Can I do SEO by myself

Yes, it is possible to do SEO yourself.  However, it can be a very time-consuming process and requires a solid understanding of how search engines work.  If you’re willing to put in the time and effort, you can learn the basics of SEO and implement a successful SEO strategy for your website.

Here are some steps you can take to get started with SEO:

  1. Research and select targeted keywords:  Identify the terms and phrases that potential customers are using to search for your products or services. 

    Keywords are specific words or phrases that describe the content and topic of a webpage or website.  They are the words or phrases that people type into search engines when they are looking for information on a particular topic.  Keywords play a critical role in search engine optimization (SEO), as they help search engines understand the content of a webpage or website and match it to relevant search queries.  By optimizing your website or webpage for specific keywords, you can improve its visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs) and attract more targeted traffic to your site.

    There are two main types of keywords: short-tail and long-tail.  Short-tail keywords are typically one or two words in length and are very broad in scope.  When choosing keywords for your website or webpage, it’s important to select keywords that are relevant to your content and are frequently searched by your target audience.  You can use keyword research tools to identify the most popular and relevant keywords in your niche and incorporate them into your content in a natural and organic way.

  2. Optimize your website’s on-page elements:  Use your targeted keywords in the page titles, headings, and content of your website to signal to search engines what your pages are about. 

    On-page elements refer to the specific elements or components on a webpage that can be optimized to improve the webpage’s visibility and ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs).  The title tag is an HTML element that appears in the browser tab and search engine results.  The meta description is a brief summary of the webpage’s content that appears in search engine results.

    Heading tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.) are used to structure the content on a webpage.  The content on a webpage should be high-quality, informative, and engaging.  Image alt tags are descriptions of images that appear when an image cannot be displayed.  Internal links are links that point to other pages on your website.  URLs should be short, descriptive, and include the primary keyword.  By optimizing these on-page elements, you can improve the visibility and ranking of your webpage in search engine results pages (SERPs) and attract more targeted traffic to your site.

  3. Improve your website’s user experience:  Make sure your website is easy to navigate, loads quickly, and is mobile-friendly. 

    User experience (UX) refers to the overall experience that a user has when interacting with a website, application, or other digital product.  A good UX is one that is intuitive, easy to use, and provides value to the user.  A website or application should be easy to navigate, with clear and concise menus, buttons, and links.  A good UX should be accessible to all users, regardless of their abilities.  The content on a website or application should be clear, concise, and relevant to the user’s needs.  It should be easy to read and understand, and should be organized in a logical manner.

    The visual design of a website or application should be appealing and consistent, with a clear and recognizable brand identity. It should also be responsive, adapting to different screen sizes and devices.  A good UX should be fast and responsive, with minimal load times and smooth transitions between pages and elements.  Websites and applications should provide clear feedback to users when they interact with them, including notifications of successful actions and error messages when something goes wrong.  By focusing on these key components, you can create a good user experience that will attract and retain users, build brand loyalty, and achieve your business goals.

  4. Build high-quality backlinks:  Earn backlinks from reputable websites to improve your search ranking. 

    Earning backlinks to your website can help improve its search engine ranking and drive more traffic to your site.  The best way to earn backlinks is by creating high-quality, informative, and engaging content that people want to link to.  Reach out to websites in your niche and offer to write a guest post for them.  In exchange for your content, you can request a backlink to your site.  Networking with other bloggers and building relationships can lead to backlink opportunities.

    Share your content on social media platforms to increase its visibility and attract backlinks.  Join online communities related to your niche and contribute valuable insights and content.  This can lead to backlink opportunities and increase your online visibility.  Remember, earning backlinks is not an overnight process.  It takes time, effort, and patience to see results.  Focus on creating high-quality content and building relationships with other bloggers and websites, and the backlinks will come naturally over time.

  5. Use social media to your advantage:  Share your content on social media platforms and engage with your followers to build your brand and drive traffic to your website. 

    Social media can be a powerful tool to help you promote your brand, engage with your audience, and drive traffic to your website.  Before you start using social media, define your goals. What do you want to achieve?  Is it to increase brand awareness, drive traffic to your website, or generate leads?  Your goals will determine your social media strategy.  Not all social media platforms are the same.  Each platform has its own strengths and weaknesses.  Choose the platforms that are most relevant to your business and where your target audience is most active.  Social media users are inundated with content.

