SEO Company vs SEO Consultant: What’s the Difference?
Businesses looking for SEO support will often come across two common options: working with an SEO company or hiring an SEO consultant.
Both can provide professional search engine optimisation services, but the way they operate can be quite different.
An SEO company may have a team of specialists handling different areas of SEO, while an SEO consultant may work independently and provide more direct involvement throughout the project.
Neither option is automatically better.
The right choice depends on your website, the amount of work required, your budget, the level of communication you prefer and the type of SEO support your business needs.
If you are currently exploring providers, our SEO Services page provides a broader overview of the different SEO services available.
What Is an SEO Company?
An SEO company is a business that provides search engine optimisation services to other businesses.
Depending on its size, an SEO company may employ several people with different areas of expertise.
These may include:
- SEO strategists
- Technical SEO specialists
- Content writers
- Link-building specialists
- Digital PR specialists
- Web developers
- Data and analytics specialists
- Account managers
- Local SEO specialists
Larger SEO companies may therefore be able to divide different parts of a campaign between several team members.
Smaller SEO companies may operate more like boutique agencies, with only a few people handling the majority of the work.
The term “SEO company” does not necessarily tell you how large the provider is or exactly how the work will be completed.
Always look at the actual services, team and proposed strategy.
What Is an SEO Consultant?
An SEO consultant is generally an individual who provides SEO advice, strategy or implementation directly to businesses.
Some consultants work completely independently.
Others may use freelance writers, developers, designers or other specialists when additional skills are required.
An SEO consultant may provide services such as:
- SEO audits
- Keyword research
- SEO strategy
- Technical SEO
- On-page optimisation
- Content planning
- Competitor research
- Internal linking
- Analytics
- Reporting
- SEO consulting
- Website migration support
Some consultants specialise heavily in one particular area.
For example, one consultant may focus primarily on technical SEO, while another may specialise in content strategy or local SEO.
This makes it important to understand exactly what the consultant provides before comparing them with an SEO company.
SEO Company vs SEO Consultant: What Are the Main Differences?
The differences are not always clear-cut.
Some consultants operate with extensive resources, while some SEO companies are very small.
However, there are several areas worth comparing.
Team Structure
An SEO company may have multiple specialists working across a campaign.
One person may handle keyword research.
Another may manage technical SEO.
A writer may create content.
An account manager may communicate with the client.
An SEO consultant will generally be more directly involved in the work themselves.
They may still use external specialists where necessary, but the overall structure is usually smaller.
Direct Communication
One potential advantage of working with an SEO consultant is that you may communicate directly with the person creating the SEO strategy.
There may be fewer layers between the client and the person actually completing the work.
With an SEO company, communication may sometimes go through an account manager.
However, this varies significantly between companies.
Some SEO companies provide direct access to their specialists.
When comparing providers, ask who your main contact will be and who will actually complete the work.
Range of SEO Services
SEO companies may be able to provide a wider range of services internally.
These might include:
- Technical SEO
- Content writing
- Link building
- Digital PR
- Local SEO
- Ecommerce SEO
- Website development
- Conversion optimisation
- Analytics
- Paid advertising
- Broader digital marketing services
An SEO consultant may provide many of the same services but may outsource certain specialist tasks.
Neither structure is necessarily a problem.
What matters is whether the provider has access to the skills required for your project.
Capacity and Resources
Large websites can require substantial amounts of SEO work.
An ecommerce website with thousands of pages may require:
- Large technical audits
- Extensive keyword research
- Product optimisation
- Category-page optimisation
- Content production
- Internal-link improvements
- Structured data
- Developer involvement
- Ongoing monitoring
An SEO company with several team members may have more capacity to handle large workloads simultaneously.
A consultant may be better suited to strategy, specialised projects or businesses requiring a smaller amount of ongoing work.
However, experienced consultants can also manage large projects by working with external specialists.
Ask providers how they will resource your particular project rather than assuming based on the business structure alone.
SEO Strategy
The quality of the strategy is more important than whether the provider calls itself a company or a consultant.
