73.6% of the Filipino population is on the internet. This can translate to millions of clicks and purchases when approached right by any brand. However, user engagements do not happen immediately, your brand needs to remain visible amidst the crowded digital realm.
So, how does digital visibility happen?
Gaining a lasting presence in the digital landscape requires companies to leverage digital tactics to boost their presence. These tactics include social media postings, Internet advertisements, and search engine optimization (SEO).
However, the debate lies in the proper undertaking of SEO strategies: is it better to do SEO in-house DIY style, or to outsource an SEO agency to implement strategies for your brand?
Discover what and how SEO works for your brand presence, and learn how to decide between DIY SEO and professional SEO services.
SEO: A Brief Overview
SEO, in its simplest form, is a set of strategies that allow your website to be more visible to search engine result pages (SERPs). Major search engines, such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo, prioritize relevance, quality, and user experience when ranking result pages. This is when SEO comes into play—optimizing your website to gain that coveted page 1 ranking in search results.
SEO, in today’s highly digital landscape, is no longer an uncharted terrain. Understanding how SEO works relies on two things: comprehending how a search engine works and leveraging keywords, links, and optimized content to respond to search engine algorithms.
Search engines use crawlers (or spiders) to gather information to store in their indexes (or databases). These crawlers start from one domain page and then follow different links coming from that page. The content from the known page and the context from the crawled links tell the search engine how relevant the website is and how reputable its content is.
For your website to be more crawlable, you need to invest in crafting frequently searched keywords, gaining internal and external links, improving page speed, and writing high-quality content that search engines and digital users will find important for their queries.
SEO may seem simple based on this information, which is why it is tempting for many businesses to opt for DIY SEO strategies. However, several factors should be considered before deciding between DIY SEO strategies and SEO company services.
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4 Factors When Deciding Between DIY SEO and Professional SEO Services
#1: Cost
The most appealing quality of DIY SEO is cost flexibility. When handling your own SEO, you can designate a budget that fits your financial capabilities and allocate it to strategies that you deem more beneficial. You may also increase or decrease your budget as you see appropriate. However, it’s important to note that this budget should include payments for learning materials and tools, which can be expensive. Additionally, the time you spend learning and navigating tools may appear as additional expenses for your company in the long run.
Consequently, SEO agencies can be more expensive upfront. SEO providers price their works depending on the services you avail. An all-encompassing SEO strategy composed of keyword research, on-page SEO, off-page SEO, technical SEO, and content creation may come at a steeper price. The larger expenses associated with these prices guarantee a specialist working for each of your strategies. This translates to an immediate value for your money and a projected return on investment in the long run.
ALSO READ: SEO Pricing in the Philippines
#2: Knowledge and Tools
DIY SEO necessitates building background knowledge from the ground up. SEO is a technical field, and gauging the ins and outs requires immense research and continuous practice. Additionally, monitoring the success of SEO strategies demands a complete arsenal of specified tools, including SE ranking, Semrush, and Ahrefs. If an in-house team and resources can supply these requirements, then a DIY SEO approach may be feasible.
On the other hand, an SEO agency is already equipped with the specialized knowledge and tools needed to craft SEO strategies, monitor search engine rankings, and improve your website’s visibility. An SEO provider guarantees a reduced trial-and-error method, allowing you to look forward to a more resilient SEO strategy amidst the many search engine algorithm changes. Furthermore, an SEO agency is knowledgeable about the nuances of the local market. So, if you’re a Filipino brand looking to thrive in Philippine commerce, investing in an SEO company in the Philippines is a sensible decision to reduce local hassles.
#3: Time
DIY SEO is time-intensive. Learning the technicalities behind SEO, search engines, and the larger digital realm takes time and effort. After this, crafting SEO strategies, implementing them, and even revising them to fit changing algorithms does not come fast and easily. Waiting for these strategies to work may also take a while. These waiting periods can be costly to many companies, both in terms of manpower and resources.
Entrusting an SEO agency to rank your website can free up significant time. By implementing tried and tested methods, these agencies can handle your SEO needs in the background while you allot your time and resources in providing your business’ core services and products.
#4: Access to SEO Resources
An upside of DIY SEO includes having full control of your SEO resources. An in-house SEO team allows easy access, monitoring, and evaluation of SEO resources whenever the organization requires them. However, these resources need to be paid for to be accessed. Another advantage of DIY SEO is that the hassles and worries involved when communicating with a third party are eliminated once SEO processes are contained in the same environment.
On the other hand, if you opt for a professional SEO service, access to paid SEO resources like Semrush, Moz, and Ahrefs is guaranteed. You can secure expert navigation and handling of these resources, allowing efficient utilization. Additionally, monthly performance reports and website audits, pinpointing which strategies are working for the brand and which are not, are provided by SEO providers, lowering the chances of misunderstandings arising from non-expert approaches.
Conclusion
Choosing between a DIY SEO and professional SEO services can be challenging for large and starting companies. However, in the middle of this debate lies the important factor: deciding what’s best for your business. If you are bound by budget constraints and want more SEO access, a DIY SEO is preferable. If you value specialized knowledge and time efficiency, then your bet is employing the best SEO company in the Philippines. Remember, the Philippines’ digital landscape is crowded, so leverage all the assistance you need to stand out.
Contact OOm PH at (02) 8283 3168 to begin your journey towards a more optimized website and a place in the coveted top search results.
