A new BrightLocal report is out, and in it the company has found several tasks local search engine optimization (SEO) professionals are most commonly outsourcing today. Content creation is one of the most notable, with more than 20 percent of local SEOs surveyed reporting they have outsourced their content development to a third-party copywriting services provider.
In fact, content creation saw the biggest increase in reported outsourced services compared to 2015, when the rate was at 16 percent.
Quality content a key concern
Many local SEO professionals remain hesitant to turn to outsourced copywriting services, as it can be difficult to find an agency that provides quality content at affordable rates. To that end, the team at BrightLocal advises local SEO firms to make sure they are working with a reputable content creation provider to ensure quality and avoid the dreaded content penalties.
Overall, it appears as though local SEO firms are outsourcing more this year than they have in the past, with about two-thirds of survey respondents saying they are doing more of it now than they were 12 months ago. Furthermore, about 60 percent of those surveyed reported that they outsource more SEO-related tasks on year-over-year basis.
According to Search Engine Land, there are numerous benefits to outsourcing content creation and other local SEO tasks—most notably the fact that it can save on costs and improve quality. After all, it can be difficult for local SEO agencies to hire strong writers or freelancers, and the quality and professionalism delivered by an outsourced copywriting services agency provides much-needed relief and a better way to manage content creation efforts.
In addition, outsourcing gives businesses the ability to scale more efficiently and take on more projects, ultimately increasing sales and their bottom lines.
This recent study really struck a cord with our team here at ProPRcopy, as we work with a number of local SEO firms on a regular basis. The content these firms need for their clients is uniquely diverse and formidable, and our copywriters and editors enjoy taking on the challenge of writing for such a wide range of different businesses and organizations.
The results of this latest BrightLocal study were certainly interesting, and it appears that the general trend for local SEOs is toward more outsourcing rather than less. To be sure, we are looking forward to see what the numbers look like next year.