Expert Search Engine Optimization Services vs. Do-It-Yourself SEO

This article explains the difference between expert search engine optimization services and DIY SEO to help you decide what’s best for your business.

Today, SEO is no longer an option for businesses, no matter the size of your brand. The digital marketplace is saturated with competitors. And with most consumers turning to search engines to begin their research of brands, products or issues, SEO is an absolute must-have.

Ultimately, search engine optimization (SEO) can improve your brand’s accessibility, credibility and visibility. But when you can’t decide between do-it-yourself (DIY) SEO and hiring an expert or team to handle it for you, which is the best option?

Before we dive in, let’s briefly define the two types of SEO approaches:

• DIY SEO is handled by a business owner, marketer or small team, and they may or may not have a sufficient amount of SEO experience and know-how.
• Expert SEO services, on the other hand, are provided by dedicated SEO agencies, consultants or specialists who eat, sleep and breathe search optimization.

Another way to think of the main difference between the two is that DIY SEO requires learning while doing, while an SEO services company executes based on existing expertise.

In this article, we’ll go more in-depth regarding the differences between DIY and expert SEO services. By the end, you’ll know which is the best option for positively impacting your brand reputation, search engine visibility and long-term success.

NetReputation provides on-page SEO and other services to help you protect your digital presence. Call us at 844-461-3632 to learn more, or fill out the contact form below for a free consultation.

What Does SEO Include?

SEO isn’t any one single task. Instead, it encompasses a multi-layered strategy with multiple components, such as:

• On-Page SEO: High-quality content, user experience considerations, search intent strategies
• Off-Page SEO: Authority building, backlink building, digital PR
• Technical SEO: Site crawlability and structure, page speed, schema markup
• Local SEO: Local citations, review management
• Reputation-Related SEO: Branded queries, negative content suppression

To have a successful search engine optimization strategy, you need to interpret the data you collect, make strategic decisions, regularly monitor your SEO efforts, and stay on top of algorithm updates.

What Does DIY SEO Look Like?

When a small business owner or marketer — ultimately, a person or small team that doesn’t have expert-level knowledge — they usually do the following:

• Utilize free keyword research tools that have limited functionality
• Write blog posts based on intuition instead of research
• Install plugins that assign SEO scores to content

Unfortunately, this limits the brand in terms of the search engine rankings it’d otherwise be able to achieve.

Common DIY SEO Mistakes and Limitations

The following mistakes and limitations are often products of trying to tackle DIY without expert-level knowledge:

• Coming up against limits when using paid tools, and not being able to afford upgrades to access every feature available
• Facing difficulties and roadblocks when trying to understand and troubleshoot technical SEO issues
• Not having enough time to continuously optimize — managing an SEO strategy is a commitment, not a one-time solution
• Only focusing on internal links instead of also prioritizing backlink-building from high-authority sites
• Publishing content before developing a content strategy or having a topical map
• Stuffing keywords wherever they fit in the content without considering semantic relevance
• Trying to keep up with an SEO strategy that’s reactive instead of proactive

While a DIY approach may result in some type of SEO presence on search engines, it’s much less likely that it’ll lead to your brand gaining authority online. Authority is what’s needed to build trust with your audience. According to over 95% of consumers, the top factor that increases trust is if a company has a good online reputation.

What Does an Expert SEO Services Company Provide?

SEO companies go way beyond basic keyword research and making small content tweaks. They take a data-driven, structured approach to each client’s SEO campaign to improve everything from your brand’s online authority to your site’s technical health. As a result, SEO clients benefit from better search engine rankings and online visibility.

Let’s break down the types of SEO services you can expect from a dedicated company.

Thorough Keyword Research and Search Intent Considerations

• Analyzing gaps in competitor content
• Identifying long-tail keywords
• Discovering zero-click opportunities
• Evaluating keyword difficulty versus ranking opportunity
• Mapping keywords to the stages of the buyer’s journey

Strategic Planning for Site Content

• Designing a long-term content roadmap
• Aligning content with user intent
• Organizing content via content silos and topical clusters
• Content optimization via headlines, internal links, etc.

Building Authority Through Digital PR and Backlinks

• Outreach to high-authority, relevant industry publications
• Securing mentions on expert panels and in press citations
• Avoiding blackhat tactics, like spammy link schemes

Brand and Reputation Search Engine Optimization

• Monitoring search engine results pages (SERPs) for branded mentions
• Suppressing negative or outdated search engine results
• Improving Google Knowledge Panel presence and other trust signals

Technical Search Engine Optimization

• Conducting comprehensive website audits
• Using schema markup for prominence on the SERP
• Fixing broken links, crawl errors and poor redirects
• Improving Core Web Vitals metrics
• Site performance, including caching, image optimization, etc.

