Providing top medical services is important in the world of healthcare marketing. When done right, search engine optimization, also known as SEO, can increase one’s online presence. The question that healthcare providers’ marketing teams must ask is: do they need to manage the SEO portion in-house or reach out and partner with an external digital marketing consultant agency? This blog will explore the pros and cons of each approach and help healthcare providers find the ideal fit to get noticed online.
In-house SEO
Pros:
- Control and Access: Maintaining SEO in-house will give your company power and access to all strategies and how things are carried out. Also, it can allow for a straightforward collaboration between all departments, which makes sure there’s an agreement and alignment with goals.
- General Industry Knowledge: Healthcare providers often profoundly understand their industry. Having an in-house team might understand all the nuances of medical terminology-specific needs in the healthcare field and can be tailored to SEO strategies.
- Long Run Cost Savings: Costs, in the beginning, may seem a little higher because of hiring and training; however, long-term expenses could decrease, especially if the team consistently delivers good SEO results.
Cons:
- Resource and Skill Limitations: Building a team of SEO experts within the healthcare world can have challenges. There’s always a need for continuous training software, and industry updates on knowledge can strain resources.
- Can Be Time-Consuming: Maintaining SEO can be quite a time investment, which could shift focus from important healthcare services. This could result in a slower response to rapidly changing SEO efforts.
- Limited Outlook: Frequently, internal teams have a very narrow perspective and miss out on the bigger picture. Many aren’t experts in the ever-changing approaches of SEO.
Outsourcing SEO
Pros:
- Expert advice and specialization: The digital marketing agencies that companies partner with almost always have staff that have expert advice in the industry and digital marketing. This allows companies to bring in fresh ideas and strategies that are often up to date with industry standards.
- Access to more advanced resources and technologies: Digital agencies have access to the newest tools and technologies that will allow your company to succeed in SEO.
- Cost savings and time savings: Partnering with a digital marketing agency can be very cost-effective in the long term, especially considering how quickly tasks can be completed when working with them.
Cons:
- Becoming dependent and communication barriers: Even though working with outside agencies can have its value with expertise, relying on them can often lead to dependency issues. There may also be communication gaps which can potentially impact the alignment with the healthcare provider’s vision.
- Industry knowledge gap: Outside agencies have excellent knowledge of everything in digital marketing, but they may lack an understanding of the healthcare industry, potentially resulting in strategies that don’t fully align with the client’s needs.
- Cost concerns: Depending on the service scale required, partnering with a digital marketing agency can be significant for some healthcare providers.
The decision between in-house and digital agency SEO for healthcare providers depends on many factors, including the organization’s size, budget, available resources, and the type of expertise they need. While in-house teams offer control and specific industry knowledge, digital agencies bring specialized expertise and access to advanced tools.
Ultimately, it’s important to look at these factors carefully and choose an approach that aligns with the healthcare provider’s objectives, ensuring a significant online presence that maximizes visibility.
Marquee Project provides businesses with digital marketing consulting services, which include Search Engine Optimization or SEO. We thoroughly analyze the client’s current site and plan what needs to be done to optimize the website to gain more online visibility. Throughout the process, we are in constant communication with our clients to ensure our efforts align with their overall goals.