pixel

Do I Need To Hire An SEO Expert?

Gary Green
Gary Green
February 27, 2020

Do you really need to hire an SEO expert to improve your search engine rankings?

Google recently released a video giving tips for hiring an SEO expert. And in its Webmaster guidelines it says:

An SEO ("search engine optimization") expert is someone trained to improve your visibility on search engines. By following this guide, you should learn enough to be well on your way to an optimized site. In addition to that, you may want to consider hiring an SEO professional that can help you audit your pages.

So Google itself thinks that it can (in certain circumstances) be a good idea to get professional help in this area. In today's article we'll run through:

  1. Whether or not you need to hire an SEO expert
  2. How to work effectively together
  3. Tips if you decide to go it alone

Do I Really Need To Pay For SEO?

The short answer is "no". There's nothing to say you have to pay for someone to "do your SEO". Search engines will automatically crawl, index and rank your pages without you needing to do anything special.

Whether you "should" pay for help with SEO is another matter. This really comes down to three factors:

  1. Are you confident in your ability to get the content, technical and UX aspects of SEO right?
  2. Would an SEO expert save you sufficient time to free up your day for more mission-critical tasks?
  3. Do you know how to find a good SEO practitioner and then work effectively with him/her?

Question #1 you'll really need to decide for yourself. SEO doesn't require a huge amount of coding knowledge. But you should at least be able to understand the basics of HTML, keyword research, site hierarchy and SEO snippets.

This also feeds into question #2. If you find that optimising for search engines is taking up a huge amount of your time, it may be more efficient to hire someone to do it for you. This way, you can focus on sales, delivery or client-management where your time is more valuable.

Question #3 we'll address in the next section.

How To Work Effectively Together

The first thing to consider is - is this person right for me? Make sure whoever you hire shows a genuine interest in you and your business. Ideally they will send you an initial questionnaire. But, at the very least, they should ask you questions like:

  • Who do you consider to be your main competitors?
  • What sets your business apart for the competition?
  • What are your ambitions for the business?
  • Who is your typical customer?
  • How do you feel your current content strategy is working at the moment?

Then, make sure your goals are properly aligned. A lot of consultants will try for quick (but possibly unsustainable) positive results. This makes it easier to see what you're getting for your money.

But you may prefer (as you should) to focus on long term, sustainable results. This means no short cuts like:

  • Keyword stuffing
  • Dubious "link building" schemes
  • Shady practices like hiding words or links

Tips If You Decide To Do It Yourself

If you want to manage SEO yourself, make sure you follow these three tips to get the most out of your content.

1. Be realistic

Your new website with ten pages is not going to get onto page 1 of Google for anything other than its own name. Getting high up the Google rankings for meaningful keywords takes a huge amount of time, effort and (usually) money.

2. Think of your readers

Google is very clever. Much more clever you you, me or any self proclaimed SEO expert. It knows what people like to read, and it rewards websites that give it to them. Just make your website great for humans; the robots will do the rest.

3. Have a plan

Don't just bang out a blog, publish and forget about it. Have a strategy. Decide what keywords you want to optimise for. Make sure you populate the article with interesting stats, links or quotes. Decide where the article is going to fit into the website hierarchy.

If you'd like to discuss our approach to search engine optimisation, please get in touch.

Tell us about your project...
Fill in your details to get started and join over 50 businesses enjoying Key Business Marketing's expertise..
Contact Form Demo (#1)
We adhere to strict GDPR rules and do not reveal or sell your data to any third-parties. For more, please read our Privacy Policy.
Latest Insights
February 13, 2024
A Guide To Using ChatGPT To Carry Out Keyword Research

Discover how to harness the potential of ChatGPT for advanced keyword research in SEO with our comprehensive guide.

January 12, 2024
Bolstered Advertising From Google On YouTube Shorts

Explore the latest Google advancements in YouTube Shorts advertising! Discover how Google is boosting brand visibility and addressing revenue challenges.

December 15, 2023
How Do I Manage My WordPress Website’s Email Services?

Learn how to effectively manage your WordPress website's email services for optimal performance. Explore the three methods of sending emails in WordPress

November 26, 2023
Monitoring Your Website Performance And Optimizing Accordingly

Explore the art of monitoring and optimising your website's performance. Discover dedicated tools to prevent downtime, enhance user experience, and meet Google's performance standards.

November 10, 2023
Project Magi: A Major Change To Google Search

Discover the revolutionary shift in Google's search landscape with Project Magi! This upcoming AI-powered search experience makes some big promises!

October 23, 2023
Top Tips For WordPress Security

Discover essential tips to fortify your WordPress website's security. Safeguard your site with expert advice in this comprehensive guide

September 29, 2023
A Guide To WordPress Maintenance Plans

Mastering WordPress Maintenance Plans: Organize your website tasks efficiently, from backups to plugin updates.

September 18, 2023
Solutions For The Most Frequently Seen WordPress Errors

Discover expert solutions for the most common WordPress errors and streamline your website management.

September 2, 2023
Top Tips For Managing Your WordPress Website

Master the art of WordPress website management with our expert tips! Learn how to streamline maintenance, boost performance, and enhance security

View Our latest insights »
Get the latest digital marketing insights delivered straight to your inbox
Newsletter Form (#2)
We care about the protection of your data. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
02037 282 848
Mon-Fri 9am - 5.30pm
contact@keybusinessmarketing.co.uk
Digital marketing guidance at your fingertips
Copyright © 2022 KEY BM LTD Reg: E&W 11055943
linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram