Many businesses often ask: "Can I manage SEO myself?" The answer is yes, you can. With some effort, patience, and a good understanding of the basics, it’s possible to handle your own SEO in-house. Whether you're looking to improve your local search visibility or expand your online reach, DIY SEO is achievable.
However, while it's tempting to save money by managing SEO yourself, it’s important to recognise that it takes time and consistency. If your business is tight on time or if you’re looking for faster results, hiring professionals might be a better option. This guide will walk you through what DIY SEO involves and how you can start managing your website's optimisation with practical, easy-to-follow steps.
What Is DIY SEO?
DIY SEO refers to the process of managing your website's search engine optimisation without external help. This involves taking control of several tasks such as keyword research, content optimisation, monitoring your rankings, and addressing technical issues.
The good news is that you don’t need to be an expert to start. Anyone with access to free SEO tools and a willingness to learn can manage the basic elements of SEO. Many SEO professionals actually began by experimenting with DIY SEO on their own websites.
The key tasks involved in DIY SEO include:
Keyword research: Finding the terms your target audience is searching for.
On-page SEO: Optimising your website content and structure for better search visibility.
Technical SEO: Ensuring your site is crawlable and user-friendly, focusing on elements like speed and mobile-friendliness.
Off-page SEO: Building your website's authority by attracting backlinks from other reputable websites.
Tracking performance: Using tools like Google Analytics to monitor your rankings and traffic.
While these tasks may sound straightforward, they require regular attention and updates. SEO is an ongoing process rather than a one-off activity.
Step-by-Step Guide to Doing SEO Yourself
If you’re ready to give DIY SEO a go, here are the key steps to follow:
1. Set Up Analytics Tools: To track your progress, it’s essential to set up the right analytics tools. Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and Google Search Console are must-haves. These tools help you monitor your website’s traffic, how users interact with your content, and your visibility in search results.
Google Analytics 4: This tool provides insights into your site’s performance, such as how many visitors you’re getting and what actions they’re taking on your website.
Google Search Console: This helps track your website’s presence on Google search results. It shows you which keywords are bringing traffic to your site and flags any technical issues like broken links or crawling errors.
2. Conduct an SEO Audit: An SEO audit helps you identify the current state of your website and highlight any areas for improvement. You can use tools like Screaming Frog (a free tool) to conduct an audit that checks for issues like:
Missing or duplicate meta descriptions and title tags
Broken links (404 errors)
Slow page load speeds
Issues with mobile responsiveness
Addressing these issues will improve both user experience and your site’s rankings.
3. Research Keywords: Keyword research is a crucial part of SEO. It involves finding the right search terms your potential customers are using to find products or services like yours. You can use free tools such as Google Keyword Planner to identify keywords that are relevant to your business.
When researching, focus on long-tail keywords (phrases with 3-4 words). These tend to be less competitive and more specific to user intent, meaning they often convert better than short, highly competitive keywords.
4. Optimise Your Website Content: Once you have your keywords, it’s time to optimise your website content. This includes ensuring that each page on your website has a clear focus keyword, written naturally within the text. Avoid overloading your pages with keywords (known as keyword stuffing), as this can negatively impact your rankings.
You’ll also want to:
Write clear and compelling title tags (keep them between 55-60 characters).
Create meta descriptions that encourage clicks (140-160 characters).
Use your keywords in headings and throughout the body text naturally.
Incorporate images or videos where appropriate to make your content more engaging.
5. Improve Internal Linking: Internal links help guide users through your website and allow search engines to crawl your content more effectively. Adding 3-5 internal links to each piece of content ensures that pages are connected, which can improve your rankings and the overall user experience.
6. Attract Backlinks: Backlinks (links from other websites to yours) are a strong signal to search engines that your content is valuable. You can attract backlinks by sharing your content on social media, reaching out to relevant blogs, or creating high-quality, shareable content like infographics or helpful guides.
7. Monitor Your SEO Performance: Finally, SEO requires constant monitoring. Use Google Analytics and Search Console to track your progress. Focus on metrics like organic traffic, search rankings, and conversions. These will show whether your efforts are paying off and where you might need to make adjustments.
Setting Up Analytics to Track Success
Before you start optimising your website, it’s essential to have the right tools in place to measure your SEO efforts. Analytics tools give you the data you need to understand what’s working and where improvements are needed.
The two most important tools for tracking SEO performance are:
Google Analytics 4 (GA4): This tool provides detailed information about how visitors interact with your site, including page views, bounce rates, and conversions. You can use GA4 to track which pages are driving traffic and how well your site is engaging visitors. For businesses in London, this data can be used to target local customers more effectively.
