Ditching DIY SEO: 5 Reasons You Shouldn’t Be Your Own SEO Expert

Since the digital revolution kicked off, three little letters have influenced every web-based marketing campaign: SEO. Indeed, search engine optimization is still the crux of any good campaign.

In fact, SEO is so significant that spending is fast-approaching $80 billion with no signs of slowing down!

So SEO is important. That much we understand. But you should also understand that you’re better off outsourcing your SEO services.

Here are five reasons why acting as your own SEO expert isn’t as good of an idea as you think.

1. A Barebones SEO Strategy Isn’t Enough

Perhaps you already have a basic understanding of all things SEO. You know how to research keywords, your site uses original content, and you’re already on Google.

Except you’re only the second page of Google. And as a result, you’re not seeing any traffic.

Knowing what SEO is and how to put in place a barebones strategy won’t get you anywhere.

Unless you’re one of the first three results on a search engine, you’re about as good as invisible. Together, the first three results make up 61.5% of all search traffic.

You have to be better than basic to generate the traffic you’re after.

2. Penalties Come With a Hefty Cost

Poor SEO implementation doesn’t only mean you’re missing out on search traffic. It could mean that your site gets removed from Google altogether.

Avoid common mistakes like:

• Content scraping
• Keyword spamming
• Poor site optimization
• Domain cloaking

An SEO misstep — whether intentional or not — can mean spending weeks trying to get your site visible to a search engine once again. Instead, consider contacting an SEO expert and crafting a proposal for SEO services. Even if you don’t end up going with the SEO company that writes up a proposal and plan of attack, you can still use it as a reference guide on the work required to hit their SEO and growth goals for your site.

3. Hiring an SEO Expert Can Save Time and Money

Even if you know the ins-and-outs of the SEO world, crafting a viable SEO strategy takes dozens of hours. That means spending precious time away from growing your business.

And each moment you take your eye off the prize is another moment where your competition can pull ahead.

SEO consulting is a wonderful investment because it lets you focus on doing what you do best. Let an SEO pro handle the research and details.

4. SEO Principles Change… A Lot

The scary thing about SEO is that what works today isn’t guaranteed to work tomorrow. In fact, what works today may still result in the de-indexing of your website!

Since 2003, there have been over 70 algorithmic changes.

What’s more, these changes aren’t going to slow down anytime soon. As the web begins to migrate toward a decidedly mobile market, you can expect changes to occur as often as consumers’ tastes.

5. SEO Requires a Multi-Platform, Multi-Faceted Strategy

Think you’re ready for the big leagues? Here are just a few of the things you’ll need to succeed:

• On-site optimization
• Off-site optimization
• Social media marketing
• Rich snippets
• Knowledge of keyword bidding
• Fresh, constant content
• Optimized images
• A mobile-friendly approach
• Local and global approaches

Yikes. That’s quite an intimidating list. It’s far too much for most people to keep up with.

SEO is so much more than a few keywords here and there or a great click-through rate. Great SEO requires constant care and attention on a variety of platforms, with more coming all the time.

Leave It to the Pros: If You’re Not an Expert, Hire an SEO Expert

If you’re a small or medium-sized business, it’s understandable that you may want to save money by serving as your own SEO expert. But outsourcing your SEO consulting will benefit you in so many ways.

Have any SEO or marketing related questions? Maybe you want to see the benefits for yourself.

I’d love to hear from you! Get in touch today.