Do It Yourself SEO: A Lot Like FSBO

**JChristin** · 03-18-2007, 12:25 PM

When the internet started to be used as a marketing tool, it increased exposure - which is the name of the game. When I was in real estate sales, I created my own websites, checked for legalities, and uploaded to the net. By trial and error, I learned. Investing tons of dollars to promote my business, taught me to me leary. However, the old saying, "Contempt prior to investigation" is key.

Sounds like SEO may be a rewrapping of marketing services offered by companies that once promised first page search engine results. If the service provides a greater return on the investment dollar, with results based upon the buyers criteria, it could well be worth a try.

Hope to hear from others who try this marketing scheme, and that they will write about their results.

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**HHI Golf Guy** · 03-19-2007, 02:14 AM

Originally Posted by JChristin

Sounds like SEO may be a rewrapping of marketing services offered by companies that once promised first page search engine results. If the service provides a greater return on the investment dollar, with results based upon the buyers criteria, it could well be worth a try.

Hope to hear from others who try this marketing scheme, and that they will write about their results.

To the uninitiated, SEO might seem like a marketing scheme - especially with a ton of dodgy SEO companies out there.

But ask any Realtor that has invested with a reputable SEO company and I would bet that almost all would say that it's well worth the investment.

SEO is part art and part science. Not only do you need to understand what search engines are doing right now, but you also need to anticipate what they will be doing in the future. This is why a lot of do-it-yourselfers either never achieve great rankings, of find that their site bounces all around in the rankings. In fact, most sites that get clobbered when their is an algorithm change are the DIY SEO crowd.

If anyone guarantees top results for a site, run away. Fast. Those companies that guarantee top results usually pick the keywords to optimize for, and its usualyy some obscure longtail phrase like "new luxury homes and properties in Bethesda" - something that no one searches for and no one else optimizes.

I have been doing SEO for quite a while now, and not once have I guaranteed any rankings. But I have had prospective clients ask me to guarantee rankings, and each time I have turned down their business. No reputable SEO will ever make that guarantee.

**spanishproperty** · 03-20-2007, 05:49 AM

I do agree that SEO is very time consuming but like lots of agents once you have built and promoted your own site, learnt about SEO (in your own way) and what you have your own beliefs about in SEO:

After all of that I would never let anyone touch any of my sites, as I dont know how they go about SEO, what their own beliefs are and I think SEO's and website designers are lazy so the amount of work that I would put in would well over do any work of anyone or company that I would employ.

(sorry to web designers about the lazy comment - just experience of my own friends that are designers - sat there playing games all day !!!)

**happymondays** · 03-28-2007, 01:01 PM

Originally Posted by axemedia

They may think their saving money, but in most cases their wasting time and money.

Couldn't agree more. I am an SEO... When my car broke I will find a mechanic. When the faucet broken I will find a handyman. When your website's traffic is, well, broken... Try to find someone who is a full time SEO not a weekend SEO.