Should I  Outsource SEO / Linkbuilding to India?

Those who research the field of online marketing generally come across an offering from a low cost economy such as India, China and latterly the Philippines. The economics of outsourcing an activity as inherently time consuming as SEO are frankly undeniable. Companies offering SEO services from €5/£4/hr seem irresistible when compared with high cost competitors who, at that rate, would at best cover 30-40% of the salary of the person doing the work, not to mention adding a margin to include absorbed overhead and profit. So the question is “why would anyone do SEO in a high cost economy?”

Perhaps the main reason that companies choose to pay high cost SEO providers is a fear of the unknown or a perceived lack of accountability / expertise from low cost providers. Sure €5/£4/hr seems great but how do you know if they tell the truth about how many hours they spend on a campaign? How do you know if they are any good at what they do? If something goes wrong, will they simply disappear? The above fears can outweigh the cost advantages and outsourcing is avoided. To be honest, having dealt with many of our competitors on an anonymous basis to see how they do things when compared to us, the above fears are justified. Some providers in low cost economies are frankly bewilderingly incompetent. One Adwords “expert” was flummoxed when I asked him what an “Adgroup” was. This would be like a baker staring blank-faced back at you after asking him “so, how do you bake bread anway?”

I feel there are two things that make DPFOC stand out above our competitors. Firstly, our on the ground presence ensures we meet all clients in person and are here on the ground if any issues arise. Secondly, our commitment to lifelong learning. We are genuinely obsessed with research and ongoing learning to ensure we stay right up to speed. So, those who deal with us get developed economy business standards but emerging market pricing models.

If you are considering offshoring your SEO function but are wary of snake oil salesmen who promise the earth but deliver nothing, give me a call and I will be happy to talk to you and explain how we do things and show some results we are currently getting for competitive key-phrases.

Apologies if the above sounds like DPFOC’s equivalent of a party political broadcast – I know blog posts are supposed to be impartial!