Note: This is a controversial opinion, but I’ve found it’s very true, especially for early-stage founders. SEO-focused content agencies are mostly bad, and even the good ones will pitch founders on starry-eyed visions that a) rarely happen, and b) they’re significantly overcharging for. Stacked Marketer’s founder and marketing manager readers may find this helpful.
Agencies love pitching their services to founders and marketing managers.
It’s what agencies are often good at––convincing founders to spend lots of money on things.
But there’s one type of agency you shouldn’t spend money on: The agency that wants to write you lots of SEO-focused content. Especially if you don’t have a multi-million dollar budget to burn.
Why you shouldn’t hire agencies for content?
Here’s some inside baseball on how SEO-focused content agencies work:
They rarely do anything special
For the majority of brands, creating an SEO-focused content strategy is simple.
There’s only so much you can do, and even great agencies will hit a ceiling. You’re better-off with a skilled contractor.
You’re always overpaying for the writing you get.
Agencies overcharge on content because, instead of one person writing a piece, there are half a dozen people who need to get paid.
And agency writing salaries are consistently lower than in-house jobs or what writers make contracting.
Agencies aren’t invested in the long-term health of your business.
Because agencies work on contracts, they’re incentivized to get quick-win numbers to justify their work so they can pitch you for more. This often results in shady tactics or needless controversy.
The bottom line?
The majority of SEO-focused content agencies are a waste of money for early-stage founders.
Not all agencies are bad. There are plenty of times where you can use agencies. Often, early-stage startups benefit from using large design agencies like Brandstrong, which saves them the cost of hiring a full-time designer.
And some content agencies can be good at helping you strategize. But you probably don’t want them producing the majority of your content.
