How to do SEO Yourself, Better Than the Pros

Most websites don’t fail because the content sucks. They fail because no one ever finds them.

You hear advice like “Just use the right keywords” and “post consistently”. But none of this actually explains how to do SEO yourself. The truth is, SEO isn’t about tricks, hacks or scheming the algorithm. It’s about understanding how search engines decide which pages deserve to show up first, and structuring your website so it becomes the obvious answer to a query.

Once you understand the system, SEO stops feeling so overwhelming and confusing and starts feeling practical. In this guide, you’ll learn how to do SEO yourself from start to finish. Because the difference between a blog that grows and a blog that doesn’t isn’t talent or luck. It’s simply knowing how to help people find you.

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on them, I may earn a commission, at no additional cost to you.  See my disclaimer page for more information.

What is SEO?

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the practice of improving your website so it appears in search results when people search for information in a search engine.

When someone types a query into Google, the search engine references its index of billions of web pages to determine which one answers the query the best. SEO is not a trick or manipulating an algorithm. It is simply the process of helping search engines recognize your website as the best answer to a searcher’s question. To do that, search engines analyze signals related to three main factors:

• Relevance: does this page answer the search query clearly and directly?
• Authority: is this website trustworthy and respected within its topic area?
• User Experience: is the page easy to read, navigate, and interact with?

Why SEO is Important

If no one is going to see all the work you’re doing, what is the point of doing it? Implementing best AEO practices helps you to rank higher in the search results, increasing the chances of people finding your content and clicking on it.

Sure, you could pay someone to do SEO for you. But that would be dumb. Hear me out as to why: SEO is a journey, not a destination. You have to continually update your old content and also create new content that follows SEO best practices. So, you might as well learn it yourself, so that you can optimize every blog post you write and every page on your website too. This is your guide to learn how to do it.

SEO Content Strategy: How to do SEO Yourself

Keyword Research

Keyword research identifies the keywords and phrases people type into search engines. Performing keyword research helps you to understanding what people are actually searching for, rather than guessing what readers might want.

Effective keyword research allows you to discover content topics you had not thought of before, understand you audience’s problems and and prioritize the most popular topics to generate traffic.

1. Finding Keywords Manually
   • Google Autocomplete: when you begin typing a phrase in Google, the search engine automatically suggests common queries related to that phrase. These suggestions reflect real searches performed by users.
   • People Also Ask Boxes: search results often include expandable questions related to the search query. These questions reveal additional topics users want answered.
   • Competitor Research: examining websites that already rank well in your niche can give you keyword opportunities you may not have considered. Look for blog post topics, frequently asked questions and recurring themes across multiple sites.
2. Finding Keywords Using Tools
   • Google Keyword Planner: a free tool that provides estimates of search volume, keyword competition and related search terms.
   • Ubersuggest: a beginner-friendly keyword research tool that provides information about search volume, competition and related keyword suggestions
   • Ahrefs is one of the most comprehensive SEO platforms out there. It provides detailed information about keyword difficulty, backlink profiles and competitor rankings. Advanced SEO professionals rely on Ahrefs to find high-value keyword opportunities. I use the starter plan for $29/month, because I’m not spending a bunch of money on SEO. But I do think this tool is worth having.
   • SEMrush provides extensive marketing insights including keyword tracking, competitor analysis and content recommendations. It is a paid tools but it has powerful research capabilities for large SEO strategies.
3. Evaluating Keyword Potential
   • Once you have some keyword ideas, the next step is to determine if they are worth targeting. Not every keyword you find if going to help you rank in the search results. Several factors influence keyword potential (your ability to rank for that keyword). Use tools above to find the:
     • Search Volume: this represents the average number of searches for a keyword each month. Higher search volume generally means more potential traffic. However, high search volume often comes with higher competition.
     • Keyword Difficulty: this measures how hard it may be to rank for a specific keyword. Difficulty scores are influenced by authority of ranking websites, number of backlinks pointing to those pages and the quality of competing content. If you’re a new website, you should focus on low-to-medium difficulty keywords (like 1-30).
     • Relevance: even if a keyword has a strong search volume, it must still align with your audience’s needs and your website’s expertise. Targeting irrelevant keywords may attract traffic, but fail to convert visitors into engaged readers or customers.
   • Check your targeted keyword against all three of these factors. You want a keyword with high search volume, low keyword difficulty and high relevance.

Understanding Search Intent

Another factor you need to consider when performing keyword research is search intent. Search intent describes the reason someone performs a search. Google ranks articles that satisfy the user’s search intent first. The four primary search intent categories are:

• Informational: people search to learn something
• Navigational: people search to find a specific website
• Commercial: people search to research products or services
• Transactional: people search when they are ready to purchase

Matching search intent is one of the most important factors in SEO success. Tools like Ubersuggest take the guesswork out of search intent and straight up tell you what the search intent for a target keyword is.

