Outsourcing Marketing (Especially SEO) Can Be A Liability

Why Outsourcing Marketing (Especially SEO) Can Be a Liability

Outsourcing marketing, while appealing for its expertise and scalability, can indeed pose risks that may outweigh the benefits if not managed carefully. Here’s why:

1. Loss of Control Over Your Online Presence:
   • SEO Risks: As you noted, SEO companies often have significant control over your website, backlinks, and online assets. If they use questionable tactics (e.g., spammy backlinks, keyword stuffing), it can lead to Google penalties, such as ranking drops or deindexing, which can devastate your web presence.
   • Lack of having an in-house person, dedicated to collecting content to market can be on of the biggest road block in your success.
2. Spam and Reputation Damage:
   • Some SEO agencies (especially low-cost ones) engage in black-hat tactics, like creating low-quality backlinks or posting spammy content across the web. These can trigger Google’s algorithms (e.g., Penguin or Panda updates) to flag your site, harming your rankings and credibility.
   • Even after parting ways, low-quality backlinks or content created by the agency can linger, requiring time and expense to clean up (e.g., through disavow tools or manual outreach).
3. Inconsistency Across the Web:
   • Frequent changes in agencies can lead to inconsistent strategies, messaging, or branding. For example, one agency might focus on local SEO, while another shifts to e-commerce, creating a disjointed online presence that confuses customers and search engines.
   • Consistency in elements like NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number), brand voice, and content quality is critical for SEO and user trust. Multiple agencies can disrupt this.
4. Dependency on External Expertise:
   • Relying heavily on an agency can leave your business without internal knowledge or ownership of marketing processes. If the agency relationship ends, you may struggle to maintain campaigns or understand your own data.
5. Hostage Situations:
   • Some agencies may “hold your web presence hostage” by refusing to transfer domains, business listings, or social media sites. This can lock you into a bad relationship or force you to start over and over again.

I’m Ed Tapia, an Internet Marketing Consultant with over 24 years of experience in directional advertising and 17 years specializing in SEO, SEM, web design, and social media management. Please call me at (603) 505-4824 so that I can help you take ownership of your online presence.