Can I do SEO myself or should I hire someone?

Published on by Ainslie Hone
▶ Table of Contents

This is one of the most important decisions small business owners face when it comes to online growth — and the honest answer is: it depends on your time, budget, and goals.

SEO is absolutely something you can do yourself, but whether you should depends on how fast you want results and how complex your industry is.

Let’s break it down clearly so you can make the right decision for your situation.

Can I actually do SEO myself?

Yes — especially the fundamentals.

Most small business SEO success comes from basics like:

  • Understanding your customers and keywords
  • Creating helpful website content
  • Optimising service pages
  • Setting up local SEO (like Google Business Profile)
  • Writing blog content that answers real questions
  • Making your website easy to navigate

Example:

  • A personal trainer writes guides on fitness questions their clients already ask
  • They optimise their service pages and start appearing in local searches
  • Over time, they get steady enquiries without paid ads

No advanced technical skills required — just consistency and clarity.

When does DIY SEO make sense?

Doing SEO yourself can work well if:

  • You’re just starting out
  • You have more time than budget
  • Your industry is not extremely competitive
  • You’re willing to learn and be consistent

Example industries where DIY SEO often works:

  • Local services (cleaning, photography, tutoring)
  • Small consultancies
  • Freelancers
  • Early-stage online businesses

If your goal is gradual growth and learning how SEO works, doing it yourself is very realistic.

What are the advantages of doing SEO yourself?

1. You understand your customers better

Nobody knows your audience like you do.

Example:

  • A wedding photographer knows exactly what couples worry about
  • That insight makes content more authentic and relevant

2. You save money

SEO agencies or freelancers can be a significant investment.

Doing it yourself reduces upfront cost.

3. You gain long-term control

Once you understand SEO:

  • You’re not dependent on external help
  • You can make changes quickly
  • You understand what’s actually working

4. You avoid bad SEO providers

Many small businesses get burned by unclear or low-quality SEO services.

Knowing the basics helps you:

  • Ask better questions
  • Spot red flags
  • Understand what you’re paying for

What are the downsides of doing SEO yourself?

SEO is not complicated — but it is time-consuming.

1. It takes time

You’ll need to:

  • Research keywords
  • Write content
  • Optimise pages
  • Track performance
  • Make ongoing improvements

Example:

  • A small business owner trying to do SEO on weekends
  • Progress is slower because consistency is difficult

2. Learning curve

Even the basics take time to understand properly:

  • Search intent
  • Keyword targeting
  • Content structure
  • Technical basics

3. Slower results

Professionals usually move faster because they’ve done it before.

When should you hire an SEO expert?

Hiring someone makes sense when:

  • You want faster results
  • You don’t have time to do it properly
  • Your industry is competitive
  • Your website is already established and needs scaling
  • You’re generating revenue and want to grow faster

Example:

  • A law firm competing for high-value keywords
  • DIY SEO would likely be too slow and inefficient
  • Professional support helps prioritise what actually moves rankings

What does a good SEO professional actually do?

A strong SEO provider should:

  • Research and prioritise keywords
  • Improve website structure
  • Optimise existing pages
  • Create or guide content strategy
  • Build authority (backlinks)
  • Fix technical SEO issues
  • Track and report results clearly

Importantly, they should explain why they’re doing things — not just send reports full of jargon.

Red flags when hiring SEO help

Be cautious if someone:

  • Guarantees #1 rankings
  • Can’t explain their strategy clearly
  • Focuses only on traffic, not leads
  • Uses vague monthly reports
  • Talks about SEO as a “secret formula”

Example:

  • A small café owner is told they’ll rank #1 in 30 days
  • That’s not realistic for competitive or even local SEO

Good SEO is predictable — not magical.

Can I combine DIY SEO with hiring someone?

Yes — and this is often the best approach for SMEs.

A hybrid model works like this:

You handle:

  • Basic content ideas
  • Blog posts (if you want)
  • Customer insights
  • Business messaging

An expert handles:

  • Technical SEO
  • Strategy
  • Keyword mapping
  • Site structure
  • Advanced optimisation

Example:

  • A consultant writes their own blog content
  • An SEO specialist ensures it’s structured, optimised, and targeting the right keywords

This balances cost and expertise.

What’s the fastest path for most small businesses?

It usually looks like this:

Stage 1: DIY basics

  • Understand keywords
  • Set up your website properly
  • Create key service pages

Stage 2: Focused support (optional)

  • Get help with strategy or technical setup

Stage 3: Scale

  • Invest in more advanced SEO once you’re getting traction

SEO is not an all-or-nothing decision — it evolves with your business.

How do I decide what’s right for me?

Ask yourself:

  • Do I have time to learn and apply SEO consistently?
  • Do I need results quickly or can I build slowly?
  • Am I comfortable experimenting and improving over time?
  • Is my industry highly competitive?

If you answer:

  • “I want control and can be patient” → DIY can work
  • “I want faster, more structured growth” → hire help
  • “I want both” → hybrid approach

What’s the real takeaway?

You absolutely can do SEO yourself — especially the fundamentals.

But the real question isn’t can you?
It’s should you, based on your goals and time?

  • DIY SEO gives you control and understanding
  • Hiring someone gives you speed and expertise
  • Combining both often gives the best long-term results

At its core, SEO isn’t about who does it — it’s about consistency, clarity, and focusing on what actually brings customers to your business.

Need help? Contact us today!

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