DIY SEO vs. Professional SEO Services: Which is Best for You?

If you’ve got a brand new website that you can’t wait to showcase, then it’s only right that you’re wanting to boost SEO to get the best possible results, and that includes getting a good amount of traffic, clicks and, most importantly, sales. But SEO involves a variety of specialist methods and techniques, often using tools that only marketers have access to. 

However, there are some ways to implement SEO on a do-it-yourself basis, so which is better: DIY SEO or SEO done by a professional? In this article, we’ll be discussing the benefits of each before weighing up on which approach would be best for you. But before that, you need to understand what SEO actually does, something we’ll get on to in a moment. So which is best for you: DIY SEO or professional SEO services? Let’s take a closer look:

What does SEO do, exactly?

Search engine optimisation, or SEO as it’s most commonly referred to, is the process of using a multitude of specialist tools and methods in order for a website or a piece of content to rank higher up in the search engine results pages (SERPs). As a result of appearing higher up in the SERPs, your website will be more likely to be clicked on and visited, above your competitors’ site. 

SEO is what’s needed to make sure your website shows up as high as possible in the Google search engine, essentially. While it might seem simple enough, SEO involves a wealth of complex processes and tools in order to get the best results. However, not everyone has access to them. This is why DIY SEO isn’t always the best option, but there are some benefits, which we’ll touch upon now.

What are the benefits of DIY SEO? 

From huge, established businesses right through to new startups, DIY SEO can provide a few benefits when it comes to appearing higher up in the SERPs. Despite it being possible to do at home, it’s not always a simple or straightforward route forward. But there are some advantages to be had by taking the time out of your working day to do work on SEO for your website. 

You need to be committed to SEO techniques. It’s not something that can be done once and then left to its own devices. You need to be consistent and you need to invest the time in SEO in order for you to get the most out of it, especially if you want to achieve the same results as an SEO professional, which isn’t possible unless you are, yourself, an SEO specialist. Despite that, the benefits that are to be had by doing SEO yourself are as follows:

• It’s a cost-effective option – when you do SEO yourself, it can save money. When you choose a professional, you’re paying for their expertise, their time and the tools that you don’t have access to. This is why DIY SEO is the cheaper option, but you may risk not achieving the results you need by taking this approach
• You’re in control – while professional SEO experts will keep you in the loop with reports, if you’re in charge of your own SEO, you can check the analytics and data whenever you want to, morning, noon and night, if you so wish
• You can learn some new skills – not everyone can perform SEO successfully. It takes years of training and experience as well as qualifications that are specific to that area of marketing. This, in addition to the aforementioned, is what you’re paying for when it comes to professional SEO services. But if you undertake this huge responsibility yourself, then you’re learning a new skill that could pay dividends
• You have a feeling of accomplishment – if your DIY SEO techniques pull off, then you’ll feel an immense sense of accomplishment and satisfaction, all as a result of learning a new skill

What are the benefits of professional SEO services?

It makes sense for SEO services from a professional to be the best possible option when you’re looking to achieve excellent results when it comes to performing well in the SERPs. Despite there being some advantages to DIY SEO, it’s not a patch on what a digital marketing agency, such as Kumo, can do for you. 

Professional SEO comes as a result of years’ of experience and knowledge, alongside expert tools that are specific to those in the industry and that aren’t available to the general public, which is what you would be if you decided to do some SEO yourself. So this that in mind, here’s why you should consider professional SEO services for your business as opposed to doing it yourself:

• They have the knowledge and experience – an SEO expert will have the knowledge and experience needed to carry out the SEO work to an exceptional standard every single time, and for as long as it’s required. Most of the time, SEO needs to be consistently carried out if you’re always looking for excellent performance in the SERPs. If you’re wanting to have SEO done by someone who knows what they’re doing, then look to an SEO professional
• It’s more time-effective for you – if you have a professional doing SEO work for you, it frees up more time for you to focus on the inner workings of your own business. It also allows you more time to devote to your employees, among other things that are crucial to the smooth-running of your company. Leave the SEO side of things to experts and focus your time and energy on other aspects of your business
• It’s an investment – although professional SEO services cost money, there’s a reason for that. You’re paying for their knowledge and expertise, along with many years’ of experience and time that’s dedicated to your business alone. In addition, it also includes the use of exclusive tools to get the job done to an outstanding standard
• You’ll be sent reports on a regular basis – when it comes to SEO being done by a professional, they will not only implement the SEO for you, but they’ll keep an eye on what the results are. As such, they’ll keep you up-to-date with everything you need to know by way of an SEO report. This will include a wide range of information, from your position in the SERPs to how your blog posts are performing
• They have specialist tools at their disposal – the SEO tools that professionals use aren’t always available to the wider public. This means that, even if you did want to do some SEO yourself, it might not be possible to the extent that a professional can do for you. This is because the tools that are used to get SEO done to a top standard are mainly available to businesses and specialists, such as marketers at a digital marketing agency, like Kumo
• It can include more than just analytics and data interpreting – SEO can include other things, including content. Part of a successful SEO campaign could be the refreshing of website content or the implementation of fresh, new articles on your blog, written by a professional writer. SEO doesn’t just include data acquisition and interpretation, it can mean so much more than that. Talk to your SEO provider or digital marketing agency for more information about what’s included in their package, which can be bespoke, based on your needs and requirements

Which is better: DIY SEO or professional SEO services? 

Now that we’ve gone through the advantages of each of the options that are available to you, it’s time to weigh up which one is better for your business: DIY SEO or professional SEO services? Where DIY SEO can be the most cost-effective option, therefore making it tempting for people to choose this solution over a professional service, the latter has the most benefits to offer a business owner. 

This is because SEO done by an expert affords even the busiest of business owners more time to focus on other aspects of their company. It takes the pressure off. It also means that you won’t have to spend time and money on an in-house SEO team, which can be costly and time-consuming in itself. In short, and after analysing both sides, it’s better to choose professional SEO services over doing it yourself. 

If you’d like to undertake professional SEO services, then look no further than us here at Kumo. We will put your business first, making sure that your website is performing as well as it possibly can be indefinitely. Our services also include PPC, content writing, graphic design, website design and so much more. If you’re looking to get the most out of your digital marketing services, then Kumo will be there every step of the way. 

If you’d like further information about the SEO services we have available, then look no further than us here at Kumo. We’re able to serve businesses throughout the UK, regardless of the industry you work in. Get in touch with a member of our friendly, professional team today – we’re always pleased to hear from you.