Google Search Console: This is crucial for monitoring how your site appears in Google’s search results. It allows you to track your keyword rankings, see how often your site is being clicked in the search results (click-through rate), and identify any issues that may prevent your site from being crawled or indexed by Google.
Setting up these tools is straightforward. Once installed, they work in the background to collect data and give you ongoing insights into your site’s performance. Make sure to check these platforms regularly to monitor progress and spot any issues early on.
Conducting an SEO Audit
Once your analytics tools are up and running, the next step is to conduct an SEO audit. An audit will highlight the strengths and weaknesses of your site, helping you identify areas for improvement. This process is essential to ensure that your site is not only optimised for users but also for search engines.
To get started with your SEO audit, you can use a free tool like Screaming Frog. This tool crawls your website just like Google does and provides a detailed report on:
Broken links (404 errors): These create a poor user experience and prevent search engines from fully crawling your site.
Meta tags and descriptions: Missing or duplicate meta tags can confuse search engines and hurt your rankings. Ensuring each page has a unique and clear title tag and meta description is crucial.
Page speed: Slow-loading pages can lead to higher bounce rates and lower rankings, especially on mobile. Tools like Google PageSpeed Insights can help identify speed issues.
Mobile optimisation: With more searches happening on mobile devices, it's vital that your site is fully responsive and provides a smooth experience for mobile users.
Content structure: Make sure your content uses proper headings (H1, H2, etc.) and is easy to read, both for users and search engines.
An audit helps you address technical SEO issues that could be holding your site back. By fixing these problems, you improve both the user experience and your website’s search engine visibility.
Keyword Research: How to Find the Right Keywords
One of the most important aspects of SEO is choosing the right keywords to target. Keywords are the terms and phrases that people type into search engines when looking for products or services. For businesses in London, it’s essential to focus on keywords that are relevant to both your industry and your local audience.
Long-tail keywords are often the best place to start. These are phrases that are more specific and less competitive than broad keywords. For example, instead of targeting "SEO services," you might focus on "affordable SEO services in London." Long-tail keywords are typically easier to rank for and often bring in more qualified leads.
Here’s how to find the right keywords for your business:
Google Keyword Planner: This free tool from Google provides search volume data and helps you discover related terms. You can filter results based on location, ensuring that you’re targeting searches relevant to your area.
Competitor research: Look at what keywords your competitors are ranking for. This can give you ideas for content and help you identify gaps where you can outperform them.
Customer insights: Talk to your customers or review common questions and concerns they have. Often, the phrases they use will give you valuable keywords to target.
Once you’ve identified a list of relevant keywords, use them naturally throughout your website content, in headings, and in meta tags. Avoid "keyword stuffing," as this can hurt your rankings and make your content less readable. The goal is to match your content to what your audience is searching for while providing them with valuable information.
On-Page SEO: Optimising Your Website Content
Once you’ve completed your keyword research, the next step is to optimise your website content for search engines and users alike. On-page SEO involves making strategic changes to your content and its structure to ensure it's easy for search engines to understand and rank.
Here’s how to optimise your content effectively:
Title Tags and Meta Descriptions: Your title tag should include your target keyword and be no longer than 55-60 characters. This is the first thing users see in search results, so it should be clear and engaging. Similarly, your meta description should summarise the content of the page in around 150 characters, using your keywords naturally. This isn’t directly used for rankings but can influence your click-through rate.
Keyword Placement: Ensure your target keyword appears naturally in key places, including the first 100 words, in headings (like H1 or H2), and throughout the text. However, avoid overloading the page with keywords—this is called keyword stuffing and can actually hurt your SEO.
Content Quality: High-quality, relevant content is essential for both SEO and user engagement. Ensure your content answers the searcher’s query, provides valuable information, and is easy to read. This not only helps with rankings but also improves user experience, increasing the likelihood of conversions.
Multimedia Elements: Incorporate images, videos, and infographics where appropriate to break up text and make the content more engaging. Ensure that these elements have proper alt text, which helps search engines understand what they are and can improve your image search rankings.
By following these on-page SEO tactics, you can improve your website's visibility and make it easier for potential customers to find you.
Internal Linking for Better User Experience and Crawling
Internal linking is an often overlooked but powerful element of SEO. It helps connect related content on your website, making it easier for both users and search engines to navigate your site. Proper internal linking improves the user experience by guiding visitors to other useful pages and helping search engines understand the structure of your site.
Here’s how to implement internal linking effectively:
Use Descriptive Anchor Text: The text used for internal links should be descriptive and relevant to the page you’re linking to. For example, if you’re linking to a blog about "SEO best practices," make sure the anchor text reflects that. This helps search engines understand the context of the linked page.
