This type of role is becoming more and more common, but a majority of people I speak to still haven’t heard of this role (granted, they can usually infer what it means).
They have probably heard of a fractional accountant/CMO/COO and the like, but it usually doesn’t dawn on people to look for the SEO equivalent. And that’s unfortunate, as it’s very often exactly the type of person they need to hire.
Fractional SEO, Defined
A fractional SEO consultant/director/manager is a professional practitioner of SEO that helps companies on a part-time basis. This gives said companies the experience and flexibility they need internally, without the large financial bloat that they may find with a full-time employee or agency.
I’ve heard it referred to as the Goldilocks of outsourced SEO positions, since it’s in the sweet spot of what most companies need without the unnecessary bells and whistles that they don’t. It’s a pretty apt description if you ask me.
Typical Services Offered by a Fractional SEO Consultant
While the basis of what fractional SEO doesn’t change much from person to person, they all have their strengths and weaknesses in their services. Because of this, there’s often some variety to what they offer. For example, it’s not uncommon that a fractional SEO won’t offer link building (not without farming it out at least) simply because it’s extremely intensive and can require multiple hours just to build one good link.
That said, there are some staples. Here are some services that are commonly offered within a fractional SEO arrangement:
Strategy Development
This is, by far, the most important reason to hire a fractional SEO role. SEO is not a cheap endeavor, even for businesses who want to go it on their own, or have some in-house SEO talent. Because of this, it makes a lot of sense for the bulk of the “SEO dollars” to be spent on the strategy.
This allows the company to essentially be directed in what they should be doing, then working on those strategies in whatever in-house capacity they have. Think about it like a roadmap: the fractional SEO tells you how to get to your destination, but you are the one behind the wheel.
Site Audits
Pretty much every fractional SEO expert is doing to offer this. It’s a big need for many clients, and it’s usually the most logical step for a new engagement for both the client and fractional SEO themselves.
These audits could be small and only take a few days to complete, or take several weeks. This usually depends on (1) the size of the website, and (2) the scope. Some audits will be specific to content, technical SEO, etc.
On-Page Optimization
This is the most typical piece of SEO that you will see done. It includes optimizing content with targeted keywords, enhancing readability, and ensuring proper formatting to make the content more engaging and SEO-friendly (think: H1, H2 optimization).
Additionally, internal linking structures are optimized to facilitate better site navigation and distribute SEO value across the website, making it easier for both users and search engines to find and rank your content effectively. For example, a good SEO should be able to determine where the most link equity exists within the site and direct it in a way that helps the most valuable pages.
Technical SEO
Technical SEO focuses on the underlying technical aspects of your website that affect its performance and indexing. Page speed optimization, better user experiences, optimizing images, browser caching, minimizing CSS and JavaScript files, XML sitemaps, managing robots.txt files, etc. All of this would be in the purview of technical SEO work that a fractional SEO director would look at.
Content Creation
It would be fair to call this the cornerstone of modern day SEO, because if you get this right, many other areas of SEO will “fall in line” to a degree. For most companies, this will be creating blog posts. A good fractional SEO consultant will look at your blog as a weapon. A weapon that is designed to bring in traffic, then get that traffic to convert (make a phone call, fill out a form, buy something, etc). Because of this, keyword research, graphic design, even how the content will eventually be promoted are all parts of what a good fractional SEO would work on during his/her tenure.
Link Building
If you’ve hired a fractional SEO for link building, it’s almost certainly taking up the bulk of their time. This is a very time-consuming process, but very valuable as well.
Your fractional SEO consultant would be in charge of creating prospect lists to reach out to, email templates, and the negotiation and placement of links on other websites. For teams that already have in-house SEO capabilities, it’s not uncommon for them to lean on the fractional SEO consultant as a strategy guide for the link building campaign, vs actually sending the emails and placing the links themselves.
Reporting and Analytics
A Fractional SEO consultant provides regular performance reports that detail agreed-upon metrics such as traffic, rankings, and conversions. This would likely include setting up and configuring tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console to track and analyze website performance. This has been even more of an emphasis with the changeover from Universal Analytics to GA4.
Misc Services
This will vary from consultant to consultant, but common services that fall into this category usually include:
- SEO training
- Consultation calls
- Ad hoc support (graphic design, interviewing SEO-related roles for the company, etc)
- Competitive analysis
No matter who you hire for a fractional SEO role, these are services that they very likely will offer.
Fractional SEO vs. Full-time Employee vs SEO Agency
It’s only prudent to weigh similar options when it comes to investing in SEO personnel. Because of this, I’ve put a table below that will help highlight these differences.
Everyone’s situation is a bit different. For example, if you need a one-stop shop for all you digital marketing needs, an agency will often be the way to go. However, if you’re looking for expertise without excess overhead, a fractional SEO consultant is your best bet.
| Fractional SEO | Full-Time | Agency | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | $$ | $$$$ | $$$ |
| Commitment | Part-time | Full-time | Retainer |
| Flexibility | ★★★★★ | ★★ | ★★★ |
| Expertise Depth | ★★★★ | ★★★ | ★★★★★ |
| Team Integration | ★★★★ | ★★★★★ | ★★★ |
| Scalability | ★★★★★ | ★★ | ★★★★ |
| Service Range | ★★★★ | ★★★ | ★★★★★ |
| Reporting Quality | ★★★★ | ★★★★ | ★★★★★ |
Is a Fractional SEO Arrangement Right For You?
