15 DIY SEO Tips To Improve Your Results

Not sure your business can afford to hire an agency for search engine optimization? No matter what, the answer isn’t to ditch SEO. After all, Google searches drive 45% of all e-commerce traffic, and over 50% of Americans go online to connect with local businesses every week. By following trustworthy DIY SEO tips, your business can save money and continue growing your online customer base at the same time.

Simply DIY SEO Tips for Beginners

You don’t need to be an advertising expert to take advantage of SEO DIY tips. Most of the time, learning SEO is less about “tricks” and more about following good content habits.

1. Pair Your Target Keywords With Interesting Content

Like the ingredients in a tasty chocolate cake, keywords and content are both essential for SEO. Keywords give your blogs, buyer’s guides, and web pages their unique flavor. But you can’t make an unforgettable impression unless the “dessert” is moist and fluffy. High-quality content supports keywords and makes you stand out.

Want the recipe? Here’s where to start:

• Perform Keyword Eesearch: Learn which keywords align with your marketing strategy by looking at monthly search volume, keyword competition, and Google Search trends.
• Know What Your Audience Cares About: Based on your products, audience research, or customer feedback, choose topics that help website visitors find what they’re looking for.
• Look for Opportunities for Secondary Keywords: Keep track of valuable secondary keywords related to your topic. For example, if you’re targeting “Kia SUVs,” a good secondary keyword could be “Kia Sportage vs. Kia Sorento.”

Choosing keywords blindly is a waste, like mixing cake ingredients without a measuring cup. Even on a minimal budget, you can use SEO software for easy research.

2. Consider Search Intent and the User Experience

Focusing on the wrong keywords is one of the most common mistakes with first-time SEO. This can happen if you misunderstand why people search for certain terms.

The keyword “how to get red wine out of carpet” is an informational search. On the other hand, “stain remover for red wine” has a commercial focus because the person is likely looking to buy a product that will help them with the stain. They’re ready to take action and make a purchase.

The first keyword would be valuable for a carpet cleaning company. The second fits a brand selling cleaning products. To discover search intent, type the keyword into Google and see what kind of articles pop up.

3. Optimize HTML Headings

One of the easiest DIY SEO tips is to optimize your headings using HTML. Headings tell search engines (and users) what your content is about and also make your keyword the star of the show. Always include your main keyword in the article title with an H1 format. Also, place the keyword or a close variation in at least one or two H2 headings.

Articles should have a logical structure. Put key points in an H2 format and use H3 headings for supporting ideas, like this guide does.

4. Use Keywords Naturally

People can tell the difference between high-quality information and forced keywords shoved into a random article. Here’s an example:

• Search term: “car radiator repair shop”
• Good example: Do you need to take your car’s radiator to a repair shop, or can you fix it yourself?
• Bad example: Save money with the best car radiator repair shop for KIA and Toyota SUVs.

When you plan your content with keywords in mind, it’s usually easy to add primary and secondary search terms to articles. 

5. Add Internal Links, But Don’t Go Overboard

Internal links make your website’s overall search rankings stronger. Visitors are more likely to visit other pages on your site, increasing your total traffic and engagement.

How many links should you add to other blogs or web pages on your site? It depends on what provides the best user experience.

Internal links should connect to information that answers follow-up questions or offers a solution to the visitor’s problem. Two to five links is a good range, but play it by ear.

SEO DIY Tips for Small Business Owners

Small businesses benefit just as much from SEO as larger organizations. Whether you create five blogs per month or 15, these DIY SEO tips can help you attract attention and rank higher.

1. Choose Your Target Audience(s)

To get good results, you need to make sure your keywords and content topics are directed at the right people. Are you trying to convince homeowners that your services are the best solution? Do you mainly sell to older adults? The closer your SEO decisions fit the needs of your audience, the more likely you are to get high-value clicks.

