Can You Really Do SEO Yourself?

If you’re a small business owner or freelancer trying to get more eyes on your website, you’ve probably wondered: Can I just do SEO myself, or do I need to hire someone? The truth is, you can do it yourself — at least to a certain level. But like anything worthwhile, it takes time, a bit of patience, and a willingness to learn.

Let’s break it down in a way that actually makes sense (no jargon overload, promise).

What SEO Actually Means (And Why It Matters)

SEO — or Search Engine Optimisation — is all about helping your website show up when people search for things like “plumber near me” or “best coffee in Doncaster.” Without SEO, even the best websites sit quietly in the background, getting barely any clicks.

Why Google Needs a Helping Hand

Search engines are smart, but they’re not mind readers. They need signals from your website to understand what it’s about. Things like:

• Relevant page titles and descriptions

• Useful, well-written content

• Fast loading times

• Mobile-friendly design

• Internal links (like the ones we use on our SEO Services page)

These are all things that help Google understand your site and decide whether it deserves a spot on page one.

How to Do SEO Yourself (Without Tearing Your Hair Out)

You don’t need to be a tech wizard. With the right mindset and a few good tools, anyone can make a decent start with SEO.

Step 1: Understand What People Are Searching For

Keyword research is where it all begins. You’re not just guessing what people might type into Google — you’re finding out for sure. Tools like Google’s Keyword Planner or Ubersuggest can help you figure out what your audience is actually looking for.

Let’s say you’re a dog groomer in Doncaster — “mobile dog grooming Doncaster” might be a solid long-tail keyword to go after.

Step 2: Optimise Your Website Pages

This doesn’t mean stuffing a page full of keywords. It means:

• Writing clear, helpful titles (your homepage title shouldn’t just say “Home”)

• Using proper headings (like the H2 and H3s you see in this article)

• Adding internal links to other helpful pages (like our Local SEO page)

• Including keywords naturally in your content

It’s about making your site easy for both humans and search engines to navigate.

Step 3: Keep Publishing Helpful Content

This is where most people fall off. SEO isn’t a one-and-done job — it’s ongoing. Google loves fresh, relevant content. A good starting point is to write blog posts answering common customer questions. For example:

• “How often should I clean my gutters?”

• “Is SEO worth it for small businesses?”

• “What’s the difference between organic and paid search?”

You can check out how we do this on our own Need More Clicks blog.

When DIY SEO Stops Being Worth Your Time

Here’s the honest bit — SEO takes time. Time to learn, time to test, and time to tweak. And for busy business owners, that’s time you might not have.

If you’re spending more time trying to update your site than actually running your business, it might be time to get help. Especially if you’re in a competitive market where other businesses are working with experienced SEO specialists.

That’s where we come in. At Need More Clicks, we help small businesses grow online with straight-talking, no-nonsense SEO strategies that get results. (No black hat tricks, no pointless reports.)

So yes — you can do SEO yourself. And for many business owners, learning the basics is a brilliant way to get more involved in how your business performs online. But when you’re ready to take things further (or just don’t want to deal with it anymore), we’re always here to help.

Want to see how we can support your growth? Get in touch and let’s chat.