Freelancer or SEO company? A question that every webmaster has asked at least once. Before choosing methods, strategies and tools for website promotion, it is worth determining who exactly the performer will be. SEO agencies are often associated with professionalism and a business-like approach. While freelancing is budget-saving and low quality work. A categorical division into good and bad is wrong. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, which we will discuss in detail in this article.

Who is a freelancer

A freelancer is an agent (performer) who works for himself. Services are usually provided remotely (working from home). You find a specialist on the Internet (on exchanges, on social networks, through recommendations, etc.) and negotiate with him personally. No preparation of contracts or other paperwork: place an order on the freelance exchange → select a contractor → receive the result → pay.

The work scheme is very simple, which attracts customers. In this case, both parties receive guarantees. For some, the fulfillment of the stated services is guaranteed, for others - payment. The guarantor is the platform on which the transaction is carried out.

pros

Prices are lower. Of course, there are also providers who charge a lot for their work (even more than SEO agencies), but in most cases the average cost of services is lower.

Big choice performers. Thousands of specialists are registered on exchanges. Each company will be able to select a contractor to suit its needs. It is enough to leave a request with detailed description TK. Freelancers will find you themselves.

You “dictate” the terms yourself. If the customer knows at least a little about SEO and wants the service to be performed in a certain way (methods, tools), the contractor will adapt to the requirements.

Individual approach. The way freelancers work does not allow them to use template approaches. They work with each client individually, solving specific problems.

Communication takes place directly with the specialist who performs the work, without managers (intermediaries). This allows for better communication and understanding of what the customer needs.

Minuses

The risk of running into an incompetent performer is greater. Registering on a freelance services website is easy. The doors are open to everyone, including inexperienced beginners. This is a waste of time for the customer, and sometimes money down the drain.

It takes more time to check and select a contractor. This one follows from the first drawback. Because of large number pseudo-professionals have to spend a lot of time checking their portfolio, reading reviews, communicating and determining their level of competence.

Slow progress speed. It is logical that a whole team of specialists, where each is responsible for a certain area of ​​SEO, will cope with the assigned tasks faster than one person.

The quality of work is lower. One person cannot have a deep enough understanding of all aspects of search engine optimization (programming, layout, copywriting, internet marketing). As a rule, an SEO freelancer is self-taught, whose knowledge is superficial.

There are no legal guarantees. Applies to transactions executed outside of freelance platforms. If you were deceived, you will not be able to complain to the court or any other authority. Freelancers do not have physical addresses, and full names may be fictitious. Fraudsters will get away unpunished.

Human factor. The contractor may disappear at any time, get sick, etc. In the end, he can simply refuse to cooperate without explaining the reason. No one is immune from force majeure situations. Result: the order and deadlines are missed, you have to look for a contractor again. In agencies this factor is absent or minimized.

SEO agency

An SEO company is an organization that provides services in the field of Internet promotion. The main difference from freelancers is that it is not one person, but a whole team of specialists, where everyone is responsible for a specific type of activity. The agency does not hire inexperienced people. As a rule, each of the employees is a person who has worked in the market for a long time and has more than one successfully implemented project behind him. The company's representation on the Internet is its website and pages on in social networks. This is where services are ordered. Less often - in the company office.

Important: be able to distinguish the website of a real SEO agency from one created by a freelancer and supposedly designed as a company website, otherwise you risk overpaying for the service. Check the office address, the entry in the RPO (register of audited organizations), and read the information about the employees.

pros

More professional performers. Agencies employ many people and each has specific responsibilities. Programmers are responsible for the technical condition of the resource, copywriters are responsible for the text content, marketers are responsible for the site’s ability to sell and retain potential buyers. Together they have more knowledge than one freelancer.

Promotion is faster. Since more people are working on your project, your goals are achieved faster.

Using expensive tools and services. Promotion and analytics are carried out using expensive professional tools and services. A freelancer cannot afford to buy such programs. He uses free, limited-functionality analogues.

Minimal risks of bumping into an incompetent performer. If a company has been on the market long enough, it cares about its reputation and competence. The number of incompetent agencies is minimal, since they do not last long (they are replaced by more professional competitors).

Wide range of services. As a rule, cooperation is not limited to just one search engine promotion. Companies often offer a whole range of services to increase sales and brand popularity.

