# SEO consultant vs SEO agency in Edmonton: which should you hire?

By Banish Angural · Published September 1, 2026 · Updated November 9, 2026

> An SEO consultant is usually one specialist: often cheaper, very hands-on, but limited in capacity and skills like design, writing and ads. An agency has a team and can run SEO alongside Google Ads and web work, but you may deal with account managers. Choose on who does the work, what is included and how results are reported.

## SEO consultant

- **Pros:** lower overhead, you talk to the person doing the work, often deep expertise.
- **Cons:** limited hours, gaps in design, writing or ads, risk if they get sick or busy.

## SEO agency

- **Pros:** a team, more skills under one roof, continuity, SEO and ads working together.
- **Cons:** higher cost, junior staff may do the work, more process.

## Questions that matter more than the label

1. Who will do the work on my account?
2. What gets done each month?
3. Do I own my website, content and accounts?
4. How do you report results, in calls and jobs?
5. Can I see work for a business like mine?
6. What is the notice period?

## Red flags either way

- Guaranteed rankings.
- Secret methods.
- Bulk backlinks.
- Long lock-in contracts.

For more, read [how to choose a marketing agency in Edmonton](https://banishmedia.com/blog/how-to-choose-a-marketing-agency-edmonton).

## Talk to the person who would do the work

We are a small Edmonton agency focused on home-service businesses, month to month. Start with a [free audit](https://banishmedia.com/free-audit) and judge us on the quality of the advice. See our [SEO service](https://banishmedia.com/services/seo).

## Sources

- [Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Starter Guide](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/seo-starter-guide), Google Search Central
- [Spam policies for Google web search](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/essentials/spam-policies), Google Search Central

## Questions readers ask

### Is an SEO consultant cheaper than an agency?

Often, yes, but compare what is included. A cheaper consultant who only does technical SEO may leave writing, design and ads to you.