Is It Possible to Do SEO for Free?

The Costs of SEO

Improving the SEO of your website entails a lot of different things. Whether it is the fee of being listed on a niche citation site or for a paid keyword research tool, each piece of your SEO puzzle can cost something. It is often seen as a necessary evil to compete with other competitors with the funds to improve the quality of their website.

But, is it possible to do SEO at no cost to you? Well, it is something that will take time to do effectively. Doing the upkeep that comes with keeping with the times is only one of the many things individuals must contend with in the ever-changing. In this post, we will be sharing potential ways you may be able to do SEO without spending a dime, and also address the costs and benefits of going with this kind of strategy. While it is possible, some potential drawbacks will need to be addressed as well.

Free SEO tools

Not every SEO tool out there has to cost an arm and a leg. There are a number of free resources out there that can help you on your SEO journey. Google itself has Google Search Console, Google Analytics, and Google Lighthouse which are staples for monitoring the technical and on-page success of your website. But, other free tools exist that can help as well. Some of these include Ubersuggest, AnswerThePublic, Screaming Frog SEO Spider, and Ahrefs.

Most Important Aspects to Focus on With Free SEO

While you likely won’t be able to use all the intricate bells and whistles that come with paid SEO tools, you can still address some of the most important aspects of SEO without spending a dime. These will center around some of the main pillars of SEO including technical SEO, optimizing on-page SEO, and creating engaging, helpful content for your ideal client.

When it comes to on-page optimization, we have already talked about some of the most important things to keep in mind in past blogs. But it is always good to reiterate some of the most important factors including:

Creating title tags and meta descriptions
Optimizing photos
Effectively using subheadings
Incorporating keywords into high-quality, helpful content

In addition to on-page SEO, ensuring your technical SEO is up to par isn’t something that you necessarily have to spend money on. Using tools like PageSpeed Insights or Google Lighthouse is a great way to discover new ways to make your web pages more accessible to potential visitors.

Free Content Marketing Strategies

Improving your site is only one aspect of creating a successful strategy for improving SEO for therapists and other websites. Another important part is marketing your site on the web. This can also be done for free by using things like blogs, guest blog posting, and social media to distribute your content across different platforms. This can also come in the form of building organic, high-quality backlinks that can help improve the outreach and authority of your site.

Another Free Tip, Keep up with SEO News and Developments!

Did you know that there was a recent algorithm update with Google around March 5th? If you are familiar with some of the free sources of SEO info on the web, then you may already have heard of this recent change, and have a plan for how you can adjust your site to accommodate these potential changes. Some of the best sources you can use include:

Drawbacks of Going the Free SEO Route:

In all honesty, it is already difficult to compete in the rankings even with paid SEO tools and professional support. With SEO, there are both subtle and major changes that can occur over time. Many people and organizations compete for the same services Due to this, unless you have the basics of SEO down to a science, it will be even more difficult to rank on the first page for specific keywords without investing more into your SEO strategy. It is important to keep expectations tempered and realistic, while still striving to do what you can to support your SEO.

Conclusion:

While it is completely possible to do SEO for free, it can be a difficult endeavor. There are a variety of tools out there that can empower your SEO strategies, so it is possible to do SEO for free. However, it is important to keep a realistic view that others are likely investing substantial resources into their marketing budgets. Due to this, it can be very difficult to keep up in the rankings amongst paid competitors using more sophisticated tools.

Much like many of the other aspects of SEO that can change over time, experimenting and continuously learning of new developments that happen over time is an invaluable part of staying relevant on the web. While the time investment into SEO for therapists and other site developers is likely the most costly thing for many, it isn’t impossible to do SEO without spending money.

Learn More About SEO with Simplified SEO Consulting

Our team of SEO specialists would be happy to guide you in learning more about the many resources available to create a sustainable SEO strategy. You can start working with the team at Simplified SEO Consulting by following these steps:

Apply to work with us to improve your SEO
Meet with an SEO specialist
Start imprlving your SEO rankings!

Other Services Offered with Simplified SEO Consulting

Our team knows there are many aspects of SEO that you may need help addressing on your site. This is why we offer a variety of SEO services. Other services offered include our Done For You SEO Services and DIY Online SEO Courses. We also offer a 12-week Done With You Intensive SEO Program. Visit our blog to learn more today!

About the Author

Sterling Humburg-Cage graduated from the University of Missouri with a BA in Psychology in 2020. He has integrated what he learned in school into his work as an SEO Specialist with Simplified SEO Consulting. Sterling prides himself on helping current clients & alumni problems solve difficult SEO issues. He’s great at giving clients multiple options about how to approach a situation, finding solutions to some of the more technical aspects of SEO, and responding in a timely manner to client concerns. Since he started, Sterling has met frequently with our alumni and provided them with extra problem-solving support. He now provides additional support with a variety of local SEO services. He often goes the extra mile to do outside research. By doing so, he sure private practice owners have everything they need to rank well on search engines long term for the keywords their ideal clients are using!