What does an SEO agency do?

An SEO agency handles keyword research, content creation, technical fixes, and often link building, on an ongoing basis, usually billed as a monthly retainer rather than a one-time project.

Most agencies start with an audit of the site's current state, then build a content and technical roadmap, and assign writers or specialists to execute it over the following months.

The variability between agencies is large. Some genuinely run research-driven strategy with named specialists on your account. Others resell templated reports and generic content with little customization to your specific business.

The research-to-publish part of that work is what an automated SEO platform can run directly, without the agency layer in between.