on search engines yet, it can be difficult to grow your backlinks.

An SEO expert leverages their knowledge and connections to secure high-quality backlinks, often through strategies like guest posting, content promotion, and building relationships with other prominent businesses in your industry. Link building enhances your website’s domain authority and makes it easier to rank for keywords on Google.

For example, our SEO tool shows that to rank for the keyword “financial coach,” you need to have at least 36 referring domains (unique backlinks).

One of the reasons why you need to hire an SEO expert is that they can help you grow your backlinks.

6. Targeted Keyword Research

Targeted keyword research is an essential part of any SEO strategy. It’s the art and science of identifying and analyzing the specific terms and phrases that your potential customers are using in search engines to find products or services similar to yours. Targeted keyword research is important because it helps tailor your content to meet the exact needs and interests of your audience.

An SEO expert finds the most relevant keywords for your business to target using professional SEO tools and extensive analytical skills. They can uncover high-value keywords that you might overlook as well as evaluate keyword competition and search intent so that your SEO strategy focuses on keywords that can realistically drive traffic and conversions. Learn more about our keyword research service!

7. Content Creation and Optimization

An SEO consultant creates content that is not only engaging and informative but also aligned with the best SEO practices. They identify the right keywords to target and seamlessly integrate them into your content, making sure it speaks to both search engines and your audience. The process of content optimization, from keyword research to creating in-depth articles, takes hours, so outsourcing this to SEO consultants saves you time and makes you money.

8. Strong Local SEO

Local SEO is a form of search engine optimization that focuses on optimizing your online presence for relevant local searches in your geographic area. If your business serves a specific local area, such as a town or a city, local SEO makes it easier for potential customers and clients in your vicinity to find you. Optimizing for local SEO is essential for businesses like real estate offices, restaurants, retail stores, and more.

An SEO expert can help your business growth by optimizing your website and content for local keywords, creating and managing your Google My Business profile, and building local backlinks. Learn more about our local SEO services.

9. Rise Above With Competitor Analysis

An essential part of any SEO strategy is doing thorough competitor analysis to understand your market landscape and identify opportunities to outperform other businesses in your niche. Your SEO agency will examine your competitors’ SEO strategies, keyword usage, backlink profiles, and content tactics to pinpoint what is working well for them and where they are falling short.

With this insight, they can develop a tailored strategy that leverages your strengths and capitalizes on your competitors’ weaknesses. Your SEO consultant may target overlooked keywords, create more in-depth content, or build stronger backlinks. Overall, they’ll help you stay ahead of the competition with a well-informed SEO campaign so you can attract more leads and turn them into clients.

10. No Longer Shy Away From Technical SEO

Technical SEO is a difficult issue to tackle if you don’t know much about how the backend of your website works (which most business owners don’t!). Unfortunately, technical SEO issues are quite widespread. According to Ahrefs, 95.2% of sites have 3XX redirect issues, 88% of sites have HTTP to HTTPS redirect issues, and 80.4% of sites have missing alt attributes. All of these issues need attention of an SEO professional.

If your website has a technical issue, even the most excellent content won’t rank on search results. However, your website’s performance in search engine results will quickly improve once you effectively address technical SEO issues!

11. Keep Track of Data Analysis and Reporting

In addition to optimizing your website, an SEO agency will also keep track of data analysis and reporting so that you can understand your website’s performance and the effectiveness of your SEO strategies. Your SEO consultant will use different analytical tools to monitor key metrics such as website traffic, keyword rankings, conversion rates, and user engagement.

Over time, you and your SEO consultant will be able to use this data to identify trends and make data-driven decisions to optimize your digital marketing efforts. If you often stare at your Google Analytics without fully understanding what your numbers mean, hiring an SEO expert will help you finally make sense of your data.

12. Better User Experience

Optimizing your website content for SEO often goes hand in hand with creating a better user experience for your visitors. When you hire an SEO expert, they will help you implement best practices such as improving your website speed and organizing your content effectively so your site becomes more user-friendly and intuitive to navigate.

