Starting a small business is expensive! Even micro businesses can cost $3,000 to start, and for most people, that’s a lot of money. If your business is any larger than that, you may find yourself well into the five figures (if not more).
It makes sense that you’d want to cut costs where you can. You might be thinking about doing your marketing on your own, including DIY SEO.
But is a DIY SEO plan enough? Let’s talk about it. Keep reading to learn all about the pros and cons of trying to use SEO tools and strategies by yourself.
Why Does an SEO Strategy Matter?
SEO is one of the best ways to generate traffic to your business’s website. SEO offers organic traffic at a relatively low cost or for free (depending on whether you go with the pros or do it yourself). This is different from SEM which, instead, generates traffic from ads that you have to consistently pay for.
You can learn more about SEO and SEM differences to understand better.
SEO boots you up the search engine rankings so you can compete with other businesses within your niche. Good SEO will also help you build customer trust and turn leads into customers and clients.
Any business owner that wants their business to thrive can’t afford to not use SEO.
Pros of DIY SEO
When it comes to “do-it-yourself” SEO, there are a few benefits, especially if your business is still small and just getting started.
First, by doing it yourself, you’re going to save money. For a business owner who’s brand new to the game, even saving a few dollars per month that you can put back into your business can be a game-changer.
Learning how to do SEO on your own will give you a valuable new skill that you can apply elsewhere if you choose to do so. You can work on your own professional development while you’re boosting your business.
SEO will yield long-term results, and learning the basics isn’t too difficult (though when you really want to boost yourself up the search engine rankings, the basics aren’t enough).
Cons of DIY SEO
As we said, the basics aren’t enough once you’ve experienced a small amount of initial growth. At some point, you may not be able to continue that momentum if you’re not super SEO-savvy.
If you want to keep up with other thriving businesses without hiring professionals, you’re going to have to spend a lot more time on your SEO. That time may be better spent elsewhere. You’re a business owner and you have other tasks to take care of!
SEO is also always changing. If you’re not staying up to date with SEO best practices, you’re going to fall behind.
Most large businesses hire marketing professionals to take care of
their SEO needs. If you want to compete, you may have to do the same or
ask a seo consultant for additional tips.
So, Can a Business Succeed With DIY SEO?
A business can succeed with DIY SEO at first, but unless you have the time and energy to continue building your SEO long-term, it’s likely best to hire a professional. You’ll save time and your return on investment will be more than enough to make the cost worthwhile.
So, will you “DIY it” or hire a pro?
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