Strategy•11 min read

How to Do SEO Yourself: The Complete DIY Guide for 2026

You don't need to hire an agency. Here's the exact process to do SEO yourself - step by step, tool by tool, tactic by tactic.

Filip Samveljan

Filip Samveljan

Co-Founder at Soro·

SEO agencies charge $3,000-10,000 monthly. Freelancers start around $1,500. For many small businesses, that's not in the budget.

Good news: you can do SEO yourself. The fundamentals aren't complicated — they're just detailed. This guide walks through everything, assuming you're starting from zero. By following these steps consistently, you can achieve meaningful organic traffic growth without hiring anyone.

Quick checklist: DIY SEO essentials

Before diving into the detailed process, here's a quick overview of what successful DIY SEO requires. Use this checklist to ensure you have the fundamentals covered:

  • + Google Search Console installed — Non-negotiable. Shows your rankings, clicks, and technical issues.
  • + Google Analytics 4 set up — Tracks who visits your site and what they do there.
  • + Site loads in under 3 seconds — Slow sites can't rank well, regardless of content quality.
  • + Mobile-friendly design — Over 60% of searches happen on mobile devices.
  • + 20-50 target keywords identified — Focus on long-tail keywords with realistic competition.
  • + Publishing 2+ articles per week — Consistency matters more than volume spikes.
  • + Internal links between related content — Helps search engines understand your site structure.
  • + Basic link building started — Directory listings, social profiles, and partner links.

This checklist is just the starting point. Below, I walk you through each phase in detail so you can execute with confidence.

What you'll need to get started

Time commitment: 5-10 hours per week minimum. SEO compounds, so consistency matters more than intensity.

Technical skill required: Basic. If you can use WordPress or Squarespace, you can do SEO.

Tools you'll use:

  • Google Search Console (free)
  • Google Analytics 4 (free)
  • Google Keyword Planner (free)
  • A content creation tool or manual writing

Budget (optional):

  • $0 works — everything can be done manually
  • $50-200/month helps — automates research and content

Phase 1: Setup (Week 1)

Before optimizing anything, you need to track what's happening. Without data, you're guessing.

1. Install Google Search Console

This is non-negotiable. Search Console shows:

  • Which keywords you rank for
  • How many clicks you're getting
  • Technical problems blocking ranking
  • Manual penalties (if any)

How to set it up:

  1. Go to search.google.com/search-console
  2. Add your property (use the URL prefix method if unsure)
  3. Verify ownership (HTML tag method is easiest)
  4. Submit your sitemap (usually yoursite.com/sitemap.xml)

2. Install Google Analytics 4

Tracks who visits your site and what they do there.

How to set it up:

  1. Go to analytics.google.com
  2. Create a new GA4 property
  3. Add the tracking code to your site
  4. Set up conversion goals (form submissions, purchases, etc.)

3. Run a technical baseline check

Run your site through these free tools and document every issue:

PageSpeed Insights — pagespeed.web.dev

What to look for: Score above 70 on mobile is acceptable. Note specific issues to fix.

Mobile-Friendly Test — search.google.com/test/mobile-friendly

What to look for: Should pass without issues. Fix any problems flagged.

Site crawl — Use Search Console's URL Inspection

What to look for: Check your most important pages. Ensure they're indexed and crawlable.

What to do: Write down every issue found. You'll fix them in Phase 2.

Phase 2: Technical fixes (Week 2)

SEO can't work if technical problems block it. Fix these first — they're often the difference between ranking and invisibility.

1. Speed optimization

If PageSpeed scored below 70, address these issues in order:

  1. Compress images — Use TinyPNG for every image on your site
  2. Enable caching — WordPress: install WP Super Cache. Shopify: built-in. Squarespace: built-in.
  3. Remove unused plugins/apps — Each one slows your site
  4. Use a CDN — Cloudflare's free tier works well

2. Mobile fixes

If Mobile-Friendly Test flagged issues:

  1. Text too small — Minimum 16px font size
  2. Clickable elements too close — Minimum 48px tap targets
  3. Content wider than screen — Check for fixed-width elements
  4. No viewport meta tag — Add to your header

3. Indexing issues

In Search Console, check:

  1. Coverage report — Any errors blocking indexing?
  2. Excluded pages — Are important pages accidentally blocked?
  3. Robots.txt — Not blocking pages you want indexed?

What to do: Fix any issues found. Re-test until clean.

Phase 3: Keyword research (Week 3)

Now you're ready to find what to rank for. This phase determines whether your content efforts pay off.

Understanding keyword types

Head terms — Short, competitive. "Running shoes" (impossible to rank quickly)

Long-tail keywords — Longer, specific. "Best running shoes for flat feet women" (possible to rank)

What to do: Focus on long-tail keywords. Head terms come later with authority.

Finding keywords

Method 1: Google Keyword Planner (Free)

  1. Go to Google Keyword Planner
  2. Enter topics related to your business
  3. Export keywords with volume and competition
  4. Look for: 100-1,000 monthly searches, low/medium competition

Method 2: Manual Google research

  1. Type your topic into Google
  2. Note autocomplete suggestions
  3. Check "People also ask" questions
  4. Review "Related searches" at bottom
  5. Each suggestion is a potential keyword

Method 3: Competitor analysis

  1. Search your main keywords
  2. Click top-ranking competitors
  3. Note what topics they cover
  4. Find gaps you could fill

Evaluating keywords

For each potential keyword, assess:

  • Search volume — Enough to matter? (100+ monthly searches)
  • Competition — Can you realistically rank? (check current results — are they all major brands?)
  • Intent — Does it match what you offer? (someone searching "free" won't buy)
  • Relevance — Does it connect to your business? (traffic that won't convert is worthless)

Building your target list

Create a spreadsheet with columns:

  • Keyword
  • Monthly volume
  • Competition level
  • Priority (1-3)
  • Content type needed

Aim for 20-50 keywords to start. You'll expand later. For more guidance on keyword targeting, see how many SEO keywords you should use.

