Can I Do SEO By Myself? How Far You Can Get Without an Agency

Taher Dawoodi
Nov 20, 2025
2 min read

Ever wondered if you could boost your website’s visibility without hiring an agency or consultant? The short answer: yes, you can do SEO yourself — to a point. But the better question might be: Should you?

Let’s unpack what solo SEO looks like, where it works well, where it doesn’t, and how to approach it if you’re serious about growing your online visibility.

What Is SEO, Really?

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of improving your website so it shows up higher on Google when people search for things you offer. That includes:

Technical improvements (like page speed and mobile-friendliness)
Content creation (blogs, landing pages, product descriptions)
Link building (getting other websites to reference yours)
User experience (clear layout, helpful navigation)

The Parts of SEO You Can Handle Yourself

1. Basic Keyword Research

With free tools like Google Keyword Planner or Ubersuggest, you can figure out what people are searching for and tailor your content accordingly.

2. Writing Helpful Blog Content

You can write posts that answer real questions your customers have. Think:

“How to choose the right [product] for your needs”
“What’s the difference between X and Y?”
“Tips for getting better results with [service]”

Doing SEO yourself can be empowering, especially in the early days of your business. But when you're ready to scale, doing it all alone may start holding you back. If you're feeling unsure, start small: write blogs, optimize your titles, and track your progress. The rest? You can always tag in a pro when the time is right.

3. On-Page Optimization

Simple actions like:

Adding your keyword to the page title, headers, and intro
Using descriptive URLs
Naming your image files properly
Internal linking to other pages on your site

All of these help Google understand what your page is about.

4. Google Business Profile Optimization (for Local SEO)

If you’re a local business, you can claim and manage your Google Business Profile. Make sure your hours, address, and categories are correct — and post updates regularly.

Where DIY SEO Gets Tough

1. Technical SEO

Unless you’re familiar with things like schema markup, crawl budgets, and canonical tags, this part can get tricky. One wrong line of code can break how search engines read your site.

2. Link Building

Getting high-quality backlinks is hard and time-consuming. Spammy links can actually hurt you. This is where most DIYers hit a wall.

3. Strategy and Measurement

Knowing which keywords to go after and how to measure if SEO is working takes time, experience, and solid analytics tools.

The Hybrid Approach: Do What You Can, Outsource What Matters

Many small businesses start SEO on their own, then partner with experts once they hit a plateau. That’s a smart way to save money and stay involved.

If your time is limited, or SEO is becoming a chore, that’s your sign to hand off the heavy lifting (like technical work, audits, and backlinks) to an SEO agency.

Article written by Basar Optimization Inc, a digital marketing agency based in Calgary with offices in Edmonton, Vancouver, Chicago and New York.

Basar Optimization specializes in Search Engine Marketing (Google Adwords, Facebook Ads and LinkedIn ads) and Search Engine Optimization. Click Here to book a free consultation today