So now you know what fractional SEO is in detail. Do you need it though? Deciding whether or not this is the right choice for your business depends many factors. Here are some scenarios where hiring a fractional SEO manager might be particularly beneficial:
- You have a limited budget: If your business cannot afford a full-time SEO expert or the high fees of an SEO agency, a fractional SEO consultant offers a realistic alternative without breaking the bank or sacrificing on quality.
- Your SEO needs vary regularly: If your SEO needs fluctuate throughout the year, the flexibility that a fractional arrangement offers is likely very appealing to you. Good examples include an e-commerce store that wants to make a big push for Black Friday. or a political campaign.
- You have special projects coming up: For businesses that require specialized SEO expertise for a specific project, such as a website redesign or a new product launch, a fractional SEO consultant can bridge the skills gap without a long-term commitment.
- Your in-house team needs support or guidance: If you have an in-house marketing team but need someone more experienced to direct the SEO strategy, a fractional SEO consultant can offer training, “in the weeds” help, as well as help create procedures and processes to help your in-house team in the long-term long after the consultant has gone.
- Your business is growing quickly: For small to mid-sized businesses experiencing big growth, a fractional SEO consultant can help you zig and zag when you need to along the way. It’s very easy for companies to get tripped up or make the wrong move simply because they are growing so quickly.
Pricing Structures for Fractional SEO Consultants
Any kind of pricing for SEO usually varies significantly. However, there are common structures that usually familiar to anyone who has hired an SEO before:
Hourly
First, let’s consider Brooke. She has 8 years of SEO experience and charges $125 per hour. Her favorite clients are those with projects lasting between 3-6 months, where the scope is well-defined. Brooke has found that these engagements are usually the most profitable, involve the least amount of stress, and leave clients the happiest.
A good example for her is a local car dealership that recently underwent a complete site migration. Brooke was able to help them optimize their new site, ensuring that all SEO best practices were in place, ultimately improving their search engine rankings and driving more traffic to the dealership.
- Needs: Basic SEO support (10 hours/month)
- Pricing Model: Hourly Rate
- Estimated Cost: $1250/month
Retainer
Next, meet Jason. With over a decade of experience in SEO, Jason prefers to work on a retainer model. He charges a fixed monthly fee of $3,500 for his services, which typically include comprehensive SEO in-the-weeds-support, as well as consistent engagement. His ideal clients are mid-sized businesses that need ongoing content creation done.
For instance, Jason works with an e-commerce company that sells organic skincare products. By managing their SEO strategy and creating content for them on a monthly basis, he helps push rankings higher, optimize continuously-changing product pages, and assist with large seasonal promotions. This steady engagement allows him to have steady income, and the ecommerce company to have someone who’s knowledge grows the longer they work with him.
- Needs: Comprehensive SEO strategy, including on-page optimization and content creation (20 hours/month)
- Pricing Model: Retainer Model
- Estimated Cost: $3,500/month
Part-Time Salary
Lastly, consider Laura. She has more of a “T” shaped marketer background. Meaning, while her experience is centered around SEO, she is very capable when it comes to related disciplines like PPC, graphic design, and web development. Laura offers her Fractional SEO services on a part-time salary basis, charging $5,000 per month for around 40 hours of work.
Her ideal clients are growing businesses that require regular SEO management but cannot afford the salary and overhead of a full-time SEO employee. One of her clients is a startup that just their Series B funded. Their plan is to launch into new geographic areas.
Laura works closely with their team, providing strategic SEO insights, optimizing their content, and ensuring that their remain on the right track to catch-up to competitors that have been in the market longer. This arrangement provides the startup with consistent SEO support and allows Laura to integrate deeply with their team.
- Needs: Regular SEO management and strategy execution (40 hours/month).
- Pricing Model: Part-Time Salary
- Estimated Cost: $5,000/month
How to Choose the Right Fractional SEO Consultant
If you’ve decided that a fractional SEO manager is the best option for your situation, how do you know which one to hire? After all, there are lots of us. Here are some things to watch out for when performing your due diligence.
Who You Do Want
Who You Don’t Want
Make the Move
In my opinion, fractional SEO should be viewed as a very good stepping stone in the lifecycle of a successful company. It’s a very large, very sturdy stepping stone, but still temporary.
Many companies are able to get off the “digital” ground when they start their business, but very quickly need someone to step in a help lead those online initiatives. Bigger, more established companies usually have a lot cogs in the wheel (often including personnel), so they are usually in a better position to hire someone full-time.
The truth is, most companies are in the middle, even if they don’t think they are. And that’s ok, that middle is exactly when you need to have a fractional SEO role on your mind.