Link to Relevant Content: Internal links should direct users to content that naturally extends the conversation or provides more information. For example, if someone is reading about keyword research, you could link to another page discussing how to use those keywords in content.
Ensure All Key Pages Have Links: Make sure that every important page on your site has several internal links pointing to it. This improves its visibility to search engines and ensures it can be easily crawled.
Don’t Overdo It: While internal linking is beneficial, avoid stuffing too many links into a single page. Keep it natural and user-friendly. Three to five internal links per page are usually sufficient.
By adding strategic internal links, you can enhance both your SEO performance and the overall user experience, leading to better engagement and higher rankings.
The Importance of Backlinks (and How to Get Them)
Backlinks—links from other websites to yours—are one of the most important factors in SEO. Search engines see backlinks as a vote of confidence in your content, meaning the more quality backlinks you have, the more likely you are to rank higher.
However, earning backlinks can be challenging, especially if you’re handling SEO yourself. Here are some effective ways to attract backlinks:
Create Shareable Content: High-quality, informative, or unique content is more likely to be shared and linked to by other websites. For example, an in-depth guide, an original study, or a useful tool can attract natural backlinks from industry blogs and media sites.
Outreach to Industry Sites: Reach out to blogs, news sites, or industry-specific websites that might find your content valuable. Offer to write a guest post, provide a quote, or share a helpful resource. This is a great way to earn backlinks from reputable sources.
Leverage Social Media: Share your content across your social media channels. If it resonates with your audience, it could get shared widely, increasing the chances of someone linking to it.
Directories and Listings: For local businesses in London, getting listed on local directories such as Yelp, Google My Business, or industry-specific directories can provide valuable backlinks.
One thing to remember is to avoid buying backlinks. Google penalises sites that purchase or exchange links in a way that manipulates search rankings. Focus on earning backlinks naturally by providing valuable content and building relationships within your industry.
On-Page SEO: Optimising Your Website Content
Once you’ve completed your keyword research, the next step is to optimise your website content for search engines and users alike. On-page SEO involves making strategic changes to your content and its structure to ensure it's easy for search engines to understand and rank.
Here’s how to optimise your content effectively:
Title Tags and Meta Descriptions: Your title tag should include your target keyword and be no longer than 55-60 characters. This is the first thing users see in search results, so it should be clear and engaging. Similarly, your meta description should summarise the content of the page in around 150 characters, using your keywords naturally. This isn’t directly used for rankings but can influence your click-through rate.
Keyword Placement: Ensure your target keyword appears naturally in key places, including the first 100 words, in headings (like H1 or H2), and throughout the text. However, avoid overloading the page with keywords—this is called keyword stuffing and can actually hurt your SEO.
Content Quality: High-quality, relevant content is essential for both SEO and user engagement. Ensure your content answers the searcher’s query, provides valuable information, and is easy to read. This not only helps with rankings but also improves user experience, increasing the likelihood of conversions.
Multimedia Elements: Incorporate images, videos, and infographics where appropriate to break up text and make the content more engaging. Ensure that these elements have proper alt text, which helps search engines understand what they are and can improve your image search rankings.
By following these on-page SEO tactics, you can improve your website's visibility and make it easier for potential customers to find you.
Internal Linking for Better User Experience and Crawling
Internal linking is an often overlooked but powerful element of SEO. It helps connect related content on your website, making it easier for both users and search engines to navigate your site. Proper internal linking improves the user experience by guiding visitors to other useful pages and helping search engines understand the structure of your site.
Here’s how to implement internal linking effectively:
Use Descriptive Anchor Text: The text used for internal links should be descriptive and relevant to the page you’re linking to. For example, if you’re linking to a blog about "SEO best practices," make sure the anchor text reflects that. This helps search engines understand the context of the linked page.
Link to Relevant Content: Internal links should direct users to content that naturally extends the conversation or provides more information. For example, if someone is reading about keyword research, you could link to another page discussing how to use those keywords in content.
Ensure All Key Pages Have Links: Make sure that every important page on your site has several internal links pointing to it. This improves its visibility to search engines and ensures it can be easily crawled.
Don’t Overdo It: While internal linking is beneficial, avoid stuffing too many links into a single page. Keep it natural and user-friendly. Three to five internal links per page are usually sufficient.
By adding strategic internal links, you can enhance both your SEO performance and the overall user experience, leading to better engagement and higher rankings.
