When considering SEO services for your business, one decision you will have to make on the way is choosing between an SEO agency and consultant (in fact, you most likely clicked on this article to help with that exact decision!).
While both agencies and consultants aim to improve your website’s search engine rankings, their approach, structure, and relationship with clients differ significantly.
- SEO agencies typically consist of multiple people skilled in SEO, account managers, developers, admin staff and directors.
- SEO consultants on the other hand are just the person skilled in SEO, covering admin duties themselves.
To help you decide between the two, I’ll compare both against seven key factors that are important to businesses deciding between choosing an agency or a consultant:
- Variety of Skills
- Cost-Effectiveness
- Resources
- Adaptability
- Communication
- Personalised Service
- Quality of Work
1. Variety of Skills
Winner: Agency
SEO agencies tend to be built around a multi-disciplinary team, comprising SEO specialists, developers, copywriters and client service professionals.
Their varied expertise makes them ideal for delivering complex projects involving several areas of digital marketing.
For organisations in need of a full-service solution, an agency can prove highly effective.
However, for more targeted needs, such as a standalone SEO or PPC campaign, a consultant may be more appropriate.
2. Cost-Effectiveness
Winner: Consultant
Whilst agencies can pitch competitive prices, those numbers often include the expense of physical offices, administrative staff, and middle management.
Consultants tend to operate independently. That means your money goes directly towards their expertise, not business overheads.
For many, this makes SEO consultants the more cost-effective solution.
3. Resources
Winner: Agency
Owing to their access to a larger pool of professionals, agencies are often the go-to for sizeable SEO campaigns.
They can delegate responsibilities across their team, tackling several aspects at once.
If your business is after that kind of scale, an agency might suit your needs better.
4. Adaptability
Winner: Consultant
Agencies, with their multi-person teams, tend to run on streamlined processes to manage workflow across accounts.
This can mean that adapting your account setup or strategy involves multiple steps and takes longer than expected.
Consultants are more agile. They’re able to adapt their work directly to your evolving needs without the red tape.
In a fast-moving digital world, this kind of responsiveness can make a real difference.
If plans change, a consultant can often pivot within hours – something agencies may struggle with due to approval chains and team structures.
5. Communication
Winner: Consultant
Having one consistent contact is one of the big advantages of choosing a consultant.
Agencies often rotate staff or assign different managers, which can disrupt progress and communication.
With a consultant, you get direct updates from the expert actually carrying out the work.
This straightforward setup makes for faster responses and a closer working relationship.
6. Personal Service
Winner: Consultant
SEO consultants have a personal stake in your success, as their reputation and income rely directly on the results they deliver and your satisfaction.
Unlike agencies, where responsibilities are often spread across teams and overseen by senior management, consultants are focused solely on you.
This usually results in a higher level of care and commitment.
While an agency might view you as just another account, a consultant sees your growth as a direct measure of their own performance.
7. Quality of Work
Winner: Equal
You can get excellent SEO support from both agencies and independent consultants.
Agencies often involve a range of specialists, but that sometimes means the work is distributed to junior staff for training.
Consultants tend to manage every detail themselves, resulting in a more consistent and focused execution.
Final Score
- Agency: 3
- Consultant: 5
Conclusion
Both Clothing SEO agencies and consultants have their strengths.
While agencies bring extensive resources and a variety of skills, consultants may offer a more cost-effective, adaptable, and personalised approach.
If you’re ready to experience the benefits of working with a Clothing SEO consultant…read more