White Label SEO Partnership: The Pros & Cons
While SEO has always had a learning curve, it seems that it continues to become more complex. As search engines constantly innovate to improve the user experience, SEO experts have to change direction on a dime.
That’s why white label SEO has grown as a marketing niche. General services digital marketing firms often can’t have or don’t want to have a dedicated SEO team.
If your marketing company is still deciding on an SEO strategy, take a look at the list below for pros, cons, and how to maximize the upside.
Pro: Lower Overhead
This one’s pretty straightforward; it’s cheaper for most companies to outsource SEO work on a project-by-project basis. If you bring SEO in-house, you’re essentially designating and staffing a whole new department. Very few marketing companies can do that.
Not all clients need an SEO strategy in their marketing. Some are really just there for your firm’s core competencies. With a white label SEO firm, you don’t have to worry about a whole department sitting and twiddling their thumbs while another department hustles.
There are other expenses of an in-house SEO team, too. From expensive software packages to employee training, it’s not cheap. Outsourcing allows you to keep your overhead low.
Ideally, you’ll work with a white label firm that offers transparent and easy-to-understand pricing. They should also be able to offer you a range of packages that can meet the needs of your client.
Pro: Turnkey Solutions And Expertise
Your company has core competencies that require training, expertise, and skill. SEO is no different. Keeping an in-house SEO team on the cutting edge takes time and money.
None of that’s an issue with white label SEO. You get out-of-the-box expertise without having to invest in it. SEO is a fast-expanding market that you may not have the resources to keep up with.
You may have clients who decide late in the game they’d like to add SEO. When you work with a white label SEO firm like 51Blocks.com, that’s as easy as picking up the phone and asking when they can get it done. You simply can’t do that kind of project scalability in-house.
Pro: Seamless Branding
You want to be a one-stop shop for your clients as a marketing firm. You also want to present a consistent, integrated strategy in all media.
With a white label SEO firm, you can make sure that everything has your name on it and meets your marketing strategy. They generally won’t be communicating with your end client at all, and you retain project management capabilities.
Your clients can then get a holistic package with consistent branding that they’re willing to pay more for.
Pro: Easy To Scale Up
At the micro level, if a client wants a more in-depth SEO strategy, you can simply send an email to your white label SEO firm to increase your order. You’ll obviously be responsible for project management, but giving your white label another assignment is generally not hard.
Marketing deadlines are always changing. If a client needs a deadline moved up, you can work with your white label company to get more staff on it.
At the macro level, working with a white label firm allows you to scale up your business offerings quickly and efficiently. You can both broaden your customer pool and deepen your offerings.
Con: Lack Of Control
You might be reluctant to give up control of any aspect of your business. That’s completely understandable! There certainly are fly-by-night firms out there that use spammy links or produce blog posts that look like a robot wrote them.
Good white label SEO firms will have a track record of success, especially with the types of clients you have. You’ll have a clear point of contact with the company who returns your calls, understands what you need, and works with you to provide the best service for your client.
Clear communication makes for a fruitful partnership. Talk to your white label about setting up a standing meeting or agreeing on the best contact mode (phone, email, etc).
Con: Deadline Confusion
When you outsource to a white label SEO company, you’re dealing with a company with different workflow management than your own. Poor communication can lead to missed deadlines and misunderstandings over the project.
According to Search Engine Journal, high-quality white label SEO firms won’t just promise you a result; they’ll show you how they will do it. They won’t keep their processes secret.
You can also set up your relationship for success by building in a buffer to deadlines with your white label. That will help prevent missed deadlines for the end client and allow you to send the work back for a last-minute touch-up.
Con: How White Is The Label?
A true white label understands that they do the work and you get all the glory. Some white label SEO firms, like 51Blocks.com, offer packages that include client-facing communications. But unless you specifically okay it, your white label show should not contact the end client.
A good white label understands industry standards, doesn’t claim credit, and works to make you and your company look good.
A Potentially Tricky, But Fruitful Partnership
At 51Blocks.com, we’re business owners, too. We know dealing with vendors can be tricky, especially when they’re producing some of your content. We’ll work hard to earn your trust.
The essence of a good white label SEO relationship is communication. You’ll have full transparency of our processes every step of the way.
We offer a variety of service packages that allow you to give a range of options to your clients. From simple Facebook ad packages to full client-facing support, we can meet any of your clients’ needs.
Take a look at the free tools on our website, including checklists, audit tools, and example work. Feel free to get in touch with any questions. We’re confident that once you see what 51Blocks.com has to offer, you’ll choose us for your white label SEO needs.