A suitable SEO strategy should consider factors such as:
- Your business objectives
- Website condition
- Target customers
- Products or services
- Current rankings
- Search demand
- Competitors
- Website authority
- Technical issues
- Content quality
- Conversion opportunities
- Available resources
- Budget
Be cautious of providers offering exactly the same SEO package to every business without first understanding the website and objectives.
SEO Company vs Consultant Pricing
Pricing can vary substantially for both SEO companies and consultants.
An SEO company may have higher operating costs because it employs multiple staff and maintains a broader infrastructure.
A consultant may have lower overheads.
However, this does not mean consultants are always cheaper.
Highly experienced consultants may charge premium rates for specialist expertise.
Pricing may be structured as:
- Hourly consulting
- Fixed projects
- Monthly retainers
- SEO packages
- Audits
- Strategy projects
- Ongoing optimisation
Rather than comparing price alone, compare exactly what is included.
Our SEO Packages guide explains some of the services that may be included within ongoing SEO arrangements.
Working With an SEO Company
An SEO company may be worth considering when your project requires several different skills.
For example, your business may require:
- Technical SEO
- Large amounts of content
- Link acquisition
- Website development
- Local SEO
- Reporting
- Ongoing optimisation
Having these services available through one provider can simplify project management.
An SEO company may also be suitable for larger businesses requiring substantial ongoing resources.
However, ask how much direct access you will have to the people actually working on your website.
Working With an SEO Consultant
An SEO consultant may be suitable when you want direct access to an experienced SEO professional.
Consultants can be particularly useful for:
- SEO strategy
- Website audits
- Technical reviews
- Website migrations
- Keyword strategies
- Content planning
- Existing SEO team support
- Second opinions
- Specific optimisation projects
A consultant may also work closely with your internal marketing team, developers or content writers.
However, determine whether they have enough capacity for the volume of work your website requires.
Does Business Size Matter?
Business size can influence the type of provider that may be appropriate, but it should not determine the decision by itself.
A small business may work successfully with either a consultant or an SEO company.
Similarly, a larger company may work with a specialist consultant alongside internal teams.
Consider the complexity of the SEO project rather than simply the size of your business.
A small website may need intensive SEO if it operates in a highly competitive market.
A large website may already have internal resources and only require specialist consulting.
Who Will Actually Do the SEO Work?
This is one of the most useful questions to ask any SEO provider.
The person selling the service may not necessarily be the person completing the work.
Ask:
- Who develops the strategy?
- Who performs keyword research?
- Who handles technical SEO?
- Who writes the content?
- Who builds links?
- Who reviews performance?
- Who will I communicate with?
- Is any work outsourced?
- Where is outsourced work completed?
- Who checks the quality?
Outsourcing itself is not automatically a problem.
Many providers use trusted specialists.
The important issue is understanding how the work is managed and reviewed.
How Much SEO Experience Does the Provider Have?
Experience should be relevant to the type of work you require.
Ask whether the provider has experience with:
- Businesses similar to yours
- Your industry
- Your website platform
- Ecommerce websites
- Local businesses
- National SEO
- International SEO
- Website migrations
- Competitive markets
You may also want to review case studies or examples of previous work.
However, remember that previous SEO results do not guarantee identical outcomes for another website.
Every market and website is different.
Compare the Proposed SEO Work
Two providers may quote similar prices but propose very different amounts of work.
One proposal might include:
- Technical SEO
- Keyword research
- Content optimisation
- New content
- Internal linking
- Link building
- Reporting
Another may focus mainly on:
- Basic keyword tracking
- Minor page changes
- Monthly reports
The monthly price therefore tells you very little without understanding the scope.
Compare the actual work being proposed.
Ask About Content
Content can form a significant part of an SEO strategy.
Ask whether the provider will:
- Research content opportunities
- Create new service pages
- Write blog content
- Optimise existing pages
- Create briefs for your writers
- Upload content
- Add internal links
- Update existing articles
Also confirm who owns any content created for your business.
If content is not included, determine who will be responsible for producing it.
Ask About Technical SEO
Technical SEO requirements vary between websites.
Relevant work may include:
- Crawlability
- Indexing
- Canonical tags
- Redirects
- XML sitemaps
- Page speed
- Mobile usability
- Structured data
- Duplicate pages
- Broken links
- Website architecture
If technical SEO is important for your website, determine whether the provider can identify problems and whether they can also implement the required changes.
