With the amount of great SEO guides out there, anyone can learn about SEO, and with enough time, anyone can learn to do it well.
Here are some guides to get you started:
- Getting started – The Definitive Guide To SEO In 2021 (Backlinko)
- SEO strategy – How to Create an Effective SEO Strategy (Semrush)
- Google algorithm – How Google search works (Google)
- Website steps – Steps to a Google friendly site (Google)
- Page experience – Understanding page experience in Google Search (Google)
- Site structure – Site structure: the ultimate guide (Yoast)
- SEO content – How to write SEO content (Gotch SEO)
- On-page SEO – On-Page SEO: Complete Beginner’s Guide (Ahrefs)
- Technical SEO – Technical SEO: The Beginner’s Guide (Moz)
- Local SEO – Local SEO: The Definitive Guide (Backlinko)
- Keyword research – How to Do Keyword Research for SEO (Hubspot)
Now, all you need to do is:
- Read all of these guides twice
- Practice the steps outlined
- Measure your results
- Do this across multiple websites in multiple industries
Do all these things, and after 2-3 years, you will be 10% on your way to being as capable as an SEO agency or SEO professional.
DIY SEO is a false economy
DIY SEO won’t save you money, it will cost you money.
For example: let’s say you save £12,000 doing SEO yourself for 12-months. You manage to get your money back, or by some miracle, a 2-1 return. However, if you had spent that £12,000 with an agency, you would have got a 5-1 return.
In this example, DIY SEO has cost you £36,000!
A 5-1 return on investment in 12-months is not uncommon with an SEO agency, and some agencies achieve far greater returns over longer periods.
DIY SEO is a waste of your time
What is the point wasting your time learning about SEO when you should be out there growing your business?
For example, if you earn £600 per day and a painter costs £150 per day, would you take a day off work to save £150? Only if you were mad!
Every hour you spend reading about SEO could be spent acquiring and nurturing leads and improving customer relationships.
Yes, understanding the basics of SEO is a good idea so you can hold a conversation about it, but working on and getting results from SEO is a different ballgame.
SEO takes time, and lots of it. Don’t let it trap you.
Internet-based education is dangerous
Don’t believe everything you read online about SEO. There’s dodgy information out there and stuff dating back a year will probably be outdated.
From ‘how-to’ guides to paid courses, internet-based education can empower you and make you feel confident to tackle SEO yourself.
While there is no harm in a little keyword research and on-page optimisation, planning an SEO strategy this way is no good.
At best, you’ll waste your time creating a strategy that won’t achieve your goals. At worst, you’ll damage your website and get a manual penalty from Google, or spend loads of money on a course that’s irrelevant for what you need to do.
However, the biggest danger to internet-based education for SEO is it trapping you into a knowledge loop, where you’re always looking for the next thing. If you’re not careful, it will sap every spare hour you have and drive you mad.
The bottom line
While it’s important for small businesses to find ways to save money, DIY SEO is a false economy and a value trap. It could end up costing you thousands of pounds in revenue, and it will do so under the ruse of self-gratification.
Avoid DIY SEO if you are a serious businessperson, but by all means learn the basics so you can understand it and hold a conversation. Call the Leeds SEO agency for your free SEO report
I have been walking the talk with SEO for 18 years and have money-generating web businesses of my own. My background is real-world business and marketing. Search engine optimisation is not black art. If you want your website to do better, contact me.