While in theory it might seem like a good idea to get your webmaster to handle search engine optimisation, in practice, it is usually anything but. Fact is, your in-house "expert" probably doesn't have the time or the expertise to perform effective search engine marketing.

If the in-house webmaster or web team is actually looking for a task (which is probably not the case) recommend that efforts be focused on increasing the sales-to-visitor ratio. Let the search engine optimization professionals get the traffic, and the in-house webmasters turn those visitors into more sales.

Search engine optimisation used to be a piece of cake, but not anymore. Some strategies that were once perfectly acceptable (such as repeatedly submitting your site to search engines) will now get you labeled as a "spammer" and could harm your rankings. Your in-house expert would have to pour over hundreds of search engine optimisation documents just to get his feet wet. To actually keep abreast of the rapid changes in the field, he would have to scan another 50 pages a month worth of articles, newsletters and discussion boards. If he juggles search engine optimsation duties with a full-time job, sooner or later, one of the balls is going to hit the floor.

If you use your site to sell many products or to generate sales leads, you probably need to outsource to a search engine optimisation company. If your site features a lot of frames, graphics, or Flash animations, or if you sell your product in more than one country, you may also need professional help.