Lower overhead
Typically, consultants cost less than a full time employee. Chances are the paid search consultant you are considering, is a 1099 contractor. This means no insurance costs, equipment, and best of all no tax liabilities.
Experience
Before a paid search consultant takes on the world, chances are they already have a few years under their belt. This is big advantage. To let you in on a dirty secret, agencies don’t always assign their most experienced person to your account. With a paid search consultant, your odds are greater that this won’t be the case.
Customer Service
Consultants in general are running their own business. Because of this, clients matter more to them. This means you’re likely going to experience better customer service. You might actually get to speak with somebody for a change. 🙂
Relationship
Good or bad, the relationship matters. Even if results are great, a client can still leave if they have a bad customer service experience with the company. Paid search consultants understand this. The bottom line is, relationship matters. Consultants are usually very focused on servicing not only the account, but more importantly the client.