Although hiring an agency that specializes SEO services is totally worth it, not every business owner can afford to do this. There are a few budget-friendly SEO firms out there, but generally speaking these services don’t come cheap. Sure, the likelihood of a high return on investment is there, but what if you just have no money in the budget to spend?

All hope is not lost! You can take steps to develop an SEO strategy on your own. It won’t be easy, but it’ll definitely save you a buck or two. These tips will help you get started on a Do-It-Yourself search engine optimization plan.

Tip #1: Learn about keyword research and master it

The first step in proper SEO practices is to understand your keywords and key phrases. These are the words and phrases that specifically relate to your website. Using the proper keywords throughout your website will make a world of difference. Here’s how it works.

An internet user is in search of a certain product or service, let’s say a man – Bob – is in search of a landscaping company in Cleveland. What is Bob likely to do? Chances are he will hop on his laptop, desktop, or mobile device and perform a Google search. He will type a series of words into the Google machine to find a company that can make his yard look stellar.

If you own a landscaping company in Cleveland, there is a good chance Bob will stumble across your website. That is, if you use the proper keywords – the ones that Bob typed into his Google search. There are plenty of softwares available to help you understand which keywords are best, there will be TONS of them and they’ll be ranked based on importance.

Tip #2: Research your competition

If your competition is ranking higher than you on Google, there is a specific SEO-related reason for this. Study them, figure out why they’re ranking higher, and implement that strategy into your own site. This might sound a bit sneaky and like a skeezy strategy among business men and women with integrity, but try not to see it that way. There is absolutely nothing wrong with browsing another company’s site, especially if it could help to grow your business.

Tip #3: Optimize your site

You’ve already researched your keywords and looked into strategies used by your competitors, so what’s next? It is finally time to optimize your site. This involves incorporating as many keywords within the site whenever you can, but not in a way that is overdone. You’ll strategically place the keywords throughout the site in a way that flows.

When you develop your site, it is crucial to only include quality content that you yourself would find valuable. Your goal is to come off as a reputable and knowledgeable source to the consumer. Low quality content riddled with errors and run on sentences won’t make this happen. It is in your best interest to hire a content writer, but if you create the content yourself just make sure it is of the highest quality.