What Is SEO in Marketing and Can You Actually Do It Yourself?

You’ve heard the term a thousand times. Every marketing agency pitches it. Every business podcast mentions it. Your competitor down the street swears it’s why they’re booked solid.

But what is SEO in marketing, really? And more importantly — can you handle it yourself, or is it one of those things you need to pay someone thousands of dollars a month to do?

Let’s cut through the jargon and give you a straight answer.

What Does SEO Actually Mean?

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. In plain English, it’s the process of making your website show up when people search for things on Google.

That’s it. That’s the core of it.

When someone types “plumber near me” or “best personal injury lawyer in Dallas” or “how to fix a leaky faucet” — Google decides which websites to show them. SEO is how you influence that decision.

The goal? Get your business to appear at the top of search results so potential customers find you instead of your competitors.

How Does Search Engine Optimization Work?

To understand what is SEO in marketing, start with how Google works. Google’s job is to give searchers the best, most relevant answer to their question. So Google sends out “crawlers” — little bots that scan every website on the internet — to figure out what each page is about and how trustworthy it is.

Then, when someone searches, Google pulls from its index of billions of pages and ranks them based on hundreds of factors.

The three things Google cares about most:

• Relevance: Does your page actually answer what the person is searching for?
• Authority: Is your website trustworthy? Do other reputable sites link to you?
• Experience: Is your site fast, mobile-friendly, and easy to use?

SEO is the practice of optimizing your website across all three of these areas so Google sees you as the best answer.

SEO Meaning in Business: Why Should You Care?

Here’s the thing about what is SEO in marketing that makes it different from other marketing channels: the traffic is free.

With Google Ads, you pay every time someone clicks. With Facebook ads, you pay to reach people. But with SEO, once you rank, every click costs you nothing.

For service businesses, this is massive. Consider this:

• 97% of people learn about local companies online more than anywhere else
• 75% of users never scroll past the first page of search results
• The top 3 Google results get over 50% of all clicks

If you’re not showing up when people search for your services, you’re invisible to the majority of potential customers. They’re not going to page 2. They’re calling whoever shows up first.

The Four Types of SEO (Simplified)

When exploring what is SEO in marketing, you’ll find agencies usually refer to four different things. Here’s what each one means:

1. On-Page SEO

This is about optimizing the actual content on your website. It includes:

• Using the right keywords in your page titles, headings, and content
• Writing helpful, in-depth content that answers searchers’ questions
• Optimizing your images (file names, alt text, compression)
• Internal linking between your pages
• Meta descriptions that make people want to click

Can you DIY this? Yes — this is the most accessible part of SEO for business owners.

2. Technical SEO

This is the behind-the-scenes stuff that helps Google crawl and understand your site:

• Site speed (how fast your pages load)
• Mobile-friendliness
• Secure connection (HTTPS)
• Site structure and XML sitemaps
• Fixing broken links and crawl errors

Can you DIY this? Some of it. Basic stuff like ensuring your site is mobile-friendly and loads quickly — yes. But deeper technical issues usually require a developer.

3. Off-Page SEO (Link Building)

This is about building your website’s authority through backlinks — other websites linking to yours. Google sees links as “votes of confidence.” The more quality sites that link to you, the more trustworthy you appear.

• Getting listed in directories
• Earning links from local news sites or industry publications
• Guest posting on relevant blogs
• Creating content so good that others naturally link to it

Can you DIY this? Partially. You can handle directory listings and local citations. But strategic link building is time-intensive and requires outreach skills.

4. Local SEO

For service businesses, this is often the most important type. Local SEO helps you show up in the “Map Pack” — those three local businesses Google shows at the top of location-based searches.

• Optimizing your Google Business Profile
• Getting consistent reviews
• Building local citations (directory listings with your name, address, phone)
• Creating location-specific content

Can you DIY this? Absolutely — and you should. Your Google Business Profile is one of the highest-ROI marketing activities you can do yourself.

Can You Actually Do SEO Yourself?

Here’s the honest answer: It depends on what kind of SEO and how much time you have.

What You Can (and Should) Do Yourself:

• Claim and optimize your Google Business Profile — This takes 1-2 hours and can dramatically improve your local visibility
• Ask happy customers for reviews — Make it a habit after every successful job
• Write helpful content — Answer the questions your customers actually ask you
• Basic on-page optimization — Use relevant keywords in your page titles and headings
• Keep your website updated — Fresh content signals to Google that you’re active

What’s Harder to DIY:

• Technical SEO audits and fixes — Requires specialized tools and developer knowledge
• Competitive keyword research — Knowing which keywords are worth targeting takes experience
• Strategic link building — Time-intensive and requires outreach relationships
• Staying current with algorithm changes — Google updates its algorithm hundreds of times per year
• Comprehensive content strategy — Mapping content to every stage of the buyer journey

The Real Question: Is Your Time Better Spent Elsewhere?

You probably didn’t start a business because you wanted to become an SEO expert. You started it because you’re great at what you do — whether that’s fixing pipes, representing clients, or treating patients.