2. Set Reasonable Keyword Goals

Just like you wouldn’t race a Toyota Camry against a Porsche 911, small businesses can’t compete directly with huge brands or entrenched websites. It’s smarter to find opportunities that bigger players overlook.

Many SEO tools display a keyword difficulty rating. At first, you should target easier search terms (e.g., a keyword difficulty of 35/100). As you build your website’s content authority, you can gradually aim for more competitive keywords.

3. Avoid In-House Jargon

Some contractors use unique in-house expressions to describe services. There’s nothing wrong with some technical jargon in B2B, but it won’t help your rankings if most people use different terms when searching online.

If your audience doesn’t know what a “lanai” is, use alternatives like “covered patio” or “outdoor dining room.” Speak in the same “language” as your target customers.

4. Make Your Business and Products Stand Out

Search engines like to pair users with businesses that provide close matches. Does your website outline what you do — your products, services, and advantages? If not, you’re missing valuable clicks. In every article, show how you can help the reader.

Learn How To SEO Like a Pro

At BKA Content, we’re experts in SEO for doctors, lawyers, real estate agents, small business owners, and other professionals.

5. Be Smart About AI

AI can be an invaluable tool for small businesses looking for DIY SEO help — or an absolute nightmare. The difference is in the details.

Used correctly, AI can improve your writing, making blogs and guides sound more professional. You can also get ideas for article topics and outlines.

The downside is that everyone else has access to the same tools, and AI already has a problem with repetitive, samey content. Good SEO is all about standing out from the crowd with rich, high-quality information, so you have to go beyond raw AI output if you want to have success.

Always add value. Make sure your final draft is accurate, useful, engaging, and different enough to grab attention.

6. Set Clear Targets and Track Performance Metrics

Another big SEO mistake — even for experienced marketers — is chasing keywords with high monthly search volumes that don’t contribute meaningfully to site goals. To maximize your return on investment, you need to look at objectives first and keywords second.

Are you trying to:

• Hit the top three for a few high-value keywords?
• Rank in the top 10 for a wider variety of keywords?
• Generate leads?
• Boost total site traffic?
• Improve the quality of clicks?
• Get more e-commerce sales?

Having a strategic roadmap can reduce SEO spend and make your marketing more effective. Once you know where you’re aiming, the next step is to set up tracking tools for your site, such as Google Search Console. 

7. Understand SEO Trends, But Stick To Your Guns

It’s smart to stay up to date with major search engine changes, such as algorithm updates. That said, SEO is a long game. Following the latest trends you saw on YouTube, especially if they involve manipulating search engine ranking factors, is a waste of time at best and harmful for your site at worst. It’s better to build a solid foundation with quality content showcasing your experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness.

8. Support Written Content With Videos

In a recent survey, 70% of marketers said that video content provided the highest ROI of all avenues. Today’s customers love video content, and search engines know it. 

This doesn’t mean you have to ditch blogs. Written content is still vital for SEO, but you can get better results by supplementing it with short videos. YouTube content is especially good for simplifying complex topics and showing off products and services up close. 

9. Invest in What Works

There’s no need to reinvent the wheel with SEO. If your current strategy (topics, keywords, content format, etc.) is meeting your targets, stick with it.

The same goes for older content. A minor refresh may be all that’s needed to keep a solid performer going strong years later.

10. Always Aim Forward

Doing things right with SEO provides long-lasting value. It’s good to continually aim a little higher in terms of search rankings, keyword difficulty, traffic, leads, and other metrics. Nothing holds you back from becoming a highly relevant, trusted source — the site your customers go for solutions.

Are DIY SEO Tips Enough, or Should You Outsource?

While these DIY SEO tips can provide a solid foundation, ranking successfully and ensuring your backlink strategy is effective can still be a time-consuming in-house effort. If you’re unsure whether you’re on the right track, BKA Content can help. Learn more about our cost-effective solutions to improve your on-page SEO services and see how we can help you achieve sustainable growth.