Optimizing your site for the search engines is essential these days. If you don't, customers may never find you. That said, though, it's a difficult and long road. You must update your site on a regular basis, and finding a strategy that is perfect can be tough, but it's a must if your rankings are going to go up. These days, businesses just like yours are turning to professional SEO companies, and with good reason. Still others who have already worked with SEO companies are looking for a spot to save a few bucks, and choosing the DIY route for SEO seems like a natural candidate. Should you handle your SEO work on your own? Start by asking yourself a few questions.
Am I Ready to Learn?
Think you're ready to tackle optimization on your own? Here are a couple of things to keep in mind. One, you're going to have to keep up with any news within the world of SEO. It's important to note here that you can't think about what last year brought into play. In some cases, you can't even think about what happened last month with SEO. When it comes to optimization, things are consistently on the move, and staying abreast of the latest and greatest is the way to get to page one, not relying on outdated techniques.
Second, it's essential to understand any changes in the rules of SEO practices. These are sometimes referred to as white hat and black hat techniques. The white hat techniques are the safest practices. Black hat techniques are the ones likely to get you banned from search engines forever. If you don't understand what is considered safe and what isn't, you could incur penalties from sites like Google. Take the practice of paying for links, for example. There was a time when this was perfectly acceptable for optimization. That time, however, has long since passed, and paying for links these days is just poor practices.
The key to understanding what you'll be facing is consistently learning more about SEO basics. You'll need to do quite a bit of research to understand today's techniques and what may be changing about those techniques in the future. You may also want to do a bit of research into the background of SEO to learn more about what's already come before. You'll likely want to watch a few blogs and news sites to ensure you remain on the up and up of the hottest headlines to keep your site's rankings up.
Getting the Right Tools
If you're thinking about replacing your SEO firm, there are several tools you're going to need. In the world of home repair, there's no way you'd grab a hammer when you actually need a screwdriver, and the same applies here. You will likely need some software or online tools to check your keyword positions, take a closer look at domain ages, and even to submit your site to the many search engines. All of these tools are widely available online, but beware. In some cases, they charge subscription fees, and they're not the kind of tools you can simply decide not to use. Also, don't forget that each one has a learning curve attached. Spend the time getting to know the tool before you actually use it.
How Important is Experience?
Any undertaking requires a bit of experience, and the more you tackle the tasks at hand, the better your results will be in the end. No, you're not really going to have enough experience to do a wonderful job right away, but all of that will come in time. Page titles, link exchanges, and free directory sites will all be on your to-do list, and they may be nothing short of frustration when you get started. Once you learn a bit more about what you're doing, though, you'll get better at all of those tasks.
Do I Have Time?
One thing you must remember if you're going to handle the SEO for your site is that it does take quite a bit of time. In most cases, you can plan to spend an hour or so at it every single day. You're not just going to be adding to or changing your content, either. Analyzing your current traffic levels, looking at new keyword possibilities, and handling a number of other tasks are all part of the job description too.
Is it Worth It?
Deciding whether to handle your own SEO work is up to you. Many companies choose to hire professional firms because it's just too much, but if technical is your thing and you happen to have the time, go for it. If you're not ready to learn or there's just no way you can keep up with everything, select a professional company to handle it for you.
Am I Ready to Learn?
Think you're ready to tackle optimization on your own? Here are a couple of things to keep in mind. One, you're going to have to keep up with any news within the world of SEO. It's important to note here that you can't think about what last year brought into play. In some cases, you can't even think about what happened last month with SEO. When it comes to optimization, things are consistently on the move, and staying abreast of the latest and greatest is the way to get to page one, not relying on outdated techniques.
Second, it's essential to understand any changes in the rules of SEO practices. These are sometimes referred to as white hat and black hat techniques. The white hat techniques are the safest practices. Black hat techniques are the ones likely to get you banned from search engines forever. If you don't understand what is considered safe and what isn't, you could incur penalties from sites like Google. Take the practice of paying for links, for example. There was a time when this was perfectly acceptable for optimization. That time, however, has long since passed, and paying for links these days is just poor practices.
The key to understanding what you'll be facing is consistently learning more about SEO basics. You'll need to do quite a bit of research to understand today's techniques and what may be changing about those techniques in the future. You may also want to do a bit of research into the background of SEO to learn more about what's already come before. You'll likely want to watch a few blogs and news sites to ensure you remain on the up and up of the hottest headlines to keep your site's rankings up.
Getting the Right Tools
If you're thinking about replacing your SEO firm, there are several tools you're going to need. In the world of home repair, there's no way you'd grab a hammer when you actually need a screwdriver, and the same applies here. You will likely need some software or online tools to check your keyword positions, take a closer look at domain ages, and even to submit your site to the many search engines. All of these tools are widely available online, but beware. In some cases, they charge subscription fees, and they're not the kind of tools you can simply decide not to use. Also, don't forget that each one has a learning curve attached. Spend the time getting to know the tool before you actually use it.
How Important is Experience?
Any undertaking requires a bit of experience, and the more you tackle the tasks at hand, the better your results will be in the end. No, you're not really going to have enough experience to do a wonderful job right away, but all of that will come in time. Page titles, link exchanges, and free directory sites will all be on your to-do list, and they may be nothing short of frustration when you get started. Once you learn a bit more about what you're doing, though, you'll get better at all of those tasks.
Do I Have Time?
One thing you must remember if you're going to handle the SEO for your site is that it does take quite a bit of time. In most cases, you can plan to spend an hour or so at it every single day. You're not just going to be adding to or changing your content, either. Analyzing your current traffic levels, looking at new keyword possibilities, and handling a number of other tasks are all part of the job description too.
Is it Worth It?
Deciding whether to handle your own SEO work is up to you. Many companies choose to hire professional firms because it's just too much, but if technical is your thing and you happen to have the time, go for it. If you're not ready to learn or there's just no way you can keep up with everything, select a professional company to handle it for you.
About the Author:
LunaTech SEO is a agency seo which offers website optimization, social media marketing, SEO, and more to its clients. They provide a wide range of services including seo site review to their global clients.
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