    To stand out, you need to create valuable, relevant, and engaging content that your audience will love.  This can include blog posts, videos, images, infographics, and more.  Engage with your audience by responding to comments, asking questions, and encouraging feedback.  This can help build relationships with your audience and increase brand loyalty.  Hashtags can help increase the visibility of your posts and make them easier to discover by users who are searching for specific topics.  Use analytics tools to measure your social media performance.  This can help you track your progress and make data-driven decisions to improve your strategy.  Social media is constantly evolving, and what works today may not work tomorrow.  Stay up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices, and be willing to experiment and adapt your strategy as needed.

  6. Monitor your search rankings:  Use a tool like Google Search Console to track your search rankings and identify any issues that may be holding you back. 

    Google Search Console is a free web service provided by Google that helps website owners monitor and maintain their website’s presence in Google search results.  It provides website owners with valuable insights into how Google crawls and indexes their website, as well as data on website traffic and performance.

    Some of the key features of Google Search Console include:

    Search analytics:  This feature allows website owners to see how their website is performing in Google search results, including data on impressions, clicks, click-through rates, and average position.  Index coverage:  This feature shows website owners which pages of their site have been indexed by Google and which ones have not. It also provides information on any indexing issues or errors that may be affecting the site.  Sitemaps:  Website owners can submit sitemaps to Google Search Console to help Google crawl and index their site more efficiently.  Security issues:  Google Search Console alerts website owners if there are any security issues on their site, such as malware or hacked content.  Mobile usability:  This feature shows website owners how their site performs on mobile devices, highlighting any issues that may affect the user experience on mobile.  Links:  Google Search Console provides data on the websites and pages that link to your site, as well as any internal links on your site.  By using Google Search Console, website owners can better understand how their site is performing in Google search results and identify opportunities for optimization and improvement.

  7. Use structured data:  Use schema markup to give search engines more context about your content and help them understand the information on your website. 

    Structured data on a website refers to a specific format of data that is included in the HTML code of web pages.  This structured data is designed to make it easier for search engines to understand the content of a website and display it in a more useful way to users.  Structured data is added to a website using special markup languages, such as Schema.org, which define a set of rules and guidelines for marking up different types of content on a website.  This markup can include information such as the name of the author, the date of publication, the type of content, and other metadata that helps search engines understand the content of a web page.

    By including structured data on a website, site owners can improve the visibility of their content in search engine results pages (SERPs).  Search engines can use this structured data to display rich snippets, which are more visually appealing and informative than traditional text-based snippets, and can help drive more traffic to a website.  Common examples of structured data on a website include product listings, reviews, event listings, and recipe information.

  8. Use Google My Business:  Set up a Google My Business listing and optimize it with accurate business information and high-quality photos. 

    Google My Business (GMB) now referred to as Google Business Profile is a free online tool provided by Google that allows businesses to manage their online presence across Google’s search engine, maps, and other platforms.  With GMB, businesses can create a profile that includes their name, address, phone number, website, hours of operation, reviews, and other relevant information.  By creating a Google My Business profile, businesses can increase their visibility in local search results and make it easier for customers to find them.  When a user searches for a business on Google or Google Maps, the information from their GMB profile will appear in the search results, along with other relevant information like reviews, photos, and directions. 

    GMB also allows businesses to interact with customers by responding to reviews, answering questions, and posting updates about their products or services.  This can help businesses build a positive online reputation and improve customer engagement.  In addition to basic information, GMB also offers features like appointment scheduling, messaging, and insights about how customers are finding and interacting with their business online.  Overall, Google My Business is a powerful tool for businesses of all sizes to manage their online presence and attract more customers.

  9. Monitor and track your results:  Use analytics tools like Google Analytics to track the traffic and conversions your website is generating, and make data-driven decisions to improve your SEO strategy. 

    Google Analytics is a free web analytics service offered by Google that allows website owners and marketers to track and analyze website traffic and user behavior.  With Google Analytics, users can gain insights into how users are interacting with their website, how they found the site, and what actions they take while on the site.

    Google Analytics uses a small piece of code that is added to the website’s pages to collect data on user activity.  This data can include information like page views, bounce rate, time spent on site, demographics, location, and more.  This data is then analyzed by Google Analytics and presented in a variety of reports and dashboards that allow website owners and marketers to make data-driven decisions about their website and online marketing efforts.

Keep in mind that SEO is an ongoing process, and it’s important to stay up-to-date with the latest best practices and make adjustments to your strategy as needed.

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