Legal guarantees. Each order is accompanied by an agreement, all rights and obligations of the parties are specified. For violation of rights, the customer can always go to court or another appropriate authority.

Minuses

Price. The price for services exceeds those offered on freelance exchanges. But do not forget that you are paying for experience, professionalism and guarantees.

Communication with the direct executor through the manager. In most cases, the customer communicates with the project manager, who in turn transmits information to the contractor. This may lead to misunderstandings between the parties and errors.

You don't choose the tools and methods. When ordering promotion from SEO companies, you have to choose from the available options. That is, it is not you who determine the methods, tools and strategies. You just pay for the result. An exception is individual orders (the service is not provided by all companies).

Bottom line

There are good and bad performers both among freelancers and full-fledged SEO companies. The best way to understand which is best for your project is to try both. But not everyone has the right to make a mistake, so you have to choose the option with the least risks.

Today we will talk about one of the most promising types of earning money on the Internet - how to make money SEO promotion sites.

SEO promotion (short for English) Search Engine Optimization) is a set of works aimed at improving the site’s position in search engine results. The higher the position a site occupies, the more visitors it has, and the higher the site’s traffic, the greater the profit it can bring.
It is not surprising that SEO specialists are in demand, and their work is rewarded with decent fees.

SEO optimizer: responsibilities

If you want to try your hand as a private SEO optimizer, you will need certain knowledge and skills. First of all you must:

• Know HTML basics and CSS programming;
• Understand the operating principle search engines and monitor any changes in the operation of their algorithms;
• Learn to compose the semantic core of a website based on its focus and target audience;
• Know the basics of website usability;
• Understand external optimization methods.

So, if you are ready to develop in this direction, I suggest moving on to the next section and finding out how to make money with SEO promotion.

SEO promotion: earnings for freelancers

Without experience in SEO promotion, it will be difficult for you to find high-paying projects. However, working as a private SEO optimizer, you can take on low-cost orders, providing yourself with not only a stable income, but also a portfolio that guarantees income growth in the future.

Where can a beginner SEO optimizer look for work? The easiest way to start a career would be on a freelance exchange. Firstly, there are a huge number of varied customers on the exchanges: from representatives of small, “one-day” projects to serious, reputable web studios. Secondly, some sites give you the opportunity to view the portfolios of your competitor applicants, which means you can get a clearer idea of ​​what direction you need to move in and what skills to develop.
As for the sites themselves, some of the most authoritative today are:

• freelance.ru;
• weblancer.net;
• seolancer.net;
• profi.ru - here you can place your profile so that customers can find you themselves.

To make your search for customers more effective, we recommend registering on several exchanges at once. Some of them suggest paid registration, but if you are firmly convinced that you will work in this field, your small investment will pay off very quickly.

How to become an SEO optimizer from scratch: some tips for beginners

Working as an SEO optimizer will be much more effective if you use the tips given below.

• First, you need to study all the current search engine recommendations. Please note that recommendations change periodically and may differ in different search engines (you can check this by paying attention to the order in which sites appear when requested in Google and Yandex);
• Secondly, regularly visit thematic forums and communities of SEO specialists (including search engine blogs). This way you will always be aware of all changes in the field, and in addition, by adopting the experience of others, you can significantly improve the quality of your work;
• Thirdly, after successfully completing a project, try to take on a more complex project. This way you can hone your professional skills, which means you can ensure a comfortable existence for yourself.

How much does a CEO earn?

The level of earnings largely depends on the professional skills and experience of the specialist. After all, those who know how to create an endless stream of cheap traffic using SEO are a tasty morsel for all companies in need of promotion. There are millions of sites today, but there are only a few intelligent specialists who, in addition to loud statements, can prove their knowledge in practice. The shortage of such professionals creates a huge demand for them and promises a decent level of income. For those whose life's work is CEO optimization, earnings reach several hundred thousand rubles.

On average, prices for SEO services in the freelance services market are as follows:

• compilation semantic core 400-12000 rubles depending on the number of requests;
• comprehensive website promotion - 10,000-28,000 rubles;
• SEO audit - from 700 to 20,000 rubles;
• website optimization (meta tags, technical setup) - 5000-8000 rubles;
• accommodation external links from 300 to 6000 rubles depending on quantity and quality
• setting up and optimizing contextual advertising in Yandex.Direct, Google.Adsence - 500-3500 rubles.