Some SEO providers identify technical issues but expect your developer to fix them.
Others may have developers available.
Make sure responsibilities are clear.
Ask How SEO Performance Will Be Measured
SEO reporting should help explain whether the work is contributing to useful business outcomes.
Measurements may include:
- Organic traffic
- Search visibility
- Keyword positions
- Search impressions
- Clicks
- Enquiries
- Calls
- Form submissions
- Sales
- Bookings
- Conversion rates
Rankings can be useful, but they should not always be the only measurement.
A website receiving more relevant enquiries may be achieving a better result even if every tracked keyword has not improved.
Watch Out for SEO Guarantees
Neither an SEO company nor an SEO consultant can control search-engine rankings.
Be cautious of providers promising:
- Guaranteed first-place rankings
- Guaranteed first-page rankings
- Guaranteed traffic increases
- Guaranteed numbers of leads
- Immediate SEO results
Search performance can be influenced by many factors outside the provider’s control.
These include:
- Competition
- Website quality
- Search-engine updates
- Existing authority
- Content
- Technical performance
- Competitor activity
- Search behaviour
A stronger discussion usually focuses on the work being proposed and how progress will be measured.
Questions to Ask an SEO Company or Consultant
Before choosing a provider, consider asking:
- What SEO work do you recommend for my website?
- Why are you recommending that work?
- Who will complete it?
- Who will be my main contact?
- Is any work outsourced?
- Is content included?
- Is technical SEO included?
- Is link building included?
- How will progress be measured?
- How often will I receive reports?
- What access will you require?
- Are there additional costs?
- Is there a minimum contract?
- Who owns content created for my website?
- What happens if my SEO requirements change?
Clear answers can make providers much easier to compare.
SEO Company or SEO Consultant: Which Should You Choose?
There is no universal answer.
An SEO company may be suitable if you require a larger team, several specialist services or substantial ongoing resources.
An SEO consultant may suit businesses wanting direct access to an experienced individual, specialist advice or a more streamlined working relationship.
But those are general differences rather than fixed rules.
Some consultants manage large SEO campaigns.
Some SEO companies provide highly personalised support.
The best approach is to compare the individual providers based on their experience, proposed strategy, communication, scope and pricing.
Compare SEO Providers Before Deciding
The label attached to the provider matters far less than the quality and suitability of the service being proposed.
Look closely at:
- Experience
- Strategy
- Services
- Scope
- Communication
- Resources
- Reporting
- Pricing
- Contract terms
- Responsibilities
Compare Digital Services helps Australian businesses explore professional SEO providers and request quotes based on their project requirements.
COMPARE SEO SERVICES & GET FREE QUOTES
Frequently Asked Questions About SEO Companies and Consultants
Is an SEO Consultant the Same as an SEO Company?
Not usually. An SEO consultant commonly works independently or with a small network of specialists, while an SEO company may employ a larger team. However, business structures vary considerably between providers.
Is an SEO Company Better Than an SEO Consultant?
Not automatically. The more suitable option depends on your website, project requirements, required expertise, available resources, budget and preferred working relationship.
Is an SEO Consultant Cheaper Than an SEO Company?
Not always. Consultants may have lower overheads, but experienced specialists can charge premium rates. Compare the actual scope and expertise rather than assuming one structure will be cheaper.
Can an SEO Consultant Handle a Large Website?
Potentially. Some consultants specialise in large or technically complex websites and may work with internal teams or external specialists. Ask how the project would be resourced.
Do SEO Companies Outsource Work?
Some do, while others complete all work internally. Consultants may also use external specialists. Ask who will perform each part of the project and how quality is managed.
What Should I Compare Between SEO Providers?
Compare the proposed strategy, services, amount of work, experience, communication, reporting, pricing, contract terms and who will actually complete the work.
Should I Choose an SEO Provider Based on Price?
Price is one factor, but the scope and relevance of the work are also important. Two similarly priced SEO services may include very different levels of work.
Can an SEO Provider Guarantee Rankings?
SEO providers cannot control search engines or guarantee specific ranking positions. Be cautious of guarantees that promise particular rankings or results.
