Everything You Need To Know About B2B SEO Outsourcing in 2025

B2B marketing is much different from targeting individual customers. Instead of appealing to the immediate desires and needs of a single consumer, it often involves engaging with multiple decision-makers, longer sales cycles, and more complex buying processes. 

This complexity extends to search engine optimization (SEO), as search queries and intent can be vastly different in a B2B context. It can be challenging to handle these SEO challenges in-house efficiently and affordably. As a result, many B2B businesses are choosing to outsource SEO tasks to experts with specialized knowledge. 

This article will dig into the key benefits of B2B SEO outsourcing, the core services you can delegate, and some best practices to ensure success. 

Benefits of Outsourcing SEO for B2B

B2B sales are typically much more valuable than individual B2C transactions and demand higher precision.

A well-implemented SEO strategy can significantly impact the visibility, credibility, and, ultimately, revenue of a B2B company. That’s why it’s the most implemented marketing tactic among B2B businesses, with nearly 50% making it a part of their overall marketing strategy.

Outsourcing SEO to specialized experts can amplify these benefits, providing a competitive edge in a complex market landscape.

Here’s how:

Access to specialized expertise

SEO is a multifaceted discipline requiring deep knowledge of keyword research, content strategy, technical SEO, and more. By outsourcing, you can tap into the specialized expertise of seasoned professionals who have experience navigating the unique challenges of the B2B sector. 

Utilization of advanced SEO tools

Effective SEO requires sophisticated software tools for performance analytics, keyword research, and competitive analysis. Often expensive and complex, these tools can be prohibitively costly for many businesses to implement and manage internally. 

Improved return on investment (ROI)

While building an in-house SEO team involves significant costs for salaries, training, and tools, outsourcing offers a more cost-effective solution. External agencies operate on economies of scale, allowing them to deliver superior results at a lower cost. This often translates to a higher ROI than maintaining an in-house team of experts. 

Freelancers and remote professionals in lower-cost regions can also represent huge cost savings over local candidates. For example, the average salary for an SEO specialist in Latin America is $52,900 lower than a similarly experienced US employee. 

Better focus on core business activities

SEO can be extremely time-consuming, as it requires regular updates. By outsourcing these efforts, you can free up valuable internal resources and allow your teams to focus on core activities. 

Core B2B SEO Services You Can Outsource

When you outsource your SEO efforts, you gain access to a comprehensive suite of services designed to enhance your online visibility on search engines and attract high-quality leads. 

Here are the core services typically provided by outsourced B2B SEO providers:

Keyword research

Keyword research is the foundation of any effective SEO strategy. For B2B companies, this involves identifying industry-specific terms and phrases that potential customers use to search for solutions. 

An outsourced SEO provider will conduct thorough keyword research to uncover high-value, low-competition keywords that align with your business objectives.

On-page optimization

On-page optimization focuses on enhancing the elements within your website to improve its search engine ranking. This includes:

• Content optimization: Crafting engaging, high-quality content that incorporates targeted keywords naturally and effectively
• Meta tags: Creating compelling descriptions and meta titles that improve click-through rates and accurately reflect the content of your pages
• Header tags: Structuring content with appropriate header tags (H1, H2, H3, and so on) to improve readability and SEO
• URL structure: Ensuring URLs are clean, descriptive, and keyword-rich.
• Internal linking: Establishing a robust internal linking strategy to enhance navigation and distribute link equity throughout the site

An outsourced SEO provider will optimize all these elements, providing a seamless user experience while improving search rankings.

Off-page optimization

Off-page optimization deals with activities outside of your website that impact its authority and relevance in the eyes of search engines. Key components include:

• Link building: Acquiring high-quality backlinks from reputable sites to enhance domain authority
• Content marketing: Distributing valuable content through guest posts, press releases, and social media to attract inbound links
• Brand mentions: Increasing the frequency of brand mentions on other platforms reinforces credibility and trust

Outsourcing off-page optimization ensures that these strategies are implemented ethically and effectively, avoiding any tactics that could result in penalties from search engines.

