Short Answer: Yes. But Is That Really the Best Use of Your Time?
We get this question all the time.
“Can I do SEO myself?”
And the honest answer is, absolutely. No matter what some company wants to sell you, there’s no magic formula, there’s no hidden wizardry, no secret levers behind a curtain. Especially if you’re not in a hyper-competitive market, the basics of SEO are accessible
You can learn it. You can implement it.
But here’s the better question to be asking:
Should you?
Think About It Like a Water Heater
If my water heater went out tomorrow, I could fix it myself. I’ve worked with enough plumbers, been on enough jobs, that I could do it. But would I?
No way.
I’d call my friend Brandon Thompson and he’d have someone over to the house in an hour. Not because I’m incapable, but because I understand the value of efficiency and expertise.
A trained pro shows up with the right tools, parts, and process:
- He’s got the van fully stocked
- He’s got the water heater bucket and the dolly
- He drains, cuts, installs, and cleans up like clockwork
- He’s installed more water heaters this week than I’ll need to replace in a lifetime.
Meanwhile, I’d be hunting down a dolly, untangling a garden hose, and making three trips to Home Depot. What he can do in an hour or two, might take me six and that’s with some knowledge. If I was relying on YouTube videos? I’d be without hot water for a week.
Expertise matters. I own a handful of sandwich shops and one day I was tinkering around rebuilding a toilet. Nothing I was incapable of doing but something that took a little bit of time. Brandon happened to drop by the store and bet me $20 he could do it blindfolded…
He did, rather quickly too, and probably faster than I would have done on my own.
Marketing works the same way.
Yes, You Can Do Your Own Marketing
You can:
- Run your own Google Ads
- Tinker with your own website
- Learn how to do SEO
There’s no shortage of free tools, tutorials, or forums. But we have to ask you:
Is that the best use of your time?
If you’re a trades business owner plumber, septic, tree, HVAC, remodeler your time is a limited resource. Are you better off spending hours:
- Trying to figure out link building?
- Writing press releases?
- Learning the ins and outs of conversion rate optimization?
Or would you be better served:
- Training your crew
- Working leads and building relationships
- Being present in your BNI group or community
- Turning wrenches and making dollars
Because what might take you 18 months to figure out through trial and error…
We can do in 3.
The Real Cost: Retail vs Wholesale
When you DIY your SEO and ads:
- You’re paying retail prices – it’s no different than buying fittings from Home Depot or using a supply house, (press releases, software tools, directory listings, link building, etc.) We spend a small fortune in tools and resources that our team uses on our campaigns every day. Think about it like this, would it make sense for me to go out and buy a ProPress to replace one water heater in my home?
- You’re working in isolation, figuring out the right approach for your niche from scratch
- You’re likely leaving money and time on the table
When you work with us:
- You benefit from economies of scale, we’re working on a number of campaigns at a time meaning we’re able to do more for less. Here’s an example if you wanted to run a Press Release (a valuable link building tool) retail would cost you somewhere between $200 – $300. We run one – two per month for our clients.
- We’ve already built systems and strategies specifically for the trades.
- You’re getting a roadmap that’s been proven across dozens of service industries
From Owner-Operator to Owner
Here’s the bigger play:
At some point, you need to get out of the truck.
You didn’t start your business to just give yourself a job. You started it to build something that runs with or without you
That means shifting from operator to owner. From being in the field to becoming the coach on the sidelines. From turning every wrench to scaling the business.
And that only happens when you stop doing everything yourself.
So, Can You Do It Yourself?
Yes.
But the real question is: Do you want to?
Is your goal speed-to-market, profitability, and growth?
Or is it to dabble in SEO as a side project?
If you’re serious about scaling, let’s talk.
We specialize in the trades. We speak your language. And we’ll get you results faster.