On-Page SEO

On-page SEO is optimizing the content and structure of individual pages so that search engines clearly understand their purpose. This sounds abstract, but it basically means including you targeted keyword in relevant areas (see below), linking blog posts to other content within your website and optimizing images (both the image size and alt text). To optimize your on-page SEO, include the following:

1. Keyword Placement
   • Keywords should appear naturally in key locations throughout the page. Important keyword placements include: title tag, first paragraph, at least one heading, meta description and image alt text. However, keyword usage should remain natural. Overusing keywords (or keyword stuffing) in an attempt to manipulate rankings can harm both readability and SEO performance. THE GOOGLE ALWAYS KNOWS. Search engines prioritize the quality of your content over the number of times you repeat a keyword.
2. Internal Linking Strategy
   • Internal linking connects content in your blog post to different pages within your website. It serves two important purposes. First, it helps search engines understand the structure of your website. Second, it guides visitors toward additional useful content. Strong internal linking distributes authority across your site and encourages deeper engagement (READ: keeps your reader on your website longer).
3. Image Optimization
   • Images enhance visual engagement but they must be optimized for SEO and performance. Large image files can slow down page loading times, which negatively affects rankings. It’s best to compress images before uploading them, use descriptive file names and add an alt text describing the image.
   • Alt text also improves accessibility for users who rely on screen readers. This is the primary reason for alt text, so make your explanation of the image sound natural, and just include your keyword in it.
4. Optimizing Title Tags
   • The title tag is one of the most important on-page SEO elements. It appears as the clickable headline in search results and plays a major role in determining whether users choose to click your page.
   • An effective title tag should: include the primary keyword, clearly describe the page content and remain concise and readable.
5. Writing Effective Meta Descriptions
   • Meta descriptions appear below the title tag in search results and provide a short summary of the page. Although meta descriptions do not directly affect rankings, they do influence click-through rate, which can indirectly affect SEO performance.
   • A strong meta description should explain what the reader will learn, include the primary keyword, and encourage curiosity or value. It’s best to keep your meta descriptions under approximately 160 characters.
6. URL Structure Best Practices
   • URLs provide both users and search engines with information about the page content. Clear, descriptive URLs improve readability and help search engines interpret the page topic. Best practices include: keeping URLs short, including keywords, and avoiding unnecessary numbers or parameters. See the examples below:

BAD ❌: https://sarahgracevogler.com/how-bloggers-make-money-in-2025/

Although this URL looks better than a random one with numbers and letters mixed together, including the year in this URL of mine was dumb because it dates the content. I have updated the post for 2026, but my URL is still living back in 2025.

GOOD ✔️: https://sarahgracevogler.com/principles-of-design/

This URL is clear, concise and contains the article’s targeted keyword.

Technical SEO

Technical SEO focuses on optimizing the infrastructure of your website so search engines can easily access and understand its content.

Even excellent content can struggle to rank if technical issues prevent proper crawling or indexing.

Technical SEO includes areas such as page speed, mobile optimization, XML site maps and structured data. Ensuring strong technical foundation supports other SEO efforts.

1. Website Speed
   • If your website is slow to load, people aren’t going to wait for it finish. They’re just going to bounce off your site. A high bounce rate is bad for SEO, because Google isn’t going to send people to your website if it’s not going to help them. You can use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to figure out what your website speed is and if it is adequate for impatient humans.
2. Mobile Responsiveness
   • With the majority of internet traffic occurring on mobile devices, mobile usability has become a CRITICAL ranking factor.
   • Google uses mobile-first indexing, meaning it primarily evaluates the mobile version of your website when determining rankings.
   • Your site should: adjust to smaller screen sizes, maintain readable text, and keep navigation simple and load quickly on mobile networks. You can simply test this speed by opening your site on multiple devices to identify usability issues.
3. XML Sitemaps
   • An XML sitemap lists the important pages on your website so search engines can discover them easily.
   • Submitting a sitemap helps search engines crawl new pages more efficiently. Most website platforms automatically generate sitemaps. You can submit your own sitemap through Google Search Console.
4. HTTPS Security
   • HTTPS encrypts communication between users and websites. Secure websites protect sensitive information and build trust with visitors. Most hosting providers offer free SSL certificates that enable HTTPS encryption.
   • Search engines prefer secure websites and may give them slight ranking advantage.
   • If you’re still trying to figure out what I’m talking about, it’s the letters before your domain name in a URL. Look at the examples of URLs I gave earlier. They start with “https://”. This means my site is secure.

Backlinks

Backlinks occur when other websites link to your content. Search engines interpret backlinks as signal of trust and authority.

Pages with high-quality backlinks tend to rank higher because they appear more credible. However, the quality of backlinks matters more than quantity.