The Importance of Backlinks (and How to Get Them)
Backlinks—links from other websites to yours—are one of the most important factors in SEO. Search engines see backlinks as a vote of confidence in your content, meaning the more quality backlinks you have, the more likely you are to rank higher.
However, earning backlinks can be challenging, especially if you’re handling SEO yourself. Here are some effective ways to attract backlinks:
Create Shareable Content: High-quality, informative, or unique content is more likely to be shared and linked to by other websites. For example, an in-depth guide, an original study, or a useful tool can attract natural backlinks from industry blogs and media sites.
Outreach to Industry Sites: Reach out to blogs, news sites, or industry-specific websites that might find your content valuable. Offer to write a guest post, provide a quote, or share a helpful resource. This is a great way to earn backlinks from reputable sources.
Leverage Social Media: Share your content across your social media channels. If it resonates with your audience, it could get shared widely, increasing the chances of someone linking to it.
Directories and Listings: For local businesses in London, getting listed on local directories such as Yelp, Google My Business, or industry-specific directories can provide valuable backlinks.
One thing to remember is to avoid buying backlinks. Google penalises sites that purchase or exchange links in a way that manipulates search rankings. Focus on earning backlinks naturally by providing valuable content and building relationships within your industry.
Tracking SEO Performance: What to Measure
Once your SEO efforts are in motion, it’s important to track their impact. Monitoring performance ensures you’re on the right path and helps identify areas for improvement. Without tracking, it’s impossible to know whether your SEO strategy is effective or needs adjusting.
Here’s what to focus on when measuring SEO success:
Organic Traffic: This is the number of visitors coming to your website through unpaid search results. Use Google Analytics to track this and see how your traffic grows over time. For businesses in London, you can also filter traffic by location to see how well you’re attracting local visitors.
Keyword Rankings: Google Search Console is ideal for monitoring your position in search results. Check how well your targeted keywords are ranking and which pages are driving the most traffic. Regularly reviewing this data allows you to refine your keyword strategy.
Click-Through Rate (CTR): CTR measures how many people clicked your website link after seeing it in the search results. A low CTR might mean your meta titles or descriptions need improvement. Make sure these elements are clear, engaging, and aligned with the user’s intent.
Bounce Rate: This refers to the percentage of visitors who leave your site after viewing only one page. A high bounce rate can signal that your content isn’t engaging or relevant. Improving internal linking and offering more valuable content can help lower this rate.
Conversions: Ultimately, your SEO efforts should lead to conversions, whether that’s a sale, sign-up, or other goal. Use Google Analytics to track how many of your visitors take these desired actions, and see which pages are contributing the most to conversions.
By regularly tracking these key metrics, you’ll gain insights into what’s working and where there’s room for improvement. It’s essential to track progress consistently to stay ahead of your competitors and ensure long-term growth.
Common DIY SEO Mistakes to Avoid
When managing SEO on your own, it’s easy to make mistakes that could hinder your progress. Avoiding these common pitfalls will save you time and ensure your efforts are rewarded with higher rankings and more traffic.
Here are some mistakes to watch out for:
Keyword Stuffing: Using your target keywords too frequently within your content can harm your rankings. Search engines value natural, user-friendly content over keyword-stuffed pages. Instead, focus on writing quality content that uses keywords naturally and sparingly.
Neglecting Mobile Optimisation: More people now search on mobile devices than on desktops, and Google favours mobile-friendly sites. Make sure your website is responsive and performs well on all devices, particularly for local searches where users often look for services on the go.
Ignoring Page Speed: Slow-loading websites frustrate users and are penalised by search engines. Use free tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to identify areas where your website’s performance could improve, such as image optimisation or reducing unnecessary code.
Not Updating Content: SEO isn’t a one-off task. Search engines favour fresh, up-to-date content, so make sure to revisit and update older articles, especially if they’re still relevant. Keep an eye on changes in search behaviour and adapt your content accordingly.
Overlooking Technical SEO: While you may focus on keywords and content, technical SEO (such as ensuring your site is crawlable, optimising URLs, and fixing broken links) is just as important. These issues can seriously impact your rankings if not addressed.
Avoiding these mistakes can help ensure your DIY SEO efforts are effective and your website remains in good standing with search engines.
When Should You Hire an SEO Professional?
DIY SEO can be a good starting point, but there comes a time when hiring an expert is a better option. As your business grows, so do the demands on your time, and SEO can become increasingly complex, especially when dealing with technical issues or more competitive industries.
Here are a few signs it’s time to consider hiring an SEO professional like UpLink SEO, your trusted SEO company in London:
Lack of Time or Resources: If you’re finding it difficult to balance SEO with other aspects of running your business, it may be time to bring in a professional. SEO is a long-term commitment, and inconsistent efforts can stall your progress.
