Should I DIY Search Engine Optimisation?

My neighbor Tom owns a plumbing business. About eight months back, he got this idea that he’d handle his own SEO. Save some money, how complicated could it really be? He bought an online course, watched videos during his lunch breaks, and felt pretty confident.

Last week I ran into him at the hardware store. He looked tired. Told me he’d spent probably six months on SEO, and his website traffic had actually gone down. He’d wasted countless evenings and weekends. Worse part? He still couldn’t figure out what he was doing wrong.

“Mate, I should’ve just hired someone,” he said. “Cost me way more doing it myself.”

Why does it seem like a good idea at first?

Look, the appeal is obvious. SEO agencies sometimes charge what feels like stupid money. You see quotes for two, three, or four thousand dollars per month and think that’s insane. Meanwhile, the internet is absolutely drowning in free information. YouTube tutorials. Blog posts. Reddit threads. Free tools everywhere.

Plus, nobody knows your business as you do. You understand your customers better than some agency ever will. You know your products inside out. Your industry makes sense to you. Stands to reason you could handle your own SEO if you just learned the basics.

Some people genuinely find this stuff interesting, too. If you’re into technical things, learning how search engines work can be fascinating—understanding why sites rank where they do, and what makes content perform. That knowledge feels useful beyond just SEO.

Basic stuff isn’t even that hard. Better page titles, faster loading times, decent content, and fixing dead links. You can absolutely learn and do these things yourself. Nobody’s arguing otherwise.

Then reality smacks you in the face.

But here’s what actually happens to most people. You start enthusiastically. Spend your weekend absorbing information. Feel smart. Make changes to your website. Check your rankings every day for two weeks. Maybe you move up a position. Maybe nothing happens. Maybe you drop three spots and panic.

Three months in, you realize every article contradicts every other article. One person swears by tactic A. Another person says tactic A will get you penalized. You’ve got no idea who’s right. Google updates its algorithm, and boom, half of what you learned is suddenly wrong or outdated.

Technical problems destroy people. Your site has crawl errors. You don’t know what that even means. Something’s broken with your sitemap. Site architecture needs work, but you wouldn’t know where to begin. You accidentally blocked half your site from Google three months ago and just discovered it yesterday.

Keyword research looks easy until you try it properly. Sure, finding keywords with search volume is simple enough. But understanding what people actually want when they search that term? Figuring out which keywords bring real customers versus window shoppers? Knowing when you’re chasing something impossible? That requires experience you don’t have.

Link building is where most people give up entirely. Everyone says backlinks matter. Cool. How do you get them? Pay for dodgy services that’ll probably hurt you? Spend hours every week emailing websites that ignore you? Most DIY folks either skip this completely or build links that actively damage their rankings.

The time commitment nobody mentions

Let’s talk honestly about hours. This isn’t a weekend project. It’s not even an hour per week. If you want actual results, you’re committing serious time every single week for months.

Research takes hours. Writing quality content takes more hours. Finding and fixing technical issues. Analyzing competitors. Building links with terrible success rates. Keeping up with industry changes so you don’t use outdated tactics. Checking data to see what’s working.

Tom the plumber started tracking his time after two months. He was putting in about ten to twelve hours weekly on SEO. That’s ten to twelve hours not doing plumbing work, not meeting new clients, not managing his team, not growing his actual business.

His hourly rate for plumbing work? About $120. So he was losing $1,200 to $1,400 per week in potential income. Over six months, that’s over $30,000 in opportunity cost. An australian seo expert would cost him $15,000 for the whole year and actually get results.

The math wasn’t even close.

When doing it yourself makes sense

I’m not saying DIY is always wrong; there are some situations where it might work.

Your competition is genuinely nonexistent. Not “seems low” but actually verified, nobody cares about your keywords. Then basic optimization might be sufficient.

You actually enjoy technical marketing work. Not obligatory learning but genuine interest. Some people legitimately find this fascinating. Most business owners don’t.

Someone on your team has time and skills and wants to learn. Then it could work as their project. They take ownership, learn properly, and implement consistently.

You’re incredibly patient with zero expectations of quick results. SEO takes months minimum. If you stress after three weeks of nothing happening, this’ll drive you mental.

Your budget is truly nonexistent, but time is plentiful. Then DIY makes sense temporarily until you can afford professional help.

The hybrid approach that works better

Here’s what I’ve seen work for small businesses. Pay someone good to set everything up and build your strategy. They audit your site technically. Research competitors. Find the right keywords. Create your roadmap. Give you the plan.

Then you handle execution. Write the content following their guidelines. Make the changes they recommend. Handle the day-to-day maintenance.

This way, you’re not guessing. You’re not making expensive mistakes. You’ve got expert guidance on what matters. But you’re also not paying ongoing monthly fees forever. You execute a plan created by someone who knows what they’re doing.

Like hiring a nutritionist to design your meal plan versus having them cook every meal for you, get the expertise where it counts most.

What you need to ask yourself

The real question is: can you learn SEO? You probably can eventually. The question is whether that’s your best use of time.

Do you do it consistently? Or will it sit on your to-do list for six months while nothing happens?

Do you genuinely have 10 to 15 hours a week? Not hypothetically. Actually available without sacrificing critical business stuff?

Are you comfortable with technical things? If WordPress confuses you, technical SEO will be painful. If you love tinkering, it’s a different story.

What’s the opportunity cost? What else could you accomplish with those hours every week? For most business owners, focusing on their core expertise creates far more value than struggling with SEO.

What makes sense for most people

Honestly? Most businesses should get help. Not because they’re stupid or incapable. Because their time is better spent on what they’re actually good at. You started a business to do that thing, whatever it is. Not to become an SEO specialist.

You could learn it given enough time. But it’ll take longer than you think. It costs more in missed opportunities than you expect. Meanwhile, competitors with experts are pulling further ahead.

If you hire someone, make sure they explain things clearly. Anyone hiding behind jargon or unable to walk through their strategy simply? Probably not worth your money. Good ones educate you while they work.

Tom finally hired help four months ago. His traffic’s already way better than anything he achieved himself. His stress dropped massively. He’s back to being a plumber instead of a confused SEO student. He actually enjoys his work again.

Sometimes the most brilliant move is admitting something’s outside your wheelhouse. SEO is definitely one of those things. Unless you’re genuinely committed to mastering it, just let an expert handle it while you focus on running your business.

Disclaimer

The information provided in this article is intended for general informational and educational purposes only. It reflects personal opinions, experiences, and illustrative examples and should not be considered professional, financial, or legal advice. Any individuals, businesses, or scenarios mentioned—such as “Tom” and his plumbing business—are used for explanatory purposes only and do not represent specific real-world outcomes.

Search engine optimisation results can vary widely depending on industry, competition, website condition, budget, and ongoing market and algorithm changes. While this article discusses the potential benefits of working with an Australian SEO expert, it does not guarantee specific results, rankings, traffic growth, or business outcomes.

Readers are encouraged to evaluate their own business needs and consult qualified SEO professionals or marketing specialists before making decisions related to SEO strategies or investments. The author and publisher assume no responsibility for any actions taken based on the information in this article.