1. Types of Backlinks
   • Backlinks can originate from several sources:
     • Editorial Links
     • Links naturally placed within articles
     • Guest post links
     • Links included in articles written for other websites
     • Resource links
     • Links from curated resource pages
     • Directory links
     • Listings in business directories
   • Editorial links from reputable websites carry the greatest value.
2. Ethical Backlink Building
   • Effective link building focuses on earning links naturally rather than manipulating search engines. Natural strategies include:
     • publishing comprehensive guides
     • conducting original research
     • writing guest articles
     • collaborating with other creators
   • High-quality content often attracts backlinks organically.
3. Evaluating Backlink Quality
   • Not all backlinks are equally valuable. Search engines consider several factors when evaluating link quality.
     • Relevance: links from websites related to your topic carry greater value
     • Authority: links from well-established websites pass stronger authority signals
     • Trust: links from spammy or low-quality websites can actually harm SEO
   • Focus on building a small number of high-quality links rather than a large number of weak links.

What are SEO tools to Learn How to do SEO Yourself?

1. Stupid Simple SEO

Mike Futia’s course, Stupid Simple SEO, is the course you need if you are wanting a more in depth explanation of SEO. The eight modules within the course explain SEO concepts from beginner to advanced. SEO is always changing and purchasing Stupid Simple SEO gives you access to updates for a lifetime. It’s not just a course, it’s a complete roadmap for transforming your blog into a traffic and income-generating powerhouse. You can’t afford NOT to take this course if you’re a blogger.

2. Moz

Moz is a good free tool for SEO in multiple ways, but the way I find it to be most useful is the Mozbar Chrome Extension. When I am performing keyword research for my blog post, I can type a keyword into Google and the Mozbar shows me the DA (domain authority) and PA (page authority, or a prediction of how well an individual webpage will rank on SERPS) for each page on the search results. Moz also has free tools like a keyword explorer, domain analysis and more. Also, it’s free. Why WOULDN’T you take advantage of this tool?!

3. Ubersuggest

Ubersuggest is a good free tool to use for keyword research. It was the first SEO tool I ever used. Ubersuggest gives you all the typical metrics you want to know for keywords like SV (monthly search volume) and KD (keyword difficulty), but also allows you to perform competitor analyses, content gap analyses, and more. Again, this tool is free, so why WOULDN’T you use it!?

4. RankMath

RankMath is a WordPress plugin that scores each individual blog post based on your SEO. You utilize it by typing your targeted keyword into the tool, and it guides you on how often to include the keyword, where to include the keyword and ways to improve your SEO score. It lets me know if my blog post title is crap, and even has an AI feature you can use to improve your blog post. It also submits my XML sitemap for me, and allows for the creation of rich pins on Pinterest. I couldn’t survive as a blogger without RankMath.

So after all of that, here’s the honest takeaway: Learning how to do SEO yourself isn’t about mastering some secret algorithm. It’s about building website that clearly answers the questions people are searching for. It’s making it easy for search engines to understand what your content is about so they can display your content.

When you break it down, the process is surprisingly practical.

1. Research what people are searching for
2. Create content that genuinely answers those searches.
3. Structure your pages so search engines aren’t like “WTF?” when they come to your page.
4. Keep improving your website gradually as you learn more

And the good news is you don’t need to hire some expensive big wig to do it for you. You can absolutely learn how to do SEO yourself and start building a website that people can actually find.

The internet is full of great content that never gets discovered. Now you can make sure yours does.

Frequently Asked Questions for DIY SEO (FAQs)

What is SEO and how does it work?

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the practice of improving your website so it appears in search results when people search for information, products or services. When a person performs a query on a search engine, the search engine scans its large index of pages to find which ones answer the question best (so you want to make sure search engines can actually crawl your website, aka: correctly structure your website, so your content can end up in the giant index.

How do I do SEO on my own?

That’s what this whole blog post goes over, but I think the easiest way to summarize what you need to do to optimize for SEO is just to give you a checklist. Sign up for the free checklist in the form below and get the checklist sent to your inbox in a jiffy!

What are the 4 types of SEO?

1. On-Page SEO: on-page SEO are all the factors of SEO that you CAN control. It refers to the optimizations that you make on your website pages to help search engines find your content, like including your targeted keyword in page titles and meta descriptions, utilizing correct header structures (H1: main page title, H2: major sections, H3: subsections), internally linking and image optimization.
2. Off-Page SEO: off-page SEO are all the factors of SEO that you CAN’T control. They are signals that point to your website from other websites or external sources, like backlinks and brand mentions.
3. Technical SEO: technical SEO is structuring your website so that when search engines go to crawl it, they can actually do that and figure out what it’s about. Think: behind-the-scenes SEO. This type of SEO includes website speed, mobile responsiveness, XML sitemaps, HTTPS security and clear navigation.
4. Local SEO: local SEO is when you optimize for location-based searches. Like when you Google “coffee shops near me”, the search engine is going to prioritize businesses that are geographically relevant to the searcher.

How to Find Keywords for SEO?

1. Google autocomplete
2. Google Keyword Planner
3. Ubersuggest
4. People also ask
5. Ahrefs
6. Semrush