The real choice is operating model
A consultant usually offers direct senior judgement and a narrower delivery bench. An agency may provide more specialist capacity but can add account layers and process overhead. Neither model is automatically better.
Choose against the work: diagnosis, implementation volume, content production, development access and internal ownership.
Compare who actually does the work
Ask who will audit the site, write briefs, approve changes and speak in reviews. A famous founder or sales lead may not be the person responsible after onboarding.
Named ownership and escalation routes matter more than team size on a pitch deck.
Make scope and costs legible
Separate one-time remediation, monthly strategy, content, development, outreach and tools. A low retainer with every implementation billed separately may cost more than a broader engagement.
Compare decisions and deliverables, not only hours.
Use a short diagnostic first
A paid or clearly bounded audit can test working style before a long commitment. The output should prioritise constraints, explain trade-offs and identify what should not be done yet.
Avoid partners who guarantee positions or prescribe dozens of pages before understanding the business.
How this becomes a project
A useful next step is a short audit of your current pages, search footprint, proof and measurement. The output should identify the few constraints worth fixing before more content or media is added.