Is online advertising a zero-sum game?
I was struck recently by a wonderfully succinct article from Seth Godin. For those of you unfamiliar with Seth, his daily email is always thought
April 15, 2024
To the untrained eye, SEO or ‘Search Engine Optimisation’, can sometimes appear like a science. There seems lots to consider, and a million and one ways for things to go wrong.
Alternatively, people might possess an understanding of SEO that is basic and it gives them a false impression of what it’s all about. Lots of websites go live with the owner thinking they’ve covered SEO, only to discover that after months of waiting, Google doesn’t agree.
If you’re in the process of setting up a website, you might wonder if taking care of the SEO yourself is a viable option.
Here, we look at why it’s possible to attempt SEO yourself, but it may not be the most sensible approach.
Before you think about attempting to undertake your own SEO, it may be worthwhile considering if you have the time to dedicate to learning the skills required.
It’s easy to complete SEO like a basic ‘tick-box’ exercise – that won’t ultimately be effective. The truth is that SEO, to achieve the results you want, needs a range of digital competencies.
You might have to restructure your site, understand coding, write content, undertake market research, do link building, and develop an overall strategy. You must consider whether you have both the inclination, not to mention the time, to take on all of that work.
The learning curve for SEO is steep, and can be technical. You can pick up the basics online, but if you want to do it right you should have tuition, whether face-to-face or digitally.
If you’re tempted to undertake SEO yourself, then there’s a few points you might firstly want to consider.
Firstly, are you genuinely interested in SEO? It is a technical process which many people find challenging. If you want to learn how search engines work, and the technical approach needed to feature highly in search listings, then you might find the study of SEO interesting.
Most people who set up businesses, however, usually want to focus on other things. If your only motivation for attempting SEO is cutting corners and saving money, then it’s probably not a good idea to take care of it yourself.
Another question worth considering is how much time you want to dedicate to SEO going forward? SEO is not a one-off exercise; you need to keep abreast of industry trends, changes, and best practice. Search engines like Google are constantly changing and updating their algorithms.
Small adjustments can make a huge difference to where your business appears in the rankings. If you want to stay ahead of the competition, then you’ll need to monitor industry developments. If that’s something you think you might find interesting, the next question to ask is how much time you have available to dedicate to SEO?
It’s a common misconception that it’s a one-time overhaul of title tags, meta descriptions, and other page elements.
While this will give you a solid start, it’s important to keep in mind that SEO is an ongoing process. A ‘set and forget’ approach may produce modest initial results, but it won’t serve you well over time. Instead, you should be willing to dedicate a few hours a week to ensuring your SEO is working as it should. There’s keyword research to undertake, content creation, as well as developing a link-building policy.
So, bearing this in mind, is it better to leave SEO to the experts?
It may not be impossible to master SEO to an acceptable standard, but there are plenty of sound business reasons why you should leave it to trained professionals.
Firstly, it’s not easy. It’s a technical and time-consuming process that takes time to master.
SEO professionals understand this. They also grasp that SEO is a strategy, not a one-off exercise, and that plan needs to cover a lot of possibilities. The rules for successful SEO keep changing.
Google makes it a priority that its algorithms are as responsive to real-time needs as possible. It is forever changing them, together with other tools, and those amendments aren’t always announced.
Even if you read a small library of books about SEO, the information you obtained would soon be out-of-date.
You might be wondering if making mistakes is really that much of a concern. The bad news is that it really can be. Errors and omissions can soon make you invisible in the Google rankings. For example, you may think you’re being smart by stuffing keywords, creating fake backlinks, and duplicating content, but Google spots these tricks and punishes them.
SEO professionals have access to the latest tools to enable them to refine your SEO. From keyword research to advanced analytics programs, they will draft an evidence-based strategy for your business based on up-to-date industry knowledge.
They will keep track of how your competitors are performing, and explain how you can expect a return on your investment. If your website is critical to the success of your business, then your SEO really matters.
Don’t cut corners, or do a half-hearted job; instead, let the experts at Aqueous Digital give your business a real advantage.
Fortunately, you’ve come to the right place. Call us on 0800 285 1424 or email us at hello@aqueous-digital.co.uk to have a chat about how we can support the success of your business with our award-winning search engine optimisation. We offer a free no obligation consultation and full audit of your website to get you started on your journey to the top of Google.
If you do decide to give SEO a go on your own, here are a few guides and articles from our Knowledge Hub to help you along the way:
Aqueous Digital’s Beginners Guide to SEO
Aqueous Digital’s Guide to the Top 501 SEO and Digital Marketing Terms
Aqueous Digital’s Ultimate Guide to the cost of SEO in the UK
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