The time you spend learning and implementing SEO is time you’re not spending on billable work or running your business.

Here’s a simple calculation:

If your hourly rate is $150 and you spend 10 hours per month on SEO, that’s $1,500 of your time. Would you get better results hiring someone who specializes in this for that same budget?

Often, the answer is yes. Not because you can’t learn SEO, but because specialists can do it faster and more effectively.

What SEO Won’t Do for You

Before you invest time or money into SEO, you need to understand its limitations:

SEO won’t fix a bad business. If your service is poor or your prices are way off, ranking #1 won’t save you. You’ll just get more people to your site who don’t convert.

SEO isn’t instant. Unlike paid ads, SEO takes time. Expect 3-6 months minimum before seeing significant results. If anyone promises you page 1 rankings in 30 days, run.

SEO alone isn’t a strategy. It’s one channel. The best-performing businesses combine SEO with a converting website, fast follow-up systems, and other marketing channels.

Rankings aren’t the goal — revenue is. You can rank #1 for a keyword nobody searches for. What matters is ranking for terms that bring in customers who actually pay you.

SEO in 2025: What’s Changed

What is SEO in marketing today versus five years ago? Things have changed significantly. Here’s what’s different now:

AI Overviews Are Changing the Game

Google now shows AI-generated summaries at the top of many searches. This means even if you rank #1 organically, you might be pushed below a big AI answer box.

The response? Create content so good and so specific that Google cites you as a source. Generic content that just regurgitates what everyone else says won’t cut it anymore.

Experience Matters More Than Ever

Google now emphasizes E-E-A-T: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. They want to see that real humans with real experience created your content.

For service businesses, this is actually good news. You have real experience. You’ve solved real problems. Share that authentically and you’ll outperform AI-generated fluff.

User Experience Is a Ranking Factor

Google measures how people interact with your site. If visitors bounce quickly (leave without engaging), that signals your content isn’t helpful. Fast, mobile-friendly, easy-to-navigate sites perform better.

Should You Hire an SEO Agency?

If you’ve read this far, you’re probably wondering whether to tackle SEO yourself or hire help.

Consider hiring an agency if:

• You’re in a competitive market where DIY won’t cut it
• Your time is better spent on billable work
• You’ve tried DIY SEO and aren’t seeing results
• You want faster, more comprehensive results
• Technical issues are holding your site back

Consider DIY if:

• You’re in a less competitive local market
• You have time to learn and implement
• Your budget is very limited
• You enjoy learning new skills
• You want to understand SEO before hiring someone

If You Do Hire an Agency, Watch Out For:

• Long-term contracts — Good agencies don’t need to trap you
• Guaranteed rankings — Nobody can guarantee specific positions
• Vague reporting — You should see exactly what they’re doing and what results it’s generating
• No focus on revenue — Rankings mean nothing if they don’t translate to customers

(Read our guide on warning signs your marketing agency isn’t working)

The Bottom Line on SEO for Business Owners

So what is SEO in marketing? It isn’t magic. It’s not a mystery. At its core, it’s about making your website the best answer to what your potential customers are searching for.

Can you do it yourself? Yes — especially the fundamentals like optimizing your Google Business Profile, getting reviews, and creating helpful content.

Should you do it all yourself? That depends on your time, your market, and your goals.

What matters most is that you do something. Every day you’re invisible in search results is a day your competitors are getting calls that should be going to you.

Ready to Stop Being Invisible in Search?

Now that you understand what is SEO in marketing, whether you want to DIY it or have professionals handle it, the first step is understanding where you stand right now.

We offer a free 30-minute strategy session where we’ll analyze your current online visibility, show you exactly where you’re losing potential customers, and map out a plan to fix it — whether you implement it yourself or want our help.

→ Apply for Your Free Strategy Session

Frequently Asked Questions About SEO in Marketing

What is SEO in marketing?

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the practice of optimizing your website to rank higher in search engine results like Google. In marketing terms, it’s a strategy to increase your visibility when potential customers search for products or services you offer — driving organic (non-paid) traffic to your website.

How does search engine optimization work?

Search engines like Google use crawlers to scan websites and understand their content. They then index these pages and rank them based on relevance, authority, and user experience. SEO works by optimizing your site across these factors — creating relevant content, building authoritative backlinks, and ensuring a fast, user-friendly experience.

What is SEO meaning in business?

For businesses, SEO means getting found by potential customers who are actively searching for what you offer. Unlike paid advertising where you pay per click, SEO generates organic traffic that’s essentially free once you rank. For service businesses, strong SEO can mean a consistent stream of leads without ongoing ad spend.

How long does SEO take to work?

SEO typically takes 3-6 months to show significant results, depending on your market’s competitiveness, your starting point, and how aggressively you implement changes. Local SEO for less competitive markets may show results faster, while national competitive keywords can take 6-12 months or longer.

Is SEO worth it for small businesses?

Yes — especially local SEO. For service businesses, appearing in the Google Map Pack for local searches can generate significant leads at no cost per click. The key is focusing on the right keywords (ones your customers actually search for) and building a strong Google Business Profile with consistent reviews.