A better user experience will help keep your visitors engaged and encourage them to spend more time on your website. As a result, your brand perception will improve and you’ll be able to drive higher conversion rates from your digital marketing campaigns.

13. Increased Organic Traffic

SEO is responsible for 1000% more organic traffic than social media. When you work with an SEO specialist, they use keyword optimization, content creation, link building, and technical SEO improvements to boost your website’s visibility and ranking on search engine results pages. As a result, you’ll get highly targeted visitors who are actively looking for information related to your services or products.

14. More Clients and Sales on Autopilot

When compared to other digital marketing strategies, SEO is extremely passive and can help you get more clients and make more sales on autopilot. If you market your business on social media such as LinkedIn or Instagram, you have to show up every day to make insightful comments, share content, and engage with your audience. With email marketing, you have to continuously write new emails with fresh takes to market to your audience.

In contrast, once you write and publish a high-quality SEO blog post, it’s going to stay on your website forever, attracting and converting leads month after month and year after year without you having to lift a finger. On average, SEO blog posts have a lifespan of 2-3 years before they need to be updated to stay relevant.

15. Enhanced Brand Authority

Regularly publishing high-quality content on your website and building authoritative backlinks helps elevate your brand’s visibility and reputation online. As your website climbs the search engine rankings and becomes a go-to resource for valuable information, your brand authority grows, positioning you as an industry leader and trusted source of expertise. This enhanced brand authority attracts more organic traffic and leads that already trust your brand enough to convert.

16. Staying Ahead of Algorithm Changes

A professional SEO expert stays up to date on Google updates, continuously monitors SEO industry news, and refines their online marketing skills so that they can maintain and improve your website’s search rankings as well as capitalize on new opportunities. As a business owner, you don’t have the time to always stay updated on how search engines work.

17. Long-Term Strategy and Growth

SEO competition is fierce, and simply posting a few blog post articles and hoping for the best is not enough to outperform your competition. When you hire an SEO expert, they will craft a comprehensive, long-term strategy for your business to grow. This may include optimizing your website for relevant keywords, creating high-quality content, building authoritative backlinks, improving technical aspects, and monitoring performance metrics.

One of the biggest benefits of SEO is that it continues to bring results years down the line. When you create content with a long-term strategy in mind, your search traffic will continue to increase and generate results long after you finish working with your SEO specialist.

18. You Can Repurpose Your SEO Content

You can repurpose your SEO content to save time and maximize the value and reach of your existing marketing assets. You can adapt your blog posts into different formats such as social media posts, infographics, videos, or podcast episodes, making your expertise accessible to different audiences on different platforms. This approach makes marketing your business online much easier.

19. SEO Is Forever

SEO is a long-term investment that continues to generate positive results for your business for years to come without requiring any additional effort. Once your SEO efforts begin to bring in organic traffic and leads, the value of your blog steadily increases. As your content gains authority and ranks higher in search results, it attracts more visitors, which in turn leads to more engagement and backlinks.

You need to invest in high-quality SEO consulting once, and over time the benefits of SEO will compound without additional costs.

20. Peace of Mind

Working with an SEO expert gives you peace of mind because it takes the complexity and guesswork out of optimizing your website. This way, you can focus on what you do best – running your business – instead of spending countless hours trying to understand SEO intricacies.

An SEO expert brings experience, proven strategies, and the latest tools to the table, so that your website performs at its best. This means that your SEO efforts will yield meaningful results without causing you additional stress!

Connect with an SEO Expert and Start Growing Your Business

At SJ Digital Solutions, we partner with finance and real estate brands to help them succeed in the competitive online landscape. With 250+ clients served, we’ve worked with major brands like Rocket Mortage and American First Finance to grow their SEO presence and visibility.

Our Founder, Sam Hawrylack, holds an MBA from the West Chester University of Pennsylvania as well as multiple certifications, including Certified Clickworthy Copywriter® and an SEO Certificate from HubSpot Academy. She has an impressive background in personal finance, business management, and SEO, which allows her to create high-quality, authoritative content that gets finance and real estate companies to the first page of Google.

Learn more about our SEO services, start your content marketing retainer, or grab our FREE SEO checklist.