Do SEO Yourself or Outsource It? Discover What's Best for Your Business

Are you standing at the crossroads of doing SEO yourself or outsourcing it? With a slightly biased opinion as an SEO specialist, I'll obviously always say always outsource your SEO. Just kidding. There are definitely moments when you're better off doing it yourself, and we'll cover those in this article too. That way you'll soon be able to make the choice that's best for your business.

I'm Matthijs. As an experienced SEO specialist, who's worked as a freelancer on big online projects as well as doing all the SEO myself for my own sites, I know how this choice can make or break you.

And yes, I've got my hands dirty with my own online store and affiliate sites. So believe me when I say I know the tension of this decision.

In this article we dive into the heart of this question. I'll share the insights I've forged in the heat of real SEO battles, so you can make a choice that not only feels right, but that actually delivers results. Ready to lift the veil? Keep reading and discover the world of SEO through the eyes of someone who's stood on both sides of the line.

In Short

Doing SEO Yourself:

• Benefits: Full control, in-depth knowledge of your website, and (short-term) cost savings.
• Challenges: Time-consuming and complex, requires a constant willingness to learn.
• Scenarios: Ideal for start-up entrepreneurs or smaller businesses who have the time and willingness to learn SEO skills, and who also want to save on costs in the short term.

Outsourcing SEO:

• Benefits: Access to professional expertise and efficiency, often faster results that can pay for themselves.
• Challenges: Finding a reliable agency that understands your specific business needs, and staying involved enough to make sure the strategies align with your business vision.
• Scenarios: Ideal for growing businesses that need to focus on running the business.

What Is SEO, Actually?

Let's start with the basics, because understanding what SEO involves really matters for your decision to do it yourself or outsource it.

SEO is the art (and the science) of making your website as attractive as possible to search engines like Google. Why? Simple: the higher you rank in the search results, the more visitors, and ultimately customers, you attract.

3 Pillars of SEO

Content

This is the core of your website. Good content needs to be relevant, informative and interesting for your audience. It's not just about the text, but also about how it's organised and presented.

Content needs to align well with the keywords you want to rank for, but should also offer a natural, engaging reading experience.

These days, it's a combination of writing for the user while structuring the text in a way that search engines can understand your content.

Backlinks

These are links from other websites to your site. Backlinks act as a kind of ‘vote’ in the eyes of search engines, signalling that your site is valuable and trustworthy. The more quality backlinks you have from reputable sites, the higher you're likely to rank in the search results.

Technical

This refers to the technical aspects of your website that affect your SEO. This includes things like site speed, mobile-friendliness, URL structure, schema markup, the right title tags and more.

A technically optimised website makes it easy for search engines to crawl and index your site, which matters a great deal for good rankings.

Want to know more about what SEO actually is? We've put together a complete SEO beginner's guide that explains in detail what SEO is all about.

Doing SEO Yourself – A Deep Dive

Now that you know the basics of SEO, let's take a look at what doing SEO yourself actually involves.

Getting Started With SEO Yourself

Doing SEO yourself can be rewarding. You have full control and learn a huge amount about your own website and market. But it requires time, commitment, and a constant willingness to keep learning.

SEO Guide for Beginners

Start with a solid foundation. There are plenty of online resources that guide you step by step through the SEO process. But remember: SEO isn't a one-off action, it's an ongoing process. Read our article about what SEO is to get started.

Carrying Out SEO Tasks Yourself

From optimising your content to building backlinks, doing SEO tasks yourself gives you direct insight into what works for your website. You experiment, learn and adjust – a continuous learning process.

Benefits of Learning and Doing SEO Yourself

The biggest win? Knowledge and control. You understand exactly what's happening on your website and why. Plus, you save on the costs you'd otherwise spend on an outside agency.

Challenges and Limitations

The downside? It takes a lot of time, and the results often come more slowly. SEO is complex and constantly changing. Making mistakes is only human, and without experience they can be costly.

Outsourcing SEO – The Benefits and Considerations

Hey, still with me? Great, because now we're diving into outsourcing SEO. Sometimes hiring a professional SEO specialist is the smartest move you can make. Let's take a look at why.

Bringing in Experts

By bringing in an SEO specialist or agency, you don't just get expertise, you get years of experience too. That means you can benefit from proven strategies that actually work, instead of guessing what might be best.

