Many SaaS companies know SEO is important, but they still struggle with one big question: who should do the work?
That’s because choosing the wrong option can waste months and cost them a lot of money. In contrast, choosing the right one can make SEO one of their best and most affordable ways to grow.
As a SaaS founder or CMO, this guide will help you make the right choice in four simple steps.
Note: it’s essential to compare your business stage, budget, and timeline with the options in Step 2. Then, test your choice with a 90-day trial and check references before you make a long-term commitment.
Let’s get into the steps:
Step 1: Start by Answering These Four Questions
Before you compare your options, answer these four questions. Your answers will help you choose the SEO option that fits your business, not the one that only sounds good.
- What stage is your SaaS business in? Are you just starting, growing steadily, or already a larger company?
- How much can you spend each month? The key is to set a budget that you can afford without taking money away from other important parts of your business.
- How much SEO experience does your team have? Does your team have no SEO knowledge, some experience, or strong SEO skills?
- How quickly do you need results? Do you need progress in the next few weeks, or can you invest in SEO for the next year or longer?
Step 2: Match Your Answers to the Best Option
After you answer the four questions in Step 1, use the table below to choose the SEO option that best fits your SaaS business.
| Option | Best When | Budget Signal | Time to Results | Biggest Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agency | Under $10M ARR, need speed + full-service expertise | $3K–$20K+/mo retainer | Fastest — 3–6 months to traction | Vendor lock-in, generic work if unvetted |
| In-House | $10M+ ARR, want expertise to compound internally | Full-time salary + tools | Slowest to ramp — hiring + onboarding first | One person can’t cover strategy, technical, content, and links equally |
| Fractional / Freelance | $1M–$10M ARR, need senior strategy without agency or FT cost | Hourly or part-time, well below agency/FT cost | Fast strategic input; execution speed varies | No bench — single point of failure if they’re weak in one area |
| DIY | Pre-seed, founder-led, no content budget yet | $0 cash, high time cost | Slowest, highest risk of wasted effort | Inexperienced execution can waste months of content investment |
Step 3: Know What Each Path Looks Like in Practice
The table shows you where to start. However, it’s paramount to learn what each option is really like before you make your decision. You can read the short summary for each option below, and then explore the full guide for the one that fits your SaaS business best.
Agency
An SEO agency gives you a team of specialists who already have proven systems and can start work quickly. But the downside with it as an option of SEO help is that it usually costs more than hiring one person. Another thing is that you only get a share of an agency’s time, since they work with other clients too.
You can read our vetting criteria for choosing a SaaS SEO agency to learn how to pick the right agency for your business.
In-house
An in-house SEO expert understands your product and business better over time. This person focuses only on your company. But some of the challenges of the option is that hiring and training can take months, coupled with the fact that one person may not have all the skills that a full agency team offers.
With that in mind, you can read our full agency vs. in-house SaaS SEO breakdown to compare both options and choose the one that fits your business.
Fractional / Freelance
A freelance or fractional SEO expert gives you experienced SEO help without the cost of hiring a full-time employee or paying for a full agency. They usually work 10 to 20 hours each week and have solved similar SEO problems before.
While this option sounds great, the reality remains that one person cannot do everything. For example, if a freelance SEO person is good at SEO strategy but not technical SEO, that problem will not fix itself. That’s why before you hire anyone, ask potential candidates which SEO skills they execute well and which ones they do not.
DIY (aka. Do-it-yourself )
Doing SEO yourself does not cost much money, but it takes a lot of time. But if you are new to SEO, you can spend months creating content that does not bring results. Taking this into consideration, note that doing SEO yourself works best when your SaaS business is just getting started, and your budget is limited. And more importantly, you have a genuine interest in search engine optimization.
Step 4: Validate Before You Commit
This is a step you don’t want to skip no matter which option you choose. It helps you make a smart decision instead of hoping everything works out.
- Start with a 90-day trial. Set one clear goal that you can measure. For example, ask for three bottom-of-the-funnel (BOFU) pages that are published and indexed instead of simply asking for more traffic.
- Ask about their weak areas. Every agency, freelancer, or in-house SEO expert has strengths and weaknesses. So you must find out what they do well and where they need extra help before you hire them.
- Check their references. If you plan to hire an SEO agency or a freelance SEO expert, you can check for reviews or testimonials. You can even take a step further to talk to a real current or past client. This way, you are not relying only on the success stories on their website.
What This Actually Costs
The cost of SaaS SEO depends on the option you choose. An agency, an in-house SEO expert, a freelancer, and the DIY approach all have different costs. You can read our complete guide to SaaS SEO pricing to compare your options and set the right budget before you make a decision.
But here’s the catch: you need to ensure SEO is the right marketing channel for your SaaS business before you choose who will handle your SEO. This is important because in some cases, paid search may be a better choice. Read our SaaS SEO vs. PPC guide to compare both options and choose the one that fits your goals, budget, and timeline.
Most SaaS companies start by hiring an SEO agency or a freelance SEO expert. As their business grows and they earn more revenue, they often build an in-house SEO team. There is no single best place to start. The best choice is the one that fits your business today. As your business grows, be ready to choose a different option if your current one no longer meets your needs.