Technical SEO

Technical SEO focuses on the back-end elements of your website to ensure that search engines can easily crawl and index your content. It includes:

• Site speed optimization: Enhancing load times to improve the user experience and reduce bounce rates
• Mobile optimization: Ensuring the website is fully responsive and performs well on all devices
• XML sitemaps: Creating sitemaps and submitting them to search engines to improve site indexing
• robots.txt: Configuring this file to guide search engine crawlers on which pages to index
• Structured data: Implementing schema markup to help search engines better understand the content and context of your pages

An outsourced team will regularly audit these technical aspects of SEO, addressing any issues hindering your website’s performance in search engine results.

How To Evaluate SEO Outsourcing Providers

Providers typically fall into two categories: SEO agencies and individual SEO professionals. SEO agencies are often larger organizations with teams of specialists, advanced tools, and broader capabilities. 

Freelance SEO professionals, on the other hand, offer a more personalized approach and flexibility at lower costs. You can either hire individual professionals directly or partner with a recruitment company for immediate access to pre-vetted talent and a more efficient hiring process.

Regardless of the type of provider you partner with, here’s how to find one that fits your needs:

Assess track record and experience

A provider’s track record and experience can be strong indicators of their capability to deliver results. Look at the tangible results they have achieved for other clients, including rank improvements, traffic increases, and lead generation. 

Read client testimonials and case studies

Client testimonials and case studies provide insights into the provider’s reliability, professionalism, and effectiveness. These sources can give you a deep understanding of what it’s like to work with the provider and the kind of results you can expect.

Understand customization capabilities

SEO is not a one-size-fits-all service. Effective strategies should be tailored to your business’s specific needs. Customizable service packages will help ensure that the SEO strategies align closely with your business goals and deliver the desired outcomes.

Review service-level agreements

A well-defined service-level agreement (SLA) can provide clarity and set expectations for both parties. Make sure it includes the scope of SEO services, performance metrics, and reporting expectations. 

Best Practices for B2B SEO Outsourcing

These guidelines will help you establish a productive working relationship with your SEO partner:

Establish clear objectives and KPIs

Setting clear objectives and key performance indicators (KPIs) is the first step toward a successful outsourcing partnership. 

Define specific KPIs, such as:

• Keyword rankings
• Organic traffic growth
• Conversion rates
• Return on investment

Clear objectives provide direction and focus, enabling your SEO provider to tailor their methods to meet your specific needs.

Regular performance reviews

Schedule regular check-ins with your SEO provider to review performance metrics, discuss the effectiveness of current strategies, and identify any areas for improvement. These reviews should include detailed reports on traffic trends, keyword rankings, and other relevant KPIs.

Build a collaborative relationship

Treat your provider as a partner rather than just a service vendor. Engage in active dialogue, share your own actionable insights, and be receptive to their expertise and recommendations. 

Encourage your in-house team to collaborate closely with the external provider, sharing relevant information about products, services, and audience insights that can enhance the SEO strategy.

Top 3 Companies for B2B SEO Outsourcing

In no particular order, the following list highlights three top companies renowned for their expertise in B2B SEO. This includes both dedicated SEO firms and marketing recruiting firms specializing in connecting businesses with remote B2B SEO experts.

1. Near

We’re up first! At Near, we offer a full-support recruitment process that will help you hire the perfect remote SEO professional. Our pool of 35,000+ pre-vetted candidates includes experts with experience with top US brands and niche specialists for specific SEO challenges. 

Just ask R\nd, a digital marketing and web development company that hired a Senior SEO Strategist in just two weeks for 60% less than similar local talent. 

2. WebFX

WebFX is a full-service digital marketing agency with extensive experience in B2B SEO. It offers a comprehensive suite of SEO outsourcing services, including keyword research, on-page optimization, off-page optimization, and technical SEO. 

3. Straight North

Straight North is another leading B2B SEO agency with a reputation for driving meaningful results. Its holistic approach to SEO encompasses all core areas, including keyword strategy, comprehensive SEO audits, content optimization, and link-building tactics. 

Final Thoughts

B2B SEO outsourcing can provide your business with the specialized expertise, advanced tools, and focused strategies needed to navigate the complexities of B2B marketing.

Ready to take your SEO efforts to the next level? Book a free, no-commitment call with Near today to find the perfect B2B SEO expert in just 21 days.