Outsourcing SEO for Small Businesses

For small businesses, this can genuinely make a real difference. You might not have the resources for a full-time SEO employee, but by outsourcing it, you can still compete with the big players.

The Role of SEO Consultancy

SEO consultants can bring a fresh perspective to your online presence. They don't just offer services, but also valuable insights and recommendations that can help your website grow further.

The Cost Side: DIY vs Outsourcing

Let's be honest: outsourcing costs money. But if you factor in the time and effort you save, plus the potential revenue increase from more effective SEO, it can be a smart investment.

Comparison and Contrast

Now you're probably wondering: what's actually better for my business? Let's put the two options side by side.

Doing SEO Yourself vs Outsourcing

• Doing It Yourself: Gives you full control and direct knowledge of SEO. It's cost-effective, but time-consuming and potentially overwhelming.
• Outsourcing: You pay for expertise, efficiency, and often faster results. It can be more expensive, but you gain time and potentially better performance.

Pros and Cons

• Doing It Yourself: + Cost-saving, + Learning experience; – Time-intensive, – Less expertise.
• Outsourcing: + Professional knowledge, + Efficiency, + You get to focus on your business; – Higher costs, – Less control (though this is debatable if you have a good working relationship).

Option	Benefits	Drawbacks
Doing It Yourself	Cost-saving, Learning experience	Time-intensive, Less expertise
Outsourcing	Professional knowledge, Efficiency, Focus on your business	Higher costs, Less control (depending on the working relationship)

Scenarios for the Best Choice

• Doing It Yourself: Ideal if you're a start-up entrepreneur with time to learn and experiment.
• Outsourcing: Perfect if your business is growing and you need to focus on running it rather than marketing details.

Case Studies and Success Stories

Hello there! Let's take a look now at real stories from businesses who've won the SEO game. These case studies don't just show you the results, but also the valuable lessons we can draw from them.

Success With Doing It Yourself

Take my own project, which I started at the beginning of my online marketing career, ‘Thuisatleet’, which started as an online store (and is now a comparison site) and blog about fitness equipment.

I chose to do their SEO myself, because I wanted to learn more about SEO and online marketing.

With a limited budget, but a strong will to learn, I trained myself (with the knowledge I picked up from the marketing agency I worked at) in the art of SEO.

The result? Tens of thousands of organic visitors every month. The lesson? With dedication and the right strategy (even though I made plenty of mistakes along the way), even a small business can achieve great results.

Outsourcing for Fast Growth

Then there's ‘E-styleaudio‘, an online audio equipment business. They chose to outsource their SEO to an agency (us, Digital Bean).

This led to an improved website structure, better technical setup and optimised content.

Their organic traffic grew by 115% in just six months. As you can see in the image below. We started in June, and at the time of writing (late November) we've already doubled their traffic. Something we're proud of at Digital Bean!

The lesson? A professional team can deliver results quickly and effectively, especially if you want to grow fast.

How to Make the Right Choice for Your Business

Making the right choice between doing SEO yourself or outsourcing it can be tricky. But don't worry, I'm here to help you with a few key considerations.

Factors to Consider

1. Time and resources: Do you have the time and resources to dive deep into SEO? If not, outsourcing might be the better option.
2. Expertise: Do you have the knowledge in-house, or are you willing to learn? If not, a specialised agency brings the expertise you need.
3. Scalability: Want to grow fast? A specialised SEO team can help you scale more quickly.

Finding the Balance

It's a matter of balance. You might start with a bit of self-study and small tweaks. As your business grows, you can consider outsourcing certain aspects. That way you combine the best of both worlds.

If you'd ever like to bounce ideas around about what's the best choice for you, feel free to get in touch with us. We're happy to think it through with you.

Conclusion

When choosing between doing SEO yourself or outsourcing it, it all comes down to balance. My experience, both with my own projects and with Digital Bean's clients, shows there's no one-size-fits-all solution. Every path has its own challenges and benefits.

Do you have the time and the drive to dive deep into SEO? Great! But if your focus is on growing your business, bringing in professionals like us at Digital Bean can make a real difference.

We offer the expertise and efficiency your business needs, not just to survive, but to thrive in the digital world.

Ready to take your SEO further? Get in touch with Digital Bean.

We're ready to develop a tailor-made SEO strategy that fits your unique business needs perfectly. Let's work together on your online success.