SearchLever vs hiring an in-house SEO
SearchLever costs less than a senior in-house SEO hire ($150-200K+ fully loaded) and provides two senior partners plus proprietary software. You get strategic depth and execution capability without the overhead of a full-time hire.
In-House SEO Hire
Hiring an in-house SEO means bringing on a full-time employee (typically $120-180K salary, $150-200K+ fully loaded) dedicated to your organic growth. They know your product deeply but may lack breadth of experience across industries.
Pros
- Deep product and brand knowledge over time
- Available full-time, fully embedded in the team
- Can attend internal meetings and influence product decisions
- Builds institutional knowledge that stays with the company
Cons
- One person's expertise is limited vs two senior partners
- No proprietary software or dashboards included
- Recruiting takes 3-6 months for senior talent
- $150-200K+ fully loaded cost (salary, benefits, tools)
- Single point of failure if they leave
- May lack breadth across industries and technical stacks
SearchLever
Advantages
- Two senior partners with cross-industry experience
- Proprietary software included — no additional tool costs
- Start in weeks, not months of recruiting
- Lower total cost than a senior FTE
- No single point of failure
- Bring patterns from other B2B SaaS engagements
Start with SearchLever, then hire when you know what role to fill.
SearchLever is ideal before you're ready to hire, or alongside a junior/mid-level in-house hire who needs strategic guidance. We help you prove organic ROI first, then you hire with clarity on exactly what role and skills you need.
Common questions
Should we use SearchLever instead of hiring?
Consider SearchLever first to prove the organic channel and build foundational infrastructure. Once you know organic works for your business, you can hire the right in-house role with clarity — and we can train them.
See if SearchLever is right for you
Book a 30-minute strategy call. No pressure, no pitch deck — just an honest conversation.