The Wizard of Outreach
vs Hiring In-house
Hiring an in-house SEO specialist means a full salary plus on-costs and tools. Here's what you get with us instead.
| Factor | In-house Hire (1 specialist) | The Wizard of Outreach |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cost | A full salary, plus on-costs and tools | From $5,640/yr (Local plan) |
| Expertise coverage | One generalist (limited depth) | Technical, content, links, GEO - all covered |
| Ramp-up time | 3-6 months to full productivity | Output starts within the first month |
| Staff turnover risk | High - key person dependency | One specialist, but every change is recorded in your portal, so the history never leaves with a person |
| Tool costs | Paid tool seats on top | The tools we use are included in the plan |
| Scalability | Hire another person (months, cost) | Scale up/down with one conversation |
| GEO / AI search expertise | Unlikely to have it yet | Built in to every retainer |
| Accountability | Internal politics, management overhead | Transparent, no lock-in - cancel with 30 days' notice |
| The Glass Box - see every change we make, before & after, live | Direct visibility - you sit next to them | Live change-log in your own portal |
Base salary range: SEEK, Indeed AU SEO Specialist salary data, 2026. Total cost figure adds ~20-25% for super, tools, and on-costs.
The honest answer
A great in-house hire has one real advantage we can't fully replicate: they're in the building, living your product and your customers every day. If you can find and afford that person, and you only need one discipline covered, it can be the right call. Where we win is breadth - one retainer gets you technical, content, links, and GEO covered from month one, without the hiring risk or the ramp-up time.
All the expertise, none of the overhead
Book a call to see exactly how we'd build and run your SEO program - and what it would cost compared to hiring.