Complex Technical Issues: Dealing with things like site speed, mobile optimisation, or website architecture can be tricky without experience. Professionals have the knowledge and tools to handle these technical issues effectively, ensuring your site remains optimised.
No Significant Results: If you’ve been doing SEO for months without seeing a noticeable increase in traffic or conversions, it could be because your strategy isn’t working. An SEO expert can audit your site and develop a targeted plan that drives better results.
Expanding into New Markets: If you’re looking to reach new audiences or enter more competitive markets, an expert can help you develop a tailored strategy to ensure success. This is particularly useful for local businesses in London that want to expand their reach.
At UpLink SEO, the SEO company in Islington, we specialise in helping London businesses like yours achieve better search visibility and increased website traffic. Our team knows the ins and outs of SEO, from technical fixes to content strategy, ensuring you get the results that matter.
FAQs About Doing SEO Yourself
Is it hard to do SEO yourself?
SEO can be challenging, especially when you're just starting. The difficulty lies in the amount of knowledge and time required to stay on top of search engine updates, keyword research, and content optimisation. That said, with the right tools and dedication, it is definitely possible to manage your own SEO, though it may take time to see results.
Can I run my own SEO?
Yes, you can run your own SEO. Many businesses manage their SEO in-house by using free tools and following best practices. However, it requires a consistent effort to research keywords, optimise content, and monitor your website’s performance. For some businesses, hiring a professional may offer a faster path to better results.
Can you do SEO yourself for free?
Yes, you can do SEO yourself for free using various free tools such as Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and Google Keyword Planner. While these tools provide great insights, free resources alone may not cover advanced aspects of SEO, such as technical audits or backlink building, which might require premium tools or professional assistance.
Can SEO be self-taught?
Absolutely. Many SEO professionals are self-taught. There is a wealth of online resources, from blogs and tutorials to free courses that can help you learn SEO. By dedicating time to research and experimentation, you can develop a solid understanding of SEO principles and apply them to your website.
Why is SEO so difficult?
SEO can be difficult because it’s constantly evolving. Search engine algorithms update frequently, making it hard to stay on top of the latest best practices. Additionally, SEO involves a mix of technical, on-page, and off-page elements, which can be complex to manage if you’re unfamiliar with the process.
Can SEO be done in one day?
No, SEO is not something that can be done in one day. It’s an ongoing process that requires time and patience. While you can make initial optimisations, such as fixing technical issues or updating content, it takes time for search engines to crawl your website and reflect those changes in rankings. Long-term SEO success depends on regular updates and consistent effort over time.
Final Thoughts: DIY SEO vs Professional SEO Services
When deciding between DIY SEO and hiring professionals, it’s important to weigh the pros and cons based on your business needs, time, and resources.
DIY SEO Pros:
Cost-effective: Doing SEO yourself can save money, especially if you’re a small business with a limited budget.
Full control: You have complete control over your SEO strategy and how it’s implemented.
Learning opportunity: Managing your own SEO helps you gain valuable skills and insights into how search engines work.
DIY SEO Cons:
Time-consuming: SEO requires consistent attention, and for many business owners, this can take time away from other important tasks.
Learning curve: SEO can be complicated, especially when it comes to technical aspects. Mistakes can be costly in terms of rankings.
Slower results: If you’re not an expert, it might take longer to see significant improvements in search engine rankings.
Professional SEO Services Pros:
Expert knowledge: SEO professionals bring years of experience and up-to-date knowledge of search engine algorithms, ensuring your site is optimised effectively.
Time-saving: Hiring experts frees up your time to focus on other areas of your business while they manage your SEO strategy.
Faster results: Professionals can often achieve results quicker, especially when dealing with technical SEO issues or highly competitive markets.
Professional SEO Services Cons:
Cost: Hiring an SEO agency requires an investment, which might be a challenge for smaller businesses.
Less control: You’ll need to trust your SEO provider to make the right decisions for your business.
At UpLink SEO, our SEO specialists in London understand that every business has different needs. While DIY SEO is a great option for some, many businesses benefit from the expertise, efficiency, and results that professional SEO services provide. If you're looking for faster, more reliable results or simply don’t have the time to manage SEO yourself, our team is here to help. We specialise in delivering tailored SEO solutions that get your business ranking higher and reaching more customers in London and beyond.
For more information and free advice, contact our SEO company today at hello@uplinkseo.com or 020 7183 5137. Find us here - Address: 128 City Rd, London EC1V 2NX
Kommentare