There are businesses with budgets so limited that they can't afford professional SEO advice. There are businesses for which marketing on the Internet is the core of their existence and for them, learning and performing SEO in-house proves more cost-effective. Many prefer to go with the DIY route, but the vast majority of businesses do not have the resources (time and staff) to invest in learning and applying the science of marketing with search engines.
Search engine optimisation and web design have become activities that are very popular and accessible to regular people. There is a lot of information available on the web for those eager to get their teeth into it. Basically, if you've got plenty of time on your hands and have a fairly good knowledge of how the Internet works, you could learn to do it all yourself. However, the learning process is a time consuming one and it would mean deterring yourself from day to day aspects of your business which require your attention.
Search engine optimisation is as complex as traditional marketing. It's applied to a completely different medium, the online one. Even professional companies sometimes offer only some SEO services instead of the whole package.
The alternative would be to hire professional, specialised search engine optimisation companies who can develop and apply complex strategies. They work to make your voice heard on the web and in essence, bring you qualified traffic that converts into sales.
Pros and Cons of Doing It Yourself
If you've decided to learn how to do SEO/SEM yourself then you should know the pros and cons so that you can make an informed decision:
The Pros
- Doing SEO yourself doesn't cost you a penny
- You have complete control over your website at all times
- You can dedicate yourself as much as you like to marketing your website
- You can experiment and try new things as you wish
- You can do it at home, in your pyjamas
- You'll have an immense sense of fulfillment when results begin to show.
The Cons
- Do it wrong and you could kill your site's search engine listings.
- It takes a lot of time to learn how to perform SEO/SEM properly, to be able to predict changes in the search market and act accordingly, to develop and put into action new strategies etc.
- You're at a disadvantage with SEO professionals because while they're becoming better and more experienced at what they do, you'll be starting from ground up and struggling to master the basics. These professionals could very well be those who market the websites of your competitors.
- SEO is a constant process. You cannot do SEO for a week and then take a 2 months' break. You don't put your traditional marketing strategy on hold, do you? If you're expecting ROI from your online presence, then SEO has to be a constant factor in your strategy.
- You will conduct SEO at your own risk. There are methods which can get your site banned if you employ tactics that search engines consider to be unethical. Be extremely careful not to get your site in trouble.
Pros and Cons of Hiring a SEO
Now that we've looked at the pros and cons of doing it yourself let's see the same aspects of hiring a professional SEO:
The Pros
- A professional company has the necessary knowledge to handle every aspect of search engine marketing. They will work on achieving your goals.
- You or your staff don't have to invest time to learn SEO. Your time is better spent focusing on other aspects of your business while you let the professionals handle your online strategy.
The Cons
- Like any professional service it will cost you money. However, your budget is an investment, not a waste. You will expect and receive healthy returns on your investment.
- You have to be careful who you hire because there are a lot of consultants and companies who employ unethical methods or who are just after your money and don't think twice before tricking you into paying them.
- SEO is a long term relationship between you and the company you are hiring. If the returns from online marketing are an important part of your revenue then expect to work closely with the SEO company on a month to month basis.
There are contradictory opinions on whether you should do SEO yourself or hire a professional to do it. Basically it comes down to how limited your time is, how important is to attend to the regular aspects of your business and what role online marketing plays in your business strategy. For some business owners the decision is easy but for others that may not be the case. You may not like spending that much time in front of the computer either! Or you may not want to give other people money for something you could learn to do yourself. Always bear in mind that either option has both advantages and disadvantages.
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This article was first published on 11 August 2004 and does not necessarily match current events or the current opinions and views of bigmouthmedia ltd.
