So you’ve decided your website needs some SEO love. The question now is: do you go with a freelance SEO consultant or hire an agency? It’s a bit like choosing between a personal trainer and a big gym chain. The personal trainer knows your specific goals and adapts everything to your body and needs, while the gym has more equipment and specialists but might not remember your name.
I’ve seen businesses thrive with both options – and I’ve seen disasters with both too. Let’s take a look at what each option really means for your business. I’ve tried to be as balanced and fair as I can here – obviously I’m hoping you’ll choose an SEO freelancer such as me, but it would be a bit disingenuous of me to not tell you the positive bits of using an agency too.
It’s a bit long, so here’s a jump menu:
The Freelance SEO Consultant
So let’s take a look at the benefits of working with an SEO freelancer:
You get the exact SEO expert you paid for
When you hire a freelance SEO consultant, you’re actually getting… wait for it… the person you hired. You won’t find yourself pitched by the director only to be handed off to the intern who started last Tuesday.
A good freelance SEO consultant handles your project personally. They learn the quirks of your business, understand your voice, and become weirdly invested in your success. Why? Because their reputation literally depends on it.
Direct communication with the person doing the work
There’s no account manager playing telephone ping-pong between you and the person actually doing the work. No “I’ll have to check with the team” or “Let me run that by our SEO specialist.”
You message the consultant, they respond. You call with a question, they answer it. No layers of corporate communication where your requirements get increasingly garbled as they pass through the agency hierarchy.
Flexibility and adaptability with no delays
Freelancers can adapt quickly. Need to pivot your strategy because something’s not working? A freelancer can make that call without getting sign-off from three different departments and the office dog.
They’re not bound by rigid agency processes or pre-packaged SEO “products” that you have to fit into. Which means if Google throws another algorithm curveball (as they do roughly every seventeen minutes), your freelancer can adjust your strategy immediately.
The cost and affordability factor
Here’s the bit your finance team will like. Freelance SEO consultants are typically cheaper than agencies – often significantly so. Why? They don’t have fancy offices in Shoreditch with exposed brick walls and £5,000 coffee machines. They don’t have teams of account managers, administrators, and executives to pay.
What you’re paying for is the expertise and the work itself, not the impressive boardroom or the kombucha on tap.
The SEO Agency
Agencies have benefits too:
More hands on deck
Where agencies shine is resource depth. They have specialists for technical SEO, content creation, link building, local SEO, and that new thing Google just invented while you were reading this sentence.
If your project needs diverse skills – from deep technical audits to content creation to PR-style link building – an agency might offer more comprehensive coverage without the need to coordinate multiple freelancers yourself. (of course, if you hire an SEO freelancer like me, I have people on tap for this without the agency fees on top. 😜)
Established systems and processes
Agencies have usually developed systems for everything. They’ve got templates, workflows, reporting structures, and contingency plans. This can mean more consistent delivery and fewer surprises (although whether they’re good processes is another question entirely).
For businesses that value predictability and detailed reporting structures, this systematic approach can be reassuring – especially if you need to justify SEO spending to higher-ups who think metadata is something to do with Facebook.
There’s always a safety net
What happens if your freelancer gets ill, goes on holiday, or decides to jack it all in and open a llama sanctuary in Peru? With an agency, there’s usually someone else who can pick up the slack.
This continuity can be important for businesses that can’t afford any gaps in their SEO efforts. Though it’s worth noting that many established freelancers (including me) have their own networks and backup plans for such situations.
Industry clout and connections
Some agencies have built relationships with major publications, influencers, and other industry players that can be valuable for certain aspects of SEO – particularly when it comes to building high-quality backlinks or securing digital PR opportunities.
If you need to make a splash quickly, these existing relationships might give you a head start that an individual freelancer can’t match.
Other considerations when choosing between an SEO freelancer and an SEO agency
There are a whole host of other things to consider, such as:
Budget and costs
If you’re a small or medium-sized business in the UK, agency fees can be eye-watering. We’re talking anywhere from £1,500 to £15,000+ per month for comprehensive SEO services from an established agency.
Meanwhile, a skilled freelance SEO consultant might charge between £400-£1,500 per day, or offer monthly retainers starting around £500-£2,000 depending on the scope of work. (My fees are on my SEO pages.) For many SMEs, this price difference is impossible to ignore.
But here’s the thing that lots of agencies don’t tend to advertise: many of them outsource chunks of work to freelancers anyway. They’ll pay these freelancers considerably less than their standard day rate, then mark up the cost dramatically when billing you. So you’re essentially paying a premium for the agency to act as the middleman, when you could have gone directly to a freelancer yourself and saved a small fortune.
Time investment
Working with a freelancer often requires more direct involvement from you – at least initially. There’s no account manager running interference, which means you’ll be the one briefing, reviewing, and providing feedback.
Agencies typically (but not always) have more structured processes for gathering requirements and reporting progress, which can save you time if you’re extremely busy.