Related articles:

Phase 4: Content creation (Ongoing)

Content is where most DIY SEO effort goes. Here's how to do it efficiently without burning out.

Content planning

For each priority keyword, plan:

  • Content type — Blog post? Landing page? FAQ?
  • Search intent — What does the searcher want? (Informational, commercial, transactional)
  • Format — Check what's ranking. If lists dominate, write a list. If guides dominate, write a guide.
  • Comprehensiveness — What do top results cover? Cover all of that, plus something unique.

Writing SEO content

Structure for ranking:

  1. Title (H1) — Include keyword near the beginning
  2. Introduction — Answer the main query immediately, then elaborate
  3. Sections (H2s) — Cover major subtopics, include keyword variations
  4. Subsections (H3s) — Break down complex points
  5. Conclusion — Summarize and add a call-to-action

On-page optimization:

  • Title tag — 60 characters max, keyword near start
  • Meta description — 155 characters, compelling, includes keyword
  • URL — Short, includes keyword, uses hyphens
  • Images — Compressed, descriptive alt text
  • Internal links — Link to related content on your site
  • External links — Cite authoritative sources

Content quality checklist

Before publishing, verify:

  • + Answers the search intent completely
  • + More comprehensive than current top results
  • + Structured for easy scanning
  • + Has unique value (not just rewriting competitors)
  • + Free of grammatical errors
  • + Images compressed and alt-tagged
  • + Internal links added
  • + Title tag and meta description optimized

Publishing cadence

Consistency matters more than volume.

  • Minimum viable: 2 posts per week
  • Better: 4 posts per week
  • Ideal: Daily publishing

If you can't sustain manual writing, consider SEO automation tools that handle keyword research, writing, and publishing automatically.

Pro tip: The biggest reason DIY SEO fails isn't lack of knowledge — it's lack of consistency. Set a realistic publishing schedule you can maintain for 6+ months. Two posts per week for a year beats 10 posts in January and nothing after.

Links from other sites signal authority to Google. They're harder to get than on-page optimization but essential for competitive keywords.

Business directories:

  • Google Business Profile
  • Yelp
  • Industry-specific directories
  • Chamber of Commerce

Social profiles:

  • LinkedIn company page
  • Twitter/X
  • Facebook business page
  • Industry forums

Partner links:

  • Suppliers who list clients
  • Vendors you use
  • Complementary businesses

Create linkable content:

  • Original research with data
  • Comprehensive guides
  • Free tools or calculators
  • Infographics

Outreach:

  • Find sites that link to similar content
  • Email with genuine value proposition
  • Don't spam — personalize each pitch

Guest posting:

  • Write for industry publications
  • Include a bio link back to your site
  • Focus on sites relevant to your niche

What NOT to do

  • × Don't buy links (Google penalizes this)
  • × Don't use link farms or PBNs
  • × Don't exchange links reciprocally at scale
  • × Don't spam blog comments

Phase 6: Measurement and iteration

SEO takes time. Track progress to stay motivated and adjust strategy based on real data.

Weekly check (15 minutes)

In Search Console:

  • Any new ranking keywords?
  • Traffic trending up or down?
  • Any technical errors appeared?

Monthly review (1 hour)

  • Which content is performing best?
  • Which keywords are improving?
  • What should you create more of?
  • What's not working?

Quarterly strategy adjustment

  • Update underperforming content
  • Refresh outdated information
  • Add new keyword targets
  • Adjust link building approach

Realistic timeline

Timeframe What to Expect
Month 1 Setup, technical fixes, first content
Month 2-3 Content production, initial indexing
Month 4-6 First rankings for easy keywords
Month 7-12 Traffic growth, harder keywords starting to rank
Year 2+ Compound growth, competitive keywords achievable

SEO is slow. But unlike paid ads, the work compounds. Content published in month 2 can still drive traffic in year 5.

Start building organic traffic today

DIY SEO works — but it requires time and consistency. If you want to accelerate results without the manual work, Soro automates keyword research, content creation, and publishing while you focus on running your business.

Learn how Soro works →

When to consider outside help

DIY SEO works, but has limits. Consider outside help when:

  • You're time-constrained — 5-10 hours weekly is the minimum. Less than that, results will lag.
  • Technical issues are complex — Site architecture problems, migrations, or major speed issues may need a developer.
  • You're in a competitive niche — Against well-funded competitors, DIY may not be enough.
  • You've plateaued — Growth stopped despite consistent effort? Fresh expertise might help.

Options beyond pure DIY

SEO automation — Tools like Soro handle keyword research, content creation, and publishing automatically. You provide direction; the system executes. Compare SEO automation options to find what fits your needs.

Freelance consultants — One-time audits or monthly guidance without full agency costs.

Agency (eventual) — Once revenue justifies it, agencies can scale efforts you can't do alone.

Your 30-day action plan

Week 1:

  • Day 1-2: Set up Search Console and Analytics
  • Day 3-4: Run technical audits
  • Day 5-7: Fix critical technical issues

Week 2:

  • Day 8-10: Keyword research
  • Day 11-14: Build target keyword list

Week 3:

  • Day 15-21: Create and publish 2-4 pieces of content

Week 4:

  • Day 22-25: Continue content creation
  • Day 26-28: Set up basic link building
  • Day 29-30: Review progress, plan next month

Start today. The sooner you begin, the sooner results compound.

Related reading:

SEODIYSmall BusinessBeginners GuideContent Marketing
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