Hiring for SEO often feels like trying to hit a moving target.
Should you bring in a specialist? A generalist? In-house? Freelance? Agency? Should they write, code, build links, or do all three?
Most teams get this wrong because they hire based on roles, not results.
Let’s fix that.
Before you write a JD or send a budget request, ask:
Each answer maps to a different type of SEO support.
In many cases, the answer is: don’t hire yet.
Underperformance is often rooted outside the SEO team.
Hiring a junior SEO won’t fix this. It’ll frustrate them, drain your time, and burn budget.
Use this table to align business need with the right type of support:
<table border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>
<p><strong>Business Need</strong></p>
</td>
<td>
<p><strong>Type of SEO Help</strong></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>Strategic direction, growth roadmap, internal education</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Senior consultant or fractional SEO lead</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>Scaling pages, updating content, internal ops</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>In-house SEO manager or content SEO specialist</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>Execution support without headcount</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Trusted freelancer or agency partner</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
<p>Winning bigger clients (agency-side)</p>
</td>
<td>
<p>Senior-level sparring partner, not a junior auditor</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
If your company is between €2M–€100M, the most common mistake is hiring too early, too junior, or without a clear objective.
Get strategic alignment first. Then build around it.
You’re not hiring to “do SEO.” You’re hiring to move levers.
Look for someone who:
If they can’t connect SEO to outcomes, they’ll just produce busywork.
And that’s not what you need.
I work with marketing and growth leaders to clarify exactly what kind of support will drive results... fast.
Whether you need a fractional lead, help hiring internally, or a senior partner to execute while you scale, I can help.