Who’s accountable?
This is where things get interesting. In theory, agencies offer more accountability because they’re bigger and have more reputation at stake. In practice, I’ve seen the opposite just as often.
A freelance SEO consultant has nowhere to hide. Their name and reputation are directly tied to your results. Meanwhile, at agencies, responsibility can sometimes be diffused across teams, making it harder to hold anyone specifically accountable when things don’t go as planned.
The expertise gamble
Let’s be brutally honest. There are brilliant freelancers and terrible ones. There are exceptional agencies and absolute charlatans. The name on the door (or website) doesn’t guarantee quality either way.
What matters is the actual expertise of the person working on your site. With a freelancer, you know exactly who that is. With an agency, you might be getting the seasoned pro… or you might be getting the new graduate who’s learning at your expense.
Who should choose a freelance SEO consultant?
A freelance SEO consultant in the UK might be your best bet if:
You value personal relationships
You prefer working directly with the person doing the work, building a relationship where they truly understand your business and industry.
You have a defined niche or industry
Your business operates in a specific niche where specialised knowledge is more valuable than broad SEO capabilities.
You need flexibility
Your business needs often change, requiring someone who can adapt quickly without bureaucratic delays.
You’re budget-conscious
You need professional SEO help but can’t justify the higher costs typically associated with agencies.
Who should choose an SEO agency?
An SEO agency in the UK might be more suitable if:
You need comprehensive services
Your business requires a full suite of digital marketing services beyond just SEO, such as PPC, social media, and content creation. (Although don’t forget, most SEO freelancers will have a network of other freelancers they trust and have worked with before who provide these services.)
You have complex requirements and no internal team
Your website is large and complex, needing multiple specialists (programmers, developers, graphic designers, etc.) to address different aspects simultaneously.
You need fast scalability
Your business is growing rapidly and you anticipate needing increasingly more SEO resources over time.
Freelancers vs Agencies
Let’s summarise all this in a handy table:
| Factor | Freelance SEO Consultant | SEO Agency |
| Cost | £500-£2,000/month (typically) | £1,500-£15,000+/month (typically) |
| Who does the work | The person you hired | Often junior staff or specialists you didn’t meet |
| Communication | Direct with the expert | Often through account managers |
| Flexibility | High – can adapt quickly | May require process changes |
| Resources | Limited to one person’s expertise | Multiple specialists available |
| Accountability | Direct and personal | Sometimes diffused across teams |
| Continuity | Potential risk if they’re unavailable | Backup systems usually in place |
| Industry connections | Varies by individual | Sometimes more extensive |
| Personal attention | High – you’re a significant client | Varies based on your budget |
| Process & systems | Often more flexible | Often more structured but potentially rigid |
So which should you choose?
There’s no universal “right” answer here. What works brilliantly for one business might be a disaster for another. The key is understanding what matters most for your specific situation.
Ask yourself:
What’s your realistic budget?
Be brutal. If agency fees would strain your finances, a good freelancer is infinitely better than an agency you can’t really afford.
How important is personal service?
If you value having the same person working on your site month after month, who knows your business inside out, a freelance SEO consultant offers significant advantages.
How complex are your needs?
Simple website with straightforward goals? A skilled freelancer can handle that. Massive e-commerce site with international targeting, complex technical issues, and aggressive competition? You might need an agency’s resources.
How do you like to work?
Some people prefer the formality and structure of agency relationships. Others find it bureaucratic and frustrating, and prefer the directness of working with a freelancer.
Finding the right SEO person (whether agency or freelancer)
Whichever route you choose, do your homework:
Ask for examples
Not vague “we improved rankings” claims, but specific examples in different industries with measurable results.
Check their own SEO
If they can’t get their own website ranking, how will they help yours? Ask them which search terms they’re targeting and check for yourself (remember, not every agency or freelancer is looking to be top for ‘SEO expert’ or ‘SEO agency’, but they should have a list of terms they are targeting for their own website, or what’s the point?)
Talk to real clients
Ask for references from clients they’ve worked with for at least 6 months. SEO isn’t an overnight process, so long-term relationships tell you more than quick wins.
Question their methods
Anyone promising guaranteed rankings or using secretive “proprietary techniques” should set off alarm bells. SEO isn’t magic – it’s methodical work that should make sense when explained.
The reality is that both options can work brilliantly when you find the right partner. The worst SEO disasters I’ve seen haven’t been because a business chose an agency over a freelancer or vice versa – they’ve been because they chose the wrong provider, period.
Take your time, ask tough questions, and trust your instincts. The right SEO partner – whether freelancer or agency – should make you feel confident about their approach, not confused by it. Because in the end, you’re not just buying SEO services; you’re investing in your business’s future online presence.
In case you haven’t guess, I’m a UK based SEO freelancer, working mainly with B2B website owners. I’m pretty sure I can help your website, so why not book in a free initial chat to find out?
