In-House SEO vs. Agency SEO in 2025: What’s Right for Your Business?

The rise of generative AI and the shift from blue links to AI-generated answers has dramatically changed the rules of search in 2025. Businesses—especially in regulated sectors like law and finance—are now asking a critical question:

Should we build an in-house SEO team, or work with an agency?

This guide breaks down the pros and cons of each—so you can make a confident, ROI-focused decision.

Quick Comparison: In-House vs Agency SEO

Feature	In-House SEO	SEO Agency
Brand immersion	✅ Deep understanding	❌ Needs time to onboard
AI-era experience	❌ Hard to hire specialists	✅ Dedicated teams with latest know-how
Speed & scalability	❌ Limited by headcount	✅ Faster deployment with frameworks
Cross-industry insights	❌ Narrow focus	✅ Multi-sector data & trends
Compliance understanding	✅ High (especially in legal/finance)	✅ If niche agency (like Agile Digital)
Cost efficiency	Depends on headcount & seniority	Flexible retainer or project-based

The SEO Landscape in 2025: Context First

• AI-generated summaries (like Google SGE and Perplexity.ai) dominate informational searches.
• Traditional SEO still matters, but Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) is now the top priority.
• Brands need to be cited, trusted, and optimised across formats—fast.

This demands multi-disciplinary expertise: technical SEO, AI content structuring, schema, UX, and authority building.

Sector Spotlight: Legal and Financial Services

For law firms and financial services, SEO in 2025 is about more than rankings—it’s about authority, compliance, and visibility in AI-generated results.

AI search now offers instant answers, often without the user clicking through. To remain visible, firms must be cited as trusted sources in generative summaries.

Google AI Overviews Are Reshaping Local Search

A recent study by Local Falcon—analysing 4,400+ businesses across 20 countries—shows how Google AI Overviews are disrupting local visibility, particularly for legal services.

• Proximity is no longer a key driver – AI Overviews prioritise content quality, authority, and relevance over location.
• Consumer behaviour is changing – Clients may get answers directly from AI without visiting your website.
• Traditional blog content may lose traction – If it’s not cited by AI, it may be invisible.
• Being mentioned = being visible – Citations are now the most valuable currency.
• Legal visibility is volatile – Law-related queries show more ranking fluctuations than other sectors.

Strategic Moves for Law Firms

• Publish high-authority, intent-driven content that AI is likely to cite
• Monitor your presence in AI Overviews across topics and locations
• Shift from traffic goals to visibility within AI-generated answers
• Think beyond proximity—focus on trust, authority, and structured data

In-House SEO: Pros & Cons

✅ Pros:

• Full brand immersion – Your team knows your voice, industry, and product inside out
• Real-time collaboration – Easier alignment with product, sales, and content
• Long-term focus – Can build deep expertise and iterate faster internally

❌ Cons:

• Hiring difficulty – Finding senior SEOs with AI-era experience is tough
• Skill gaps – One person often can’t cover strategy, tech, GEO, and content
• Slow to adapt – In-house teams risk being too siloed or tied to legacy processes

SEO Agency in 2025: Pros & Cons

✅ Pros:

• Cross-industry insights – Agencies see what’s working across multiple verticals
• Full-stack capabilities – From content strategy to structured data and analytics
• Speed & scalability – Hit the ground running with proven frameworks and toolkits

❌ Cons:

• Onboarding ramp-up – Agencies may take time to deeply understand your brand
• Perceived lack of control – Stakeholders sometimes worry about external dependency
• Varied quality – Not all agencies are equipped for AI-powered SEO. Vet carefully

What Matters Most in the Age of GEO?

Whether in-house or outsourced, ask yourself:

• Are we creating conversational, AI-optimised content?
• Are we using structured data and schema consistently?
• Are we monitoring our brand mentions in AI search results?
• Do we have a clear plan for ongoing optimisation and updates?

Hybrid Models Are Winning

In 2025, many businesses blend both approaches:

• In-house leads who own brand tone and strategy
• Agencies as specialists in AI search, technical SEO, and fast implementation

This model offers speed, scale, and brand coherence—especially valuable in high-trust industries.

Our Take at Agile Digital

At Agile Digital, we work as strategic partners, not just vendors. We embed into your team, align on business goals, and execute with agility.

From GEO audits to structured data and authority building, we help law firms and financial services be the answer in AI-powered search.

Thinking about scaling your organic visibility in 2025? Book a call to explore if a hybrid model fits your team.