So you have decided to take the plunge yourself. You are going to step up and jump into the deep end of the search marketing pool and do SEO for yourself.
First, congratulations on your choice to do search engine optimization (SEO) for your website. It shows that you are aware of the potential impact that organic traffic from the search engines could have on your business. It shows that you are willing to put the time in to get the desired results. It also may show that you have no idea how much time will be needed to do this. Either way, you “gotta be in it to win it”.
Well, one thing that I can recommend to you is the following: do your homework on the SEO tools that are on the market. Whether they are free or pay for it is most important that you understand one thing; they are all flawed. While there may be information that is coming out of these tools it takes some skill and experience to extract the data that is a) accurate and b) relevant. You see, these tools need to have a very high degree of hard coded assumptions and formulas baked in so they can work universally, so to speak. Because of this it is important to know what a tool actually does. That oftentimes can be the polar opposite of what it is said to do. Sounds cynical? Well, it is but for good reason. If there was just one thing out there on the market that could decipher the mysteries of the search engines (Google in particular) don’t you think everyone would use it? To that point, if everyone was using it then wouldn’t everyone rank #1 for everything? That’s not possible you say? Well, there you go. That’s one for the cynic.
Here’s my recommendation to you do it yourselfers out there. Experiment a lot. Your success with the SEO tools that you find will be highly dependent on the vertical that you compete in. Also, it will be a mix of many tools that will give you all the bits of information that will be needed to make good decisions for your SEO work. I am not here to say that it can’t be done with an agency because I simply don’t believe that. There are a lot of good SEO’s out there that would have no need for any agency’s help. More power to them. It is fair to say that they are the exception, however, and not the rule.
Like so many things in this life, you might be surprised at how far you can get with just some basics. SEO “blocking and tackling” consists of: good content, well constructed page titles and meta descriptions and strong inbound links. Sounds simple enough, right? Yes and no. While they are basic they are not always very apparent. Hence the needs for tools. Good tools. Those tools are then combined with trial and error, experience, gut feeling and a couple of handfuls of pixie dust. OK, that was unfair. At any rate, don’t be dependent on the tool to replace your sense of your business and the competitive environment you play in.
Here are some sources for tools that you can make your own decisions on. Some are free. Some aren’t. All are flawed. If you want a magic potion go rent a Disney movie. SEO is prime “let the buyer beware” territory.
www.seomoz.org
www.bruceclay.com
www.seochat.com
http://tools.seobook.com
Use these tools wisely and with caution. Don’t assume anything. Question everything. Expect success. It can be done.
PITCH STARTS HERE: The tool my company developed, SEMCheck, is inexpensive and helpful. Is it perfect? No. Is it useful? Yes. Is it cheap? Yes! PITCH ENDS HERE.
SMB Takeaway: With all SEO tools there needs to be a level of discernment and knowledge that makes the tool effective. To rely ONLY on any tool’s output is risky and not suggested. Take the sum of all parts then apply it with a strong dose of caution. Then test your findings! Never be satisfied. You know more than you think.
Thanks and have a great day!
