Comparison
SEO software vs an SEO agency: what each one does well
Both can help a WordPress site. They do different work, ask different things of you, and neither can promise a place in Google.
The short answer
Software is good at recurring work that can be checked: scanning the same things on a schedule, fixing small on-page problems and reporting what changed. An agency is good at work that needs people: strategy, writing, design and development, and relationships with other sites.
Many businesses use software for the routine and an agency, or their own team, for the rest.
SEO software and an SEO agency side by side
| Compared item | SEO software, such as GO BEST SEO | An SEO agency |
|---|---|---|
| Who does the work | Software, on a schedule | People, on a plan you agree on |
| Routine checks | The same checks on every scan | Depends on the agreement |
| Small on-page fixes | Titles, descriptions and alt text, each recorded and undoable | Depends on the agreement |
| Strategy, content and development | No | Often the core of the work |
| Outreach to other sites for links | No | Some agencies offer it |
| A promise of rankings | No | No one can guarantee rankings |
- Agencies differ a lot in what they offer, how they work and what they charge; ask each one for specifics.
Questions to ask before you choose
- What exactly will be done every month, and where will I see it?
- Can every change on my site be traced, and undone?
- Who gets access to my site and my Search Console, and can I take it back?
- What happens to my site if we stop working together?
- Is anyone promising a ranking or a date? Google’s own advice on hiring an SEO warns that no one can guarantee a top ranking, so treat such a promise with caution.
Software or agency: questions
Can SEO software replace an agency?
For routine checks and small on-page fixes, often yes. For strategy, content, development and outreach to other sites you still need people, from an agency or from your own team.
Can I use both?
Yes. You can share the Monday report with your agency and let it spend its time on the work software can’t do. Every change GO BEST SEO makes is recorded with its before and after, so nothing happens out of sight.
Does GO BEST SEO promise rankings?
No. Nobody controls Google’s results. We promise what we can show: what was checked, what was changed and what you approved.
Read next
What GO BEST SEO doesn’t do
The honest list of what is not part of any plan.
GO BEST SEO and Yoast SEO
Why a plugin in your editor and a service on a schedule work side by side.
SEO for small businesses on WordPress
Regular checks and safe fixes for a business with no time for SEO.
Hand the routine to software
GO BEST SEO scans, fixes and reports on a schedule, and you approve what matters.