SEO Strategy Monitoring

• Assessing analytics, including conversions, rankings and traffic
• Watching competitor strategies to adjust yours as needed
• Refining the SEO process to achieve business goals instead of vanity metrics

Do you need to attract more qualified leads, but your digital reputation is in the way? Call us at 844-461-3632 to discuss your options.

Search Engine Optimization Skills and Knowledge

The world of search engine optimization is constantly evolving, and a professional SEO agency will stay updated on a range of relevant information, including:

• Core algorithm updates that can change how search engines behave
• Changes that affect how local businesses are ranked
• Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T) guidelines
• Link penalties and spam policies

Moreover, SEO specialists use a range of tools that can cost anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars per month.

Ultimately, professional SEO companies understand concepts like behavioral search psychology, information architecture and pattern analysis. Altogether, this improves organic search results, website traffic and more for the client.

Comparing the Costs Between DIY and Professional SEO Services

While the DIY approach might cost less money upfront than hiring an SEO agency, what you save in currency you more than make up for in time. DIY costs include:

• Paying for subscriptions to tools and software
• Ample time for researching SEO, producing and optimizing content, outreach, etc.
• Delays due to a steep learning curve and trial-and-error

If you opt to hire an SEO agency, you’ll pay more upfront, including retainer fees and potential add-on costs for content or technical services. You’ll also need to be patient, as SEO companies often focus on long-term ROI, not quick fixes.

Ultimately, while you’ll pay less at first with a DIY approach, you’ll grow much slower than you could with an SEO agency — which also means you’ll miss out on revenue. On the other hand, SEO companies both accelerate and stabilize SEO success, and that value is why they’re able to charge more.

How Does Online Reputation Management Fit In?

Having an SEO strategy is only worthwhile if it improves your brand’s online reputation. Here’s why:

• Companies that show brand consistency increase revenue by up to 20%.
• As much as 90% of online shoppers won’t buy from a company with a bad reputation.
• Less than half of consumers will trust a business that doesn’t respond to online reviews.

Your brand’s search engine presence affects customer perception. What shows up on search engine results pages — especially the first one — shapes your company’s authority, credibility and trustworthiness.

Due to a lack of experience, DIY SEO work can neglect outdated listings, allow poor reviews to display prominently on page one, and fail to rank positive content higher than negative content. As a result, your brand reputation will suffer.

Luckily, SEO experts who use white hat SEO techniques can do the following, all of which contribute to a healthy brand reputation:

• Suppress negative content
• Strategically manage SERPs
• Improve online review profiles
• Strengthen authority signals
• Monitor brand sentiment

Thanks to the work that SEO consultants and other agencies do, search results become an asset to the brand instead of a liability.

An Example of What Can Happen With DIY Search Marketing Services

In this section, let’s imagine what can happen if you rely solely on DIY efforts:

• You have a non-expert handling SEO tasks, and as a result, your keyword rankings plateau.
• A negative review ends up ranking toward the top of page one on Google.
• Customers find it hard to trust your business, and conversion rates plummet.

Now, let’s picture how this situation can turn around if you hire an SEO agency to fix the problem:

• New content is created, pushing the negative review to page two of Google.
• Customers begin trusting your brand again, and organic traffic to your website steadily grows.
• Leads and revenue increase, which feeds back into your developing positive reputation.

Which Option Is Right for Your Business?

At times, DIY efforts may be best. For example, if you’re running an early-stage business and you don’t have an urgent need to rank in Google Search, starting out on your own may be a fine solution short term. You also may decide to go it on your own if your business has very limited competition or if you’re willing to put in the time, effort and money it takes for SEO training.

However, if you’re in a competitive industry or want to scale as fast as possible, it’s best to leave it to the experts. You’ll also absolutely want to hire SEO consultants if you’re dealing with negative search results or trying to bounce back after a PR crisis.

At NetReputation, we provide a broad range of SEO services to individuals and businesses who want to create, grow or repair their digital reputation. Whether you’re prioritizing your personal or professional online reputation, our solutions and team of experts can help.

Call us today at 844-461-3632 or fill out the contact form below to speak with an expert.