The Ups and Downs of DIY SEO

03/29/10

The Internet is buzzing all over with the word "SEO" ... Search Engine Optimization. Read any blog on topics related to online marketing, and the word "SEO" will be peppered all over them. Often, these sites feature articles claiming to teach SEO, while others suggest hiring a professional.

When wondering whether your website needs to hire a professional or if you can do SEO yourself, first ask yourself: "Does my website need SEO?" The answer is "yes" for anyone looking for Internet profits! These days, it takes more than having a great product; getting on the first page of Google's search engine results is the key to making good money. Those who do SEO successfully will reap the profits, while those doing no SEO on their websites will languish in obscurity. Back to whether or not you should hire a professional, there are many pros and cons to consider. Let's take a look.

Money rules the pros here. Hiring a professional can be a great investment for a business that is already established, but for a person first starting out, and possessing only a small budget, doing it on your own is probably best. For anyone running an online business, knowing the basics is a must. The reason is, in order to properly vet a professional, you need to have an eye for what is plainly bad SEO.

Plenty reasons also exist for not doing SEO yourself. Time is the big one. Since time is money, how much is your time worth? Professionals are the ones who have the time to stay on top of the always changing rules and hone their skills, since that is why they get paid. Google, for example, makes frequent revisions to its search algorithms to stay ahead of new SEO tricks that undermine the engine's purpose of providing users with highly relevant results. Then there are other businesses out there, all vying for a spot on that coveted first page, which will displace a website at the top in minutes, if you are not constantly watching.

So to recap, your online business absolutely needs SEO. There are no excuses not to make use of this powerful money making tool! If your business has no budget yet, you may want to hold off on hiring a pro. Consider hiring someone to do your SEO, however, if you can afford it, to save yourself time and money in the long run.

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The Ups and Downs of DIY SEO